Recommend me a decent multimeter

Infernus

Infernus

Contributor
Veteran XV
Every handyman should have a multimeter in the toolbox. Well, I don't yet and I've been in many situations where I could've used one. Help me fix that.

I'm not a band-aid kind of person. I like to repair things myself, if it's practical, and I also like things done properly. There are hundreds of multimeters to choose from but I've never owned one. I want to avoid the ****ty brands, unnecessary features and gotchas that you guys may already know about.

I'll be using it for various "around the house" tasks like checking AC outlets, polarity, automobile and laptop battery voltages, continuity and resistance of misc. wires and electrical items you'd find at the house.

Criteria
Up to $300 give or take
Measurable scale for consumer level stuff
Temperature sensor capability
Moderately easy to understand and operate
 
Fluke 115 Standard.
https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-115-Compact-True-RMS-Multimeter/dp/B000OCFFMW/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1530475572&sr=1-3&keywords=fluke%2B115&th=1

I don't use it that much either, but it's mostly for batteries and continuity. Works great. You can go up if you want more features.

Stick with Fluke and you won't go wrong. You'll have this stuff in your tool box for years, so the price you pay now is worth it.

The Fluke page is here.
Electronic test and measurement tools | Fluke Products
A ton of models to look through. You'll have to read reviews on other sites to figure out which model is best for you.
 
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Honestly for occasional use any will work fine. If you want top of the line then probably Fluke. They have many makes. Features you maybe interested in is a meter that can also read temperature. Another handy type is an Amp Clamp style that you clamp around the wire and read the current draw. Useful if you are curious as to how much electricity something uses. Multiply the voltage times the current to get the watts
 
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Depends on how much you're going to use it. I have a mm that cost something like $20 and it works just fine, had it for years. I have a Klein. quite a bit more expensive and the only real difference is its 'armored' to protect it from dropping.
 
I use flukes at work, but at home I use cheap ones because honestly I don***8217;t need a fancy stable meter to work around the house or on my car.

41JHnPCTf6L._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg


This is handy too
 
Another thing is replace the batteries when you do your smoke detector batteries. If you***8217;re not using it every day and you leave a battery in it a couple years, the battery corrodes and makes a mess and possibly ruins the battery contacts.
 
you know for the cost vs ease for things arguement i'd say you might want to also buy a laser tape measure. I miss mine :(
 
Fluke is so overpriced. Get the auto-ranging Klein. I have the MM700. It's excellent.
 
rather than spending lots on expensive mm... best to get a cheap analog mm, and with money saved, pickup a socket tester as someone already said, as well as a non-contact voltage detector.
 
To be honest, that is way more than u need if u only need it for the odd job around the house.

srsly, just get a $20 copy from ebay, they work fine
 
Thanks for all the recommends. I've got some options to consider.

From the reviews and breakdown videos I've been seeing, the cheaper ones have a number of concerns like questionable build quality, accuracy issues and lack of support. I can afford something decent and would rather steer clear of the clones and disposable devices. This one below looks like a good deal and right around my price range. The fact that these are retaining their value also says a lot.

Fluke 87 V True RMS Multimeter With Accessories (Mint Condition) | eBay
 
I just picked up a cheap $30 digital one from Home Depot 5 years ago. For the electrical work I do around the house it works great. Its a Klein I believe.
 
ArakAtak said:
To be honest, that is way more than u need if u only need it for the odd job around the house.

srsly, just get a $20 copy from ebay, they work fine
Click to expand...

yeah i honestly can't imagine buying my own fluke unless work was paying for it

i mean they are nice but not 10x the price nice unless i don't give a **** about money......in which case why would you do your own work in the first place?
 
Infernus said:
Thanks for all the recommends. I've got some options to consider.

From the reviews and breakdown videos I've been seeing, the cheaper ones have a number of concerns like questionable build quality, accuracy issues and lack of support. I can afford something decent and would rather steer clear of the clones and disposable devices. This one below looks like a good deal and right around my price range. The fact that these are retaining their value also says a lot.

Fluke 87 V True RMS Multimeter With Accessories (Mint Condition) | eBay
Click to expand...

yeah they maintain a lot of things

The Fight Against Counterfeit Electrical Products

Fluke, we love you but you're killing us.

SparkFun is forced to incinerate 2,000 multimeters because they are yellow.
Click to expand...

like the color yellow being a trademark of theirs

at some point i'm not sure i can even justify their Disney tactics to justify price distortion

if you are going to use it everyday........once a week......then maybe it is worth the investment and top of the line. If you are not the 100 dollar ones have served me just fine.

rs-22-812-1.jpg


my 75 dollar radio shack special is just as good imo

and i have dozens of flukes of every type at work to compare it to.....
 
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