# Recommend me a multi-meter please?



## peterharvey73 (May 19, 2012)

What's the best multimeter to purchase?
A Fluke 289 with time & data capability, a Fluke 87V without the time and data memory etc, or a Fluke 115 & 117 with no milliamp capability, or a Fluke 116 HVAC with milliamp capability????


----------



## tobrien (May 19, 2012)

what do you intend to do? if you get the best Fluke of all those, while you'll definitely have room to grow into, you'll be doing yourself a big overkill in a DMM purchase.

if you just need resistance, voltage, and current capabilities, I think a 115 will do fine. I have the now-discontinued Fluke 111 and it's everything I need and a lot of stuff I don't even use (yet?). 

so if you don't *truly* need logging stuff like time and data then you'll be fine with a 'basic' Fluke.

Fluke instruments are rock solid so you'll like whatever you get


----------



## peterharvey73 (May 19, 2012)

Is it true that the Fluke 111 cannot measure current at all?
While the Fluke 115 can measure current, but not milliamperage?
While the 87V and 289 with timing can both measure micro-amps, eg to measure standby microamperage?


----------



## HotWire (May 19, 2012)

+1 on the Fluke. I've used several multimeters over the years and the Fluke is easy to use and appears *very* accurate. I have the automotive version, but they are all good. They have a wide selection of accessories that makes them even more useful.


----------



## Russel (May 19, 2012)

peterharvey73 said:


> Is it true that the Fluke 111 cannot measure current at all?


The Fluke 111 can measure AC and DC current up to 10A.




peterharvey73 said:


> While the Fluke 115 can measure current, but not milliamperage?


When set to the 6A scale, the Fluke 115 measures to a resolution of 0.001A


----------



## jasonck08 (May 19, 2012)

Fluke is definitely makes a good DMM. I own a Fluke 179, and an Agilent U1253A (which has datalogging). I really like them both.

Also UNI-T has some darn cheap sub $100 datalogging DMM's out, which are pretty solid from what I hear.


----------



## Wrend (May 20, 2012)

In my opinion Fluke is only worth it if you specifically need their reliability and/or their high accuracy & resolution.

If it's about having "the best" you can get (well, within reason) then you'll probably want a Fluke with all the features you think you might ever use.

If it's about having a cost effective solution, then there are often better options.

Bottom line is that it depends what you specifically want/need out of a MM.


----------



## desirider (May 20, 2012)

I would recommend the 175 as a good compromise. It has AC/DC Volts, DC mV, AC/DC A & mA ranges. It also measures resistance, capacitance, frequency and diode test. You get more accuracy with the 177 and temperature measurement with the 179.


----------



## HKJ (May 20, 2012)

You have to decide if you need logging, for logging the only Fluke is the 289. It is a very good DMM, but it has a few annoying details, like slow turn on and low contrast on the display, the menu system with F1 to F4 gives access to a lot of settings, but is not as easy to use as dedicated buttoms on other DMM's.

For a cheaper logging DMM, take a look at Agilent, they are also high end, but cheaper (One possibility is U1272A).

For a cheap logging DMM, look at UNI-T. I have tested the UT61E, it has good precision, but the mA and uA range is not very useful.

Without logging I would look at the Fluke 179.

Edit (Added picture):


----------



## Colonel Sanders (May 20, 2012)

I've been very pleased with the Amprobe I bought at Lowe's a few years ago. Seems I recall it was much cheaper than a Fluke. It does anything I've needed including current readings up to 10a.


----------



## Russel (May 20, 2012)

Wrend said:


> In my opinion Fluke is only worth it if you specifically need their reliability and/or their high accuracy & resolution.[...]



I would add safety as well, Fluke meters are much safer to use when measuring mains or other high voltage sources compared to cheap $10 meters.


----------



## qwertyydude (May 20, 2012)

Yup to all the above plus one advantage the Flukes have is beeping if the leads are placed incorrectly, nothing makes you jump more than measuring AC line voltage with the leads still plugged in to measure current.


----------



## Wrend (May 20, 2012)

> I would add safety as well, Fluke meters are much safer to use when measuring mains or other high voltage sources compared to cheap $10 meters.



Yeah. I'm not necessarily recommending the very inexpensive options either, unless they'll do well enough for what they're being used for.

There are decent good quality MMs you can find for reasonable prices too though, say around $50 or so. It just depends what someone needs.

Fluke is of course the gold standard.



> Yup to all the above plus one advantage the Flukes have is beeping if the leads are placed incorrectly, nothing makes you jump more than measuring AC line voltage with the leads still plugged in to measure current.



I very rarely measure higher voltage AC stuff, but having that feature on a couple of my MMs would have saved me the trouble of getting replacement fuses for them a couple of times.


----------



## desirider (May 20, 2012)

qwertyydude said:


> Yup to all the above plus one advantage the Flukes have is beeping if the leads are placed incorrectly, nothing makes you jump more than measuring AC line voltage with the leads still plugged in to measure current.



Yep! Been there done that, although I have never blown the fuse. I now have a set of spare fuses just in case


----------



## USSR (May 21, 2012)

also have a look at this site .. it has very good comparison on accuracy of various simple multimeters .
http://www.robotroom.com/Multimeter-Reviews.html


----------



## Russel (May 21, 2012)

Here is a something that you might find interesting when considering what multimeter to buy.

http://www.eevblog.com/2010/04/14/eevblog-75-digital-multimeter-buying-guide/


----------



## guiri (May 31, 2012)

I have an old fluke somewhere that's always been awesome and easy to use., HOWEVER, I can't find it (it's around here somewhere) so I finally
caved in and bought another one but I thought I'd look at something different and I bought a Uni-T UT50B for around 50 bucks shipped.

It's very cool, has a buttload of features and has HUGE readout.

The Uni-T's are hard to find accurate info about and I finally did a 4 meter comparison with pics and specs that I can post here if you want it.

I chose the model I got because it had the most features/options that I wanted.

By the way, if all you need is a fairly simple meter, you can buy cheap Flukes online on ebay if an older model is ok.
Just look around

George


----------



## HKJ (May 31, 2012)

guiri said:


> The Uni-T's are hard to find accurate info about and I finally did a 4 meter comparison with pics and specs that I can post here if you want it.



It is easy enough to find the specifications for UNI-T meters, just check their website.


----------



## guiri (May 31, 2012)

Yeah, kinda. I did find their site some time ago but had a hard time navigating it. I finally DID find the info but considering they have so many similar models, it got confusing as
hell which is why I did that comparison thing I mentioned.

Also, the sites that SELL (NOT saying the Uni-T site isn't accurate since they make the stuff) them have different specs for the same meter.

HKJ is right though and I forgot that I DID find it on their site.


----------



## HighlanderNorth (May 31, 2012)

HKJ said:


> You have to decide if you need logging, for logging the only Fluke is the 289. It is a very good DMM, but it has a few annoying details, like slow turn on and low contrast on the display, the menu system with F1 to F4 gives access to a lot of settings, but is not as easy to use as dedicated buttoms on other DMM's.
> 
> For a cheaper logging DMM, take a look at Agilent, they are also high end, but cheaper (One possibility is U1272A).
> 
> ...


----------



## HKJ (May 31, 2012)

HighlanderNorth said:


> Would something like this Klein multi meter be adequate for $31, or do you have to spend $100 or more to get something reliable?
> 
> http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=H6nHT6W9GKe16AGg_6XJDg&ved=0CKMBEPMCMAE



There are a few thinks about it I do not like:
1) Combined terminal for mA/uA and Volt
2) The precision is a bit low for LiIon batteries, when it shows 4.20 the actual voltage can be between 4.15 and 4.25 volt.
3) No burden voltage specified for current range, i.e. the mA/uA range might not even be usable for flashlights.
4) The diode test is only 1.5 volt and cannot be used for leds.

I do like that it has auto range, includes a temperature probe and has back light.


----------



## peterharvey73 (May 31, 2012)

I wish I had asked this question before I purchased my 87V.
According to the research I did, the 111-114's could not measure amperage at all.
Only the 115 onwards could measure amperage.
And only the 116 could measure milliamperage.
None of these 110 Series could measure micro-amperage.
So I purchased the 87V.
Boy the 87V is huge!
It's an overkill for me too.
Wish I had of bought the smaller 115/117 only, or the 116 with microamps. Nevermind.
I had to buy the C25 case separately.
I wish I had of bought the 87V Special Kit with the case, magnetic belt and special clips for only $50 more.

Thank God HKJ says the 289 is too slow to turn on, the F1-F4 buttons clumsy to use, and the screen less contrast.
Others also say that the 289 too big, and uses the 6x AA's up fast.
I was almost gonna buy the 289.

Now that I look back, I kinda have a Canon EOS-5D/60D of digital multimeters, when I'm not that interested in photography.
A Canon EOS-600D equivalent would really have been good enough for me.
Meanwhile, a Canon EOS-1100D wouldn't be good enough.
Just the confusion with amperage, milliamperage, and microamperage caused...


----------



## HKJ (May 31, 2012)

peterharvey73 said:


> It's an overkill for me too.



You got a very good DMM with that 87 with enough digits to always get a precise reading on a LiIon battery.




peterharvey73 said:


> Thank God HKJ says the 289 is too slow to turn on, the F1-F4 buttons clumsy to use, and the screen less contrast.
> Others also say that the 289 too big, and uses the 6x AA's up fast.
> I was almost gonna buy the 289.



I did not say it was too slow, just slow (About 9 second to first reading).
It does use the batteries faster than my other Fluke meters, but they do still last a long time.
As long as I uses it on my workbench, the size does not matter, but if I have to travel, I usually pick another DMM (Fluke 179).


----------



## rocketsurgeon01 (Nov 29, 2012)

*New to this. Questions about multimeter/volt meter*

Hi everyone. Goodness, I have read the horror stories about using CR123As. Sheesh! Now I'am in need of.......I think it's a voltage meter? A multi-meter? Anyways, whatever is used to check the batteries to keep safe; _that's_ what I need! Any product suggestions and how to use it will be appreciated. By the way my Streamlights came with Streamlight CR123As: Safe? My 4Sevens came with 4Sevens CR123As but were shrink-wrapped together: Still safe?


----------



## bedazzLED (Nov 29, 2012)

*Re: New to this. Questions about multimeter/volt meter*

G'day rocketsurgeon01.

If you're looking for a good intro on how to use a multimeter, then here it is!

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Simple-guide-to-using-a-DMM-for-measurements

Tons and tons of great info. Might even want to get a similar multimeter to the one in the tute to make it easier to follow.
Either way, just don't go for one of the cheap and nasty ones you can find on ebay/DX and so on. Spend a little more and get a reasonable/good one.

What do I use you ask? I have two; one is a Digitech QM1323 and it's pretty good for what I need. I also have a pocket sized one called Amprobe DM78C and it's a great little unit.

All the folks on this fine forum will no doubt give you other great suggestions and it's all good info.

Good luck with it.


----------



## rocketsurgeon01 (Nov 29, 2012)

*Re: New to this. Questions about multimeter/volt meter*



bedazzLED said:


> G'day rocketsurgeon01.
> 
> If you're looking for a good intro on how to use a multimeter, then here it is!
> 
> ...



Thanks. I'll invest in a high-end one later; but for now I'll pick one up from a local auto parts store. The posts about CR123A fails made me a little paranoid.


----------



## naiter (Nov 29, 2012)

*Re: New to this. Questions about multimeter/volt meter*

i have a fluke knock off for work that was pricey, but for testing batteries i got one from the junk/cheapo tools store (harbor freight) for like $6 bucks and it had work great for years. when you find yourself modding lights and testing drives and map etc, then step up to a costly one, but volts are simple.


----------



## Andy13186 (Dec 4, 2012)

*Good cheap volt meter?*

I see alot of people recommending volt meters. Are volt meters different than multimeters? Whats the best budget volt meter for testing 18650's?


----------



## ateallthepies (Dec 4, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

The one I most use is the tiny one made by Cottonpickers over in the market place... http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...Solar-Powered-amp-USB-Chargers-2-panels-added

It takes up no space, is reliable and easy to use as it has two magnets on either wire that holds tight to the battery while you read the display. Plus they cost $7!!

In fact I will be ordering a few more as I recently gave mine away to a nephew who is getting into lithium battery lights.

Steve.


----------



## HKJ (Dec 4, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*



Andy13186 said:


> I see alot of people recommending volt meters. Are volt meters different than multimeters? Whats the best budget volt meter for testing 18650's?



They are a subset of a multimeter, i.e. with a multimeter (DMM) you got a voltmeter and a lot more.


----------



## UnknownVT (Dec 4, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*



HKJ said:


> They are a subset of a multimeter, i.e. with a multimeter (DMM) you got a voltmeter and a lot more.


Right, and the voltage measuring part is often the most reliable.

A cheapie that is often suggested is the Harbor Freight - item #98025 (Cen-Tech) 
it goes on sale often and can be as low as $3.99 - 
or even better, look for their specials flyers/coupons 
when it can be had for Free with any purchase.....


----------



## Sub_Umbra (Dec 4, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

Mrs Umbra and I have both used cheap multi-meters from Radio Shack for years and they work well for us. I also use a *Doc Wattson DC Power Analyzer* for doping out loads over time when comparing power consumption between various battery powered devices.

I mention the analyzer because it continuously reports on seven parameters in the circuit under load and at ~$60 it is cheap when compared to a many multi-meters. I also find it easier to use than a MM.


----------



## moderator007 (Dec 4, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*



UnknownVT said:


> A cheapie that is often suggested is the Harbor Freight - item #98025 (Cen-Tech)
> it goes on sale often and can be as low as $3.99 -
> or even better, look for their specials flyers/coupons
> when it can be had for Free with any purchase.....


+1
For general purpose measurements they will work fine. For precision work get a fluke.


----------



## blgentry (Dec 5, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

^ They're not worth messing with in my experience.

The ones I've seen that work don't work for long. The leads break very easily. They chew batteries because someone always forgets to turn them off when they are done.

I've bought two in a row that didn't work out of the box.

I use a meter a fair amount and I want it to WORK. So I bought a Fluke. I'll have it for probably 20 years. So what's $125 for something I can always rely upon that I'll have for an incredible amount of time? Totally worth it IMHO. But I work with electricity in my job and some hobbies so perhaps I have more invested than others.

brian.


----------



## Climb14er (Dec 5, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

I've got a Fluke 177. Excellent all around multi meter!


----------



## uk_caver (Dec 5, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

I think there's something to be said for having a cheap meter even as an addition to a good one - I find it's often useful to be able to measure two things at the same time, and also to have a meter that's effectively disposable in terms of cost for use in places where it might get dropped or stood on.

For _cheap_ meters, the 'mas-tech' ones I have (similar-looking to the cen-tech ones in layout, but no separate power switch, yellow case and blue rubber holster) have been fine - I think I got them something like 10 years ago, possibly rather longer.

I have a couple kicking around (they were on a BOGOF offer for £5), one left in the car for use away from home, one as a secondary meter on my workbench and haven't had any issues, though both get a decent amount of handling.
Even with fairly regular use of the workbench one, batteries seem to last a long time, and they compare decently in terms of accuracy with my rather more expensive main meter.


----------



## moderator007 (Dec 5, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

I have not had a problem with the 3 HF DMM's I purchased 2 years ago. The only thing I have done is calibrate them with a known good meter. One meter was out by .03v one .01v and the other was spot on. I keep one in the garage, one in the auto and the other in the shop. If I was to loose or damage one of them I would not sweat 4 bucks. The fluke would be a different story. The one in the auto, I use most often and is more susceptible to loss, damage or theft. The cheap meters have their purpose and for general purpose measuring they will work fine with out loosing some major bucks if something goes wrong.:sick2:

I agree that if you need a DMM to be reliable or accurate then go for a higher end meter like a Fluke. In addition to a good meter, its still nice to have a disposable meter to throw around without worries.


----------



## hopkins (Dec 6, 2012)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

I have 4 DMM's. Two of them are the low cost $6 Harbor Freight models, which if lost, stolen, squished, or vaporized due to a mistake ain't going to hurt the way the loss of 'The Fluke' will. 

Note: for accurate current measuring some people keep a dedicated 0.1 ohm resistor with alligator clips to place into the current path and just measure the voltage across it with any type of cheap meter... I= E/R ...easy to just move the decimal point to know the current instantly. There is always more than 0.1 ohms of resistance in the leads + meter so its a good technique to know when you need to be accurate and the resistor only costs a $1.


----------



## uk_caver (Dec 7, 2012)

I just tried my cheap and midrange meters on their decent current ranges (10A and 2A/20A respectively).
Measuring the voltage across the probe tips of one with the other, with a 1A load I measured 95mV drop on the cheap meter, and 40mV drop on the mid-range one.

That said, even with meters with low-ish resistance on decent current ranges, there's still an argument for having an external resistor (or two) for current sensing, since they're cheap and can be left in circuit while measuring something else.
With a couple of resistors, someone could measure the input and output voltages _and_ currents of a driver with a single meter without changing anything in the circuit, which would be handy if they were trying to measure driver efficiently as accurately as possible.


----------



## UnknownVT (Dec 7, 2012)

uk_caver said:


> I just tried my cheap and midrange meters on their decent current ranges (10A and 2A/20A respectively).
> Measuring the voltage across the probe tips of one with the other, with a 1A load I measured 95mV drop on the cheap meter, and 40mV drop on the mid-range one.


This could be the cheap supplied leads/cables.

Since the plugs are the same try the leads from another (more expensive?) meter on the cheap meter, and see if it makes any difference.

I did, and stopped using the supplied leads.


----------



## amham (Dec 9, 2012)

I'm a calibration technician by trade and have tested/calibrated thousands and thousands of multimeters over the years. The only meter to purchase is a FLUKE! The percentage that test out of tolerances is so low that I cannot begin to estimate. Either they work or don't. Most Flukes today come with a lifetime warranty...that is Fluke may not state it but they will replace/repair any meter sent back to them at no charge. Just choose a model that fulfills your requirements. With the exception of a high end Agilent at high cost, buy handheld fluke.


----------



## sbrads (Dec 26, 2012)

amham said:


> I'm a calibration technician by trade and have tested/calibrated thousands and thousands of multimeters over the years. The only meter to purchase is a FLUKE! The percentage that test out of tolerances is so low that I cannot begin to estimate. Either they work or don't. Most Flukes today come with a lifetime warranty...that is Fluke may not state it but they will replace/repair any meter sent back to them at no charge. Just choose a model that fulfills your requirements. With the exception of a high end Agilent at high cost, buy handheld fluke.



I'm an ancient electronics test engineer, still using lab DVMs and handhelds 8hrs a day. I use Fluke handhelds all the time but perfect they're not. I've lost count of the number of times I've had to resolder the pcb mounted 4mm sockets, they go intermittent every few months with heavy use. Apart from that problem they will put up with dropping and a bit of abuse and stay in calibration. Not that I'm saying any other make is better. I've never had a problem with recent Uni-T or even a 20yr old Rapid Electronics cheap DVM but they don't get used as much as the Flukes. I prefer the Uni-T 50C for high current as it goes to 20A and can measure temperature, but the high resistance range is way out of calibration.


----------



## passive101 (Sep 19, 2013)

I have AA Eneloop batteries and 123 and 18650 li ion batteries. 

I don't have a voltmeter to check the voltages. (I'm pretty sure that is what people call them). I don't know how to tell what is a good one, but I don't want to spend much money on something like this. What features do I want in one and how do I tell if one is good or not?


----------



## havequick (Oct 12, 2013)

amham said:


> I'm a calibration technician by trade and have tested/calibrated thousands and thousands of multimeters over the years. The only meter to purchase is a FLUKE! The percentage that test out of tolerances is so low that I cannot begin to estimate. Either they work or don't. Most Flukes today come with a lifetime warranty...that is Fluke may not state it but they will replace/repair any meter sent back to them at no charge. Just choose a model that fulfills your requirements. With the exception of a high end Agilent at high cost, buy handheld fluke.



I would agree that Fluke is generally the industry standard for EEs and techs--their 8X series is probably used by more professional labs than any other DMM. However, I would also suggest that most of the models Fluke sells will be way overkill (and more expensive) for most functions required by someone asking here. There are a number of brands out there that are not Fluke, but are still much higher in quality than your standard RS handheld or pocket multimeter. Wavetek comes to mind.


----------



## Hashime (Oct 25, 2013)

jasonck08 said:


> Fluke is definitely makes a good DMM. I own a Fluke 179, and an Agilent U1253A (which has datalogging). I really like them both.
> 
> Also UNI-T has some darn cheap sub $100 datalogging DMM's out, which are pretty solid from what I hear.



I used one of their re-branded ones at work for a while and they are pretty nice. I checked them against a Keithly 2110 bench DMM and they are accurate.


----------



## Hashime (Oct 25, 2013)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

If you are seriously considering a Fluke 289 consider getting a bench model instead of a hand held. You can get a really nice Keithly benchtop for about the same amount that has a few more features.


----------



## guiri (Oct 25, 2013)

*Re: Good cheap volt meter?*

I bought one on ebay that I really like (Klein) and it has awesome features including a huge, lit screen and it's very simple to use.
Around $50 or so.

If anyone's interested, I'll put some links up.

George


----------



## Clayton4971 (Nov 1, 2013)

I have a Fluke I have had for many years . Use to build a lot of equipment for ham radio. Health kit had a lot of kits . Today things are so small and integrated the Fluke is tough


----------



## cdrake261 (Mar 5, 2016)

Rebooting an old thread....

I just purchased a fluke 116, I'm all happy with it until I thought I saw some people say you can't measure more then 1 amps of current...now I'm wondering if I had purchased the right meter for my led crave...


----------



## Joe Kidd (Mar 5, 2016)

I've still got my Beckman HD110 from ages past, but graduated to a Fluke 26 about 12 years ago after a trashed fluke 12.


----------



## cdrake261 (Mar 5, 2016)

I ended up getting the fluke 179 and sending the 116 back.


----------



## Bullzeyebill (Sep 23, 2018)

Russel said:


> When set to the 6A scale, the Fluke 115 measures to a resolution of 0.001A



Yes, I know this is an old thread, but how can a Fluke 115 be set to a 6A scale. I have a fairly new 115. Thanks.

Bill


----------



## HKJ (Sep 23, 2018)

Bullzeyebill said:


> Yes, I know this is an old thread, but how can a Fluke 115 be set to a 6A scale. I have a fairly new 115. Thanks.



It is automatic, when measuring below 6A the range will be 0.000A to 6.000A when above 6A it will be 0.00A to 10.00A (20.00A for a short time). You can also use the range button to change between the two ranges.


----------



## Bullzeyebill (Sep 23, 2018)

Thanks HKJ.

Bill


----------

