Names of brand names quality non-pro multi-meter

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JLawrence08648

Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
922
Location
NJ
My 15 yr old Radio Shack analog multimeter bit the dust. I needed it for a job at someone's house and .... so I went to Lowe's and bought a digital Southwire with an outlet tester and tic tracer for $25. A great deal.

I'd like to get a second multi-meter, analog. It has to have AC/DC voltage, Ohms, plus a battery tester SCALE for 9v, 1.5v batteries, and 1.5v flat watch type batteries.

No longer are there any Sears or Radio Shacks near me. I'm not sure about what Home Depot and Lowe's has online that can be ordered. I may also go to Wal-Mart.com, Amazon, and eBay.

I want a decent multimeter with longevity but I don't want to sirens a lot of money, $35 or less? preferably $20 and less. Possible?

What are name brands I should be looking at? Staying away from?
 
Uni-T makes reasonably decent stuff on the lower end. Unfortunately, the safety of most of these lower end meters is questionable, so probably want to keep them away from 120V AC stuff.

Klein Tools and Southwire are also good, but I don't know if you can get one for under $35.

This Southwire is around $40 on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-Eq...amp;sr=8-1&keywords=southwire+16040t

Small and rugged.

See here for some reviews:
https://lygte-info.dk/info/DMMReviews.html



Quote
plus a battery tester SCALE for 9v, 1.5v batteries, and 1.5v flat watch type batteries.
Why can't you just use the standard DC Volt setting to check batteries?
 
I have an Innova 3320 10mega Ohm digital multi meter. It has a battery tester for 1.5 9 and 12 volt batteries and all the other stuff you listed. It also has a continuity tested which has been invaluable for diagnosing Auto electrical gremlins. I've had it for more than 10 years and the only thing I ve had to do is replace the 2 AA batteries. I got it at Walmart for about 25 or 30 bucks. It's not the top of the line most accurate do all wondermeter, but for general automotive use it has everything I need.
 
I was looking at buying a multimeter and I always considered Fluke to be good. We used Fluke brand multimeters when I took Electricity 101 in college.
 
Right now I'm using a Fluke 73, Fluke 179, Fluke 16, Fluke 87 and a Fluke 867B Graphical Multimeter. I'm also using a few Tekronix and Ampbrope DMMs.
I also have the DMM that HF was giving away for free. The funny thing is that the HF DMM is pretty darn accurate when compared to these $100 to $1000 meters.

While I would trust the reading I would get on lower voltage equipment...there isn't any way I would trust a cheap meter on 480 3 phase VAC.
For most people, non-pro, just about any DMM will do.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Reggaemon
...there isn't any way I would trust a cheap meter on 480 3 phase VAC.
For most people, non-pro, just about any DMM will do.


Just don't scratch your head with one meter lead while the other is still connected to the 480 VAC source!

Yup, I had an electrician do that once. Certainly didn't make him any smarter but it did lay him out cold.
 
Originally Posted by MI_Roger
Originally Posted by Reggaemon
...there isn't any way I would trust a cheap meter on 480 3 phase VAC.
For most people, non-pro, just about any DMM will do.


Just don't scratch your head with one meter lead while the other is still connected to the 480 VAC source!

Yup, I had an electrician do that once. Certainly didn't make him any smarter but it did lay him out cold.


If you ever worked on CRT sets from the tube era, you always worked with one hand out of the set, probing around a live chassis you are libel to get "bitten" by the flyback circuit.
 
Last edited:
Well, probably not a "non-pro" meter, but I've got a Fluke 77 that I've owned since 1985 and it still works great.
I don't use it for automotive work, at least on a daily basis, but it still gets some hard use.
 
Battery testers have a low ohm resistance across + and -. Maybe 30 ohms for a AA tester, higher resistance for button cells.
If you do a fair amount of battery tests you're better off buying two meters. The battery testers usually have convenient
holder shapes for testing common-size batteries that make them more convenient than using needle probes.
 
I bought a used Fluke 87V for $140 ($400+ new) to compliment my 77, and 325. A good meter is priceless compared to a less than $35 meter if for safety if nothing else.. Get something certified you can trust with auto-ranging, and study up on OHM's Law. Might as well just use a test light otherwise.
 
Last edited:
$140 cash.

IMG_5121.JPG
 
Originally Posted by Vern_in_IL
If you ever worked on CRT sets from the tube era, you always worked with one hand out of the set, probing around a live chassis you are libel to get "bitten" by the flyback circuit.

Yep, in college I had a job repairing "dummy" CRT terminals for a company that supplied Ford dealerships with their desktop terminals. The video driver boards were the most common problem, also the most dangerous - and they had to be repaired and tested outside the machine. During testing/burn-in, the flyback lead was exposed - and you had to be careful around it because the arc from the flyback would jump out and bite you from over an inch away - I got bit more times than I care to count. It hurts (but only for a second). Most important thing is make sure you aren't touching anything grounded when you get hit, or you could feel the arc jump all the way through you, all the way to ground.

Working there, as I recall we only used Fluke meters, and I came to appreciate them. Now I own two - an old 29 Series II, and a newer 174.
At the time I bought the 174 I was also looking at the 15b and 117 I think.

Originally Posted by Traction
I bought a used Fluke 87V for $140 ($400+ new) to compliment my 77, and 325. A good meter is priceless compared to a less than $35 meter if for safety if nothing else.. Get something certified you can trust with auto-ranging, and study up on OHM's Law. Might as well just use a test light otherwise.

Sweet. I'd LOVE an 87V and I've mulled over taking the plunge more than a few times, but I can't bring myself to spend $400 on a meter. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I was still repairing electronics everyday but as an around-the-house/few times a month meter it'd be overkill for me.

OP, a quick Amazon search shows the analog Tekpower TP7050 and TP7244L as both having good reviews, and are in the price range you're looking at. For digital, there is a pretty basic Fluke on Amazon for around $40 - not a lot of features but it should cover most needs. I haven't personally used any of these, but I'd start my research there.
 
I have a Fluke 77-IV. It's a real pleasure to use. I got it brand new on eBay for $170.

It took me a whole year of being patient while I waited for that deal to show up.
 
I still have my 16 year old Craftsman multimeter that also does duty cycle, which came in handy for Mercedes EHA adjustments. It works decently well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

W
What is a good brand of 78 series battery these days?
Replies
12
Views
7K
wtd
Number_35
2009 Mazda 5 - Dead battery, checking dark current
2
Replies
20
Views
5K
Number_35
Trav
  • Locked
Power Probe
Replies
5
Views
6K
Vikas
Gokhan
  • Locked
List of oils by base-oil-quality index: a ranking
4 5 6
Replies
111
Views
79K
bbhero
N
  • Locked
Sweden's IKEA of Weapons
2 3
Replies
42
Views
14K
M56959
Back
Top