Highest Quality, Tiny Basic Multimeter?

[oldschoolcraft]

I have a Fluke 117 that I bought several years ago. It's overkill for my needs but I enjoy high quality tools. To date, I've only ever used it to measure DC voltage and resistance, with resistance only being used to measure whether a circuit is functioning or not. Never cared what the resistance was, basically used as a continuity tester.

I like the idea of additional functions in there in case the need arises for me to learn to use them.

However, I find the Fluke 117 to be too large for a portable tool kit, with respect to the value of it for my individual needs. I'd love a very tiny multimeter that's possibly made by Fluke or another high end brand, that can at least be a continuity tester and also a basic DC Voltage meter.

If it could also work on AC to tell if an outlet is hot or not, that would be preferred since then I wouldn't need one of those pen-shaped testers.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Check out a fluke 101. it is smaller than their standard dmm but may be what you are looking for. A cheap pocket size meter is good enough for most side of the road wiring checks.

Since watching South Main auto, I actually went back to using an old fashioned test light on cars. A test light it can easily test for most of what you really need to check on an automotive circuit, and the bulb in the light actually loads the circuit some so you can see if there is a voltage drop on a loaded circuit by looking at the brightness of the bulb. A dmm would still show 12V on a circuit that would drop considerably if there were a load. Chris

 

[Bacon Man]

Fluke T5-600 seems like it would be perfect for you.

 

[6PTsocket]

Check out the Harbor Freight, free with any purchase meter and offered every few weeks. It has the basic finctions and is amazingly accurate for the price. The cables are **** but I just got a set of replacement cables that I would use on my $300 meter. I paid $.99 with free shipping on ebay. The best part is that if you want a better one, you are out nothing. It is very small and even has transistor and battery check functions. When they are not giving it away, I think it is around $5.99. I have much better meters but I have a couple of the cheap HF's, that have lasted for years. I often grab one of them because they are good enough for the job and if I slammed a hood one one tomorrow, I would hardly care.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[oldschoolcraft]

To date, I've only ever used it to measure DC voltage and resistance, with resistance only being used to measure whether a circuit is functioning or not. Never cared what the resistance was, basically used as a continuity tester.


With what you do you can get by with any make or brand.


If the expense is important I have a $3,000 custom unit, the only one like it anywhere, for sale.

I tend to abuse my stuff, drop it, and throw it around so durability is the important part here. I imagine your $3k custom unit is $3k because of how precise and sensitive the electronics are.

For me, the reason for the more expensive unit is the $10 Harbor Freight DMM will break the first time I drop it onto concrete. While I could drop 20 of them on concrete for the price of one Fluke, the problem is that if it's broken, I'm unable to work until I make a trip back to HF to buy a replacement.

I'd rather spend $200 on a Fluke DMM that's overkill, but if I drop it or put it in a toolbox and it bangs against a 32oz hammer, it's probably fine.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Fluke T5-600 seems like it would be perfect for you.

Neat little unit! I did the math from their website and my current Fluke 117 is almost twice as heavy and almost twice as large by volume so it looks like this might be just the ticket for me!

 

[M6erfan]

Fluke T5-600 seems like it would be perfect for you.

Yep

 

[BMack37]

This is a shootout of continuity speed but there's good information on some cheep, pocket multimeters. All off these will be find for testing voltage.

 

[Eric29]

My experience with the Harbor Freight multimeters has been just the opposite. I had three of them and they all read different resistance values on the same circuit. I finally got a good meter and saw that all three of the Harbor Freight meters were wrong. I threw them out.

Check out the Harbor Freight, free with any purchase meter and offered every few weeks. It has the basic finctions and is amazingly accurate for the price. The cables are **** but I just got a set of replacement cables that I would use on my $300 meter. I paid $.99 with free shipping on ebay. The best part is that if you want a better one, you are out nothing. It is very small and even has transistor and battery check functions. When they are not giving it away, I think it is around $5.99. I have much better meters but I have a couple of the cheap HF's, that have lasted for years. I often grab one of them because they are good enough for the job and if I slammed a hood one one tomorrow, I would hardly care.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[ddawg16]

For the money (free), the HF job is hard to beat. Meter is great....but the leads are a *************....you will spend more on the leads than the meter

 

[Fierljeppen]

Fluke T5-600 seems like it would be perfect for you.

+1

AC or DC volts, AC amps and conductivity. Great videos on YouTube!

 

[seber]

Fluke T5-600 seems like it would be perfect for you.

I have one marked Ideal. Tough as a hammer. It is kind of long.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I tend to abuse my stuff, drop it, and throw it around so durability is the important part here. I imagine your $3k custom unit is $3k because of how precise and sensitive the electronics are.

For me, the reason for the more expensive unit is the $10 Harbor Freight DMM will break the first time I drop it onto concrete. While I could drop 20 of them on concrete for the price of one Fluke, the problem is that if it's broken, I'm unable to work until I make a trip back to HF to buy a replacement.

I'd rather spend $200 on a Fluke DMM that's overkill, but if I drop it or put it in a toolbox and it bangs against a 32oz hammer, it's probably fine.

I just put one of my HF meters through a 6 foot drop test onto a concrete floor. It came out fine. The case is a resilient plastic and the internals are light, so I wasn't much worried about damaging it. The days of the fragile Bakelite cased multimeter are long gone.

They are also reasonably accurate on voltage measurements. The range switch can be problematic on current and resistance measurements and works better after a little exercise. Same story with the on/off switch.

The meter's input resistance is rather low, 1meghom. That's normal for alot of inexpensive meters. A few bucks more will buy a 10 meg meter, if that's important. Most of the time, the input resistance doesn't make a difference.

DON'T use a HF freebie meter where arc flash is a risk.

But for my purposes, they're a pretty good deal at $4. even better when free.

 

[senlow]

You may want to look at a Triplett 310. That's the meter I used back when I installed alarm systems. It's simple small, light and accurate. Be advised that this is an analog meter. I find analog meters faster to read when I don't need to read exact values (continuity, power to a circuit etc.). My Triplett had a leather case with a strap. I would wear the strap around my neck, and open the case so that my hands were free to manipulate the probes and the meter remained in front of me and easily readable.

 

[shteii01]

Pocket multimeter continuity shootout:

Also note all the other features and buttons. I think that is more than Fluke 101 can do.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Consider some of the Radio Shack analog voltmeters. Light weight and surprisingly indestructible. I had one in my car for many years. No battery needed to measure voltage.

This one is about $6 with shipping

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ra...tester-Analog-Multimeter-w-leads/263512958337

Weight: 4 ounces

 

[rpcraft]

I am a big fan of this one and it includes a battery tester. I have one that I found laying on the ground in a parking garage down in the Houston medical district about 10 years ago and although the battery tester doesn't work everything else does.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EVYGZA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[6PTsocket]

You may want to look at a Triplett 310. That's the meter I used back when I installed alarm systems. It's simple small, light and accurate. Be advised that this is an analog meter. I find analog meters faster to read when I don't need to read exact values (continuity, power to a circuit etc.). My Triplett had a leather case with a strap. I would wear the strap around my neck, and open the case so that my hands were free to manipulate the probes and the meter remained in front of me and easily readable.

I have an old 310 down in the bottom of a box somewhere. The selector switch is actually contacts on the pc board, that fell apart. I made a few attempts to fix it and gave up I doubt that diosaur is still made. Is Triplett even still in business. They were always sort if the less popular competitor of Simpson. Simpson is another dinosaur that is just barely there. It is far from small but if you want to go analog it is hard to beat a Simpson 260. Some digital meters hava a virtual analog display that is fast as a meter needle. The cheapest digitals are far more accurate than an analog. They have practically become extinct.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[6PTsocket]

Consider some of the Radio Shack analog voltmeters. Light weight and surprisingly indestructible. I had one in my car for many years. No battery needed to measure voltage.

This one is about $6 with shipping

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ra...tester-Analog-Multimeter-w-leads/263512958337

Weight: 4 ounces

You do know that Radio Shack is out of business. Are you suggesting the OP look for a used meter that was cheap stuff to start with?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[theoldwizard1]

Check out a fluke 101. it is smaller than their standard dmm but may be what you are looking for. A cheap pocket size meter is good enough for most side of the road wiring checks.

Well, I would not call it "cheap" because there a lot more out there that aren't bad that are less expensive. If it had non-contacting voltage detection, I would consider it !

Since watching South Main auto, I actually went back to using an old fashioned test light on cars. A test light it can easily test for most of what you really need to check on an automotive circuit, and the bulb in the light actually loads the circuit some so you can see if there is a voltage drop on a loaded circuit by looking at the brightness of the bulb.

Very true. Eric O. and Ivan (Pine Hollow auto Diagnostics) are the "kings" of the "'scope on a rope" ! They know and UNDERSTAND how to use Ohm's Law to their advantage !!

I am a little surprised that Eric O. is using a non-standard bulb (typical draws 250 mA, I think the one he uses is in the 500-1000 mA range). Remember, when used "in line" it is a good current limiter !

And I swear, I am going to buy a small HF locking pliers for my ground clamp !

 

[theoldwizard1]

Any meter WITHOUT a protective housing should never leave the lab. I will get drop and broken. Except maybe the original Simpson 260. I think it had a Bakelite case. This is the stuff that Bell Telephone's Western Electric used for a zillion year to make telephone. Close to indestructible, but heavy.

 

[6PTsocket]

For the money (free), the HF job is hard to beat. Meter is great....but the leads are a *************....you will spend more on the leads than the meter

But not much more than the free meter. The set to the right of the meter is a nicely made pair that cost $.99, with free shipping from China, on ebay. On the right you will recognize an original crummy HF test lead. I didn't want to spend much on leads for a free meter but I was amazed at how nice these were. I would use them on my Tektronix TX3 that was a competitor to the Fluke 87.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[KnurledNut]

The Hioki Card HiTester is very compact and excellent quality.

 

[anetode]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JZ1ADCO/?tag=atomicindus08-20
EEVblog's Brymen BM235 Multimeter - small, sturdy, accurate.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Well, I would not call it "cheap" because there a lot more out there that aren't bad that are less expensive. If it had non-contacting voltage detection, I would consider it !



Very true. Eric O. and Ivan (Pine Hollow auto Diagnostics) are the "kings" of the "'scope on a rope" ! They know and UNDERSTAND how to use Ohm's Law to their advantage !!

I am a little surprised that Eric O. is using a non-standard bulb (typical draws 250 mA, I think the one he uses is in the 500-1000 mA range). Remember, when used "in line" it is a good current limiter !

And I swear, I am going to buy a small HF locking pliers for my ground clamp !

I didn't mean that the Fluke was cheap. The second sentence was added to indicate that any brand of cheap DMM would work in a tool kit for the trunk of a car.

I keep my good Fluke meter in my shop, but I have cheap radio shack Multimeters in my "trunk of a car" tool kits.


I believe Eric uses a higher current(lower resistance) bulb to make the bulb in the test light dim more than a regular bulb if there is resistance in the circuit.

The test light acts as a voltage divider if there is resistance somewhere else in the circuit. A higher current(lower resistance) bulb in the test light would cause more of the voltage drop to occur in the circuit rather than the test light which would cause the bulb to be more sensitive(dim more) when there is resistance in the line.

I have 30 foot magnetic retractible test leads that I hook directly to the battery terminals so I don't have to hunt for a good source or ground when under the lift or at the back of the car. It is also pretty handy when working on boats.

Chris

 

[6PTsocket]

Any meter WITHOUT a protective housing should never leave the lab. I will get drop and broken. Except maybe the original Simpson 260. I think it had a Bakelite case. This is the stuff that Bell Telephone's Western Electric used for a zillion year to make telephone. Close to indestructible, but heavy.

I have an early series 2 Simpson 260. That bakelite case is far from indestructable. It is a good thing JB Weld bonds so well to bakelite.I just keep it as an antique and rarely use it. They are still made. There were cases for some models, though they were probably not common. I never saw one "live". Mine is so old that the test leads attached to the meter with pin tip plugs instead of bannana plugs. The jacks screwed into blind holes in the back of the front panel. They never stayed in well so I was able to find bannana jacks with the same thread and I just had to enlarge the holes a little to switch to bannana plugs. I think there might have been a telco model with scales for phone work. You are right; they were a a mainstay of the electronics industry for many years. Some later models had mirrored scales to combat parralax error.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I have an early series 2 Simpson 260. That bakelite case is far from indestructable. It is a good thing JB Weld bonds so well to bakelite.I just keep it as an antique and rarely use it. They are still made. There were cases for some models, though they were probably not common. I never saw one "live". Mine is so old that the test leads attached to the meter with pin tip plugs instead of bannana plugs. The jacks screwed into blind holes in the back of the front panel. They never stayed in well so I was able to find bannana jacks with the same thread and I just had to enlarge the holes a little to switch to bannana plugs. I think there might have been a telco model with scales for phone work. You are right; they were a a mainstay of the electronics industry for many years. Some later models had mirrored scales to combat parralax error.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

My High School electronics class had a Simpson 260 with a case. The front of the case would roll up like a roll top desk. The meter had a circuit breaker to protect the movement. A good idea for a school meter.

The cases are bakelite, breakable, and I don't know why anyone would want a bakelite cased meter except for nostalgia. The knock-about meters of the 40s and 50s had wood or metal cases.

Simpson 260s are still being made. WAY overpriced for me.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Any meter WITHOUT a protective housing should never leave the lab. I will get drop and broken. Except maybe the original Simpson 260. I think it had a Bakelite case. This is the stuff that Bell Telephone's Western Electric used for a zillion year to make telephone. Close to indestructible, but heavy.

Telephones cases changed from bakelite to ABS plastic sometime before 1960.

 

[bcradio]

But not much more than the free meter. The set to the right of the meter is a nicely made pair that cost $.99, with free shipping from China, on ebay. On the right you will recognize an original crummy HF test lead. I didn't want to spend much on leads for a free meter but I was amazed at how nice these were. I would use them on my Tektronix TX3 that was a competitor to the Fluke 87.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Do you have a link for these leads? I could use a few pairs for that price.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Do you have a link for these leads? I could use a few pairs for that price.

You can look here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Needle-Tip...680736&hash=item2f106976ac:g:tpYAAOSwGuVaKJ9H

I bought a few of these about a year ago. They're not at all bad. The copper wire is too thin for even 10A in my opinion, but that's the only real issue I have with them.

The sleeves over the banana plugs can easily be cut back to match the plugs on the HF meter.

The tip of the removable cover over needle end can be cut back to make nice insulated sleeves.

 

[Citation]

Fluke 101 is about as basic as they come but very high quality given the limited feature set. I have a UNI-T UT210E AC and DC clamp meter that I really like as a cheap electricians meter. I don't recall the continuity tester being too quick and since it's a clamp meter it doesn't sit up nicely on a bench. However, I've got other meters for that. I've seen them as cheap as $20 off the slow boat from China. A number of reviews and teardowns are floating about the web.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-look-at-the-uni-t-ut210e/

The HF meters are free/junk. I have a number of them and use them as leave in the car meters. The lack of a continuity tone, no autoranging and just junky build quality means I use them only as keep it handy meters. They are in the car not because I will NEED a meter on the road but because I might want one.

 

[M_George]

For the money (free), the HF job is hard to beat. Meter is great....but the leads are a *************....you will spend more on the leads than the meter

I just re-soldered the leads. Keep one in each car along with the free flashlight, tarp and bungee cords. If I care about accuracy, I bring out the good DVM or my good old Simson analog meter.

 

[928'er]

Check out the Harbor Freight, free with any purchase meter and offered every few weeks. It has the basic finctions and is amazingly accurate for the price. The cables are **** but I just got a set of replacement cables that I would use on my $300 meter. I paid $.99 with free shipping on ebay. The best part is that if you want a better one, you are out nothing. It is very small and even has transistor and battery check functions. When they are not giving it away, I think it is around $5.99. I have much better meters but I have a couple of the cheap HF's, that have lasted for years. I often grab one of them because they are good enough for the job and if I slammed a hood one one tomorrow, I would hardly care.

The problem with the HF meters is that they may or may not work when you need them or they may or may not be accurate when they do work. I keep one in my car kit, but have, probably, thrown away 10 of them because they didn't work when needed.

They're better than nothing, but they're worth what they cost - nothing.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

What's the difference between Fluke T5-600 and T5-1000 other than about $40?

Also the 101 is actually smaller than the T5-600 according to the specs but I think the design of the leads in the T5-600 makes the overall package smaller than a 101 and the external leads.

 

[whyNick?]

I'm not sure it's "highest quality" but I like my Extech DM 110 meter. It works well and fits in your pocket. About $30 if I recall.

 

[shteii01]

What's the difference between Fluke T5-600 and T5-1000 other than about $40?

Also the 101 is actually smaller than the T5-600 according to the specs but I think the design of the leads in the T5-600 makes the overall package smaller than a 101 and the external leads.

Without looking but knowing Fluke "system" I would guess the 600 stands for 600 volts, 1000 stands for 1000 volts. If you work with power lines, you will want the 1000 volt model. If you work in industrial/factory environment, you will want the 600 volt model because vast majority of factory machines are 120-230-480 volts so 600 volts rating is plenty for them.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Without looking but knowing Fluke "system" I would guess the 600 stands for 600 volts, 1000 stands for 1000 volts. If you work with power lines, you will want the 1000 volt model. If you work in industrial/factory environment, you will want the 600 volt model because vast majority of factory machines are 120-230-480 volts so 600 volts rating is plenty for them.

I think the only reason I'd ever need to measure 1000 volts is if I was working on a power line as you say, and I'd only be doing that if I was a professional working for the utility company which I am not and likely never will be.

So the T5-600 really is good enough for me then right?

 

[shteii01]

I think the only reason I'd ever need to measure 1000 volts is if I was working on a power line as you say, and I'd only be doing that if I was a professional working for the utility company which I am not and likely never will be.

So the T5-600 really is good enough for me then right?

T5-600 is good for measurements below 600 volts.

 

[visionguru]

The problem with the HF meters is that they may or may not work when you need them or they may or may not be accurate when they do work. I keep one in my car kit, but have, probably, thrown away 10 of them because they didn't work when needed.

They're better than nothing, but they're worth what they cost - nothing.

What do you mean by "they didn't work when needed"?
More details please. I don't think you are telling the truth. Threw away 10?

 

[kelpaso1]

Fluke 101 is about as basic as they come but very high quality given the limited feature set. I have a UNI-T UT210E AC and DC clamp meter that I really like as a cheap electricians meter. I don't recall the continuity tester being too quick and since it's a clamp meter it doesn't sit up nicely on a bench. However, I've got other meters for that. I've seen them as cheap as $20 off the slow boat from China. .

I have this meter and I like it. It's small, cheap, accurate, and fits in your shirt pocket.