Which multimeter to buy?

[doc holiday13]

fluke

#endandlockthread

 

[Weldor]

Bought a decent meter on Amazon (Kiaweets), but use the klien for amps and hertz. Also have a decent Greenlee. Also I use the cheapo harbor freight abunch for the 12 volt stuff.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

For anything important/safety related/precise.. fluke...for anything else...fluke. Buy once, cry once. Doing electrical diagnosis daily I've learned there's no point in having a tool I don't trust at work or at home.

 

[summs]

If your life depends on it
or it makes you money > invest in the fluke

Else > harbor freight

 

[hunterjmj]

I use a Fluke 325 daily and keep a Fluke 325 as a backup.

 

[Sawitrightoff]

I have a Sperry DM6400 that I really like and it won't break the bank like a Fluke.

This is what I have. Seldom use it, though.

 

[Blockcaver]

The Klein I have serves me well.

 

[jlaw]

Use case dependent but personally I refuse to cheap out on something like a meter, I don't mess around when it comes to stuff that could potentially kill me, lol. I would stick with Fluke or Klein and you want something that is true RMS.

 

[JRMiller]

Fluke or OTC

 

[FLS]

Fluke.

 

[TaperPin]

A wiser older friend once told me, “Wear this one out first, then worry about who makes the best one.”

I have a Kline of some kind that roughly looks like this one and it’s been great the past few years. Less than $100, easy to use case, leads consistently make good contact on both ends, it always works when turned on, reads amps well enough to diagnose things with, reads resistance and volts well. If it were to stop working tomorrow I’d toss it and buy another. If one of the kids needed one I’d give them this one and replace it.

Nothing wrong with using a Fluke primarily to check the batteries in a toddlers toy fire truck, but at the end of the year it might be overkill.

 

[Pizzlegreet]

Im not a electrician or mechanic. First off.

Im needing a new multimeter, I use to own a Klien tough meter (cl700) but it died on me. It'll primarily be used on vehicles (i own a Ford, so it'll be used almost daily, who am I kidding.) and some electrical testing in homes. Wanting a decent meter that can also test for amps and have a range of uses. I dont see my need to buy a Fluke. Or am I still better to buy a fluke?

My level of electrical work is like my hunting, l claim to know what im doing, but im just winging it and the history doesnt support the claim.

I like Fluke. From what I have read it doesn’t really matter. I think for the price Klein is good too.

 

[Untamed]

Fluke

 

[rbaney]

I bought a nice clamp meter from Lowes about 10 years ago or so. It only does AC for the clamp but it has most everything else I need on it. A Klein will do you just fine for your needs, I got the clamp meter so I could read the amperage in my Circuit Breaker panel. I also used it for a brief time as an electronic technician. The school I attended sold the young Freshman Electricians all Flukes. What ever you decide I suggest going with a name brand and not the cheap ass Harbor Freight one. In my current job all I use is Fluke.

 

[jml49]

Did you open it, there are fuses in some of them.

 

[AZmark]

I've been in the electrical field since 1972, got EE degree after I did a Electrical Apprenticeship. Have worked as both engineer and electrician. When someone asks me about getting a general purpose meter for home use AND wants to be able to measure amps I always recommend the Fluke 362. Other Fluke meters are also just as dependable but if you're asking to measure amps, and you will be using it around the house the 362 amp clamp jaws will get into those tight spaces like inside a breaker panel where the wires are close together. It will also measure both AC and DC amps which is good for troubleshooting your vehicle. Can check to see if your alternator is charging the battery, what amps you battery is producing, etc. Someone above recommended the Fluke 325, that's a good meter also but the amp jaws are hard to get into tight spaces like in a breaker panel.

 

[def90]

I went to school for electronics back in the early 90’s and have spent my entire adult life working on residential and commercial low voltage systems ala access control, security, fire, lighting control, automation, audio video, cctv and so on.

I use a $40 meter that I bought at Harbor Freight and it does the job just fine.

 

[JR Greenhorn]

I never really looked seriously at Fluke, knowing they were the best and priced accordingly. Instead I bought a multimeter off Amazon. It appeared to be nearly identical to those from several other brands, including some well known ones mentioned in this thread. It worked fine for a while, but then the readings started to appear suspect, like way off what you'd expect. Then the DRO became scrambled and eventually it wouldn't power up at all, even with a new battery.

When looking for a replacement, I came across the Fluke 101 and 107. These are "pocket size" models, and the interwebs suggested they may not be intended for the US market. They are not US made. However, they are real Fluke products, and they're quite a bit cheaper than most Fluke models. The 101 is very small, but doesn't do current. The 107 was the smallest Fluke model I found that has current and everything else you expect.

I bought a 107 and have used it occasionally for several years now. It always works and I've never doubted it. I'm not an electrician, but it works well for me for 24VDC/4-20mA automation controls stuff at work, as well as normal household and automotive stuff. I like the small size so I can stuff it in my tool bag without it getting in the way too much (although I did have to buy a case for it separately). I wish I'd have found and bought it in the first place, instead of wasting 40% of its cost on something that wasn't worth that.