# Are Sperry multimeters good?



## thinkFlashlights01 (Jan 10, 2015)

When i found out that the Fluke multimeters are the "Best", i wondered about Sperry multimeters (Particularly the dm-6450) Being good and i never hear them being talked about. :ironic:


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Jan 10, 2015)

Amazon has three listed, with reviews.

~ Chance


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## pump it (Jan 15, 2015)

My friend keeps a Sperry. It's passable according to him.


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## thinkFlashlights01 (Jan 18, 2015)

pump it said:


> My friend keeps a Sperry. It's passable according to him.



Yes, mine is good too.


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## Tacti'cool' (Feb 18, 2015)

I use a Fluke work. You can drop by a local pawnshop and pick up a good Fluke 115 or 117 for $100 or under and never worry again.


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## Pete4638 (Feb 18, 2015)

Most of my meters are made by Fluke. I just bought a nice Kline electricians clamp meter and I even have my dad's old Amprobe clamp meter that was made in the 60's - it still works. The problem with a lot of meters today is that they are made in China under less than strict quality control conditions, not to mention the design of some of them are marginal. Keep in mind that the vast majority of reviews of the Sperry meter on Amazon and elsewhere were made by people who do not use a meter for a living. They are probably not the best judge of a meter, unless it is way out of specifications or if it just fails. 

One thing that troubles me about inexpensive meters is that most of them do not meet the safety standards that professionals demand from their test equipment. If all you are going to use a meter for is testing low current, DC circuits, then the safety issue is not a big factor. If you are going to be working around high voltage DC or even house current AC, then buying a better meter is a good suggestion. 

The Fluke 117 is a great electricians meter that can be had for around $120 [you have to shop around.] If you are going to want to measure milliamps, the Fluke 116, which is designed for the HVAC industry, is a good choice that you can generally pick up for about the same price as the 117. The Kline CL2000 is a nice clamp meter that measures both AC & DC by insertion into the circuit, up to 10 amps, and up to something like 400 amps using the clamp meter. It has a lot of features and can generally be found in the $110 to $140 range. Again, shop around. 

All of these meters are reasonably accurate [designed primarily for electricians] and affordable while meeting all of the safety standards that a professional would expect. Or you an bite the bullet and get a new Fluke 87v (series 5) for around $350 and go home with an American-made meter that has a lifetime warranty and a level of accuracy that will allow you to use it on just about any electrical or electronics project. 

Pete


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## Tacti'cool' (Feb 22, 2015)

I love the fluke 87v and need to buy one. I use a 787 on a daily basis for 4-20ma loop calibration and testing but it doesnt work well for testing flashlights due to the 1 amp limit.


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## Pete4638 (Feb 26, 2015)

The 87v is my favorite meter. It is overkill in a lot of situations but it has the capabilities and accuracy when you need it. My Fuke 117 or even my Kline clamp meter are perfectly adequate for residential and commercial electrical work. But when it comes to electronics the 87v has them beat. 

Just be warned, Fluke is not honoring their lifetime warranty if you purchase your meter from any vendor who is not authorized by Fluke to sell their equipment. If you go to the Fluke site, they have a list of authorized vendors. I know a fellow who bought a new Fluke 87v on eBay. When it starting having issues, he tried to return it to Fluke for repairs - they refused to repair it under warranty. 



Tacti'cool' said:


> I love the fluke 87v and need to buy one. I use a 787 on a daily basis for 4-20ma loop calibration and testing but it doesnt work well for testing flashlights due to the 1 amp limit.


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