Author Topic: What Brand of Multimeter? (Read 20792 times)

Hituro · « **on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 06:14:28 »

I know Fluke are the best multimeters out there, but for someone who doesn't want to spend $300+ on a multimeter what would you say is a good brand around maybe $50 or less. I'm mainly using this for PCB.

captain · « **Reply #1 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 06:34:18 »

I was perfectly happy with my ancient, manual, Radio Shack unit until I left corroding batteries in it. Multimeters are commodities now. Just get a little, cheap, auto-ranging one, and don't leave batteries in it. ;-)
http://www.amazon.com/Triplett-Autoranging-Digital-Multimeter-Resistance/dp/B0002UCSG2/

Soarer · « **Reply #2 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 06:42:08 »

A good secondhand Fluke would still be miles better than anything you could get for less than $50! It would cost a bit more, but you should be able to find some for less than $100. I got an excellent condition 87 III with leads but no case for £70 a while back - older or tattier models would be even less of course.

captain · « **Reply #3 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 06:48:39 »

Ok, I'm willing to be sold....
Why would a novice want a $500 multimeter, even used at $50, when he can get a perfectly good, brand new one for $20?

alaricljs · « **Reply #4 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 07:20:37 »

Flukes are nice... but if you're not doing electronics daily there is NO point.

Soarer · « **Reply #5 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 08:16:38 »

Lol, chill dudes! I didn't TELL the OP to buy one, I just said that buying secondhand was a good way to get one.

But, I would wager that even with only occaisional use, the $70 Fluke would last a hell of a lot longer than some cheapo $20 meter, maybe have more functions, and definitely be more pleasant to use.

captain · « **Reply #6 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 11:10:50 »

LOL brother Ohm.

That's what replaced my 30+yo RadShack tank. It's small, cheap, and just works.

Soarer · « **Reply #7 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 11:44:43 »

Well, you pay your money and you make your choice! Somehow I can't imagine that one lasting 30+ years!

I rather like having the ability to measure current, frequency, capacitance and diodes. And having min/max measurement, delta measurement, removable leads in case one gets damaged, industrial build quality, and a backlight. All in all, you can get a lot of meter for less than $100, which will last for long enough for the cost to become irrelevant.

captain · « **Reply #8 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 13:36:28 »

That does sound nice! Ok. I'm sold! :-)

Soarer · « **Reply #9 on:** Wed, 28 March 2012, 15:24:50 »

Admit it... it was the backlighting that sold you! ;-)

Well, we've given the OP some choices at least, and they each have their merits.

Hituro · « **Reply #10 on:** Thu, 29 March 2012, 03:50:08 »

lol, actually my original question wasn't really answered. I stated that I know Fluke is the better brand. My question was, what "OTHER" brands of multimeters are decent for us noobs who don't want to spend a whole lot. I'm sure in the future I will probably get a nice Fluke if need be. But right now I'm not using a multimeter from day to day use, it's more for hobby type stuff.

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #11 on:** Thu, 29 March 2012, 04:12:01 »

1) Fluke
2) lots of reasons to get Fluke
3) Fluke is so dominant that it's hard for most people to give an accurate alternative

Credit to my buddy Soarer, he hit every note I would have explaining the cost, features, benefits, value, and ROI of a Fluke, even if it is overkill for your use. A $50 heavily used Fluke is 10 times better than a $20 new Whatever Brand.

I have a Fluke 73 III. I need to get a Fluke 77 IV instead so I can check capacitors and have a backlight. (Selling my 73 III for $70 plus shipping if anyone is interested)

I am aware I am not answering the OP question, but Fluke is SO good...it IS the answer.

Other than that, I would get the cheapest meter that has the functions I need...$10-$15

Soarer · « **Reply #12 on:** Thu, 29 March 2012, 08:03:50 »

To be fair, Hituro, you said you didn't want to spend $300 on a Fluke... that I can understand!

I just own my meters as a hobbyist too, so I'm not exactly a heavy user. Cheaper meters I've had in the past died - iirc, usually the rotary switch goes flaky first. The meter that captain showed actually makes some good design choices - no rotary switch to fail, no current ranges meaning no need for plugged leads - it's clearly built to a price, but also clearly some of those choices show that it's built with reliability at least somewhat in mind (as opposed to sporting as long a feature list as possible).

I'm not sure that anything under $50 really has a 'brand'. Perhaps the best option is to see what reputable suppliers are rebranding and selling for $40, and then go find the unbranded version on ebay for $20 !!

Parak · « **Reply #13 on:** Thu, 29 March 2012, 10:34:58 »

FWIW, in the $50 range, I have one of these. It's fine for basic measurements, and has surprisingly decent internals from what I could tell (ceramic european fuses, SMD components, etc). The leads were also unremarkable, but I got a great deal on some silicon amprobe leads (mtl-501) which made the whole thing much more pleasant to deal with.

Again, I'm no expert on this, so grain of salt, etc.

captain · « **Reply #14 on:** Thu, 29 March 2012, 14:37:45 »

I just used mine today to check voltage before working on some wiring in the attic. It's nice that the whole unit fits in my back pocket and doesn't get hung up on things as I shimmy around in close quarters.

I would say: and hey, I didn't die! But I was working on live wires in the box too anyway. :-P

It is nice to know what IS live and what isn't though. Plus it's got continuity and resistance. Capacitance and current would be nice, but rarely needed.

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun, 01 April 2012, 02:53:07 »

I work on live boxes with 120 all the time because I'm stupid, but 240 would just be crazy.

Maarten · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun, 01 April 2012, 04:48:38 »

Under $50 was one of my requirements when i needed a dmm a couple years ago and ignoring everyone shouting FLUKE FLUKE to me i bought two of these;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230763405851
(one for me and one for a friend)

Shipped it can be had under $50 easy and it has craploads of functions. Couple interesting ones;
-All standard stuff (what i use most; voltage ACDC, amps, resistance, duty cycle, conductivity etc)
-Backlit LCD
-Temperature measurements (comes with a thermocouple probe)
-Can be hooked up to computer (via optical connection so not to fry your computer when/if you mess something up)

Only disadvantage that i found is that not all 9V batteries fit perfectly (some are too thick so the lid wont close perfectly but half an hour with a xacto knife can fix that pretty easy).

Now this will not give you the accurate results of a Fluke and it will probably not last as long (tho mine is still fully functional after many years) but for the things i want from a dmm its working pretty darn perfect. Being a chinese budget product quality controll will ofc be an issue (from the two i received one had hickupy display) but hey, if you are gonna buy this youll probably be enough of a DIY guy to fix most problems with it yourself

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun, 01 April 2012, 05:02:20 »

Fluke is THE name for quality, longevity/durability, accuracy and value. They've earned the reputation, and all of us that say "Fluke, Fluke, Fluke" are just on the winning bandwagon of puppets, which is easy. It isn't often that there's almost a singular best answer for something and Fluke dominates (which I find is odd). But, there are other units available, most have a minor compromise or two, or more. If you don't need or want a Fluke, there are many other choices, some look pretty damn good, and ARE pretty damn good, but don't have the reputation.

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Author Topic: What Brand of Multimeter? (Read 20792 times)