What's a good choice when buying a Multimeter?

[Soundguy]

Yeah.. I agree... this 'risk' potential was getting inflated about a million times.. probably 10x more dangerous to eat a high fat diet and dragging on a coffin nail overall looking at your odds of dieing at any particular moment in time.

soundguy

[vic4news]

Just remember to always have the ROPs up when using the multimeter near the tractor.......

otherwise, you are likely to bump you head on the ROPs when walking around the tractor.

[SnowRidge]

Originally Posted by vic4news

Just remember to always have the ROPs up when using the multimeter near the tractor.......

otherwise, you are likely to bump you head on the ROPs when walking around the tractor.

......

[Soundguy]

Seatbelt too!

soundguy

[CurlyDave]

Well, you guys can use Fluke meters all you want, but I have about six of the $2.99 ones from Harbor Freight and they work just fine for me.

I have one upstairs, one downstairs, one in the truck, one in the camper, one in the toolbox, etc.

You can blow one up by measuring volts with the selector set for ohms, but if you are smart enough to set the selector right, they aren't dangerous. Respect the fact that it is a $2.99 tool. Don't make a measurement with it sitting in your lap, put it down before using those probes.

The one I have where I need it is a whole lot more valuable that the one that is so expensive I keep it locked up in the garage.

I don't test 1000 volts. Most of the time it is 12V in automotive systems, 120 VAC about 10% of the time and once or twice I have used it on 240 V.

The biggest problem I have ever had with a meter was many years ago when I tested a 240 VAC dryer outlet with an expensive meter and concluded it was not energized because the meter was set on DC volts. Lots of sparks when I cut the romex with a pair of dykes. Learned to carefully determine the meter setting before applying the probes.

[Kfbeal]

I mentioned work because those get used daily. On my personal side, I use a Fluke at home as well. I've had the lower-end multi-meters and they do not seem to last. The Fluke has been with me for four years without any problems other than normal battery replacement.

I would find a low-cost high end meter. If the meters are cheap, there is a reason. Normally they sacrifice component quality for price.

I'd prefer to buy a meter once, rather than buying a few meters.

[SnowRidge]

Originally Posted by Kfbeal

I mentioned work because those get used daily. On my personal side, I use a Fluke at home as well. I've had the lower-end multi-meters and they do not seem to last. The Fluke has been with me for four years without any problems other than normal battery replacement.

I would find a low-cost high end meter. If the meters are cheap, there is a reason. Normally they sacrifice component quality for price.

I'd prefer to buy a meter once, rather than buying a few meters.

Fluke thanks you for helping to subsidize their glossy full color ads in the trades.

[Soundguy]

Originally Posted by Kfbeal

I've had the lower-end multi-meters and they do not seem to last. .

Tools don't last when you don't take care of them.

My favorite old DVOM is a micronta from about 1988... still have it... still use it at home and have the extech in the truck.

everything works on it. When i bought it it came with a fuse with a reg ribon to pull the fuse out, and a spare fuse... I popped the main fuse a couple years after i had it.. swapped the spare in.. still running on that spare today...

I got a couple more radioshack autorangers tucked here and there one 10ys old.. I got a couple analogs that are from high school..

naa... they don't last!


soundguy

[Kfbeal]

You can be sarcastic all you want, but I know from my personal experience what has happened. I take care of all of my tools and test devices. I work for an electric utility with primary voltages up to 14.4kv and if you don't take care of equipment, you may not get to use that meter again. It's not only habit, it's policy and life determining.

You insinuations are incorrect and little to be desired for truth and not doing the OP any good.

[Blagadan]

insinuations are incorrect and little to be desired for truth and not doing the OP any good.

If you ask me, this thread has gone off in une helluva tangent to the original OP... Guys, you need to let it go.........

The ego bashing isn't helping anyone.