Which fluke?

[R-mm]

I do a bit of everything... line voltage home wiring, automotive restorations (cars thru the 90s so nothing crazy digital), audio equipment repair and looking for a new DVM. I have a fluke laser distance meter and love it, simple, dead reliable. I have no idea which model I want for my purposes. Anyone do similar work to me and have a recommendation? ~200 max pls.

I think the 107 does everything I want, plus backlight. Am I missing something?

I have an auto specific Actron but don't need dwell (no points cars) and found its electronic multimeter to be horribly off so I use a digital timing light or electronic dizz for that on older cars.

 

[richfinn]

It depends how much you want to spend??

I like the old simple 77/78 meters (but they are missing a backlight)

Fluke 87v is industry standard (I wouldn't use a lot of the functions as I just fix cars)

The Clampmeters are good but check for AC/DC and min/max for automotive work

 

[R-mm]

$200 range. I have a clamp meter that I have used all of once. I mostly do the things I mentioned in my first post I do not earn my living this way but I do like nice tools if I got one of the nicer RMS units it would be used on craigslist


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[tube_guy]

Have you looked into the Chinese Flukes, like the 17B+? If you're interested, there are a lot of teardowns and other reviews on YouTube.

 

[richfinn]

$200 range. I have a clamp meter that I have used all of once. I mostly do the things I mentioned in my first post I do not earn my living this way but I do like nice tools if I got one of the nicer RMS units it would be used on craigslist


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$200 is a pretty decent budget, I would go to the Fluke website and find one that fits what you do and what you want to spend

That 107 has no Min/Max or bail/stand which would make me look a little higher up the range to be honest

It's also very small (pocket meter) which can be good or bad depending on what you need

It will also be autoranging but have no option to manually select a range, This again is good or bad depending on what you need

 

[richfinn]

I bought one of these (a long time ago)

If it had a backlight it would be the perfect multimeter for me (I use a headlamp mostly, so no big deal really)

If you can find a good used one or it's non Automotive brother, you cant really go wrong!!!

https://www.fluke.com/en-th/product/electrical-testing/digital-multimeters/fluke-78

 

[pedrodagr8]

If you are dead set on Fkuke:

The 87V can be found in excellent condition used for
The Fluke 107 is Made in China, lacks True RMS, lacks mA and uA functions, CSA instead of UL safety listed, and only has a 1 year warranty. I would choose a used 87V every day of the week.

If you are open to other companies:

Amprobe AM-510 - Amprobe is a Fluke subsidiary The AM-510 is basically a far cheaper ($50) but more fully featured Fluke 107. Accuracy is similar (only resistance is worse).

Greenlee DM-510A (akaBrymen 257S) - Brymen is the OEM, vetter build quality than the 107, LoZ(great for getting rid of ghost voltages), far better accuracy, A/mA/uA, UL-listed for safety

Brymen BM235 - Better build quality than the 107. Far more usability features like the display flashes with continuity (useful in loud environments), notably better accuracy, A/mA/uA, UL-listed for safety

If you want to go all out, a Brymen BM867S (aka Greenlee DM-830A) would be at the top of your price range. AC+DC TrueRMS, AC out to 100kHz instead of 500Hz, UL-listed CAT IV 1kV, 500,000 count resolution for DCV, over 10x better accuracy, dual display, on and on.

 

[Jlarson]

I would go with something in 110 series. We've got a few of them, tough and they get the job done. I liked the older version better but the new ones aren't bad.

 

[R-mm]

Thanks for the help everyone.

I see an 87III NOS in my price range. I realize its not current model but is there any major red flags when looking at previous gen models?

 

[pedrodagr8]

Thanks for the help everyone.



I see an 87III NOS in my price range. I realize its not current model but is there any major red flags when looking at previous gen models?

The 87III lacks temperature, is only a 4000 count meter, has worse safety certification, can only measure capacitors up to 5uF, display/backlight are far worse.

Beyond being abused with overvoltages, the biggest issues are blown HRC fuses ($5-15 a piece), the switch contacts wearing out (rare), and the zebra strip failing and causing display segments to ghost (VERY common).

Honestly, if you don't need to buy RIGHT NOW, then you can likely find a used 87V in excellent shape for around $150. Another good used model from fluke is the 187 (originally sold as the 87IV).

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[R-mm]

Thanks for flagging that. I'm surprised on capacitance - if I'm reading the 'lowly' 107 specs right it measures up to 1000uf and the latest 87V to 9,999uF??

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/digital-multimeters/pocket-107

 

[pedrodagr8]

That is correct.

Fluke updated the ADC between the III and the V (which is why the V is 6000 count resolurion). Honestly, almost any modern meter is capable of AT LEAST 1000uF with >5000uF being ideal.



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[richfinn]

I would go with something in 110 series. We've got a few of them, tough and they get the job done. I liked the older version better but the new ones aren't bad.

I've noticed how they never drastically change the design of the front panel and switches/buttons on the 87 its more of a slow evolution (whereas the rest of the meters seem to be totally different to older models every few years)

If it's not broken don't try and fix it

 

[Rabid Badger]

My one word of advice is that if you're going to buy used, grab yourself a voltage reference as well so you can verify it's in spec.

 

[GraySkies]

I have a Fluke 23 that I've owned for almost 30 years. Works well for almost all of the above. No backlight, no capacitance, though.

 

[DeeKay]

OP, If you're looking at used, you can send to the 87V back to fluke to have it certified/calibrated and repaired for a flat fee, According to Fluke, the 87-III and 107/117 are usually just replaced if they need repair. In my experience Fluke repair/cal usually doesn't make sense for meters under $500 and non-critical stuff. The 87V brand new is right at that price point so it kind of teeter totters there. If you can get proof of purchase somehow, the 87V is still covered under their lifetime warranty. See attached for the repair/cal pricing.

Another, probably way better option for used meters is to buy from Radwell. They check everything out plus you get a 2 year warranty through them.

https://www.radwell.com/en-US/Buy/FLUKE/FLUKE/FLUKE-87-5

 

[R-mm]

Thanks - great tips!

I made an offer on an 87V on ebay, will see where that goes.

 

[Citation]

I love Fluke meters. The 87III. 87V and 187 are some of my favorite meters. At some point I've had one of each.

Don't get a Fluke meter unless you find a deal.

My general suggestion is get a Bryman based meter. In the US that is generally some Matco, some Amprobe (even though they are owned by the same parent as Fluke) and most Greenlee meters. Here is a thread where I cover some of the Brymen based models
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8726122&postcount=7

In general I think a great setup is a UniT UT210e (must be e model) as it has a very useful DC clamp meter that can be used to check mA draw through a wire. As a clamp meter you can also use it to measure voltage, resistance etc but it's not as handy in that roll as a more traditional meter. The one place where I still really love Fluke above the rest is the Touch-Hold function. Hold is a common feature on meters. It freezes the current reading on the screen. Touch hold is better. Turn it on, touch the probes and wait for the beep. Then remove the probes and see what the reading was. It lets you keep your eyes looking at the probes, not the screen. That's the one thing Brymen doesn't have that I would really miss.

HP/Keysight/Agilent does have it on many of their meters. Fluke doesn't put it on the 100-117 series meters. The older 77-3, 23, 25, 27 series meters do have it.

I really like having the thremocouple/themoprobe option on my meter. It's pretty common on a lot of meters.

Both Fluke and Brymen generally have fast continuity buzzers. Some meters are rather slow in this area which is annoying when testing to see which of these 25 connector pins goes to *this* wire.

The safety rating difference between a Fluke 87-3 vs 87-5 (and for the most part any of these meters) is something that *shouldn't* matter to you. I don't mean safety isn't important, rather, if you don't know the differences betwen CAT4 600V and CAT3 60

Finally, for your listed needs, if you aren't going to be taking this meter in the field you probably don't need to spend even used Fluke money. I mean I love Fluke (especially the 87-5) when cost is no object but beyond the used Brymen meters, a Uni-T UT-51_ might be good. I don't recall all the differences between the 51A through 51E. I don't think the buzzers are that fast and the accuracy is generally lower than Fluke. Fluke's stated accuracy is typically good and they tend to be very good within that range. Uni-T is more likely to have a "loose but acceptable in most cases" spec and they aren't likely to be centered in it (but they will be in it).

 

[R-mm]

Another awesomely helpful response, thanks!

Waiting on response to my ebay offer but think I can get a used 87V in the $150-200 range. I realize used with no provenance is a shot in the dark but frankly I've had a lot of success over the years doing this. Buy the best, used. Worked great with all my metrology equipment: always Mitutoyo or Starrett. Don't care too much what it looks like aesthetically and test it against gauge blocks when it arrives.

My question on the meter - you correctly identified that I don't need massive current safety protection for my home/hobby use. Let's say an ebay meter is not perfectly calibrated. Practically speaking this means its.... still pretty darn good and likely better than my $50 actron? My uses today are relatively straightforward and likely met by the 107 but I've never gone wrong "buying up" and taking on more work because the tools are there. Also like everyone here, I got a tool fetish and lets admit it the 87V is kinda cool.

 

[ItsNemo]

Why not the 117? That seems to be the most typical entry level Fluke meter.

I have a 287 (got a stupid good price on it, less than an 87v) and 325 ac/dc clamp...both are great but both are out of your budget. Truth be told though, for working on the vehicles I often just grab my old $20 mastercraft meter that I don't care about getting all greasy or damaged. You rarely need the super accurate fancy RMS meters for household/automotive use, it's like 12-14.4 volts? Yup, or 110-240 volts? Yup...good to go.

 

[R-mm]

Can someone help me understand duty cycle vs frequency?

For auto applications say a fuel injector which is a pulsed DC ground signal. Can that be read with one, both, neither? I note that the 107 has freq and duty cycle whereas the 117 has only freq.

 

[R-mm]

Boy the more I read the more confused I get. The mix/max/avg hold functions do seem very useful. For instance checking voltage during starting or when tuning accessories on/off. I see that on the 115 but not 117 or 107.

This is one reason the full bore 87V seems nice - I'm guessing it has stuff I want and dont even know what its called yet.

 

[richfinn]

Boy the more I read the more confused I get. The mix/max/avg hold functions do seem very useful. For instance checking voltage during starting or when tuning accessories on/off. I see that on the 115 but not 117 or 107.

This is one reason the full bore 87V seems nice - I'm guessing it has stuff I want and dont even know what its called yet.

Frequency is simply how often something happens in a specified time period

Duty cycle is a little different, what your looking at is "on time vs off time" (for example 60% on 40%off) this is how many electrical devices are controlled (using pulse width modulation)

Fluke 87v has pulse width measurement in milliseconds (which is an easy way to look at fuel injector open time)

 

[Citation]

Another awesomely helpful response, thanks!

Waiting on response to my ebay offer but think I can get a used 87V in the $150-200 range. I realize used with no provenance is a shot in the dark but frankly I've had a lot of success over the years doing this. Buy the best, used. Worked great with all my metrology equipment: always Mitutoyo or Starrett. Don't care too much what it looks like aesthetically and test it against gauge blocks when it arrives.

My question on the meter - you correctly identified that I don't need massive current safety protection for my home/hobby use. Let's say an ebay meter is not perfectly calibrated. Practically speaking this means its.... still pretty darn good and likely better than my $50 actron? My uses today are relatively straightforward and likely met by the 107 but I've never gone wrong "buying up" and taking on more work because the tools are there. Also like everyone here, I got a tool fetish and lets admit it the 87V is kinda cool.

My experience with Fluke meters is they are in spec or broken. My late 80s Fluke 27fm is still in factory specs. I've only dealt with one Fluke that didn't meet specs. It was broken.

 

[DeeKay]

My experience with Fluke meters is they are in spec or broken. My late 80s Fluke 27fm is still in factory specs. I've only dealt with one Fluke that didn't meet specs. It was broken.

I agree, the only Flukes I have seen get out of spec have been things like mA loop calibrators, pressure calibrators, and I've seen a Megger act funny, but I think it was probably just too cold . Everything else pretty much works or it doesn't.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Have you looked At TPI? They make snap on meters. I have one as well as a fluke 179. I enjoy both. Take a look! I got my 179 $130 off retail brand new.

https://www.testproductsintl.com/digital-multimeters-dmms/

 

[R-mm]

Picked up an 83v on ebay below 200 shipped. Seems like a great fit for me since rms is not something I need but the rest of the features and the quality sound great. Thanks for advice here.

 

[JJ99SS]

Why not the 117? That seems to be the most typical entry level Fluke meter.

I have a 287 (got a stupid good price on it, less than an 87v) and 325 ac/dc clamp...both are great but both are out of your budget. Truth be told though, for working on the vehicles I often just grab my old $20 mastercraft meter that I don't care about getting all greasy or damaged. You rarely need the super accurate fancy RMS meters for household/automotive use, it's like 12-14.4 volts? Yup, or 110-240 volts? Yup...good to go.

The 117 is the one I've been eyeing. Seems to cover home and auto for the average DIY guy.

 

[Citation]

The 117 is the one I've been eyeing. Seems to cover home and auto for the average DIY guy.

For what it's worth (and this is the internet...) I'm not a fan of the 117. Like the other lower end Fluke meters it's a solid meter but I feel it leaves some of the best Fluke features on the table but retains that Fluke pricing.

I'm using Amazon pricing because I have no other reference. Here is the Fluke 117 for $180
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O3LUEI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

One of my favorite features of Fluke is the touch-hold feature. The 117 doesn't have it. In fact, other than a reduced impedance mode I don't think the 117 has much to stand out with.

Now consider this Greenlee (Brymen) for $170
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TO5YU0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Similar size/shape. The Greenlee adds better CAT protection (probably not important in this case), an alarm to tell you if the probes are in the current reading socket when you select voltage (many Fluke's have this but I'm not sure if the 117 does). It includes a temperature probe, somewhat nicer leads (the Fluke leads are good but these are better). It doesn't have touch hold but neither does the Fluke.

This Greenlee meter can also be found as the Matco 257. On ebay, before Covid these were often under $100 in great used condition (even new in box) and were occasionally under $50. At even money I would take this over the Fluke 117.

The Greenlee DM-820A, as well as the older 820(no A, also sold as the Amprobe AM-270 and some model of Extech) are more like a Fluke 87 alternative but at a much lower price. In that case the 87-V is the nicer meter (and has touch hold) but the price difference is huge. I bought a DM-820A in dirty shape for under $50.

In my view the Flukes under the 87 (or 27-2/28-2) are harder to justify vs Brymen or Keysite simply because the others provide great features for similar or less money. The 87 just works so nicely that I can understand paying the price. If you are patient a Fluke 87-iv/187/89/189 might show up for a good price. That is a great meter if not as durable as the 87.

(Some have too many sockets or wrenches. I have too many multimeters including but not limited to a Fluke 187, 27FM, Greenlee DM-820, and Uni-T UT210e. I have also owned a number of other Fluke meters).

 

[ItsNemo]

Boy the more I read the more confused I get. The mix/max/avg hold functions do seem very useful. For instance checking voltage during starting or when tuning accessories on/off. I see that on the 115 but not 117 or 107.

This is one reason the full bore 87V seems nice - I'm guessing it has stuff I want and dont even know what its called yet.

Just FYI, the 117 has everything the 115 has plus a couple things (LoZ and VoltAlert)...sometimes the specs on Fluke's site are a bit confusing and I've found a couple inaccuracies before.

 

[R-mm]

Picture of the leads my 83V is going to come with. I use alligators A LOT for what I do. Does Fluke have slip-on alligators or whats the move here?

 

[matt_i]

I really like the Fluke 177. Maybe a bit higher than your price range new but could be found used.

The T5-600 is also a very functional tool. Doesn't have the mV resolution as above but great compact package plus an ammeter.

 

[richfinn]

Picture of the leads my 83V is going to come with. I use alligators A LOT for what I do. Does Fluke have slip-on alligators or whats the move here?

Just google "Pomona" and you can buy anything you will need

I like to have the 4mm banana plugs so I can change accessories, croc clips/back probes/wire puncture probe (use liquid tape to seal up)

 

[pedrodagr8]

To clarify on this, Fluke owns Pamona and a number of Fluke test leads are rebadged Pomona and vice versa.

Also, those look like TL75 leads. AC175 is the part number for the slip on alligator clips for TL71, TL75, and TL175.

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[Rabid Badger]

Probe Master puts Fluke and Pomona to shame and are a fair bit cheaper:

https://probemaster.com/

 

[R-mm]

Thanks Probe Master looks great and were VERY helpful on the phone. I guess I can wait til monday to look in person but I'm impatient... anyone know if the fluke probes in my pics are modular end or one piece construction ?

 

[DeeKay]

To clarify on this, Fluke owns Pamona and a number of Fluke test leads are rebadged Pomona and vice versa.

Also, those look like TL75 leads. AC175 is the part number for the slip on alligator clips for TL71, TL75, and TL175.

those are the one piece ones, but Fluke does make alligator clips that slide on to that style lead. pedro identified them in the post above.

 

[pedrodagr8]

As I stated in my previous post, they look like TL75s. TL75s are are one piece construction, though, as I stated before, Fluke does have slip on alligator clips for those probes.

Personally, I would go with ProbeMaster as well. I really really like them. The only reason I didn't suggest them is you seem dead set on 100% Fluke. Flukes modular kit is 2-3x the cost of the ProbeMaster kit and at best equal quality.

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[R-mm]

Thanks. I missed that post now I see, helpful. I am not dead set on only Fluke, just set on quality. With all the endorsements and fact that they're US made the probemaster seems great.

 

[KenS]

I know the OP is specifically looking at Fluke. As an owner of a Fluke 179 I feel somewhat qualified to make a response here.

Fluke is undoubtedly the industry leader in multimeters. However, dollar-for-dollar there are meters that may offer a better value than Fluke. I'm specifically referring to a multimeter by another industry leader, FLIR, which is known as the premier manufacturer of thermal imaging systems.

In the $300 price range, the FLIR DM92 not only out performs Flukes in its price range, but offers features found only in higher-priced Flukes.

Earlier this year Eddie Aho, a Utah-based power supply design engineer and multimeter guru, did a YouTube two-part heads-up comparison between the FLIR DM92 and various Flukes. Bang for the buck, the Flir stood up well to a range of Flukes while offering a similar lifetime warranty to the Flukes.

Granted, Fluke yellow on the bench may have more snob appeal. But if you're more interested in performance more than appearance, you might want to give the DM92 a glance.

Here are links to Eddie's Kiss Analog YouTube reviews:

FLIR vs FLUKE -- Part 1

FLIR vs FLUKE -- Part 2