whats ur favorite multimeter?

I'd get a used Fluke and a cheapie DVOM. Sometimes you are working in or on stuff that ain't too pretty, and the cheap meter will troubleshoot most anything on the side of the road. The fluke is for good solid in-depth work, like voltage drops, computerized circuits and continuity.

 

I got a meter very similar to the Fluke 337 that I scroughed from a dumpster. It works great!!
I learned on the old PSM-6 and also used the PSM-37 in the Air Force. I liked being able to see the needle move. But I've transitioned to the digital world now.

 

My usual user is a Simpson 260 I've had since the 1960's;hasn't let me down yet.I have a couple other Simpson's and a Triplett(not sure of the model# but it's the size of a 260)plus one that was military issue(still need leads for it)I bought for $2 at a flea market.

 

I have a Fluke 123 lab scope. Blows away the Vantage for accuracy and screen imagery. Love that thing!

 

Another Simpson 260 user here, and I also have a Heathkit VTVM that I assembled in 1972 plugged in on the workbench. I also have a Triplett 630 sitting on the shelf if the Simpson ever fails.

 

I've got the Fluke 83 & the 87, both awsome meters. Easy to check amp draw in a circuit, check for parasitic draws, and I like the min/max feature with the hold function. The beeper is great for setting up those old magnetos too!!

 

i use my good ole 20yo fluke dvom, its been dropped off the roof of moving cars, the work bench, into a fan, my dog has taken it out in the rain. it just cant be killed, best dang meeter ive ever had.
jeff

 

Most have apparently have Fluke meters. I always thought it was odd that an instrument relied on for accurate measurement would be called Fluke.

 

yeah, but the Flukes work better than the Non-Linear Systems dvoms

 

Am I the only to use a Beckman ? Same since 1992 . Works great , .

 

Get the little spring-loaded leads that hook on, and don't let sunshine onto the LCDs, it wears them out. Get in the habit of turning it face down after you use it.

And get a $5 back-lit one from HF for the glovebox.

 

I've used the Fluke meters and will agree that they are pretty much the standard; but I couldn't justify spending that much for one for home use. I got a model 82139 from Sears that has much the same features as the more expensive industrial meters at a fraction of the cost. Frequency and duty cycle are what I needed for RPM and dwell measurements.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03482139000P

 

My favourite meter is my meterman 15xp i also have a ampprobe acd 14 fx clamp on meter. most of my useage is for 12v applications and HVAC. The one problem i have is the 15 xp is useless in temperatures below -20 degrees celcius.

 

have to love my fluke 88. overkill for the house but great as a technician. around the house just get a cheapy if not doing anything real technical.

 

the fluke 77 and 87 meters are great and expensive (i own both) and a simpson analog meter is great. having a good meter helps keep the troubleshooting from driving you nuts. this fluke meter is a great middle of the road unit for under $150! i like the fact if your working with ac/dc voltage you set it on voltage and it detects either automatically!! http://www.tequipment.net/FlukeT5-600VoltageTester.html?Source=Google

 

My 45 year old Simpson still works like the day I bought it.

 

fluke 87 here, but from the stand point of an ASE master technician [that being me] , I use a regular old 12v test light and a power probe III for 90% of my electrical diagnosis. The problem with digital meters is they are unreliable for reading voltage on unloaded cirquits due to the inherent low impedence built in to the meter. an example would be a taillight harness with a bad spot that has a lot of corrosion and say 1 strand of wire intact, if you remove the bulb from the socket and test with your meter it will read 12v but the wire can't carry enough current to light a bulb. This scenario also will not show up on an impedence test (wire will OHM fine). You can do a loaded voltage drop with a meter but that's a major PITA on a lot of cirquits. Don't get me wrong, a meter has it's place (sensitive electronics) but for me the quick and dirty method is the light.

Kevin

 

I totally agree with this . To work on anything else than electronics , I also prefer a light or a cheap low impedance input analog meter .
Like any tool , without the right education , the results may vary ..

 

I broke 2 simpson's 260's in 1982, early 1983 bought a Fluke 77 and still use it. Probably the best advertising Fluke every had, cause I still tell people you can't buy a better meter and I have had 20-30 say "Thanks" for telling them about Fluke!

 

That thing look pretty nice, does it require any software or anything to go with it? The one I looked at online was $1600, was that about what you paid for yours? Any recomendations for leads that you use a lot?

I love my power probe! That thing has made me some money!

 

The 123 is an awesome oscilloscope! Dual signal, very tuneable, I'll NEVER get anything but one of those if I need an oscilloscope again. I used one at work to tune high speed sensor signals, so sweet. You can even put it in auto and the dang thing selects the ranges by itself! Ours used some very nice little clip probes that attached onto the wire and also had a lead for the reference signal. It also came with all the software you needed to download anything you recorded.

As far as the OP is concerned, I'd get a T5-600 like was already suggested. It's a smart meter, easy to operate, it selects ranges automatically, and you can interchange the probe ends if you like alligator clip types or whatever. They're the toughest little things too, I've dropped mine over 30 feet onto concrete and it didn't even scar the bugger. Definitely a meter you can do anything with. It also has electronic overloading, meaning you can't damage the meter by putting it on Ohms and trying to measure amps. There also are no fuses on the amp side (like my 87E-III has) to blow if you accidentally set the wrong range.

Stay away from that cheap crap they sell at Horrible Fright and other stores, they're cheap because they're crap and marginally dangerous.

 

Gotta nice old 87. Works great and was passed along by my grandfather. Even Better

 

Mil Spec or More Screws. That thing brings back some memories.

Rich

 

Fluke 233a with the remote display. Awesome for trouble shooting alone.
I'm a snap on tool dealer and there is always one on my truck!
http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC0Q8wIwAg#

 

Fluke 87. Retired my older beckman industries to use at home. Still works like a champ. Seems I get my Power Probe out just as often as my fluke for troubleshooting at work.
I saw an above post about not being able to read the screen on the fluke meter. Happens to mine when not in use for an extended period of time. THE FIX? The contacts for the screen loose their connection after a while. Gently twist the meter near the screen. Don't try to torque the thing in two, but twisting it back and forth will sometimes restore the screen. I've also taken an eraser to the contacts when that doesn't work. That usually does the trick.

 

Dude, sounds like the fluke was a good choice. I havnt used it yet. Seeing how my motor is not in the car at the moment.Thanks for the advice guys. By the way. I dont understand why people prefer the old vom's. Im pretty sure the flukes have an analog display for this reason.

 

my snap on multimeter is my favorite cuz some moron was throwing it away in front of me... said his dad got it for him and he wasn't ever gonna use it... i said i would be a good pal and toss it for him...

 

I had a higher end Ideal meter that lasted for years, I have some of their old stuff from the 70's, it still works, the newer one just quit one day, they still service them, and it came with calibration instructions, so maby one day I'll send it off, I found a sperry one at the pawnshop, it needed cleaning off, no test leads and a blown fuse, I asked if it worked and they didn't know, so they gave it to me. used the leads off of the dead ideal, and one of it's fuses, and it works great. It has a nice loud continuity beep which I like when tracing wires in the car. Saw the same one at ACE and it was 70 bucks

 

mainly because of the quality and some things you just need a sweep hand for, I remember years ago Radio shack sold a Tandy one that talked, I wish I could still find one, there are times when I just can't look at the display. It would be nice to have for those times

 

Yep, right on!!! I use digital meters for sensitive electronics only!