Multi-meters: Need a Good One

[Ranger44]

I need a good multi meter, but don't know anything about them. I want a craftsman, I get a discount through my school on their tools, and I figure they are always a good choice for the dollar. Here's a page of what I narrowed it down to. I want one that I could use after school on the job, but only have the money for a $40-$60. What's my best choice here?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_...e&viewItems=20&sortOption=ORIGINAL_SORT_ORDER

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Bent Bolt]

Any of those will work just fine. I have one piece of advise for you---spring for the auto ranging meter. I've seen many,many professional techs with alot of years of experience get tripped up testing a circuit and calling it bad because they had the meter on the wrong range.

 

[OilPatch197]

I was going to recomend a fluke, but you got your mind set on Sears products, since you got a nice discount.

I would just read the ratings, and choose the highest priced one with the best rating.

I purchased a Craftsman Professional(about a hundred bucks) and I like it very well.

If you can try to get some leads that have threads on the probes, when I purchased mine, I got some alligator clips that screwed up onto the pointy probes, and when a probe broke, I bought some replacements at RadioShack, and after a while realized they didn't have that threading on them, they were molded into one piece.

 

[skippy]

if these are my only choices,go w/12 function-auto ranging.i use meters everyday and its the first tool i grab when troubleshooting hvac systems.

 

[RobbieD]

All good advice. Autoranging, definitely. I like an audible continuity test, and do look at better leads- long, rubberized leads with replaceable tips are a plus. Get a handfull of jumper leads with alligator clips on each end, and spare meter fuses when you purchase it. Make your own safety jumper by adding an auto-reset circuit breaker into a good heavy jumper lead (use it to jump power when there's risk of a short during testing). Wise decision, getting a good meter.

 

[Ranger44]

Basically get one with auto ranging. Thankyou!

 

[jrmustranger97]

I just picked up a greenlee mm at lowes for 50 bucks. Works real nice and does just about everything. My buddy uses the $20 craftsmen mm and loves it, as always you really can't go too wrong buying craftsmen. I would go with the $50 11 function craftsman mm. I like the fact that it has a thermometer that will measure surface and air temps.

 

[almostclueless]

Any tech who needs autoranging isn't very good......ANNNNNNND, it can give erroneous readings when a circuit has a varying voltage or resistance.

 

[Ranger61]

fluke

 

[Danger FX4 Ranger]

fluke

+1. If you are going to invest in a GOOD meter, forget craftsman and buy a fluke or a fieldpiece. I am an HVAC service tech who uses a meter on a daily basis, and the only brand of meter myself and my co-workers trust is fluke. These are professional grade meters, and are only sold through electrical and HVAC supply houses and wholesalers.

 

[skippy]

+1. If you are going to invest in a GOOD meter, forget craftsman and buy a fluke or a fieldpiece. I am an HVAC service tech who uses a meter on a daily basis, and the only brand of meter myself and my co-workers trust is fluke. These are professional grade meters, and are only sold through electrical and HVAC supply houses and wholesalers.

i have a fluke clamp on and a field piece on my service truck,both are quality meters.the op has a budget of 40-60 dollars and presented us with choices from sears.no doubt when he is ready to move up fluke will be presented as top choice.i got my fluke at sears,and field piece at united refrigeration.

 

[camma83]

Ya fluke will do an awesome job and all, but the craftsman will do everything you need to do so go ahead and get it. It might not be as high of quality but your not using it every day so it will last you forever, but a craftsman would never hold up out in the field btw. All we use are flukes at my company(Otis Elevator)

 

[freebird]

I go to school for HVAC and the fluke 116 multi meter is the minimum requirement. It is the best VOM i have ever used. I have seen some of the craftsmans, but for what i need the meter to do, the craftsman will not stand up. My fluke even takes ambiant and contact temperature readings. as well as being able to double functuin with an attachment as a clamp on ampmeter.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

IMHO, Fluke is the best. (I was studying to be an Electrical Engineer for awhile, changed majors only because I realized that it wasn't a job I'd be happy in, I like doing that sort of thing as a hobby, I'd hate it as a full-time job)

That said, I have an el-cheapo analog and a digital from Harbor Freight. They're good enough for the stuff I do 98% of the time and at a cost of about $3 each, cheap enough to throw away. Actually, I've found that a simple test light is enough for most of the stuff I do.

 

[MAKG]

As someone who has been using analog electronic test equipment for more than 25 years, the SINGLE most important tool is the user's brain.

ANY multimeter will work just fine as long as the user understands and thinks about what is being read. The one exception is out of range conditions. This is not likely to be a problem except for using the ammeter (you'll blow fuses for most multimeters at 10A).

Frankly, Ohmmeters have a lot of ways to screw up -- and a very common one is measuring resistance of a powered or connected component. Or of a non-Ohmic device like a filament. For automotive diagnosis, a VOLTmeter, set on the smallest scale above 12V (usually 15 or 20V) is by far the most useful setting. Auto-ranging or not.