What Brand of Multimeter Do You Suggest?

[ericr]

I did a search on this question and I don't think it has been answered extensively, and a thread from our one always-helpful members showed a type of meter that I find hard to use, i.e. the type with a needle over a (complex) scale.

Does anyone use a specific brand of meter that is simplest to use with a digital display? Does more expensive necessarily mean better for our usage?

Thank you, all fellow unqualified electricians.

[Joe K]

Well, it got guffaws, but I have only a Harbor Freight Digital VOM.

I say I have. I actually have about five of them - more than half gotten with a free coupon on another purchase.



They work. They also break. But did I mention they work? And you're not out so much if they don't.

I would LOVE a Simpson mirror dial VOM - but who can afford the nearly $100 for a good used one, or $289 for new?



Joe K

[Rowdy]

At work I use a Fluke 117 and at home in the shop I use a Fluke 77 and an older GB multimeter. I like the 117 best, but all of them are good. I am a little brand partial to Flukes, but have been using them for years. Rod

[Patrick L.]

They all pretty much do the same thing, so, it depends on what you want it to do and the one that strikes your fancy. But, I use Fluke as well as a couple other small small cheapo's. They all should work fine, but, I do like the Fluke.
All that said, for old time work an analog meter [or test light]is best.

[Kurt in NJ]

You probably don't want one with "auto range", I find it confusing, would rather set the range I want, at work I have a Snap on Vantage, has a nice big screen, but a little $$ for hobby, for many years I used a Beckman multimeter, liked it much better than the fluke i have now (fluke has $$ fuses, beckman didn't mind 20 amps on 10 amp scale, no fuse), have several of the HF freebes, good value, also have a Simpson like in Joe Ks picture--got it a Cowtown flea market(coming in March)--10$ with case

i have seen many people confused by the "auto range" feature, ---

[gweilbaker]

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Analog type work better for the Model A, The DC V of 10v range should be OK for a 6v Model A. If at 12v use to 50v range. This is about 15 bucks.

[Kevin in NJ]

Personal understanding of electronics will shape the type of meter that you might be most comfortable using.

Autoranging can be confusing because the display jumps around and the decimal point moves about. If you are not careful you can pick up the wrong value off by a factor of 10 or 100. A meter where you set the the range it settles or tells you over voltage and you are less likely to get the wrong value. Cheaper meters have this problem more so then the expensive ones.

I have a strong preference for continuity beep. In the low resistance measuring mode it beeps when you have some thing close to a short circuit. This is great for finding the other ends of wires.

I do a lot of electronics work and have a few meters. The HF meter that you can get for free sometimes with coupons does ok at basic stuff. So far 1 out of 3 has failed. It does not settle nice on a number and I question accurate they measure. They do tell you what kind of voltage you have and are useful for simple trouble shooting. For accurate checking and looking for strange errors I go to my Fluke auto ranging. I also keep a couple of Simpson analog meters around, nothing like a bouncing needle to show you something the digital meter can't.

While on the subject, I recommend getting alligator clips. I will warn you that you need to check and fix all the alligator clips. They are commonly just loosely crimped onto the wire. I had a weird intermittent issue at one time that came back to a loose wire. Simple fix, pull the cover back and solder the wire in place.

My summary:
If you have a clue about electricity and understand how to use a meter then spend extra and get something with quality and accuracy.

If you are pretty simple with electricity then some $20 to $40 meter would be fine.

Continuity beep is strongly recommended to check wires.

[JOES31]

I have Fluke 117 that I thought I would like better than my old Simpson Mirror analog. Still use the Simpson over the 117 most of the time.

My advice for a meter is get a good one. Fluke is a quality unit any you won't go wrong.

The bad taste of a poorly made tool will last much longer than sting of paying the price for a quality tool.

[Kevin in NJ]

Originally Posted by 1930 coupe

As mentioned above, the Fluke is the top of the line high dollar professional meter. However if you want a meter to trouble shoot your model A, a cheap analogue meter will work better. The model A ignition puts out lots of RF static interference that makes digital meters go crazy and the numbers on the screen go crazy and cannot be used.
Also many of the older analogue meters including the Simpson were very good meters. BUT many of them use special battery's that are no longer made so they cannot be used.
For model A use go to Radio Shack, Lowe's, Home Depot or a similar store and get a analogue meter.

The 22 1/2 volt battery used in the Simpsons is only for the resistance measuring.
The meters will work fine for measuring voltage. If you find one cheap at a garage sale it still has some use. An analog meter's big advantage is in measuring voltage in some types of circuits that drive the digital crazy. For measuring resistance the digitals do great on a 9 volt battery.
Also those batteries seem to last forever.

[kenparker]

I use the Harbor Freight one most of the time. Yeh! Yeh! I knoe Its cheap - as said above but with the coupons they are free. Its disadvantage to me is the 9 volt battery inside. i leave it in a drawer for a year and the 9 bolt battery goes democrat. Who keeps extra 9 volts batterys around. I also have a Craftsman and it has the same problem.

[Mitch//pa]

a simple cheap but quality meter ck this out for around 10 bucks on ebay...
its a Sperry

[ModAfan]

My favorites:

[Maclab58]

Spend the $ and get a Fluke meter. Well worth it.

[C26Pinelake]

I personally think that you have to evaluate the useage. For us newbies that will use it a few times a year the coupon freebie from Harbor Freight serves our purpose very well. If you use the instrument every day in your profession obviously you need one that is of a more complex nature and very accurate. Wayne

[Mitch//pa]

agree with Wayne
i have a few flukes at the shop but for my A's at home i carry the sperry i listed above
it does everything i need

[CarlG]

Fluke

[clocey]

Fluke is by far the best but I agree with the statements above that if you will only use it a few times buy the cheap one. Be careful with the HF unit that you have the leads hooked up properly and the selector switch set properly or you will be heading back to buy a new meter. Curt

[SeaSlugs]

i use a fluke 233 at work and it functions flawlessly, but i do have several of those free harbor freight meters and they work good enough for automotive use. Mostly your trying to see where voltage is and a crude idea on resistance

[woodiewagon46]

Joe K, I thought I was the last dinosaur left on earth. I have both an analog Simpson 260 and a digital Fluke VOM. I also always reach for my Simpson. I have seen them at flea markets and garage sales for as little as $25, can't beat it.

[larrys40]

Fluke
It will be the only one you will ever buy
Larry