k0ua
Epic Contributor
Nothing wrong with a cheap meter if all you are doing is checking 110/220v and automotive 12v stuff.
Expensive meters have there place though. A few examples....
1. Trusting it to check exact battery voltages. Some cheap meters aren't sensitive or accurate enough to tell the difference between 12.1v and 12.7v. one is a dead battery, the other will have no issues starting your car.
2. Testing resistance in the kilo-ohms or Mega-ohms range.
3. Trusting my life to it measuring 480v+ circuits. I have some relatively inexpensive meters at home for working onmmy house or autos. But at work, I trust my fluke 337
I would not trust a Harbor freight on a 480v circuit either. It might be well enough insulated to protect the user, it might not be too. :shocked: I would hate to trust my life to a $4 meter. They are fine for other less demanding uses though.