Snap On EED525F Multimeter

[charbar]

Just wondering if anybody has one and what they think of it? I've never been around one that I can remember, probably fondled one in the Snappy truck when they came out but don't remember.

Automotive diagnostics will be it's main duty. My 'daily driver' meter is a Fluke 87V so it's ok if this Snap On isn't the most advanced thing out there, but I still need something above and beyond a basic meter as this will probably become my daily.

There is one for sale locally for $180 that looks new. I think it's just the meter and leads, I have no idea if there are any other accessories included with it or if snappy even offered anything more with it when they were new....?

The size of the entire unit and the screen is what is really appealing to me. My smaller meters always find a way to fall down inside the engine bay somewhere. Most of them are hard for me to read anymore as well. Hopefully the display on the snappy is as good as it looks in pictures.

So, any thoughts? Pros or cons from anyone that has been around one or owns one?

Any idea what type of internal fusing it has for over current protection? Same style fuses as my Flukes or some proprietary Snap On **** that cost $35 a pop?

Thanks

 

[charbar]

Should also mention that I am in no way stuck on getting this meter.......it just sounds like a good price and it is local. If there is something else out there that is along the same lines as this Snap On I'm all ears!

 

[tool_scrounge]

Interesting form factor, Display is cool, but only 10 hour battery life from a 9V lithium battery ($$$) seems a bit expensive to operate.

 

[richfinn]

Just wondering if anybody has one and what they think of it? I've never been around one that I can remember, probably fondled one in the Snappy truck when they came out but don't remember.

Automotive diagnostics will be it's main duty. My 'daily driver' meter is a Fluke 87V so it's ok if this Snap On isn't the most advanced thing out there, but I still need something above and beyond a basic meter as this will probably become my daily.

There is one for sale locally for $180 that looks new. I think it's just the meter and leads, I have no idea if there are any other accessories included with it or if snappy even offered anything more with it when they were new....?

The size of the entire unit and the screen is what is really appealing to me. My smaller meters always find a way to fall down inside the engine bay somewhere. Most of them are hard for me to read anymore as well. Hopefully the display on the snappy is as good as it looks in pictures.

So, any thoughts? Pros or cons from anyone that has been around one or owns one?

Any idea what type of internal fusing it has for over current protection? Same style fuses as my Flukes or some proprietary Snap On **** that cost $35 a pop?

Thanks

I wouldn't bother, the Fluke 87 V is one of the most respected meters money can buy (try Amazon for the bussman fuses £11)

 

[Bryanthegreat]

I bought one because of the display and tool layout. I can’t say that performance is any better/worse than other units. It does what I need it to and I am happy with it.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Some of the snapon meters take regular car fuses which is nice. Im sure it's more than accurate for the job. Visibility is king.

 

[Rosso]

I bought one back in September. Upgraded from my older Snap On meter. The screen is nice to use. The beep on it could do with being louder. It can be hard to hear in a workshop.

It uses special as far as i can find so far Snap On only fuses, which are $25 EACH which is ****.

As mentioned they are heavy on batteries, it has auto shut off which you can override but still 10 hours isn't great.

Very accurate so far on everything i have used it on.

 

[lotus_esprit]

I bought the next one up “advanced version”, which looks to be very similar in capability with added Bluetooth. Battery life hasn’t been an issue, I only use it briefly for quick jobs, can’t imagine using it for 10 hours, however I bought a stack of 9v battery’s which I keep in the case, but it’s been a year on the original battery so far.

Display is good as can be read from a distance, and in poor light unlike a standard fluke. seems well made, I don’t have any regrets.

 

[toolenthusiast]

Speaking as someone who used to own the advanced digital multimeter, this is not a serious meter for serious electrical techs. The 10 hour battery life tells you everything you need to know.

You already have a Fluke 87 which is the industry standard. It also has a 400 hour battery life. It’s also what NASA uses on the ISS.

 

[Shoreline_]

I bought one back in September. Upgraded from my older Snap On meter. The screen is nice to use. The beep on it could do with being louder. It can be hard to hear in a workshop.

It uses special as far as i can find so far Snap On only fuses, which are $25 EACH which is ****.

As mentioned they are heavy on batteries, it has auto shut off which you can override but still 10 hours isn't great.

Very accurate so far on everything i have used it on.

The fluke 10 and 440ma fuses aren't much cheaper.

 

[charbar]

Ok, so it's definitely not a replacement for an 87v, which I didn't expect, but I still like the idea of a larger meter that will stay standing upright and that I can actually see the display on. My Fluke meter is just getting hard for me to see anymore unless I'm in great light and straight infront of it.

Is the screen the reason for the Snap Ons pathetic battey life?

Anybody have suggestions for a bigger footprint/base meter with a nice screen then? No need for top of the line, I've got other tools for that. Just want something that is quick to grab and prop up and see for quick measurements

 

[Shoreline_]

Agilent U1253b has OLED display that's nice and crisp.

 

[BrandonV]

Agilent U1253b has OLED display that's nice and crisp.

Big fan of the Agilent OLED models except for the fact that the OLED will naturally go bad within a few years.

Depending on how you store it after 3-10 years you could have a totally useless multimeter.

 

[Shoreline_]

Big fan of the Agilent OLED models except for the fact that the OLED will naturally go bad within a few years.

Depending on how you store it after 3-10 years you could have a totally useless multimeter.

I never purchasd one but tried one out once. But from what you said I guess that's why there are so many replacement screens on ebay for them.

 

[BrandonV]

I never purchasd one but tried one out once. But from what you said I guess that's why there are so many replacement screens on ebay for them.

Honestly that's pretty cool. Before you were SOL if the screen died. Glad to see someone has come in to fill the void.

Keysight/Agilent technical support was never quite as good. Fluke and/or Snap-on are probably eons ahead.

 

[Wrench97]

The screen is great but the battery life is poor, they probably should have made it a rechargeable tool.

 

[toolenthusiast]

Aneng 613 has a large screen and it’s only $23. (I know the name is goofy as all hell, but they’re generally a well-regarded brand.)

 

[jayemm]

Aneng 613 has a large screen and it’s only $23. (I know the name is goofy as all hell, but they’re generally a well-regarded brand.)

I had an Aneng 8008 that while it was great for the price it seemed too lightweight/thin plastic for shop use. I wouldn't have wanted to drop it on a hard surface.

 

[Steve_P]

There are lots of cheap meters today that have amazing features for the $. I have a $25 Astro AI that I bought for a cheap "kitchen drawer" meter; 20-30 years ago, it would've cost 10X what it currently sells for. IMO, the issue with the cheap meters is that they typically don't offer the rubber surround cases for them like Fluke does; they're not going to withstand anywhere near the abuse from being dropped; of course they're only $25, but.... An 87V will typically withstand a 6+ ft drop as long as the screen doesn't initially directly strike something like a concrete anchor. I've seen 87Vs dropped multiple times from 6+ feet and they've survived. They're built for industrial use, and meters get dropped all the time in this environment; their durability makes them the default meter for a reason.

Maybe a lower cost Fluke that you can get a rubber surround for? I have an 87V and also a 30-year-old Fluke 1XX (don't remember the number) meter and both have the rubber surround. The 30-year-old one is still going strong, and I use it more than the 87V

 

[i84x]

Personally i cant see the appeal in SnapOn meters and find Fluke to be the superior option, also personally i find that they have nice big writing and a good backlight and cant say I’ve ever had an issue in any condition I’ve worked in reading it. Really though thats a personal choice.

 

[mrjaw14]

The Snap On product page says 9v Lithium. Those are pricey! I wonder how a rechargeable 9v would do in it? I think I'd give it a shot with only a 10 hour battery life.

 

[BrandonV]

The Snap On product page says 9v Lithium. Those are pricey! I wonder how a rechargeable 9v would do in it? I think I'd give it a shot with only a 10 hour battery life.

Probably would work okay. Clearly she's a battery hog if it's 10 hours with a primary lithium battery.

 

[j3rf]

I love the form factor and the screen. Spec wise it's not super great, but does what I need it to do for automotive work. Work provides most of our batteries, so I don't have to worry about the not great battery life.

 

[f121]

I have the Advanced version, which has Bluetooth but is otherwise the same. It’s an infuriating product, great in some respects and appalling in others.

Pros:
- Great screen (indoors). Really easy to read under a hood, or at a distance in a footwell. Color makes it easy to see the info.
- Defaults mostly make sense for auto (eg dc is default not AC)
- Form factor is better for wedging on stuff than my fluke
- battery life is ok, I’ve used it for multi-day wiring jobs and not felt like I’m constantly changing batteries
- Bluetooth to use phone as remote display and for graphing is brilliant

Cons:
- Screen cannot be seen in bright sunshine. At all. I thought it was broken the first time I tried to use it outdoors.
- Power saving is incredibly annoying. My fluke auto powers off after a set period, but resets this timer if you use the meter for a measurement. The snap on just powers off after a set period since you last changed mode on the dial. So it powers off in the middle of measuring something.
- Still uses 9v batteries like it’s Christmas in the 1980s. It should be usb-c rechargeable, which would also mean I could just plug it in and not worry about the damn thing turning off when I’m using it.
- The price is ridiculous. Even on a deal the cheapest I’ve seen this is about $500+tax, usually it’s a lot more. At that price it needs to be perfect.

Overall it feels like it was designed for how an automotive tech uses a multimeter, and is my goto inside the workshop, but the flaws make it hard to recommend.

 

[j3rf]

You can set it to measure until the battery dies when you turn it on. Very useful for long term amp draw testing. I think it's holding the function button down while you turn it on.

 

[lotus_esprit]

I have the Advanced version, which has Bluetooth but is otherwise the same. It’s an infuriating product, great in some respects and appalling in others.

Pros:
- Great screen (indoors). Really easy to read under a hood, or at a distance in a footwell. Color makes it easy to see the info.
- Defaults mostly make sense for auto (eg dc is default not AC)
- Form factor is better for wedging on stuff than my fluke
- battery life is ok, I’ve used it for multi-day wiring jobs and not felt like I’m constantly changing batteries
- Bluetooth to use phone as remote display and for graphing is brilliant

Cons:
- Screen cannot be seen in bright sunshine. At all. I thought it was broken the first time I tried to use it outdoors.
- Power saving is incredibly annoying. My fluke auto powers off after a set period, but resets this timer if you use the meter for a measurement. The snap on just powers off after a set period since you last changed mode on the dial. So it powers off in the middle of measuring something.
- Still uses 9v batteries like it’s Christmas in the 1980s. It should be usb-c rechargeable, which would also mean I could just plug it in and not worry about the damn thing turning off when I’m using it.
- The price is ridiculous. Even on a deal the cheapest I’ve seen this is about $500+tax, usually it’s a lot more. At that price it needs to be perfect.

Overall it feels like it was designed for how an automotive tech uses a multimeter, and is my goto inside the workshop, but the flaws make it hard to recommend.

I have used the Bluetooth phone option on my Advanced version during my day job as an overhead linesman, I’ve climbed LV poles in the dark looking for a mid span neutral fault and tested the lines with the unit still in my pocket while my mate on the ground has looked at the AC voltage results on his phone.

 

[richfinn]

Just to throw a wild card into the mix UNI-T and OWON both sell versions of the 2 channel scopemeter with USB C charge port

Pardon our interruption...

Pardon our interruption...

I have the OWON version and the display is pretty good in both meter/scope modes

 

[f121]

You can set it to measure until the battery dies when you turn it on. Very useful for long term amp draw testing. I think it's holding the function button down while you turn it on.

In most scenarios the auto power off is desirable, I’ll take a few measurements, then read a service manual, trace wiring etc for 20mins. It’s a bit of a luxury, but I generally use my triton for long term amp draw because of the massive screen and ability to plug in to the mains.

Just to throw a wild card into the mix UNI-T and OWON both sell versions of the 2 channel scopemeter with USB C charge port

Pardon our interruption...

Pardon our interruption...

I have the OWON version and the display is pretty good in both meter/scope modes

Interesting things, how are they to use? Seems like MUCH better value than the snap on.

 

[richfinn]

In most scenarios the auto power off is desirable, I’ll take a few measurements, then read a service manual, trace wiring etc for 20mins. It’s a bit of a luxury, but I generally use my triton for long term amp draw because of the massive screen and ability to plug in to the mains.


Interesting things, how are they to use? Seems like MUCH better value than the snap on.

The user interface isn't in the same league as a Fluke or Picoscope but pretty decent really for what they cost once you figure out how to adjust timebase/voltage divisions, had mine a couple of years and use it pretty regularly on breakdown work for testing sensors/relative Compression/fuel pump/glow plugs etc.

Any useful set ups just I write them in a notebook for future reference.

The leads are mostly junk so I just use genuine Pico leads/accessories/current clamps (which I already owned).

The display screen though is actually very decent.

 

[Mr_B]

If the price and condition is right it could be worth having, not a bad meter to use but not an outstanding product like the Vantage Pro .
You can buy a couple rechargeable 9v batteries making the powering less expensive, Shame it only 10Amp, 20A been nice as would of common fuse option .
If cheap & clean I would buy it if wanting a durable meter over features .

 

[richfinn]

If the price and condition is right it could be worth having, not a bad meter to use but not an outstanding product like the Vantage Pro .
You can buy a couple rechargeable 9v batteries making the powering less expensive, Shame it only 10Amp, 20A been nice as would of common fuse option .
If cheap & clean I would buy it if wanting a durable meter over features .

I think a Vantage Pro would be a better option if sticking with the Snap-On brand

 

[f121]

The user interface isn't in the same league as a Fluke or Picoscope but pretty decent really for what they cost once you figure out how to adjust timebase/voltage divisions, had mine a couple of years and use it pretty regularly on breakdown work for testing sensors/relative Compression/fuel pump/glow plugs etc.

Any useful set ups just I write them in a notebook for future reference.

The leads are mostly junk so I just use genuine Pico leads/accessories/current clamps (which I already owned).

The display screen though is actually very decent.

I like the screen on that. Might pick one up to try next time I get a wiring job

 

[BrandonV]

I bought one back in September. Upgraded from my older Snap On meter. The screen is nice to use. The beep on it could do with being louder. It can be hard to hear in a workshop.

It uses special as far as i can find so far Snap On only fuses, which are $25 EACH which is ****.

As mentioned they are heavy on batteries, it has auto shut off which you can override but still 10 hours isn't great.

Very accurate so far on everything i have used it on.

The EED525F uses one of each of the Littlefuse FLU series.

https://www.littelfuse.com/assetdocs/flu-datasheet?assetguid=3ced1346-e173-423c-b3ee-d01ac11d6b87

Now I wonder what FLU stands for? *cough*