Multimeter Recommendations

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Hi,

I'm looking to get a Multimeter. I'm new to all this but from what I've read online people seem to suggest getting a decent one first rather than going through a few cheap ones and having to buy the expensive one in the end anyway.

The company Fluke seems to come up again and again. Can anyone please suggest a good model for trouble shooting amps/building pedals ?

Thanks,

Tim

Jerry Erickson · From: Atlanta,IL 61723

I've been using a Fluke 177. Bought one new and found a good price on another on ebay.

Blake Hawkins · From: Florida

I've been using Fluke Meters for about 25 years.
Still have my first one, a model 77, currently
use a model 87 every day.
The 77 still works fine but the 87 has a few more
bells and whistles.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Fluke is a great pro standard, but for the money and for most people's needs, this one would probably be just fine:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2223843

Brad

Stan Schober · From: Cahokia, Illinois, USA

I have an old RS that I bought back in the seventies that still works perfect.
I think I paid $15 for it back then.

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Thanks guys,

What are the essential functions and which are the ones it's nice to have ?

Cheers,

Tim

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Essential to me are continuity (check cables for shorts,check fuses), ohms (check pickup impedance)and voltage (batteries and power at gigs). This is from a player's perspective. Brad would have a more extended list of essentials building electronic devices.

Richard Damron · From: Gallatin, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

Tim -

I've used a Triplett 310 meter for ages. You must have, as functions, ohms, AC volts, DC volts and a current scale. If there's a downside to the instrument it is that it has an analog scale i.e. a needle indication - used it for so long that I don't have to think about it anymore. When it finally dies I won't hesitate to spring for a meter with a digital readout. The name Fluke - as some have mentioned - has been around for ages and enjoys an honorable reputation. It would be a good bet. You won't go wrong.

Respectfully,

Richard

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

I worked with one of the principle engineers that designed meters for Radio Shack when I was with Tandy Corporation back in the early to mid 90s. He was quite good, and as Brad said, the meters RS sells (at least at that time) are actually pretty good value. You can't say that about every RS product Smile

.

I've got one on my bench that I've been using for at least 15 years, and it does everything I need it to do for messing with music gizmos. If I had to suggest one feature that I wish mine had, I'd get one with autorange. The one Brad linked has it.. that looks like a nice little meter.

At the risk of topic drift, at the time I worked there, RS had more lawsuits from injury associated with customers misusing a meter than from every other product combined. It was literally a full time job for one attorney. Generally, the cases were always winnable for RS, as the user just did something silly. You put several thousand volts across the inputs in ANY mode and the entire meter potentially becomes a fuse/bomb.
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Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Have relied heavily on my Fluke 8060A for over 25 years, and it's still going strong - only wore out the cables and had to replace them. In that time-period a couple of cheaper multimeters, a Fluke, and another brand I can't remember, gave up their spirit and/or became unreliable after 3-5 years of use.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

As smeone who has worked most of my life in the Audio field, I can say, ditto on the Fluke 8060. Have gone through three of them over the years, lost one and someone stole the other, have the third. Great meter, I especially like the Hz feature.

A surprising little throw away is the one Harbor Freight puts on sale for $4.00. For most common things they work fine, however are not so good in the very low volts category and I always check the ohms against the Fluke to see if they are accurate, some are a bit off. I keep one in my car all the time, just not something to do precision work with.

Jim

Kevin Mincke · From: Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA

I'd make sure it's digital readout vs metered. I have an older RS and its worked great, but I have been looking at digitals lately. Flukes are great name brand but I agree with Brad on the link he posted for minimal novice users as myself.

Ron Whitworth · From: Yuma,Ariz.USA Yeah they say it's a DRY heat !!

This is just my opinion >>>>>>
It depends on what the meter will be used for.
The average musician is NOT an electrician so if all you will be doing is maybe checking fuses, cords, batteries & cables I would suggest a Sears craftsman.. The have several models anywhere from $20 & up..
They seem to be a little higher quality than the Shack ones.. Ron
_________________
"Tone is in the hands. Unless your wife will let you buy a new amp. Then it's definitely in that amp."

We need to turn the TWANG up a little

It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.

They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head Smile

Some of the best pieces of life are the little pieces all added up..Ron

the value of friendship. Old friends shine like diamonds, you can always call them and - most important - you can't buy them.

Dave McCarthy · From: Newfoundland, Canada

Fluke is awesome!

Robert Parent · From: Gillette, WY

You can't go wrong with a Fluke....

If you want something cheap that works well go to your local Harbor Freight store and get one of their <$10.00 meters. If you are lucky they will have them on sale for <5.00. They work well and we actually use them in our company training program and give them to the students when they complete the class. Harbor Freight has a few gems and this is one of them.

Bill A. Moore · From: Silver City, New Mexico, USA

I have both the Fluke 87, and 88, both 80's models. The 88 was designed for automotive use,(rpm dwell etc). On both I had to replace the conductor between the circuit board and the display. This is a cheap easy fix, and if you find one cheap, with partial digits in the display, buy it. The things are fuse protected, and last forever.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

If all you want to do is check out cables, something like this is pretty handy.

Marc Jenkins · From: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I bought the 9805A by Victor from Weber VST and I'm very happy with it.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I have Flukes and Amprobes here at work in my office along with an analog Simpson for testing electrolytic caps on the fly. Out in the shop most people use the cheapest digital they can find, not even rms reading, because they lose so many meters due to dropping and other forms of abuse.

The Victor 9805A that Marc mentioned above is an outstanding value. It does all the standard measurements plus frequency, inductance, capacitance and even comes with a temperature probe!

Here's a link to it:

https://amptechtools.powweb.com/meter.htm

Greg

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

I'm still using my old Fluke 8024A bought some time in the late 1970s! Had one new LCD display and a re-cal, just keeps on chuggin' away.
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

From your experience, i can't imagine what you would need out of a meter other than checking maybe checking DC, or AC voltage, and checking ohms and continuity. The cheapest meter out there will usually have these three basics. I bought one at radio shack for about $15 a few years ago and it folds up like a calculator and will fit in your front pocket. However on my job, as a controls/electronics technician I prefer my fluke. I guess if you have about $100 or more to blow then listen to everyone else and get yourself a fluke. If your rich, then get the giant fluke meter with the built in oscilliscope with a 2"X3" display. Very Happy

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

The Fluke multimeters are like the Dewalt of battery drills. Very Happy

And they both have that yellow color. What's up with the yellow. Very Happy

If i ever invent a tool, i will make a point to paint it yellow. Smile

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

If someone builds a yellow steel guitar, will that make it sound better Very Happy

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

No, it will just go slightly slower than a red one!
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Pat Carlson · From: Sutton, Nebraska, R.I.P.

Simpson 160 very accurate meter. has worked great for me for many years! This is an anolog meter.http://www.drillspot.com/products/90775/Simpson_160_Analog_Multimeter

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