Recommendations for an Amp Clamp Meter

[HomeTheaterMan]

Well, I'm normally a big Fluke fan. I have a Fluke 87V that I use often. However, I'm finding that I need an amp clamp occasionally to use around the house. I'm just not sure that my occasional use warrants paying the fluke price. I originally planned to just buy an amp clamp to use with a meter, but it seems like it's cheaper to just buy another meter with a built in clamp. One my good friends that uses it daily for his AC company recommended this SouthWire:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9WVJDS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Any opinions on it? Or are there better options out there? Any real reason to spend the money and get a Fluke? Knowing how much I like my meter, it's temping, but I just can't justify spending that much on something I'll rarely use.

 

[GeoBruin]

What features do you need and which can you give up? Do you need memory or logging? AC and DC? Or AC only? What amperage range? Non-contact voltage detection? Temp?

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

What features do you need and which can you give up? Do you need memory or logging? AC and DC? Or AC only? What amperage range? Non-contact voltage detection? Temp?

I don't really need any logging functions. I mostly want to use it to quickly clamp wires when working on the house to see the amperage. While I use my Fluke meter working on cars 95% of the time, I feel like for this one I'm only really going to use it in the house. However, maybe I'm missing out and DC would be handy as well. I really don't know. I've never wished I had it when working on the car, but I've never used one either.

A temperature probe as this one comes with would also be fairly handy. I know I can get that for my current meter, but it would be useful.

 

[Gummi Bear]

I have a Fluke 36, bought it 20+ years ago.

It has since been replaced by a shinier newer model, but it has served me well. It does everything you describe.

You can find them used on ebay pretty cheap now.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[GeoBruin]

I recently bought an amprobe amp25. It's super small so it doesn't take up any space in my bag. It does AC/DC and it has Non-contact voltage detection which is a handy feature but otherwise it's not super feature rich and doesn't come with probes at all. I like it as a secondary meter but it may not make a good "only" meter.

 

[theoldwizard1]

"Best bang for the buck"

Uni-T UT210E AC/DC Current Clamp

 

[Bogie1632]

Klein CL380. AC/DC. $85. Been a good meter/clamp and has had plenty of use around the house and vehicles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P323914/?tag=atomicindus08-20

V/R
Bogie

 

[karoc]

Watch your local CL's, I would also say local Pawn Shops buy I never had good luck with pricing at PS's

 

[richfinn]

I would definately look at an AC/DÇ clampmeter

Very useful for working on vehicles without major disassembly for access

Alternator/Starter/battery current

Fuel pumps

Glow plugs

Blower motors

Parasitic drains

 

[latebreak]

I have a Fluke 374. I bought new in box on EBay from a pawnshop and saved quite a bit.

I am shocked how much I use the inrush feature and the min/max feature. Inrush has helped me troubleshoot a couple of issues and actually pointed out a faulty circuit breaker (vs undersized).

I’d pay the premium for Fluke and the quality. I suspect you will use the tool more than you expect.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[seber]

I'd agree with the pawn shop route. Cheap meters break if you look at them wrong. Look around and get a name brand. Fluke, Ideal, Amp, etc.

 

[flyt100]

"Best bang for the buck"

Uni-T UT210E AC/DC Current Clamp

I'll second this. I have one...

 

[vpd66]

I'll second this. I have one...

I'll third this! I have one and it works great.

 

[egfdevos]

Another vote for Uni-T

Uni Trend Technology

 

[Mr_B]

yeah the UT210E is fairly good for proper low price .
this eBay seller accepting offers of around 37 bucks .
https://www.ebay.com/itm/UNI-T-UT21...Handheld-RMS-AC-DC-Mini-Resistan/333681392226

I got couple in the auto shop and been in use 2 or 3 years now.
Ideal for quick basics or secondary meter in test setups .

Add a decent set of leads and it quite capable ...

Ideally need tweak the firmware get most out of it in terms of backlight, auto time settings, menu order/defaults and count, but that easy with a chip clip for around 5 bucks and free software .

 

[Citation]

I'll third this! I have one and it works great.

Am I fifth or sixth here? The 210E is a great meter because it does DC and has a range that can measure mA (2A range).

 

[mark-NJ]

Klein CL380. AC/DC. $85. Been a good meter/clamp and has had plenty of use around the house and vehicles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P323914/?tag=atomicindus08-20

V/R
Bogie

DC Amps to 400A for $85 bucks? And it's Klein quality? WOW!

I'm buying this tonight!

 

[Rabid Badger]

At less than $50 the UT210E is worth having regardless of whether you buy another meter. Being able to read in the milliamp range without breaking the circuit is incredibly handy. Unless you're testing car starters you rarely need to measure more than 100A at home.

 

[mark-NJ]

Unless you're testing car starters you rarely need to measure more than 100A at home.

Agreed. But I work on boat engines (with big DC starters)...thus my excitement for the Klein.

 

[Mr_B]

^
UT204A for example can do 600A which pretty useful for low price (30 bucks or less) .
Klein is another good example of pretty capable meters at sensible price though .

 

[Rabid Badger]

Agreed. But I work on boat engines (with big DC starters)...thus my excitement for the Klein.

Yeah, that Klein is a solid meter for the money. My 400A clamp is a Craftsman-branded version of the Extech MA435T that I picked up when Sears blew them out for something silly like $27.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Klein CL380. AC/DC. $85. Been a good meter/clamp and has had plenty of use around the house and vehicles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P323914/?tag=atomicindus08-20

V/R
Bogie

How's the screen on that meter? I've heard the inverted LED display can be hard to read in a bright area, especially outdoors.

 

[Bogie1632]

How's the screen on that meter? I've heard the inverted LED display can be hard to read in a bright area, especially outdoors.

I've had no issues with it and to with my eyes I can clearly see the numbers, day or night, at about a 45° angle, but digital stuff I tend to look directly at. I've used it outside in the sun, in the garage under less-than-ideal lighting, and in the dark...no issues for me. It defaults to the low setting and can be brightened up but I haven't needed that. All numbers/letters are nice and crisp.

V/R
Bogie

 

[HenryAZ]

DC Amps to 400A for $85 bucks? And it's Klein quality? WOW!

I'm buying this tonight!

According to the information on the Amazon link, it is 400 amp AC, and only 200 microamp DC.

 

[tom-ky]

I have had a Extech for 8 years or so that gets almost daily use with no issues.

 

[Aileron]

If your just measuring ac , fluke makes adapter clamps that work on the 87. although for the price unless you could pick up a nice used one, another meter for back up may be a better choice.

 

[Countyroadtrailers]

Go with the Klein Cl800, you may not need dc amp and capacitance but it's nice to have them available. Mine gets used daily and I have one on every truck they have been dropped, kicked and rained on. They only die when left at the customers house and forgotten.

 

[Pingel85]

2nd Vote for CL800. Does exactly what I want it too

 

[Citation]

According to the information on the Amazon link, it is 400 amp AC, and only 200 microamp DC.

The face of the tool shows AC and DC for the 40 and 400A clamp ranges. The mA range appears to use the leads in series.

 

[kblee27]

IIRC, my Uni-T DC clamp meter reading was off, I had to add, like +200mA when reading at the low scale.
I left it aside, and use Craftsman which is more accurate.
I mainly use this to check for car battery leakage.

 

[redwrench60]

I haven’t had good experiences with Klein meters. Recently I picked up a Klein MM400 multimeter and a Klein CL800 clamp meter and both have been a disappointment. Both are slow taking readings, have ****** test leads, have screens that can’t be read clearly unless looking straight at the display. Neither meter will take an accurate low resistance measurement on a component for testing and the CL800 won’t measure duty cycle despite having a setting for Hz (frequency) and % (duty cycle) it will measure frequency but pressing the orange selection button and changing to duty cycle the meter reads nothing on a known working DC pulse circuit. In all these cases my 20+ year old Fluke 87-3 outperforms.

 

[Robbie B]

I’ve got the 1000 amp rated Ames from harbor freight. It’s not a fluke but we inadvertently had 1300 amps running through it the other week at work and it did just fine.

 

[HenryAZ]

The face of the tool shows AC and DC for the 40 and 400A clamp ranges. The mA range appears to use the leads in series.

As usual, the Amazon description is wrong (or incomplete, at best). I failed to take a close look at the face of the tool.

Thankfully, I still have and use my trusty Fluke 36, which reads 1000amps DC and 600amps AC.

 

[Mr_B]

IIRC, my Uni-T DC clamp meter reading was off, I had to add, like +200mA when reading at the low scale.
I left it aside, and use Craftsman which is more accurate.
I mainly use this to check for car battery leakage.

I got 2, both within tolerance .
You take bit of gamble as for sure some going be off spec, that why important not pay much and via channel you can get it swapped or refunded .
Haven't had an issue with one yet but they only really good as a basic meter, readings can be a little slow and jumpy but overall it can achieve a lot for under 30 bucks and general build is bit above average besides the supplied leads .
For quick convenient tests and second/third meters in a test setup they shoot above the price tag by a long shot .

 

[ddawg16]

Those digitals are 'ok'.....but if you are trying to 'see' what is really happening, as in setting up an SCR, you need some old school ****....like this.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I've had no issues with it and to with my eyes I can clearly see the numbers, day or night, at about a 45° angle, but digital stuff I tend to look directly at. I've used it outside in the sun, in the garage under less-than-ideal lighting, and in the dark...no issues for me. It defaults to the low setting and can be brightened up but I haven't needed that. All numbers/letters are nice and crisp.

V/R
Bogie

Good to know. I have a Klein CL800 for my main meter at home and for my own jobs, but the only thing it won't do that I often need is DC microamps, which I have a small Southwire multimeter for.

I was thinking about getting a CL390 for work so I can have everything in one meter including DC amps with the clamp, and DC microamps. A lot of our work is indoors in poorly lit closets, but we do service some outdoors units, which was my concern with the screen.

 

[nbpt100]

I wanted to resurrect this older thread on Clamp on Amp meters.

People really likethe Uni-Tec as a good quality value priced TRMS meter. Some ohters like the Klien models. Things can change fast in this world with supply chain issues and more. I Just want to see if anyone wants to add to the discussion given some time has passed.

 

[haveissues]

The uni-t is great for the money and I have found it to be accurate, even on the dc mA range. If I remember correctly when looking you have to spend several hundred dollars to get something better.

 

[KnurledNut]

I know some HVAC techs swear by UEi.

 

[nbpt100]

The uni-t is great for the money and I have found it to be accurate, even on the dc mA range. If I remember correctly when looking you have to spend several hundred dollars to get something better.

At least $100 more which made me a bit skeptical. For a tool I do not need a lot but when I do it needs to work right and be accurate. It has good ratings on the sites that sell it.