Good multi-meter recommendations?

[Nickshu]

Anyone recommend a good Multi-meter for home mechanic use? I have looked at Fluke but I am overwhelmed by the number of choices, and they are costly. I'd like to stay under $150 if possible, maybe $200 tops if features warrant it.

Clamp /jaw meters seem to be more costly, are they worth it?

Recommendations? Thanks in advance.

[Nickshu]

Edit -- Haha...MULTI-meter....Not MULIT-Meter. Party in the back....

[dad911]

I would highly recommend Clamp-on, make sure it is for DC amps, many clamp-ons only read AC.

Frankly, I wouldn't spend on a fluke for general dc testing. Sears and Harbor Freight have decent mid-range DC-clamps.

I also reach for the $2 continuity tester and 12v probe. Most of the time they are sufficient/easier to use.

[sugarwood]

I don't know much about MM's but what do expensive ones do that a $15 one cant?

I have this one.
Sears.com

Digital.
And has audio beeping for the connectivity setting.

[1990C4S]

I have several Flukes. My favorite is the Fluke 75.

I also have a Harbor Freight meter I bought for $4.99 on sale. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I would not feel comfortable using at work (I work with 600 VAC) but for 220VAC and lower it is fine.

For home use save some money, buy the cheap HF one.

When the meter costs $4.99 I wouldn't worry about a clamp on meter. If you wreck it measuring current buy another one...

For that matter, I very rarely measure current. My clamp on meter is pretty dusty.

[rick-l]

There is a coupon for the Harbor Freight meter for free with another purchase. Each fuse for the current scale in a Fluke costs 2 X as much as the Harbor Freight meter.

For a quick look current meter I ordered one of these from Amazon but haven't gotten it yet. A look at the Uni-T UT210E - Page 1 ($38.99)

[74-911]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

I don't know much about MM's but what do expensive ones do that a $15 one cant?

I have this one.
Sears.com

I have a similar Craftsman MM I keep in the workshop/garage and several of the freebie HF MMs that I keep in the glove compartment of the pickup and in the house for testing batteries. Yet to ever have the need for anything more than these.

[asphaltgambler]

Like anything else...................................... you get what you pay for. If you have a need for actually measuring voltages or current you should buy a Fluke, period. Their basic / lowest price model is enough for most people, even pro's like me.

I once spent an entire day searching for what I thought was a draw on a 740 as the reading was 10Ma over max spec. Even after zero'ing the meter few times (Snap-On btw) the reading remained. Turned out the meter was out of spec by just about that amount. I couldn't bill for the time, and what money I lost on the job could have bought 2 Fluke meters.

Enough said.....................................

[WolfeMacleod]

Fluke. Get a true RMS meter. I use mine on a daily basis, and have for ten+ years

[ledhedsymbols]

I use a Fluke 179 daily at work. I couldn't purchase anything but Fluke. An Amprobe or Ideal will do the job if you're just measuring general voltages.

[jcommin]

+1 for Fluke. I have had mine for over 20 years.

[vash]

i have a $50 one from SEARS. it works fine.

BUT..i want a FLUKE simply for that max/min thing. you can use it to test the health of a car battery. load test.

[Cajundaddy]

It really depends on what you plan to test and if your livelihood depends on it or not. I test electronics nearly every day in my job and this one is my latest and most favored meter:
Amazon.com: Klein Tools CL2000 AC/DC True RMS Clamp Meter: Home Improvement

I have owner a dozen different meters over the years including some older Flukes and they were fine meters. My meters are in field service duty and they get dropped, rained on, carried off by dogs and all sorts of other abuses. This one suits my needs very well. I test AC/DC to 400V, continuity, capacitance, AC/DC current to 60A, and lots of low voltage circuits. I very much appreciate the clamp function.

[billybek]

Watch Craigslist/Kijiji for a decent meter.
I have had a couple of Flukes and a Beckman. The Flukes were much more robust.

[red-beard]

My Fluke True RMS meter from the late 1980's died. I didn't want to spend $200+

I bought this model from Frys.

FRYS.com*|*Triplett

It has everything my Fluke did, but was only $89. It has worked quite well for the past several years.

[flatbutt]

I have an old Simpson that I've been using forever.

[mreid]

I have a Simpson 260 that I've owned since 1976. Still does everything perfectly!

[Nickshu]

Thanks guys. I have a $20 Craftsman I've had for years. It works for continuity but sucks for any numerical measurement. I guess I should just sucks it up and buy a Fluke meter. Sounds like it will be the last one I ever need.

[GH85Carrera]

I had a circuit that I was trying to measure the precise impedance. A floor heater for a tile floor. The circuit kept throwing the ground fault breaker. I was lazy and grabbed a cheap analog Radio Shack meter that my dad had at his house and it showed everything as within tolerance. I scratched my head and used an analog meter that his neighbor had. It measured almost no resistance. OK, crap, I drove back to my place and while home called a buddy of mine that is more knowledgeable on electrical circuits. I grabbed my 25 year old digital Fluke and met my buddy with his meter. It was a better digital meter but just a home owner level meter. It read yet a third value and still within tolerance. I hooked up my Fluke and bingo, it showed too much impedance and the ground fault was doing the job as designed. No major surprise but that was not what we wanted to find out.

I have always preferred the right tool for the job. Over the years that Fluke has seem some hard service and it still works as designed.

[asphaltgambler]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This as well^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^