Posted: 5/25/2013 3:48:43 AM EDT
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OK guys, I need suggestions for a good multimeter. I use the Fluke 87 at work, and I love it, but I can't spend the $330 for it. I am willing to spend some money for a good product, but I can't really throw down. I need AC and DC voltage, AC 0-240, DC 0-30ish. I also need resistance, I would really like AC and DC voltage. 15A is preferred, but anything I can get I'm fine with. I do live in a very rainy/humid area, so I need some weather protection. The Fluke 87 has a bar graph on the display which is very useful for working on blinkers, etc. I would like to have this feature, or some other method of testing those.
Thanks for the help |
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I have a Fluke 87 along with a TPI Hall effect AC/DC clamp probe I use with it.
On the economy side, it's hard to beat this unit: http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-clamp-meter-96308.html I've compared it along side the Fluke and it's matched the Fluke's readings nicely. Also at that price it's easy to get more than one so you can do things like monitor current on both legs of an electrical panel at the same time. This one also looks pretty good and has good reviews: http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html The little meters HF has that regularly go on sale for $2 are not bad really, slightly slow update rate on the display but otherwise they work fine. At $2 you can put them in every toolbox, every vehicle, etc. so there is always a meter handy for quick stuff. |
| for all the hype of meters,, a cheap 20 dollar craftsman ,, will fill any needs around the garage,,,,, unless your trouble shooting RF stage of a delco radio... whats there on a car that a cheap meter can;t give you ideal whats going on...... I used some high cost B & K's and there isnt a cheap LCD display meter for 20 bucks that will be less than .001 % off of that meter...... this is no different that high heels.......... 40 bucks or 400 bucks it's just how they make you feel wearing them...... |
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I don't have a Harbor Freight anywhere close to me, but I used to. Anyways, I've used their $2 meters for some time now. They last for less than 6 months for me. I have to buy them at $10 each now, and they are seeing life spans of 4 months or less.
I'm looking for something that will handle the average garage needs (would like Hz as well), but I need some reliability with it! Thanks for the input! |
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Quoted:
I don't have a Harbor Freight anywhere close to me, but I used to. Anyways, I've used their $2 meters for some time now. They last for less than 6 months for me. I have to buy them at $10 each now, and they are seeing life spans of 4 months or less. I'm looking for something that will handle the average garage needs (would like Hz as well), but I need some reliability with it! Thanks for the input! I'm not sure what you're doing to the poor things, but those $2 HF meters have been in every toolbox I have for 8+ years and I've yet to have one fail. My Fluke 87 is the original 87 that I bought in '89 or so. |
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HH6 wouldn't agree to $150 for a meter. I managed to convince her to let me spend $50 for a meter. I ordered a Greenlee DM-45. We will see how this one goes. It has lifetime warranty on it, so hopefully its worth its price.
As far as the 6 month life spans, I leave them in my toolbox, which is outside, in the shed. Invariably, humidity gets to it, or I'll be working in the rain, and it dies. I have had a few that just got beat up too much... |
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OP. You seem like you use multimeters alot. What exactly do you use it for most often at home?
Like many of these guys I most often use the HF cheapies. I have one in my truck, one in my fifth wheel, one in each work area, one in the toolbox...for the price of a single Fluke you can buy HF cheapies for life... I also have a Craftsman that doesn't entirely suck. I'm not sure of the model or the actual maker... At work I use Flukes to do basic analysis of DC circuits. For what I do there isn't really much advantage to the expensive machine other than to say that I have one....YMMV |
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Quoted:
OP. You seem like you use multimeters alot. What exactly do you use it for most often at home? Like many of these guys I most often use the HF cheapies. I have one in my truck, one in my fifth wheel, one in each work area, one in the toolbox...for the price of a single Fluke you can buy HF cheapies for life... I also have a Craftsman that doesn't entirely suck. I'm not sure of the model or the actual maker... At work I use Flukes to do basic analysis of DC circuits. For what I do there isn't really much advantage to the expensive machine other than to say that I have one....YMMV At home I use it mainly on automotive repair and the like. Mostly 12V systems, some 28V. Mainly troubleshooting voltage, but some amperage shooting as well. I do generator repair on the side, and have been known to measure AC amperage below 15A for building circuits. I've run through a ton of harbor freight cheapies, but I'm tired of substandard performance, always questioning my readings, and wondering if that damn thing will work when I absolutely need it or not...like fixing my generator in the middle of a hurricane because it decided it was a great time to quit....after being ops checked and load banked prior to the storm. |
| Had this one for 2 years and has worked great. YMMV http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html |
| A smart person can do a lot more with a cheap meter than an idiot, no strike that, even smarter than average, person can do with a GREAT meter! I have a shop full of meters that range from the freebie that Harbor Freight gives away with any purchase to $2000 HP meters yet I use the free HF one 95% of the time! The accuracy is very good, much better than even the laboratory meters of 30 years ago. I use my 15 year old $69 Kelvin brand meter for 98% of the rest. I probably use my GOOD meters about once per month! Unless you're doing something like measuring ultra-low resistance (such as motor windings) or non-sinusoidal AC, you should be able to do everything you need with a cheap meter such as the HF one. The only feature that it doesn't have that might really be useful is the inductive AC current clamp but even that is available for about $50 from HF, but probably less than 1% of users would ever use that feature. My advice, get a cheap meter, LEARN how to use it. Then if you need special features, buy a meter with them. But keep the cheap one for everyday use and only use the good one when you need it. For one thing, WHEN (not if) you accidentally drop the meter or overload it, you are less likely to damage your expensive meter. |
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Quoted:
A smart person can do a lot more with a cheap meter than an idiot, no strike that, even smarter than average, person can do with a GREAT meter! I have a shop full of meters that range from the freebie that Harbor Freight gives away with any purchase to $2000 HP meters yet I use the free HF one 95% of the time! The accuracy is very good, much better than even the laboratory meters of 30 years ago. I use my 15 year old $69 Kelvin brand meter for 98% of the rest. I probably use my GOOD meters about once per month! Unless you're doing something like measuring ultra-low resistance (such as motor windings) or non-sinusoidal AC, you should be able to do everything you need with a cheap meter such as the HF one. The only feature that it doesn't have that might really be useful is the inductive AC current clamp but even that is available for about $50 from HF, but probably less than 1% of users would ever use that feature. My advice, get a cheap meter, LEARN how to use it. Then if you need special features, buy a meter with them. But keep the cheap one for everyday use and only use the good one when you need it. For one thing, WHEN (not if) you accidentally drop the meter or overload it, you are less likely to damage your expensive meter. Rather than look like an ass you should have read the whole thread and realized that someone with extensive experience was asking for equipment that fit his needs. He isn't someone new to the field looking for the coolest gear. |
| I've been using multimeters for a hobby for 20 years, and professionally for the last 10 years. I deal with $500 meters daily, and $3K+ oscilloscopes monthly. I am familiar with cheaper meters. They normally have sufficient accuracy, however I'm yet to find one that shows less than 3 ohm when measuring across the leads. I do routinely t-shoot electric motor windings, and as such, crap meters won't cut it. I'm also trying to find a meter that actually lasts. Due to the nature of my work, and the locations I'm forced to live, I have very little access to purchasing a new crap meter every few months. When I grab it, I NEED it to work! If it doesn't, I have to wait on average 6 weeks to get a new one. I hate crappy tools. I prefer to buy a quality product, even I it's a bit more expensive, and keep it for years, vs. throwing crap away constantly. I'm old school. I prefer to spend money, and keep it for years. You know, buy a Blackhawk or Kimber vs. a Hi-point. Which one do you trust? |