Multi-Meter Recommendations...

[pjcforpres2020]

What are your experiences with multi-meters? Who would you say is the industry leader? What would you say is the best model to get? I am mostly curious in terms of automotive applications as it's main function, but any info regarding the best for electrician would be welcome extras!

I got my Craftsman wet over the weekend, and putting it in a bag of instant rice to dry it out didn't work out.(FYI, ever get your cell phone wet... take the battery out immedietly, don't try turning it on at all, and put it in a bag of instant rice for a couple days, if nothing shorted out, you will be good to go for 6-12 months!)

 

[msrfrog]

Fluke is the best way to go. They had a snap on at a electronics class I went to and was a pain to use . my fluke is easy. I think it is a 86 or 87 model.

 

[Bustawrench]

Fluke is pretty much the best thing going.

Unless you want to kick it old school, then you can't go wrong with a Simpson.

 

[tw33k2514]

Fluke, you can score an 87 or an 88 on ebay for cheap.

 

[35mastr]

You can never go wrong with the Fluke. 87 or 88. The 88 is the most popular for automotive use.

 

[pjcforpres2020]

Thanks guys! I was pretty sure Fluke was the way to go... my brother has a Simpson that is pretty old school and simple to use... we used it to rebuild the wiring harness on my '84 Volvo, but it doesn't have any bells or whistles like modern ones.

I will take a look at the Fluke 87/88... probably end up with the 88, I am guessing a higher number means more features, and I like features.

 

[Stuey]

Fluke is definitely the industry leader. Most Craftsman meters are rebadged Extechs, which are decent meters (I have one and love it), but they're no match for Fluke.

 

[toolnut]

A fuse protected meter is the way to go. If it doesn't have some kind of protection than it will become a paper weight. I like my Fuke and my Simpson.

 

[scottmlew]

A fuse protected meter is the way to go. If it doesn't have some kind of protection than it will become a paper weight. I like my Fuke and my Simpson.

Tell me about it...I just discovered that BOTH fuses in my Fluke 179 are blown...no doubt due to user error.

 

[G-Tech]

I use em710 from MAC, and would definatelly recommend it.....I love mine!!!


http://www.mactools.com/product/tabid/120/p-318783-em710.aspx

 

[ourkid2000]

I have a Fluke 179 myself.......it is a great meter. But it is not necessary to get such an expensive meter, in my opinion.

Excellent, proven meters are Greenlee's. I used one for years before I got my Fluke and it was great. Another one we used for a long time is the Meterman line (we had 37XR's).......which is now sold as Amprobe.

Both of these worked as well as my Fluke and were much cheaper.

 

[Major Ramifications]

I was going to say the same thing. Flukes are really nice, but if price is a concern, look at Greenlee.
http://www.dryesupply.com/m-54-greenlee.aspx

 

[pjcforpres2020]

Price is not a concern... Quality and life span, also features. I start this fall in a shop working on euro... And with the trend toward hybrid, etc, a full feature top notch multi meter is a wise investment in my book.

 

[ourkid2000]

I'd say the 88 is for you. Specifically designed for autos.........it's not RMS though for some weird reason.

But it's got a lot of features that auto mechanics use all the time plus a really great manual.

 

[scottmlew]

If you can do without the inductive pickup, I'd strongly look at the Fluke 289. It has all of the features of the 88, and then some (with the exception of working with the inductive pickup). It is also true RMS, etc.

I'd also look into a current clamp, or perhaps even two clamps to handle different ranges. They're quite handy...

 

[Enloe]

I bought 2 fluke 287 meters yesterday for work. In my opinion the fluke is a great meter.

 

[norry]

Are Mac meters still rebadged Fluke? I picked up an old Mac with some tools and it was badged both Mac and Fluke.

+1 to the zillion other people voting for Fluke. I have a Sperry (sold through HD) Taiwan multimeter, though, and I have to say for basic work it's not bad either. Fluke's like Snap-On though, it just feels good to use it.

 

[coppermouse]

Fluke is what we always use here at work and they are pretty much the standard.

 

[theWORLDSaNAIL]

Industry leaders in mult-meters are Fluke, Exectech, and techtronics almost any of the stuff will work for you and it lasts.

 

[knudsen]

For shop and automotive use, the rubber jacket is good to have on a Fluke. One drop pays for it!

 

[nate379]

I like my $30 C-Man better than my Fluke 87.

 

[Thedroid]

I've carried numerous Fluke's in an industrial environment for years. Dropped them countless times. They've been covered in dust, gotten wet, and still work real well. I'm currently using a Fluke 175, use it on 480V all day, and it hasn't let me down.

 

[Thedroid]

Not to hijack, but what are the automotive functions, besides your basics?

 

[scottmlew]

I like my $30 C-Man better than my Fluke 87.

Wow...can you elaborate? I mean, I'm not questioning your opinion, but that's not something I'd expect to hear!

 

[scottmlew]

Not to hijack, but what are the automotive functions, besides your basics?

The inductive RPM pickup is one of them, plus the high sample rate that is able to catch very short-lived blips....there might be others that I'm forgetting.

 

[nate379]

It's smaller and weighs less to begin with. It does everything I need and costs 1/8 of the price.

The last one I had lasted me 8 years and I just replaced it about a month ago. It was reading 1/2 of actual AC voltage for some reason, but everything else was fine.

If they continue to last that long, it would take 53 years of using C Man meters to equal one Fluke.

IMO, if a cheaper tool does the job and lasts for a while, why spend the money on fancy stuff? Bragging rights? Personally I'd rather spend the saved money on other tools. I, like most folks, don't have a "disposable" income where I can drop $200-300 on a multimeter "just because" when a $30 unit will work just the same.



My brother is an engineer for S&W and he does all the CNC programming, setup, and most of the tooling for the shop in Maine. He was buying Starret calipers, Kennedy boxes... all the high end machinist stuff ... until he realized that a $15 made in China caliper worked just as well as a $200 Starrett. Plus if the China made one got dropped or wore out, it was just $15 down the drain.

Wow...can you elaborate? I mean, I'm not questioning your opinion, but that's not something I'd expect to hear!