Need a digital multimeter

[Sage55]

I'm not an auto mechanic nor electrician but would like to get a digital multimeter for around the house - more for home owner usage than anything.

Came across the Equus 3310 digital multimeter and before I pulled the trigger to purchase it, I wanted to get any possible feedback on this unit or maybe another comparable unit.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

Get an auto-ranging DMM. They're a hell of a lot nicer to use than the manual-ranging ones, where you have to select the highest values and work your way down until you get into the appropriate range.

If you're not going to be using it for anything critical (just checking voltage at outlets, circuit continuity, etc), something like this would be better:

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

 

[Sage55]

Thanks for the feedback, after looking at Equus's website the Equus 3320 is only a few bucks more and does offer the auto-ranging as you recommended.

 

[EOC_Jason]

You might also consider getting additional leads like the alligator clips. Sometimes it's useful so you can clip onto the ground/neutral, hold the meter in one hand, and then probe the leads with your other hand.

 

[pipsters]

I just went thru this recently. As a homeowner one thing I ended up needing that most of the $15 ones did not have was capacitance. I needed it to check the caps on my central a/c.

For $30 (after 20% off) HF sells a rebranded unit that does have capacitance and does fairly well, and has a couple other neat features (this is the one I bought):

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html

Here are the reviews on another rebrand of it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Sinometer-MS8...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

There is a youtube video discussing it here as well (Protek 6300 is a rebrand)

http://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/need-advice-about-buying-multimeter-protek-6100/

 

[ndoran]

most cap testers on DMMs are for low value capacitors - for good reason. Testing high value capacitors is a high risk activity and best left to people who have the appropriate equipment etc.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

most cap testers on DMMs are for low value capacitors - for good reason. Testing high value capacitors is a high risk activity and best left to people who have the appropriate equipment etc.

Yep. Even where I work - a safety testing lab where our job is to do all the stuff the instructions say not to do - none of our normal lab DMMs have capacitance ability. Way too easy to screw up in a major way, even with a small board-mount capacitor.

 

[JASTECH]

Do you need/want one that fits in your hand or a benchtop style that can be more useful? My bench meters have handles to carry them and to set the at needed angles. I have Fluke and Keithley bench meters.

 

[chris6278]

For home use id recommend Klien MM200. It has all the features u will need including taking temperatures. Its only 50 or 60 bucks at Home Depot. Its no Fluke but its pretty good

 

[theoldwizard1]

... where I work - a safety testing lab where our job is to do all the stuff the instructions say not to do - none of our normal lab DMMs have capacitance ability.

I've been retired from the auto electronics industry for more than 5 years, but I never saw a lab grade DMM or an automotive DMM that had a capacitance measuring capability. Accurately measuring capacitance (and inductance or very low resistance) required special meters.

For a homeowner, you don't need to spend more than $20-$30, but get one that has a rubber case on the outside.

Unfortunately, you will like spend more on a decent set of leads with probes and alligator clips, like these, than on the meter !

 

[pipsters]

I've been retired from the auto electronics industry for more than 5 years, but I never saw a lab grade DMM or an automotive DMM that had a capacitance measuring capability. Accurately measuring capacitance (and inductance or very low resistance) required special meters.

For a homeowner, you don't need to spend more than $20-$30, but get one that has a rubber case on the outside.

Unfortunately, you will like spend more on a decent set of leads with probes and alligator clips, like these, than on the meter !

It's not like you need a .0000001% accuracy for home use stuff. Knowing the cap was 5.05 uf vs. the placarded amount of 5 uf was more than I needed to know (the cap wasn't the problem). You don't need high fidelity accuracy for this kind of stuff.

In addition I was able to test the compressor side of the cap and it showed 32 uf which was under it's tolerance (so the cap was replaced anyway). That $30 was a huge money saver as I had already called out a tech who "guessed" incorrectly. That meter was perfect for this home owner, had everything I needed. The tolerance on caps is what 5%-10% or so depending on the cap so high resolution and accuracy is of zero importance to a homeowner.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Usually you know it's the capacitor on an A/C unit because they are bulging (the heat kills them). Just replaced one today in fact.

Also had an instance where the compressor wasn't coming on, and the fan was slowly spinning in the wrong direction! Of course again it was obvious it was the capacitor because it was bulging looking like it was ready to pop.

Agreed, having even a $20 meter for the house is better than nothing. You can quickly diagnose issues like a bad plug, and also verify if there is power going to a circuit or not.

 

[metaldad]

capacitors.......... there is a flood of $hit capacitors coming here now from that 3rd world country across big pond.
save yourself the trouble, and buy American.
or, buy 2 or 3, if you insist on china

 

[EOC_Jason]

Actually I've been looking, most are el henche in Mexico... Still just as bad...

Caps used to last for a decade in an A/C unit... Now with them made in China & Mexico it's not uncommon for them do die every summer once the mercury hits in the high 90's... *grumble*

 

[jaredlucky16]

Fluke 88

 

[cheechi]

I have a 3320 and I love it. I still keep a HF one around for situations where I don't want to fry the good one. I recommend you do the same.

IF I had the money and used it more often than 'when stuff breaks' I would buy a Fluke without a second thought.

el henche in Mexico

Hecho en Mexico. Past tense of hacer, to touch/to play/to use.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

I've been retired from the auto electronics industry for more than 5 years, but I never saw a lab grade DMM or an automotive DMM that had a capacitance measuring capability. Accurately measuring capacitance (and inductance or very low resistance) required special meters.

For a homeowner, you don't need to spend more than $20-$30, but get one that has a rubber case on the outside.

Unfortunately, you will like spend more on a decent set of leads with probes and alligator clips, like these, than on the meter !

The newer Fluke 87Vs have a mode that effectively removes the impedance of the test leads for very low resistance measurements, but typically if it's got to be that spot on and resistance is that low, we wouldn't be using a DMM. I lucked out this week and rescued a "first generation" 87V from the scrap box - just needed a battery and fuses - and it doesn't have the null lead resistance mode, so I think it's something they introduced on the newer models.

I definitely agree on the leads - cheap leads can cause bad measurements, and a good set of leads and alligator clips or mini hooks are normally $25-40.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that, in my experience with "budget" DMMs, not a single one could measure frequency properly. My $12-on-sale Craftsman mini DMM went nuts when I tried to measure the frequency of a wall outlet - something that shouldn't cause any trouble. None of the Extechs at work (which are all ****) measure frequency worth a damn either. Probably not a big deal for a homeowner, but it is useful when trying to troubleshoot issues with generators.

 

[shoturtle]

extech are good consumer grade meters, craftsmans are rebranded extech. I would go with one of those. I have flukes and I use a calibration fluke allot. And the extech is pretty accurate when ever I test them with the calibration fluke.

 

[JASTECH]

Try for american made via Ebay, a used Fluke is better then new Chinese, IMHO.

 

[shoturtle]

flukes unless you are spend well over 300 dollars are not made in the USA.

 

[franzdom]

flukes unless you are spend well over 500 dollars are not made in the USA.

Just not true, a brand new 87V is 310 shipped at Amazon.

 

[pipsters]

Try for american made via Ebay, a used Fluke is better then new Chinese, IMHO.

For electronics I feel the opposite, Asians have always been excellent at manufacturing electronic components.

 

[shoturtle]

Typo, ment to wring 300 dollars.

 

[shampoop]

I prefer manual ranging for automotive use. The decimal doesn't dance around the screen like on the auto ones.