Fluke meter - help me pick!

[bcradio]

I tinker with electronics so I wanted to have at least 2 good meters. Often I want to read two voltages or a voltage and a current at the same time. I also used them both this summer to read two temperatures simultaneously while charging the house A/C.

Those are two great meters there.

I ended up going with the 87v and 376 Fluke meters. I needed the clamp meter regularly for checking currents. OP, if you haven't yet looked at the Fluke clamp meters, they might be worth a glance too.

 

[Citation]

Maybe he means AC+DC meters? Which means it can measure an AC signal with a DC offset. Many meters, cannot handle an AC+DC measurement properly especially if they have a TrueRMS converter.

I think he means can measure a PWM frequent not just ac frequency. Some meters can read a pwm signal and tell you frequency and duty cycle. Others can only measure a true AC frequency where the voltage on each lead actually reverses.

 

[kwoody51]

Im selling my 28-2

Blew my budget but got a meter! Big thanks to bsaint for selling me his 28ii meter! Turns out I couldn't be as patient as I liked as losing eBay auctions was driving me a little crazy

Now I have the 'best' and the most rugged. It will live a King's life in my garage but nice to know it will survive if I drop or kick it down the stairs.

 

[Farmall450]

Do not get the Fluke 11x series meters. This series of meters is NOT a meter series I will ever recommend.

The 87V is a great well featured meter with a long history of quality, a lifetime warranty (lifetime = as long as the 87V is made + 7 yrs), made in the USA etc.

The 11x series is a series of meters designed to specifically not cannibalize sales from the other higher quality series. All of them lack specific features so that they are not stealing higher priced sales. They are manufactured by Uni-Trend (aka Uni-T) in China, just like all of the Chinese Domestic Fluke Models (Fluke 101, 106, 107, 12E, 15+, 16+, 17+, etc.). They are not BAD meters, but they are not the same quality as the higher level Flukes and they are REALLY overpriced for what you get from a features and quality perspective. This is doubly true since Fluke cut the warranty on that series, reducing from a reasonable 10 years down to only 3 years.

Honestly, if you are in this price range only either go with the CDM Flukes (more features, at lower price), Brymen (BM 235 and BM257S are great meters), Greenlee (many are rebadged Brymen meters but with a Lifetime warranty), Klein or Amprobe (a Fluke subsidiary)

For example, the Greenlee DM-820A is a rebadged Brymen BM827 which has CAT IV 1kV UL-listed safety rating, fully featured, 10,000 count, dual display, nS conductivity measurements for measuring ultra high resistances, lifetime warranty and when Zoro has their 30% off sales, is only $150

Alright, you convinced me to up it to the 87-V. Knew it all along, but was unaware the 115/17 were overpriced China units.

 

[jmcf1949]

Get one that reads alternating DC current; they're useful for checking MAF sensors.

Alternating direct current. WTF? What the heck is that?
Bought my 87v fifteen years ago to replace an aging Simpson 260 and I couldn't be happier. Because I used it some at work it was sent to a calibration service near me. Their report said it was working as it should and was in spec. One of the best purchases I ever made.

 

[Vvmvbb]

What I should have said is DC Frequency.

Hilarious

 

[Farmall450]

Alternating direct current. WTF? What the heck is that?
Bought my 87v fifteen years ago to replace an aging Simpson 260 and I couldn't be happier. Because I used it some at work it was sent to a calibration service near me. Their report said it was working as it should and was in spec. One of the best purchases I ever made.

I assume he means the graph on the bottom; it can catch quick fluctuations of DC current