Multimeters?

[magnetnerd]

Does anyone have a recommendation on a good multimeter to buy? I'm a college student so I don't have tons of cash, I just want something that's going to last me a while. I won't be using it a lot, probably mostly to check my truck or bike battery.

I'm considering going with a $12 cman one, but I'm leery of their quality as of late.

That said, I'd probably be fine with it.

Bah. Idk.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[Moose-LandTran]

For working on what? Just general stuff, automotive, domestic/industrial/maintenance electrician?

Do you want something that'll do for now, or something that you won't ever need to upgrade?

Just go with a Fluke 289!

 

[blacK20]

If you're just using it to check batteries every now and then, the cman one will be plenty. You'd just be wasting money if you spent any more.

 

[jamesemery728]

Check the Sunday paper, get a Harbor Freight coupon for a free one. Good enough to check batteries. Or spend $12 bucks for the Craftsman. Should both work fine.

 

[greasemonkey44]

ive got the autoranging from innova; its pretty good and has a nice big display. Its only 20$ at walmart; and you can check most AA, AAA, c, d batteries with it

 

[magnetnerd]

For working on what? Just general stuff, automotive, domestic/industrial/maintenance electrician?

Do you want something that'll do for now, or something that you won't ever need to upgrade?

Just go with a Fluke 289!

Lol I think that might be overkill. I'm just looking for one for general stuff and checking car/bike batteries.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[magnetnerd]

ive got the autoranging from innova; its pretty good and has a nice big display. Its only 20$ at walmart; and you can check most AA, AAA, c, d batteries with it

That might be a winner. What's autoranging and manual ranging? I know the $12 cman is manual.

...I'm kinda electrical stupid if that wasn't obvious.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

You will say now you wouldn't be doing a lot with it. But down the road, you wish you bought higher model.

Go with decent Fluke model.

 

[magnetnerd]

You will say now you wouldn't be doing a lot with it. But down the road, you wish you bought higher model.

Go with decent Fluke model.

You have a point, but I don't have a lot of cash to spare at the moment. If I buy a $20 one now, I wouldn't be opposed to giving it to a friend in a year or two ifi want to upgrade.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Lol I think that might be overkill. I'm just looking for one for general stuff and checking car/bike batteries.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Everyone needs and industrial graphing meter..

That might be a winner. What's autoranging and manual ranging? I know the $12 cman is manual.

...I'm kinda electrical stupid if that wasn't obvious.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Auto ranging is where it detects the amount of whatever you're measuring, and chooses the best "scale" (range) for you. So if you're checking voltage and you're at 1.5v, it will switch to the 5v range. It's for accurancy and ease of reading the decimal scale on the display.

You want autoranging, for an extra $8, you want it.

Sent from my laptop using both hands

 

[Vvmvbb]

How about a cheap fluke on eBay?

 

[richfinn]

Get a DC clampmeter instead, it will give you loads more functionality.

 

[Butters]

DON'T get a Fluke.

That's right, I said it.

Look, Flukes are great. So are Ferraris - but there is a time and place for things and clearly it isn't your time for a Fluke. Down the road? Sure. Buy a Fluke 5 years from now and use the cheaper multimeter as a spare. I don't think you'll lose sleep over the $20 you spent half a decade earlier.

I sort of classify multimeters in three segments:
0-$10: 97% as accurate as a Fluke. Throw away when it breaks and grab another.
$25-80ish: 99% as accurate as a Fluke. Fused, autoranging, will work for 99% of things. Craftsman, Klein, Amprobe, etc, etc.
High End: Flukes. Top of the line and priced accordingly. Do you really need that?

I have Flukes at work and they're great (because the gov't bought them). At home, I have a Craftsman and a Klein. I've had the $30 Craftsman for 10 years. I have zero reason to spend my own money on a Fluke. I do think autoranging and fused protection is worth spending bit more. But I keep some of those free disposables on my motorcycle tool kit.

 

[Jawn]

Advice: Make sure whatever you get has a user-replaceable fuse.

Question for the group: Any thoughts on Extech meters? I see some online are fairly cheap. I have a nice one made by Metex, but I've thought about getting a cheaper (but not crappy-cheap) one to keep in the car. This looks tempting:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012VWR20/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[FastKat]

I have an Ideal meter I am very happy with. At Home Depot they're pretty expensive (close to $100 last time I checked) but you can find them on eBay for a fraction of that. I got mine for about $35 shipped.

 

[metaleltr]

I have and ideal 61-360

65 bucks at home depot I love it and use it frequently, does ac and dc plus audible continuity
BTW i bought it at 14 im almost 16 now

 

[BQuicksilver]

I'm with Butters as well. Flukes are nice...if you work on delicate electronics for a living. Around the house/on cars you just don't get anything other than lighter pockets with a Fluke vs the Cheap Craftsman that i've had for 9 years now.

Other than a theoretical reliability advantage, what doe the 10x price get you?

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have a Fluke myself, but for casual use a cheap one from Sears or Harbor Freight will work just as well.

 

[Rickster]

post a wanted thread in the classifieds.

 

[greasemonkey44]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Equus-3320-Innova-Auto-Ranging-Digital-Multimeter/14644666
heres a link to that innova; ive used it for 6 months in a pro environment without any problems so its durable, i did change the ground from a probe to a clamp
moose is right about autoranging; it detects the voltage range you are working in and sets the parameters to scale

 

[mrholeshot]

I'm a sucker for multimeters and will (sorry use to) buy just about anything that catches my eye. I bought a 20 dollar Cen-Tec (reg 39.99) from Harbor freight. Looks just like a Fluke 87. I have a Fluke 88 and then a bunch of various meters rangeing in price that run the full spectrum from the Fluke 88 to the free Harbor freight. The 20 dollar cen-tec is my go to meter. I've tested it everyway possible agaist the fluke and it always comes up dead on. I use the fluke when it comes to things the sen tec won't do. Ive
been using the cen-Tec for 7 years without any probelms. I worry about dropping my fluke but I don't worry about the Cen-tec. It's a good meter with a large easy to read display. It's not auto rangeing but not a feature I need often.

It all depends on how you use it as to what you should buy. Fluke is the best meter I know of. If you arn't using it as a pro no need to spend big bucks. If you need all the bells and whistles buy the Fluke.

 

[tpolley]

i bought a fluke off ebay back in college for $80. it reads the same voltage as my harbor freight cen-tech and my meterman.

if you don't have the cash, buy the cheapest thing you can. 3-5-10 years later when you have the extra cash buy yourself something nice. as has been said previously, you won't be kicking yourself 10 5 years from now for the 10-20 you spent 5 years ago.

 

[diesel research]

I vote for "middle of the road". Why? It is perhaps true that the Fluke may not have a good enough ROI for your intended uses.

Why not the cheapest ones possible (HF or other) First, they have ****** leads. This is a real concern no matter what your user level is. 2nd is based off a personal experience. When you have such a junk multimeter and take a reading, in the back of your mind you know it is not the most reliable. So, if you get a reading you EXPECT you will go on about your business and feel relieved. The moment you get a totally bizarre reading, you will run around freaking out, not sure if your meter is junk or what is going on. Then you will disregard the meter as junk and go and buy another more expensive one, just to find the same reading.

This happened to me. I accidentally placed meter on wrong points and got a reading. I then noticed my leads were in a place that should not have such a reading. I swore it was due to a ****** meter. Totally missed the fact of a wire broken in half, bouncing around the frame rail. Bottom line, you need a meter you can fully trust. Even more so if you are a newbie/amateur/diyer/novice.

Next incident was trying to catch a momentary pulse on an auto ranging meter with not the fastest response time. A power trunk lock. Slow averaging response time never let me see the actual pulse since it was such a quick burst.

My current meter is a not-so-great bluepoint.

I looked at the cman meters today out of curiosity. Personally, I believe the one to get is the $89 one. Not because it is most expensive or most features. Mostly because it appears to be the most rugged. Sure you can argue that a DIYer doesn't need frequency or temp measuring. What you cannot claim is that only pros are clumsy enough to drop their units, burn/cut/bend leads, or spill something on the screen. It happens. That particular one looks more willing to take that. Claims water proof. The backlight can be a nice feature. Many times trying to take a measurement in some place with poor lighting. Pros are not the only ones working in poor lighting.

 

[koditten]

I have a high end Fluke unit, don't remember the model. Even tho it has the solid feel and the armour, I still worry about dropping it. I also have several of the $2.99 harbour freight units. The HF unts are very user friendly for everday use. I use the HF units 10 times for every time I use the Fluke. I never worry about the accuracy of the HF multimeter, they work great for the price.

On the other hand, I find myself wishing for my old analog unit. They were great for checking if your tail light/turn signal was working properly. You just have to look at the movement of the needle instead of remembering voltage readings. That one did make an expensive sound when I dropped it. Talked myself into a Fluke when I really had no use for one. Still only using it for about 1/10 of its' ability.

KO

 

[shampoop]

I bought a cheaper craftsman one. It's worked great for me. probably $20-$35

Most important features are

- auto ranging
- fused 10A circuit

This is what i'm going to be upgrading to sometime in the future.

http://www.tooltopia.com/power-probe-3ls01.aspx

 

[mrholeshot]

My Cen Tec has backlit display (they don't have that model any more) the only thing bad about is it dosn't have threaded leads. I bought a set for it for 12 dollars and it's great. I've used it enough I don't second guess it. (I did the first year). I think a good 80 dollar meter is fine for about anything. I have a 75 dollar Greenlee I bought about 7-8 years ago and keep it beside me on my table (the corner of hell as the wife calls it) and use it on all types of guitar electronibs and basic stuff as well. Good meter with screw on leads, temp probe and screw on alligator clips. It's fairly small and works great.

 

[mrholeshot]

On the other hand, I find myself wishing for my old analog unit. They were great for checking if your tail light/turn signal was working properly. You just have to look at the movement of the needle instead of remembering voltage readings. That one did make an expensive sound when I dropped it. Talked myself into a Fluke when I really had no use for one. Still only using it for about 1/10 of its' ability.

KO

I have a NOS Analog Craftsman from the 60's I bought from a member here. If you are interested let me know still in the original box with the manual. It's new and perfect I put two batteries in it to make sure it worked,PM me of interested

 

[Obie]

Craftsman Pro Multimeter

From the website:
Waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof to 6 ft. Measure voltage, current, resistance, temperature and more. 1000V input protection. Molded housing, large backlit display. 0.5% accuracy, CATIV -600V. Magnetic hanging strip, test leads, Type K temperature probe, case. 9V battery (not included). Auto off. Warranted. Wt. 1.5 lbs.

I have this model at work, and it's great. Large display, bright backlight, has already survived a few falls and oil spills on it, and remained 100% accurate, and it's on sale right now for $72.89.

Wait, damn... that's cheaper than what I paid for it!

I love it, and while it's not quite a Fluke, it's pretty damn close. Just don't lose the lead covers!

 

[diesel research]

Craftsman Pro Multimeter

From the website:
Waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof to 6 ft. Measure voltage, current, resistance, temperature and more. 1000V input protection. Molded housing, large backlit display. 0.5% accuracy, CATIV -600V. Magnetic hanging strip, test leads, Type K temperature probe, case. 9V battery (not included). Auto off. Warranted. Wt. 1.5 lbs.

I have this model at work, and it's great. Large display, bright backlight, has already survived a few falls and oil spills on it, and remained 100% accurate, and it's on sale right now for $72.89.

Wait, damn... that's cheaper than what I paid for it!

I love it, and while it's not quite a Fluke, it's pretty damn close. Just don't lose the lead covers!

This is the one I speak of. Some accuse me of trashing sears too much, but I believe this appears to be a good compromise.

It wasn't on sale for $72 in store a few hours ago, so I don't know what that is all about.

Multimeters do a lot more than read DC battery voltage and AC outlet voltage.
______________________________

The powerprobe has quite a few nice features, although it is not a replacement for a multimeter. I keep putting off on purchasing it, and find that it might not be needed as much as I thought. 2 guys have them in the shop, not once have I asked to borrow it. The ask twice policy still applies, even when justifying not purchasing something.


_______________________________

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EngST1wplms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OLtlXBcRpOg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[crewchief888]

ive had fluke meters for many years, the heavy eq OEM's ive been schooled on use fluke meters.

i prefer autoranging, and backlit displays.

at home i have several meters, a couple of generic brands and an OTC.

 

[binkcat16]

i have had high dollar snap on meters until some one stoll it and i bought a extech from fastenal for about 50 bucks does every thing the snapon did and is cheaper liked it soo much i bought one for my service truck

 

[bmwohio]

For working on what? Just general stuff, automotive, domestic/industrial/maintenance electrician?

Do you want something that'll do for now, or something that you won't ever need to upgrade?

Just go with a Fluke 289!

you're mean

+1 for Ideal, Cman Pro, etc......If you're just starting out, don't get the best, but don't get the cheapest either.....good luck!

EDIT: BTW --> http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123978

 

[tool_scrounge]

I used to have a large variety of random volt meters I picked them up new & used over the years. After a lot of use I came to one conclusion. Cheap meters are nice until they give you bad readings AND you do not know it. It is very frustrating and can be dangerous. At that point I gave away all my meters and went on a Fluke shopping spree. The US Government has been surplusing a lot of quality but older Fluke meters and I picked a number of them off of ebay. My average cost was about $30 + shipping. Most have true RMS readings and MIN/MAX functions. Since they all read virtually the same reading (and at least one came with a new calibration certificate) I am pretty confident in the readings.

 

[MattT]

Question for the group: Any thoughts on Extech meters?

I've never used an Extech DMM but do have a $$$ DC clamp meter and an IR temp gun made by them. Both work well.

Sure you can argue that a DIYer doesn't need frequency or temp measuring.

Frequency can be handy. It's no substitute for a 'scope but better than nothing. Can also be used to measure RPM. Temp is also worth having.

 

[Slip_Kid]

I trust my meter with my life every week, I use Fluke meters. For general usage a $20.00 meter will work fine.

 

[mdnelson86]

you say you want it to test batteries? are you wanting to just test the voltage or are you wanting to know if the battery is good or not? A bad battery will probably still show proper voltage under no load. Your average multimeter won't tell you voltage under load.

 

[PrecisionTools]

I would go with the cheap option - buy a 20 year old Fluke! 70 series Flukes can go for less than $50 on ebay. Great meter, great value.

 

[ssblood]

I recently bought an 88V. I've been using a middle of the road Blue Point for years but have wanted the 88V for a long time. Great back light, the magnet that clips in the holster, the temp probe, the rpm probe, etc. Really is a great meter but it probably overkill for most people. Heck, I'll probably not use half the features but once in a blue moon but when I need them I'll be glad I bought it.

A Fluke 115 is a good basic miltimeter but still Fluke quality. O think they even sell them at Lowes.

 

[slipjointed]

Craftsman Pro Multimeter

From the website:
Waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof to 6 ft. Measure voltage, current, resistance, temperature and more. 1000V input protection. Molded housing, large backlit display. 0.5% accuracy, CATIV -600V. Magnetic hanging strip, test leads, Type K temperature probe, case. 9V battery (not included). Auto off. Warranted. Wt. 1.5 lbs.

I have this model at work, and it's great. Large display, bright backlight, has already survived a few falls and oil spills on it, and remained 100% accurate, and it's on sale right now for $72.89.

Wait, damn... that's cheaper than what I paid for it!

I love it, and while it's not quite a Fluke, it's pretty damn close. Just don't lose the lead covers!

That and the Extech EX505 = each other







The craftsman can be had for a bit cheaper sometimes, but they have the same warranty. Extech is very good on exchanges from my experience.

 

[CatCow]

If you go too cheap, there are two things you will want - backlit display, and longer probe leads. Don't buy anything with non-removeable probes(OK, some of the little folding ones are handy for a small toolkit, but not nearly as useful as better models). Pretty much anything should get the job done until you get around to upgrading to a higher end model that has some feature you discover you need. I have tons of meters around here, I've found that most of the time lately I'm just using my collection of $5 Harbor Freight coupon specials. Also have lots of older Radio Shack meters and some other stuff around too. 99% of the time it's AC or DC voltage or resistance being measured - while all the extra features sound nice, unless you really need it for something specific chances are you will never use them.