Thread: Need to buy a multimeter - what is best?

The unbranded rubbish are fine,
I used to use multimeters everyday for work, had a Fluke but the noname rubbish is what I reached for most, just because it sat loose in my toolbox instead of the fluke nicely protected in its box on the shelf. never a problem with the $2.00 shop rubbish either.

BUT I do prefer to use an analogue meter for fault finding rather than a digital because you can instantly see capacitor kick, bleed off or polarity change or an intermittent circuit, with a digital all you see is moving numbers which don't mean as much as a moving needle.

I bought a $12 digital special from China, works fine for what I need. I would only spend $100 or more if it was a tool of my trade. Fluke is a good brand.

My $12 model, don't know the name, blue back light, has all the normal settings. So far used to confirm the 3 amigos & brake light switch faults. Used more times to check voltage in batteries for the TV remote and childrens toys (to get my $12 worth ).

Regards
Andrew

Originally Posted by goingbush

The unbranded rubbish are fine,
I used to use multimeters everyday for work, had a Fluke but the noname rubbish is what I reached for most, just because it sat loose in my toolbox instead of the fluke nicely protected in its box on the shelf. never a problem with the $2.00 shop rubbish either.

BUT I do prefer to use an analogue meter for fault finding rather than a digital because you can instantly see capacitor kick, bleed off or polarity change or an intermittent circuit, with a digital all you see is moving numbers which don't mean as much as a moving needle.

I have a number of cheap digital meters. I can afford to leave one in each car and one on the bike. For some jobs I prefer analogue meters for the reasons mentioned above. I still have the 20kohm/volt analogue meter I built as a trainee radio in 1966 and I still use it the most. When I say built, I mean built. We had to make the cases and aluminium braze them. The were sent out to the DCA workshops for hammertone spraying. We made the front panels by anodising aluminium with photosensitive stuff. I do have an AVO8 and a Simpson FET VTVM but they get less use.

One advantage of analogue meters (if not very high impedance) is that they load the circuit ever so slightly. I've seen people tricked with high input impedance digitals when they have read leakage across a switch in a car and assume that power was getting to the necessary area. An analogue meter loaded the circuit enough that there was no reading.

I've got 7 multi multimeters of varing quality and price, ranging from mega buck true RMS units that I need to keep calibrated for work, to a cheap Aldi one - I always reach for the cheap one when working on cars - in general, you will mainly use it for voltage checks and continuity, and maybe the current if you are chasing a current drain on your battery. The cheap one will do you fine. And, if you drop it, or run over it (I have done this), you aren't going to be fussed too much. I agree with the comments on the analogue meters - I still have a couple of these, and they can be very handy.

Cheers - Gav

Like Gav, I use the cheapies on the car. The good ones are on my electronics workbench. If I need them for the car, then they will get used.

Make sure you get one with a buzzer. Makes continuity checks easier.

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

Make sure you get one with a buzzer. Makes continuity checks easier.

Preferably a beeper and not a buzzer. Buzzers are electromechanical and can generate high back EMFs which can damage semiconductors.

Fluke meters tell you your an idiot when your on the incorrect range, the cheapies sizzle, my fluke is 11 years old, most of that as fault finding as my job, but for automotive a cheapy is fine