Fluke 381 questions??

[johninct]

I am thinking of getting a Fluke 381 to use for general automotive/ heavy equipment work. I will be measuring DC amps with the jaws . I have never seen one in person but it looks kind of big so my first question is it too big for general automotive work when using the jaws? My next question , is the .1 amp resolution scale too big or should I get a clamp meter that goes to say .01amp? Thanks..

 

[1961MGA]

I have that meter. It is very large and not great for automotive. Get a 87v or 88v if you want fluke that bad. I would also recommend the innova 3340 for the hobbyist. You will not be happy with the 381 for auto use. If you are buying that meter to test parasitic draws then the resolution will not be enough. If you are looking to test starters and alternators it will work. But you could buy the innova 3340 and the DC clamp for less then a fluke.

 

[Bobioz1]

I have that meter. It's huge. It works great for automotive. It just doesn't do everything. None of them do. If you want to measure large and small amps you will need more than 1 meter.