Any experience with (non-US) Fluke 15B+, or BK Precision, or Amazon Commercial DMM (multimeter) models?

J

jim04g

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Apr 14, 2021
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Trying for better accuracy and reproducibility (over offering many extra features past VOM), but not familiar with these brand-models found looking at a sub-$100 price range. And didn't recall mention here. Curious if some here have experience with them.

Detail:
For use when the free HF/Centech is just not good enough.

Besides the $30-$50 Extechs and KleinTools sometimes mentioned here, in the $60-$100 range seeing BK Precision (Taiwan) models, "Amazon Commercial" re-brands of CEM (China?), and the $100 Fluke 15B+ (China, no US warranty) noting the sub-$50 Fluke 101 lacks amp measurement.

Not for business use, so while they would be nice, never had so really couldn't miss clamp, min/max, hold, Hz,˚C,˚F, true RMS, transistor tests, etc.
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Edit: just found another meter thread here, so adding the various UNI-T series (Uni-Trend, China) at $30-$100.
 
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I can't say for sure but I have a Fluke 23 I bought for work repairing electric forklifts in around 1988 and it still works . Quality is always worth the cost.
 
Absolutely agree. As a "hobbyist" user was just looking to balance cost/value, this time. But that type of Fluke story and reputation is what led me to even consider the no-US-warranty gray-market meters which Fluke allows it's name on (vs other overseas builds).
 
Amprobe is a good established brand that's not priced like a Fluke.

There is an mjlorton YouTube channel. He is very smart and easy to understand. He has 1 or 2 videos on meters.
 
I see Amprobe is a division of Fluke (is a division of Fortive).
Many great videos. Thanks.
 
I would stick to the midrange Fluke myself. I’ve been in the electrical/electronics/instruments field for 44 years and find their equipment to be the most reliable. I recently purchased a very gently used Fluke 87 IV on eBay and it turned out to be a really good but expensive buy. Don’t be afraid to try that route. The problem with the really cheap meters is they may not meet modern safety requirements (NFPA 70 E) and if you are testing 480vac systems, a mistake could cause a very serious incident. If this is what you will be doing, look for a cat.IV rating on the meter.
 
I have both BK Precision and Fluke, and a few others. If you want a super accurate multimeter that will do just about everything that you ever need, get a Greenlee DM-820a. It is an American version of Brymer, like EEV Blog.
I use the BK Precision for high voltage circuits. It has excellent safety features and does DC millivolts without switching 49 dials.
I have a few Amazon specials that have big lit screens. I use those when I don’t want to worry about blowing up a multimeter or need super high accuracy.
The one that I use the most is my $50 Baby Fluke 101. It doesn’t do amperage, so it’s small and lightweight, but not cheaply made. It’s accurate as a Fluke can be, a known quantity.
 
I checked out the Greenlee meter you mentioned and it looks good. The Cat IV rating will make it safe. I will admit that I was under the impression that BK Precision was long gone. I haven’t seen any of their equipment since I graduated tech school 40+ years ago! Hewlett-Packard and Techtronics were the king of the crop back then. HP I believe is Agilent Technologies. Techtronics is still around but not to the degree it used to be. Enough of my digression!
 
I also wouldn't hesitate to buy a pre-owned Fluke. I have a Fluke 87 that I bought for $150 or so, and a Fluke 77 that I paid less than $100 for. I particularly like the models made in the USA. They aren't too uncommon at the local pawn shops around here. I used to buy them at the pawn shops, clean them up, then flip them on eBay for a few bucks. I did that a few times to trade up to the meters I have now.
 
The Fluke Process meter I use at work is 25 years old and is still going strong. We have Fluke instrument calibrators that are the same age and only 1 has failed.
 
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