multimeters

[Sideoftheroad]

What's a good multimeter these days? Is there a better instrument than a multimeter? Prefer a digital readout.

 

I had one and have been looking for it for a couple weeks now. I know where I usually keep it and where I had it last, but seems to have gotten up and crawled away.

[GeorgeS]

Well about $50 to $60 would be the lowest quality I would buy.

The highest quality professiona graded can run up to about $200.00

 

Depends on what you want to Spend. Check FRY'S Electronics On line. You will at least find some Ref: points there as to cost.

 

If you have a local Radio Shack, they carry a fair selection of them. Also check Lowes, or Home depot, tool dept.

[Freebird]

I have a Fluke that I've owned for about 25 years. It is a very good meter but not cheap. It is left over from my days as an electrician. It's really not necessary to spend that much money though. I think that Georges advice is good. Sears also has some that will be more than adequate.

[Wanderer]

I've had my Fluke 10 for about 13 years. Have tried others, but they just dont stack up. I think it was $100 at the time I bought it.

[CMIKE]

I also worked for 30 years in the electrical industry...Fluke or Simpson is the only one I trust my life to... Fluke has the best digital in my opinion.

I have 2 Fluke 87...a 77 and 88 and 2 old Simpson 260 right now. Current measurement probaly Amprobe is the leader in that section.

 

The 88 is an automotive meter...it also is great for reading RPM's on your bike while doing carb syncs. The whole 88 kit with all the accessories will run you around $350 but does just about everything.

 

As stated above...Sears has some pretty good meters for the hobby electrical guy. They also sell Fluke products.

[atlm]

I'll throw out a completely different opinion.

 

It totally depends on what it will be used for. For most homeowners, who will be doing only basic voltage and resistance measurements on home circuits and on their vehicles, a basic cheap multimeter is absolutely fine. You can find them at Harbor Freight on sale for $2.99.

 

If you're going to be repairing and troubleshooting electronics and need more advanced features and very high levels of accuracy, you will need to spend a lot more to get it.

 

When I used to do component level repair of avionics electronics, I needed a whole array of very expensive equipment. When I did process control and electrical maintenance in a factory, I needed a high end Fluke, as well as an oscilloscope. For home and garage use, I always use my small, cheap digital multimeter.

 

The only function missing from the very cheap multimeters is a clamp on ammeter. However, what I've found is that most of the time, blown fuses will show which component is faulty.

 

Again, if you have an advanced electrical knowledge, and know you're going to be doing more advanced work, like troubleshooting bad components in alternators, you might want to spend a bit more for extra features. But if you're like most folks, just looking at volts and resistance, save your money and try the least expensive option first.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

[RandyR]

$9.99 at Walmart.

[short-haul]

Fluke 88 and snapon dvm

[Wanderer]

just purchased this from Sears. aught to do what I want and I like the no contact voltmeter.

[Condor]

I have a Beckman floating around here somewhere??, but most of the time I use one of those meters from HF. They can be had for $1.99 on sale, and for that price I can keep one on every bike. MULTIMETER

[Monty]

Fluke makes the best meters, in my opinion. I used to work in the test equipment repair shop at SIMA, while on shore duty with the Navy.

 

While I was still working in the industry, I did a little shopping around, and found a TENMA meter that had better specs than the Fluke 87, and was only $179, so I bought it, and wasn't disappointed.

 

As said above, if you don't use a meter very much, or are just going to use it on your scoot or around the house, then you can buy a decent little meter from Radio Shack for not much money.

[aharbi]

Fluke makes the best meters, in my opinion...

 

+1 With Triplett being second (my opinion) I just (last week) bought this one at Fry's for $24.99 to carry on the bikes. Main reason was the enclosed hard case.

[V7Goose]

I'll throw out a completely different opinion.

 

It totally depends on what it will be used for. For most homeowners, who will be doing only basic voltage and resistance measurements on home circuits and on their vehicles, a basic cheap multimeter is absolutely fine. You can find them at Harbor Freight on sale for $2.99.

 

If you're going to be repairing and troubleshooting electronics and need more advanced features and very high levels of accuracy, you will need to spend a lot more to get it.

 

When I used to do component level repair of avionics electronics, I needed a whole array of very expensive equipment. When I did process control and electrical maintenance in a factory, I needed a high end Fluke, as well as an oscilloscope. For home and garage use, I always use my small, cheap digital multimeter.

 

The only function missing from the very cheap multimeters is a clamp on ammeter. However, what I've found is that most of the time, blown fuses will show which component is faulty.

 

Again, if you have an advanced electrical knowledge, and know you're going to be doing more advanced work, like troubleshooting bad components in alternators, you might want to spend a bit more for extra features. But if you're like most folks, just looking at volts and resistance, save your money and try the least expensive option first.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

This advice is absolutely spot-on! Electronics have advanced so much that there is relatively little practical difference between the cheapest and most expensive multimeters these days for the majority of uses. Certainly for mechanical needs, the $2.99 Harbor Freight item (often available on sale for $1.99!) is completely acceptable for 99.9% of needs. I even keep one of these little gems under the bottom cover of the left saddle bag (like the tool kit on the other side) so I'll always have one for unexpected chores while I'm on the road. Really comes in handy when I need to repair someone's headset/cords or make a Weasel-Wire!

 

I too was trained in avionics and worked in that industry for quite a few years. In addition, I owned my own electronics service business back in the 70s and 80s. Back then, there was a huge difference in cheap meters and the relatively new electronic VOMs and multimeters. Now the term "electronic VOM" is not even used anymore since you can't buy any instrument that isn't electronic. The bottom line is that if you do not already know that you need something specific, the cheapest multimeter you can find will meet all of your needs. Save your money for gas and tires!

Goose

[hillrider]

I've got a Beckman a Triplett and a Fluke. What do I use? The 3.99 one from HF. It's bright red and I can find it.

[Monty]

I have an OLD Triplett meter, and the leather case it came in. It's in very good shape, but I haven't messed with it because it has very odd batteries. Square batteries, and I think one is a 3 volt and one is a 1.5, or something like that. I really can't remember right now. I need to look on the internet. I wonder if anyone still makes those batteries.

 

 

The perfect combination would be a Fluke 87 and a Simpson 260. One high impedance, and one low impedance.

[elag]

Fluke is one of the best on the market. But you have to pay for them. $100+

 

Whether this is the right one for you depends on what you are planning to use it for and how often. If you are into electronics and plan to use it all the time, yes Fluke. If you are only going to use it occasionally and just to check things like voltage from your stator. Then $10 meter from Walmart will do the job.

 

I have one of each. The Fluke when I am doing anything with electronics and a cheap one for banging around the garage.

[MidlifeVenture]

Radio shack has some reasonably priced meters seem to last but I also have a Fluke.

[Monty]

I dug out my old Triplett. It has a calibration sticker on it from 1979.

It looks like you can still order this exact meter new. Don't know the price, though.

It's just the right size for the scoot, and I may see if I can find a battery. It looks like it is a common 15 volt camera battery.

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_0366.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_0367.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_0368.jpg

[MikeWa]

Depends what you are going to use it for. Some automotive computer systems require an input impedance of 10 mega ohms or more. Since I use my meters for Automotive testing I like the Fluke 78,87,88 or 289. It depends on your budget. UEI makes a good low cost automotive rated DVOM even comes with an RPM probe. There are others available that work well also. Automotive meters will display pulse width, duty cycle, frequency, dwell, RPM and such used in the diagnosis of fuel injection and vehicle computer systems. The 2.99 unit from Harbor Freight might work but do not count on it for anything important.

Mike

[Sideoftheroad]

I doubt a fluke is going to be what I need. Would be great to have to learn something new but more indepth than what I would currently be using it for. Be more general like what the harbour freight model would be offering.

 

I know my dad has something. I will have to see what he has. All I know is has a needle, it's kinda bulky and sits in a plastic box. He is an EE so you know it gotta be pretty good.

 

Overall wish I could find my old meter.

[Sideoftheroad]

After about a 2-3 week search found my old multimeter. It was in a place where I had looked many times before but it was under something apparently that I didn't look under.

 

This is still good info. to keep for future reference.

[wes0778]

Mine is a Cat P/N 212-2160 retails for about $69.00

Pretty rugged. Not positive, but I think it is made by Fluke.