Favorite multimeter?

JohnNY · September 18

I need a new one and I never loved my UEi. I need to read mV and amps as as well an audible continuity tester.
Thanks!

SlamDunk · September 18

Fluke. If it has to be analogue, Simpson.

mattmia2 · September 18

I use MCM Electronics house branded "Tenma" meters for everyday things but I don't know if they are still around now that they got acquired by Newark. I have some bench Flukes that i pull out if i don't believe the cheap meter but that doesn't happen very often. What I do highly recommend is spend the money for a good set of long silicone leads. FLuke is the standard but a bit pricy for something that will get dropped and stepped on and connected to something while set incorrectly and such so I reserve the expensive meter for special situations, you only need something close for most HVAC things.

Matt_67 · September 18

Every tech at our shop gets a fluke 179 with accessory amp clamp and temp clamps. It tests capacitors as well which is handy. They are expensive though.

fentonc · September 18

I've had a Fluke 115 for years - Fluke makes great multimeters.

pecmsg · September 18

fluke

T-5 600 for gereral use

ChrisJ · September 18

I use a Fluke 179 and a Simpson 260 7P

HVACNUT · September 18

My Fluke 179 no longer gives me Micro Farads over 5, and won't read Mega ohms anymore, so I currently use a Fluke 112 for that. My Fluke 902 FC clamp meter is in the tool bag I bring into every call.

ChrisJ · September 19

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1810969#Comment_1810969

The 179 comes with a lifetime warranty I believe?

Big Ed_4 · September 19

I had a Milwaukee once with a magnet mounted to the back of the case. I miss it till this day……

Mad Dog_2 · September 19

Greenlee..have two of them....digital...does everything. Mad Dog

RPK · September 19

I’ve been using a Fieldpiece SC640 for many years and have no complaints.

ChrisJ · September 19

I forgot in addition to my own personal 179 and the Simpson I have a few meters at the shop. One is a Fluke but I recently bought a cheaper Klein and it works good.

I want to add this one to the collection as well as it does inrush current. : Klein Tools CL445

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BL42ZS1P/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I don't think you can beat it for $100 especially if you're working with compressors.

mattmia2 · September 19

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1811008#Comment_1811008

If you're looking for something like that look at the "tenma" meters in the newark catalog. They still seem to have the whole selection that MCM Electronics had.

EBEBRATT-Ed · September 19

Fluke 902 is good but I lost mine . I presently have a Fluke Kit which and a meter and an ammeter it like a 116 or 117 meter and I think the amprobe is like a 320 come in a kit. can't remember the #s and I am not near it now.

I am in the habit of carrying something cheap for day to day use to keep the flukes safe from damage but go to the truck for them if I need them Most of the time you only need the good meters for microamps and milliamps etc. For run of the mill voltage and continuity and decent cheap meter will work. When doing electrical installs, I carry an Ideal "wiggy" which is good enough.

Nothing like smashing a god meter by accident I try to avoid that.

Also electronic meter sometimes give you fake or Ghost voltage. Its good to have a wiggy or a analog handy.

I have had good luck getting cheap bac up meters on e-bay a couple of times.

JohnNY · September 19

Thanks, everyone. The product selector on the Fluke website is guiding me to this series:
https://dam-assets.fluke.com/s3fs-public/flk-220364-6013559-377-FC-378-FC-ds-w%20(1).pdf?R5PKMMVLsskew6QYNu72rCXkG6GsbBha

But this one reads stack temperatures!

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/clamp-meters/fluke-902-fc

JohnNY · September 19

And here's something nice from Fluke. It seems our students at The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen can get a 25% discount on their products.

PRR · September 19

I once reviewed a Klein CL2000 clamp meter. Works well. I sometimes reach for it before my Fluke. (But I also have a $9 needle-meter I trust.) The CL2000 has a magnet; I think many meters do now.

Ah… here's my run-down on the Kleins and on service meters generally. (I did get a free CL2000 but that was over a decade ago and I no longer do compensated reviews.)

Klein-CL2000-1000.txt

GW · September 19

I carry two, a smart one and a dumb one.

The fluke 324 does the beeping thing you’re describing, and my fluke 16 is used for more technical things

The dumb one does beep,

»»» That did not come out correctly, I use the dumb one mostly, beeping for continuity

JUGHNE · September 19

I do have a pretty fair UEI multimeter, good quality clamp meter, the infamous Simson 260 and others.

However the most durable, will not die, meter I have (two of them) is an old Amprobe AM-20.

Will do microamps, has continuity buzzer but will not do caps.

Not heavy enough to kill itself if dropped and fits in your pocket.

SlamDunk · September 19

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1811035#Comment_1811035

I have the older version of the 902 (no blue tooth) and it is perfectly fine and I used my plant electrician's 377 all this afternoon and it is fine too, but I find them bulky. I love my 787. At home, I have a Fluke 116 and, like the 787, it fits in my hand nicely, has a magnetic strap, which I like ok, but I think magnets in the case would be better, bonus, it reads temperature too!

ratio · September 19

I really liked my Fluke 376FC. It did everything I needed, with a CAT rating that was comfortable with any of the work I did. I did get a different set of leads for it.

When it came up missing (pretty sure I left it on a roof somewhere, alas) I wanted to upgrade, so I got a 378FC. I've been somewhat disappointed with it, overall. My first one was defective, but replaced under warranty at no cost. The current one doesn't reliably measure ACA less than one amp, something that my 376 had no trouble doing. It might be related to the non-contact voltage sensing or the DC current sensor. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to the power quality indicator, but that could just be operator error.

FYI, if you want to use the app, you'll to turn on location to do so on Android (I don't because of my tinfoil hat), or use Apple. I found the app not terribly useful.

I'm going to read the specs again, and if claims to be accurate at <1A I'm going to send it in for service. Probably ask them to swap it for another 376 if it's defective again, but I'm not sure they'll do that

I've got a few other Flukes, a 116 (has a nice lo-Z mode that eliminates ghost voltages and an auto AC/DC range), a 1587 (combo megger & multimeter), a 773 (0-10 V and 4-20 mA meter/source for analog controls),and calibrators for temperature (thermocouples & RTDs) and pressure. Had a 287, but my nephew borrowed it 7 years ago. Also have a UEi with the DC clamp as a backup. Simpson 260, but I don't bring that to the job. A handful of other handheld meters. Fluke & Keithley bench meters, but nothing over 5 digits.

Yes, I can quit any time I want to. No, I don't think I have a problem.

hilltown · September 19

field piece Sc440 does everything you listed for $210 bucks

mattmia2 · September 20

The add on temp is usually +- a couple degrees in accuracy which is close enough for most things but not for charging refrigeration.

EBEBRATT-Ed · September 20

Fluke 902 is tough to beat for what it does $$$

PRR · September 20

…most durable, will not die, meter I have…..old Amprobe AM-20.
Not heavy enough to kill itself if dropped and fits in your pocket.

I keep my Simpson in the display bookcase. But my hard-work clamp-on is still an original pattern Bakelite Amprobe Ultra. If I had the accessories it would do volts and ohms, but it is really the original clamp amp-meter.

JUGHNE · September 21

That clamp on Amprobe was the standard in 60's around here.

A good point for the Ohms feature was the battery was not inside the unit to be forgotten.

I had many accessories for that meter. The ladder the the 10X multiplier I still use on occasion.

The leads were not up to todays standard. You were supposed to know what you were dealing with and use caution.

HomerJSmith · September 22

I have not read all the comments, but this is my thoughts. My meter is a ZOTEK purchased off Amazon. It is a RMS meter which I recommend. It didn't cost a lot. I end up loosing a lot of tools when I do a job because I'm gettin old, I guess. The tools just seem to disappear. There must be a black hole where tools disappear, never to be seen again. hmmmm!

A lot of tools are made in China and rebranded for the USA market. I don't like spending a lot of moola for a tool if a Chinese one will do the job for a lot less. Yes, quality matters and you have to choose carefully.

PGermenis · September 26

I’ve been using the Fieldpiece HS36 - Expandable meter It have interchangeable heads. And test leads. Been working with it since’07. It slipped out of my hand and fell into a sump. Pulled the batteries and opened the case. I was surprised to find the water hadn’t seeped in much Not sure it was luck or not. But I still have it and a bunch or heads for hvac It’s a tough meter.

mattmia2 · September 26

Did whoever made the Wiggy go out of business or get rid of that division? I see an Ideal branded solenoidal voltage detector but I don't see an actual Wiggy for sale new.

tim smith · September 27

I’ve been happy with uei dl379. Does all you want John. Been reliable until someone steals tools.

PRR · September 27

Did whoever made the Wiggy go out of business or get rid of that division?

It is said that Schneider did not want to keep paying royalties.

I will tend to believe Mike Holt's forum like I believe Dan's.

Patented 1935

mattmia2 · September 27

a 1935 patent would have expired like 50 years ago

PRR · September 27

patent would have expired

Yes, but trademarks can go on forever.

You could make a Wiggy-like device by 1950, or sooner if you devised alternate constructions (the patent is over-specified and begs to be avoided). But you can't call it a "Wiggy".

HVACNUT · September 28

I think the Vol-Con meter and a Roto-Split were the first electrian tools I bought. I was then scoffed at because "real" electricians use a hacksaw to cut B/X.

JohnNY · September 28

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1812161#Comment_1812161

I still use my lineman's pliers to cut BX

EBEBRATT-Ed · September 29

@mattmia2

Square "D" made the original "wiggy" or at the very least acquired the rights to it and sold it for years. They dropped it years ago but used ones are on e-bay.

Ideal make one which I have and have very good luck with it

Knopp also make one which is well regarded in the electrical industry and supposed to be the best but I have never seen one and I think they cost a little more than the ideal.

They are fairly cheap $80-$120 and are rugged and do ac volts, dc volts and continuity. good to carry around as they take a beating and get the good meter out when you need accuracy,

JMHO

Favorite multimeter?

Comments

Categories