multimeter questions...

[Chuck Wintle]

I have been looking to buy a new multimeter and would like to buy a Fluke but they are quite expensive....at least for what I need. I saw a similar type made by Mastech. They look pretty good and the price is within my range. Has anyone had experience with this one or something similar? :D

[Steve Schlumpf]

Charles - do you have a link to the model you are thinking of? Also, just curious as to what you want to use the meter for? Fluke is a great meter but a lot more than needed for home use - unless you are into repairing electronics or something.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Charles, I have been using Flukes since the mid '70s when I worked in air traffic control maintenance and used their first "big" bench models. They have come a long way in the quality area. I am still using Flukes today professionally. Fine meters.

[Chuck Wintle]

Charles - do you have a link to the model you are thinking of? Also, just curious as to what you want to use the meter for? Fluke is a great meter but a lot more than needed for home use - unless you are into repairing electronics or something.

Steve,

the link..... http://www.p-mastech.com/products/04_dm/ms8221.html

saw this very model on ebay for $40 or so.

[Chuck Wintle]

Charles, I have been using Flukes since the mid '70s when I worked in air traffic control maintenance and used their first "big" bench models. They have come a long way in the quality area. I am still using Flukes today professionally. Fine meters.

Ken,

I completely agree with you about the Fluke meters. I use them at work and they cannot be beat.

[David G Baker]

Depending what you need the meter for most Fluke models will do pretty much anything you need to do. If you don't need the Fluke level of instrument and can deal with non digital a cheap analog meter will be fine for most general home use. I see Fluke meters for sale on Craigslist and Ebay at reasonable prices on occasion.

[Bill Huber]

+ 2,3 or 4 what ever it is now on the Fluke meters.

I picked up a 77 III for $80 at a sale and that meter has been though hell and is still going great.

[Steve Schlumpf]

If it is just for home use - I don't see how you can wrong for $40.

[John Coloccia]

What will you be using the meter for? Personally, I use a Fluke at home. I've had enough cheap meters break to appreciate that I can drop my Fluke off a ladder and keep right on chugging. I also do electronics work, so I really appreciate the features, precision and long term stability of the Fluke (I haven't had to recalibrate it yet, and it's 10 years old). This particular meter has also been on site, around the world with me, as well as having been kicked around on the production floor when I was down there helping them with stuff.

Then again, you can buy a cheap RadioShack meter and spend the rest on a nice LN Plane.

[Jim Koepke]

One thing I like about my Fluke that is getting close to 20 years old is the ability to measure up to 10 amps without a clamp.

Also, the 10 amp range is fused so it will protect the meter. Being able to measure amperage is very useful on some of those perplexing problems.

One thing I also like on a meter is a very low resistance range. I worked on a test bench and having a 2 ohm range on the meter came in handy when trying to find those invisible shorts. If one is careful, you can find those invisible shorts buy building a current supply and using the low current scale.

A beeper on the resistance scales is also nice for being able to do quick checks without having to look at the meter.

Like so many tools, buy a good one and only buy it once.

jim

[Dan Friedrichs]

I have a meter nearly identical to that, but with a different brand stamped on it.

It works fine for most things, but after a few years, the thermocoupler started reading about +4 of the actual temperature, and the sound level meter never actually worked (as far as I could tell). This is definitely not a quality meter - very far into the "gizmo" category. But, I use it often for other things. If I were using it for my job, I wouldn't buy it, but otherwise, it's useful.

[Jim O'Dell]

I like my Simpson analog. But it does need some new leads. It's at least 41 years old, and may be older than that. A little large and heavy, but it sure has been a great meter. Jim.

[Jim Koepke]

My dad had a Simpson since before I was born. One of my brothers has it and uses it now.

I still have an old swing needle that I bought when I was a kid at Lafyette Electronics if my memory is working. My dad liked it for its size and used it for many years and now I have it back and use it every once in a while where I want more of a load on things than the digital meters offer.

One of the strangest things I have seen is at my last workplace they had some Simpsons in the old familiar case, but with large LED readouts.

jim

[glenn bradley]

I also have Flukes that I've used since the 80's and one "newer" one from the early 1990's. would I go out and buy one right now? No. We're still not clear on your intended use but, for general DC, continuity and AC go/no-go testing I run a meter that is much less sophisticated than the one in your link. For $40, I'd do it.

[Bryan Morgan]

I also use Fluke and BK Precision... It depends on what you want to use the meter for and how accurate you expect it to be... For messing around with your car or whatever you can use one of those $5 cheapies from Harbor Freight. If you are biasing transistors I'd suspect you'd want something a little nicer :)

[Pat Germain]

I work with Flukes on fiber optic networks. They make good gear. But you probably don't have to drop the dough for a new Fluke.

I'm still using the Radio Shack multimeter I built from a kit when I was sixteen. I also ended up with a Heathkit vacuum tube volt meter with a bunch of stuff I bought from the garage of a widow last year. That thing looks like it would survive a nuclear blast. And I see them for sale all over Ebay.

[C Scott McDonald]

+ umm whatever number for Fluke.

I use one for electronics repair and would not even consider something else. I have had the same Fluke for ten years and it still passes calibration certifaction without a problem.

But for $40 buck and not for professional work why not give it a try.

Good Luck,
Scott

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have two digital multi meters.

#1 is a Fluke

#2 is a cheapie from HF. About $2.00.
I use it quite a bit actually.

I also have a cheap Radio Shack analog meter that I bought nearly 30 years ago. I seldom use it now after getting the HF digital.

[Ken Gardiner]

I used Fluke meters at work for years but for around the home I picked up a red Craftsman meter for under $50 at sears (could be a little more now). It has been great for at least 7 years and counting. Very nice meter for the money.

[Curt Harms]

I have two digital multi meters.

#1 is a Fluke

#2 is a cheapie from HF. About $2.00.
I use it quite a bit actually.

I also have a cheap Radio Shack analog meter that I bought nearly 30 years ago. I seldom use it now after getting the HF digital.

Those Harbor Freight red $2.99 specials are great if you don't need +/- .05 gnats eyelash precision. Buy one for each floor of the house :D. I keep one in the spare battery box on the 2nd floor. It beats 2 flights down and 2 flights back up just to check the voltage on a loose battery.

[Scott T Smith]

I have meters by Fluke, Simpson, Ideal, Greenlee, Blue-Point, and several cheapies that I don't recall. I probably use the Ideal meter more than any of the others, but sometimes I go with whichever meter is closest to the task at hand.

Unless you need very precise information on a regular basis, it probably does not make sense to drop the coin on a high-end meter.

For your basic voltage and ohm measurements, you can probably pick up something for less than twenty bucks that will work just fine.

[Jerome Hanby]

Not sure what you need the meter for, but it's hard to beat a Fluke. If you find one with a micro-ranging ohm setting, you can track down shorts with it. If you are in an area that has ham fests, you may be able to pick up a good meter for a good price.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Looks like Fluke is the winner in responses - one thing that has not come through in the threads is safety. The ' el-cheapo ' meters, if say are being used to measure resistance, can literally blow up if you stick them in the wall socket without changing scales - I have seen it twice.

I am an HVAC guy for 31+ years - have a fist full of Flukes, a Beckman HD 100 ( great meter as well ) and a couple of Amprobe meters, one analog style and one digital. The more expensive meters can take abuse the cheapos will not.

Dave Beauchesne

[David G Baker]

A few years back there was a recall on a certain model of Fluke that had some major safety issues. I agree with the safety is much better on the higher end meters.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The ' el-cheapo ' meters, if say are being used to measure resistance, can literally blow up if you stick them in the wall socket without changing scales - I have seen it twice.
:o
Make that seen it twice - - and heard about it a third time..

Despite a good spark show though, my HF came through only a little worse for it. A good bit of the tip of one lead is gone, but, it still works.

[Rod Sheridan]

Looks like Fluke is the winner in responses - one thing that has not come through in the threads is safety. The ' el-cheapo ' meters, if say are being used to measure resistance, can literally blow up if you stick them in the wall socket without changing scales - I have seen it twice.

Dave Beauchesne

Daves comment about meter safety is very important.

If you are going to use the meter on your car, or only on electronic items being repaired, a category I multi-meter will be fine.

If however you want to measure voltage in branch circuits, or even worse, at distribution panels, make sure you buy a meter that meets category II or III safety standards.

An exploding meter, or the arc flash generated by the short circuit currents available at a distribution panel can result in serious burns or death.

Aside from the dangers posed by having the meter on the wrong function, or the leads in the wrong jacks, transient voltages in power systems can cause meters to fail.

If the meter cannot interrupt the fault current safely, the meter leads will vapourise, followed by a serious arc fault event if you're unlucky.

Regards, Rod.

[Bryan Morgan]

I also have a cheap Radio Shack analog meter that I bought nearly 30 years ago. I seldom use it now after getting the HF digital.

I sometimes bias tube amplifiers and prefer analog meters for that... :)