In the latest catalog that expires 12/31/18. I don't really need one, but...Their constant barrage of advertising has worked. I'm sucked in and will probably drop a C-note before I leave.
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Free HF multimeter coupon
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Those meters are adjustable too. I set them all to my flukes reading. When the battery gets low they go out of accuracy too.
I grab those meters for my friends all the time. They are usually free or $1 or $2.
Their kids keep stealing them....if it is indeed possible for one's kid to steal from a parent. (that was insincere....of course the little bar-stewards can steal)
Their kids keep stealing them....if it is indeed possible for one's kid to steal from a parent. (that was insincere....of course the little bar-stewards can steal)
MolaKule
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What catalog?
It's daylight savings weekend! You can check the voltage of your old smoke detector battery. Write it down. Crack open the HF multimeter. Take out its 9V battery and replace it with the old one. Now test the new battery that came packaged in a multi-meter, and stick it in your smoke detector!
It's weird, but a few of these HF meters have lost segments of the LCD display on me. I haven't known other devices that reliably unreliable.
It's weird, but a few of these HF meters have lost segments of the LCD display on me. I haven't known other devices that reliably unreliable.
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Are you guys talking about Harbor Freight?
Originally Posted by MolaKule
What catalog?
http://www.hfqpdb.com/harborfreightcoupons
http://www.hfqpdb.com/gallery/free
What catalog?
http://www.hfqpdb.com/harborfreightcoupons
http://www.hfqpdb.com/gallery/free
Meter isn't to bad for a throw a way but the leads are junk.
As far as I'm concerned HF can through those free meters in their dumpster instead of giving them away. The one I saw had a package staple right through the cheesy leads, which are just fuses for those POS meters.
Those meters can be very hazardous, and Fatal in the wrong hands. Even if you know what you are doing those meters are dangerous. Safety isn't free.
Those meters can be very hazardous, and Fatal in the wrong hands. Even if you know what you are doing those meters are dangerous. Safety isn't free.
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I use a Brymen BM867S in my shop for high accuracy and high voltage safety or when I need a really good frequency counter and bar graphs. It is CAT IV, 1000 Volts rated and reads 500,000 count. For low voltage DC to keep a small meter in the glove box or soldering station, I use a 10,000 count Aneng AN8008 that I got for $15.
Originally Posted by Traction
Those meters can be very hazardous, and Fatal in the wrong hands. Even if you know what you are doing those meters are dangerous. Safety isn't free.
I completely agree on that, a person could easily get themselves killed with one of those free Harbor Freight meters. I have seen video of people using them to diagnose vacuum tube guitar amps no thanks. I do like the free electronic flyswatters or the magnetic parts tray though.
Those meters can be very hazardous, and Fatal in the wrong hands. Even if you know what you are doing those meters are dangerous. Safety isn't free.
I completely agree on that, a person could easily get themselves killed with one of those free Harbor Freight meters. I have seen video of people using them to diagnose vacuum tube guitar amps no thanks. I do like the free electronic flyswatters or the magnetic parts tray though.
I was visiting my sister in Kentucky last weekend. They have a HF nearby. It's the only time I go to one given the distances the HFs are from our home. I used some of the free item coupons on two of them. My sister asked me to replace a motion sensor front door light that she said had gone bad. Her house was built in the 30s with the old single pair twist wiring. I mounted the new light and it didn't work. Luckily I had the two cheap HF meters I had just picked up. It didn't take me more than a minute to burn the first one up looking for power at the light fixture. My fault though. I forgot to put the selector switch to the ACV position and blew the crappy, non-replaceable fuse. Into the garbage can it went. Fortunately the second one helped me find the problem at the outlet and get it working. Unfortunately, I removed a perfectly good light that was just missing the power to it. The almost ninety year old wiring was the problem, broken/loose at a twist connection.
Originally Posted by Sierra048
I was visiting my sister in Kentucky last weekend. They have a HF nearby. It's the only time I go to one given the distances the HFs are from our home. I used some of the free item coupons on two of them. My sister asked me to replace a motion sensor front door light that she said had gone bad. Her house was built in the 30s with the old single pair twist wiring. I mounted the new light and it didn't work. Luckily I had the two cheap HF meters I had just picked up. It didn't take me more than a minute to burn the first one up looking for power at the light fixture. My fault though. I forgot to put the selector switch to the ACV position and blew the crappy, non-replaceable fuse. Into the garbage can it went. Fortunately the second one helped me find the problem at the outlet and get it working. Unfortunately, I removed a perfectly good light that was just missing the power to it. The almost ninety year old wiring was the problem, broken/loose at a twist connection.
That is one of the hazards with those meters, if you happened to check a big 240 volts breaker in your panel, and accidentally on the wrong setting, they could easily burst into a hotter than the sun fireball. Good meters will usually let you know and just chirp at you when you screw up. It is too easy to make a mistake.
https://www.fluke.com/en-us/learn/b...sics/digital-multimeters/safety-tips-dmm
I was visiting my sister in Kentucky last weekend. They have a HF nearby. It's the only time I go to one given the distances the HFs are from our home. I used some of the free item coupons on two of them. My sister asked me to replace a motion sensor front door light that she said had gone bad. Her house was built in the 30s with the old single pair twist wiring. I mounted the new light and it didn't work. Luckily I had the two cheap HF meters I had just picked up. It didn't take me more than a minute to burn the first one up looking for power at the light fixture. My fault though. I forgot to put the selector switch to the ACV position and blew the crappy, non-replaceable fuse. Into the garbage can it went. Fortunately the second one helped me find the problem at the outlet and get it working. Unfortunately, I removed a perfectly good light that was just missing the power to it. The almost ninety year old wiring was the problem, broken/loose at a twist connection.
That is one of the hazards with those meters, if you happened to check a big 240 volts breaker in your panel, and accidentally on the wrong setting, they could easily burst into a hotter than the sun fireball. Good meters will usually let you know and just chirp at you when you screw up. It is too easy to make a mistake.
https://www.fluke.com/en-us/learn/b...sics/digital-multimeters/safety-tips-dmm
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Originally Posted by Sierra048
Luckily I had the two cheap HF meters I had just picked up. It didn't take me more than a minute to burn the first one up looking for power at the light fixture. My fault though. I forgot to put the selector switch to the ACV position and blew the crappy, non-replaceable fuse. Into the garbage can it went.
haha. I might have a similar result one of these days. My usual multimeter is practically all automated, but then it broke, and then my older one sitting on a shelf for years for some reason is also broke. That made me wish that at some point I had picked up a free HF multimeter for a backup to my backup. Normally I grab a different free item when there, such as the quite nice tape measure wrapped in a black rubberized coating.
Anyway, the next time there, grabbed a multimeter. Used it the other day. Works. Thanks, HF.
Luckily I had the two cheap HF meters I had just picked up. It didn't take me more than a minute to burn the first one up looking for power at the light fixture. My fault though. I forgot to put the selector switch to the ACV position and blew the crappy, non-replaceable fuse. Into the garbage can it went.
haha. I might have a similar result one of these days. My usual multimeter is practically all automated, but then it broke, and then my older one sitting on a shelf for years for some reason is also broke. That made me wish that at some point I had picked up a free HF multimeter for a backup to my backup. Normally I grab a different free item when there, such as the quite nice tape measure wrapped in a black rubberized coating.
Anyway, the next time there, grabbed a multimeter. Used it the other day. Works. Thanks, HF.
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