Multimeter reccommendations

[flushcut]

Morning I am in the market for a new multimeter Fluke brand is what I am after , but which model? I am stepping up from a POS $15 no name and am kind of like a deer in headlights when it comes to all the features of the different models. I am basically working on 06' and newer diesel engines in various tree service equipment i.e. chipper tier 4 final Cummins, Ram 2500 5.9, Ford 6.0, ect... With this there are a ton of sensors in hydraulic systems and what not. So what do you folks suggest model wise?

 

[RedneckWelder]

The 87 is the gold standard as far as I am concerned.

One of the guys here has the detachable screen model (forget the mode number) and he likes it a lot

There are a bunch of other Fluke models but I don’t have experience with them and what they offer. I can tell you the 11x series is the made in China budget line of meters. Generally regarded as decent though but may be lacking in features you would want

Mostly you will use voltage and ohms, sometimes you will use duty cycle and hz do you want meters with those features plus you will want ease of use features like backlit displays and easy to understand controls.

 

[xj31]

Fluke 87 is a great meter. I have the 88 and it is going on 30 years. Right now tooltopia has the 88 for $370 and the 87 is $440 if you are looking to go new

 

[Davefr]

Both of those Flukes are great meter. 88V might be more suitable to automotive.

Fluke's autohold feature is worth it's weight in gold!!

 

[Spacey_G]

The 87 seems like a waste of money if you don't need to measure microamps. If that's the case the 177 might be more suitable.

 

[theoldwizard1]

IMHO, ALL Fluke meters are INCREDIBLY over priced. Of course the same is true for Snap-On tools.

 

[Dingleburry]

IMHO, ALL Fluke meters are INCREDIBLY over priced. Of course the same is true for Snap-On tools.

When im working in energized 600v control panels, i cant be questioning my multimeter, nor if i touch the wrong wire/have in wrong setting have it blow up.
Busted knuckles/ rounded fasteners well thats a different story, same with 12 or 24v systems.

Fluke all the way. I have the 87v and love it. Its the small things.
The 11x series backlight only stays on for 30 seconds or something.
The 87 stays on 30 mins.
100 series you need to turn knob to off and back on again after auto shut off, the 87 press any button. Stuff like that.

 

[xin]

When im working in energized 600v control panels, i cant be questioning my multimeter, nor if i touch the wrong wire/have in wrong setting have it blow up.
Busted knuckles/ rounded fasteners well thats a different story, same with 12 or 24v systems.

Fluke all the way. I have the 87 and love it. Its the small things.
The 100 series backlight only stays on for 30 seconds or something.
The 87 stays on 30 mins.
100 series you need to turn knob to off and back on again after auto shut off, the 87 press any button. Stuff like that.

Put the links to the Fluke models in here.

 

[txvwnut]

The 88V is geared towards the automotive field, I’ve got two and they cover everything I need to do. There’s accessories to read rpm, pressure, vacuum, temp and current if you want to drop the coin to get them. I’ve got two thermocouples an inductive clamp for rpm and one for current.

 

[L.Cheapo]

IMHO, ALL Fluke meters are INCREDIBLY over priced. Of course the same is true for Snap-On tools.

Last month my $20 Craftsman multimeter told me I needed an alternator.

Suspicious, I borrowed my FIL's Fluke. It showed perfect. Connected my Modis--the truck confirmed voltage was correct.

That cheap meter nearly cost me an expensive alternator. Replacing the battery made no difference.

It got binned and I now own a Fluke. A meter you can't 100% trust is less than worthless.

 

[Spacey_G]

Fluke all the way. I have the 87 and love it. Its the small things.
The 100 series backlight only stays on for 30 seconds or something.
The 87 stays on 30 mins.
100 series you need to turn knob to off and back on again after auto shut off, the 87 press any button. Stuff like that.

On my 179, the back light timer is 2 minutes. The timer can be disabled by holding the backlight button during power-up. Per the 87 manual, its backlight timer is 68 seconds.

You can also press any button on the 179 to turn back on after auto-shutoff.
No need to move the dial. The auto-shutoff can also be disabled by holding the yellow mode button during power-up.

 

[M6erfan]

...Fluke all the way. I have the 87 and love it. Its the small things.
The 100 series backlight only stays on for 30 seconds or something.
The 87 stays on 30 mins.
100 series you need to turn knob to off and back on again after auto shut off, the 87 press any button. Stuff like that.

On my 179, the back light timer is 2 minutes. The timer can be disabled by holding the backlight button during power-up. Per the 87 manual, its backlight timer is 68 seconds.

You can also press any button on the 179 to turn back on after auto-shutoff.
No need to move the dial. The auto-shutoff can also be disabled by holding the yellow mode button during power-up.

Sorry, but LMAO!

 

[amlv20]

Last month my $20 Craftsman multimeter told me I needed an alternator.

Suspicious, I borrowed my FIL's Fluke. It showed perfect. Connected my Modis--the truck confirmed voltage was correct.

That cheap meter nearly cost me an expensive alternator. Replacing the battery made no difference.

It got binned and I now own a Fluke. A meter you can't 100% trust is less than worthless.

Same thing happened to the young wannabe tech a while back.misdiaged a bunch of stuff that I had to fix.watched him diag an alternator that his crapsman meter was showing 6v,with engine running perfect,high beams on,blower on hi,and wipers on high....no way.told him if he's serious about his job he better get a good meter.

 

[bonneyman]

IMHO, ALL Fluke meters are INCREDIBLY over priced. Of course the same is true for Snap-On tools.

I agree.

I have a Fluke multimeter that I use as a digital thermometer, and it's not bad. But I couldn't afford to be Fluke across the board.

 

[RedneckWelder]

IMHO, ALL Fluke meters are INCREDIBLY over priced. Of course the same is true for Snap-On tools.

I strongly disagree

When I am condemning parts that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars and doing electrical diagnostic work on the customers dime at shop rate they are worth every penny and then some

 

[TTLLOGIC]

If you’re doing anything above 240 AC mains it's Fluke or nothing. There's a reason they aren't cheap. Fluke spends huge amounts of time and money on R&D to make sure their products are safe.



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[Snakebyt]

i use a cheap old $10 craftsman, but im a complete idiot when it comes to electrical, so i only check continuity and voltage..

 

[kythri]

Put the links to the Fluke models in here.

http://www.google.com

 

[Milton Shaw]

Fluke meters are great but watch for low battery and blown fuses from hooking them up wrong. I had a low battery that said 240 volt was only 175 volt...Battery Icon was showing bad but I had never seen it with a bad battery didn't know what it was showing. Blown fuses will give false readings on ohms so check points together to get 0 ohms to check and there are other checks in manual to check the other fuses. Use only Fluke fuses to keep the meter safe under all conditions. Watch Ebay and you can get some good deals sometimes. I have a 87, 179, 116 and scopemeter so I have most of the bases covered..

 

[CafeTools]

I have a Fluke 87 they are good and worth the investment, however cheaper ones will get the job done but are not quite as nice or reliable.

 

[cvairwerks]

Something to consider is having two meters in your tool box. A high quality digital for things where you need an accurate measurement. Also a inexpensive, analog meter for doing continuity checks.

I can run the continuity checks on a 60-100 wire harness faster with an analog meter than with a digital. For continuity, you are looking only for a needle relative position and not an exact number. The analog will have the meter movement into the region long before the digital meter will even have the leading two numbers settled enough to read. With a good partner, we can do a harness about as fast as I can call out the pin numbers to him.
Should you be needed to have an exact number for diagnosis, then use the digital.

I run a Fluke 8050A on the bench at home and a Simpson 260 in the shop at home.

 

[Dingleburry]

On my 179, the back light timer is 2 minutes. The timer can be disabled by holding the backlight button during power-up. Per the 87 manual, its backlight timer is 68 seconds.

You can also press any button on the 179 to turn back on after auto-shutoff.
No need to move the dial. The auto-shutoff can also be disabled by holding the yellow mode button during power-up.

Per the "right" manual, it says nothing about backlight timer.
And sorry i was talking about 11x models, ill edit post.
I use 87v a few times a week for years. I dont ever remember backlight turning off on me. It only shuts off when meter auto shuts off after 30 mins.
There is also no backlight power up option on the 87v.

 

[ca90ss]

I have a Fluke 233 with the detachable display and have been happy with it other than it going through batteries much faster than other meters I've used.

 

[6PTsocket]

Fluke meters are great but watch for low battery and blown fuses from hooking them up wrong. I had a low battery that said 240 volt was only 175 volt...Battery Icon was showing bad but I had never seen it with a bad battery didn't know what it was showing. Blown fuses will give false readings on ohms so check points together to get 0 ohms to check and there are other checks in manual to check the other fuses. Use only Fluke fuses to keep the meter safe under all conditions. Watch Ebay and you can get some good deals sometimes. I have a 87, 179, 116 and scopemeter so I have most of the bases covered..

Fluke doesn't make fuses. They buy them and mark them up. Littlefuse and Bussmann both make the special couple of fuses that Fluke uses. These companies hve been around forever and are an industry standard. Does the one in the picture look familiar? See the FLU prefix? They are made for fluke meters. You can pay through the nose for them or get them on ebay. The one in the picture came from China but is Made in Mexico. Even Littlefuse and Buss can be expensive from a US distrbutor. The companies make a lot of their stuff off shore and you can bypass the expensive US distributor mark up. Loctite specialty products are very expensive but I picked up a couple of bottles labeled in Korean and made in Ireland for dirt cheap on ebay. Group 7 sells genuine Hyundai parts in a Korean labeled box, far cheaper than anything from Hyundi USA. It is all about the distribution. When you are buying an accessory that a company does not make, it is often far cheaper to go to the source.

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[kb1982]

I like the Power Probe brand multimeter that came with the Power Probe kit. Since I got the kit, it has taken over duty from my Innova. It was a big step up. I don't use a multimeter for a living, but I'm on the friends and family plan when it comes to working on stuff.

Sent from my Z962BL using Tapatalk

 

[xin]

I like the Power Probe brand multimeter that came with the Power Probe kit. Since I got the kit, it has taken over duty from my Innova. It was a big step up. I don't use a multimeter for a living, but I'm on the friends and family plan when it comes to working on stuff.

Sent from my Z962BL using Tapatalk

I like this --> but I'm on the friends and family plan when it comes to working on stuff. <--

 

[Spacey_G]

Per the "right" manual, it says nothing about backlight timer.
And sorry i was talking about 11x models, ill edit post.
I use 87v a few times a week for years. I dont ever remember backlight turning off on me. It only shuts off when meter auto shuts off after 30 mins.
There is also no backlight power up option on the 87v.

You're correct, I had the wrong model 87 manual. The 87V appears to keep the backlight on until the auto-shutoff after 30 minutes. Since there's no timeout for the backlight, there's no power-up option to disable it.

So the 87V and 177/179 can all keep the backlight on indefinitely (or until auto-shutdown), but the 87V does it by default.

 

[M6erfan]

You're correct, I had the wrong model 87 manual. The 87V appears to keep the backlight on until the auto-shutoff after 30 minutes. Since there's no timeout for the backlight, there's no power-up option to disable it.

So the 87V and 177/179 can all keep the backlight on indefinitely (or until auto-shutdown), but the 87V does it by default.

I believe there is a bypass for auto shutoff on the backlight with the 11x models too.

 

[Mr_B]

For auto use there a huge range of options/prices .
I got cheap meters and expensive, all work fine .

 

[Dingleburry]

You're correct, I had the wrong model 87 manual. The 87V appears to keep the backlight on until the auto-shutoff after 30 minutes. Since there's no timeout for the backlight, there's no power-up option to disable it.

So the 87V and 177/179 can all keep the backlight on indefinitely (or until auto-shutdown), but the 87V does it by default.

Yea. I was just comparing the cheaper ones vs expensive ones but i put 100 series not 11x series, i have a 113 also and it drives me nuts after using the 87v 95+% of the time. Another thing i love about the 87 is the continuity beeper speed. I have the 381 here at home, its extremely slow beeper, 87 very fast, from what i remember the 113 is slow also.

But to the OP
Mjlorton on youtube does good multimeter reviews.

 

[Wamsutta]

I have a Fluke model 77-IV. I highly recommend it. I waited about a year until one popped up on eBay. They smell wonderful when they're new.

 

[flushcut]

Thank you for all the responses. I guess I should start the hunt for an 87.
Dingle I'll have to check his videos thanks!

 

[LightningEngineer]

I got my Fluke 87-5 new for about $275 on sale. Shop around. Fluke wins hands down in my view.

That said there are quite a few other brands that are acceptable. Keysight makes some nifty ones. Stay far away from Extech. I have one and it's awful, slow, useless, and untrustworthy.

- $100 Multimeter Shootout

 

[Fedwrench]

Flukes are good but, there are also fine automotive DMMs available from ESI, Bosch, & Powerprobe to name a few.

a graphing DMM can be very helpful in tracing an intermittent concern.

However, it's the skills of the person using the DMM that makes it a great tool.

For those of you that blow your meter's fuses often, i would recommend additional training in DMM use but, you can also get a set of test leads that have an automotive fuse in the lead to protect your meter and it's much cheaper than replacing your meter's fuses.

 

[dogdog]

LOL typical GJ thread....

OP asked for which meter works for him, and he is dead set on a fluck meter for what ever reason... why won't some one recommended a fluck meter with the functions that he needs...

Other than the standard OHM, capacitance, temp, continuity, diode etc. the newer sensors are PWM, ohm, or analog volt outputs... ability to test the frequency and PWM is valuable...

As far as if there are other brands that would work fine, absolutely... pssst.... it's a freaking tool how you use that tool matters more. If you used the tool the wrong way, it's blow up the same way no matter if it is a fluck or craftsman, or even HF... though I have had the leads straight out flaming when I poke it in the 120V outlet on a OHM setting but just saying...

 

[Negen]

At work we use hioki dt 4281 and 4282 we have one each I mainly use the 4281 I like it hard to best Japanese engineering.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Angry welder]

I have to agree with everyone that the Fluke 87 is the top of the line, but its also way more meter than needed unless your a professional electrician or someone who works on small electronics. For a good all purpose meter I would recommend the Fluke 17B. It includes a temp probe and does everything but True RMS, which I couldn't imagine why anyone outside of the electronics filed would need.

 

[outdated]

Keysight (Agilent) make some nice meters, I have a U1233A which has worked very well for my modest requirements. I think you get a bit of decent build quality without the extravagant price of a Fluke.
That said, if you're using it every day to make money from, just get a Fluke. You'll claim it anyway, and over the product's life time its price will be almost irrelevant. There's enough to worry about in business without second guessing your tools.
Fluke really seems like the Snap-On of the electrical world, some hate them because they see them as price gouging, but the fact is they make a product of a known quality at a high price, stump up or move on.

 

[KM223]

I have a Fluke 88. It’s for sale. Just sayin

 

[Mr_B]

I like hoiki meters.
For auto I use my vantage pro a lot (love the simple cheap auto fuse on rear)
For quick use I use a holdpeak auto meter .
Graphing multimeter would be a must for me .