Advice Please: Cheap Meter Recommendations

Why are you calling the Fluke crap ? That is a very good meter. I have one that I used at work for 10 years and now have it at home. It was replaced with a newer modle by Fluke.

That is a $ 300 to $ 400 meter. What do you think cheap is ?

Fluke seems to the digital meters as the Simpson 260 was to the analog meters.

By far the most reliable and durable meter I have ever used in the low cost arena was the Fluke 8060 and its replacement the 189. The 8060s all lasted well over 20 years before failure, so far none of the 189s have had any problems.

I am not sure what you mean by cheap as the low end Fluke meters were inexpensive at around $300 new.

No if you want one of those throw away Chinese made multi-meters of questionable accuracy, no built in idiot user protection, then go for it. After a few of those you will find out how reliable the Fluke meters really are.

I also would like it to be digital. But the key is reliabilty.(I'd like to use it for a few years).

Thanks.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

What's been the problem with the fluke as I have a ten year old one that's still working ??

Well, I know a couple of guys who have been using cheap Radio Shack meters for many years.

The first of the two 8060A meters I have began to work intermittantly after the third time I used it.(I won it off of Ebay). And now doesn't power up.

Because of Fluke's reputation I got another one(from a different auction), and that one was only used one time. Now when I power it on the display is very dim and doesn't do anything when I try to use the buttons. This Fluke was definitely checked and recalibrated before I received it, and the problem is defintely not the batteries.

So that's two (rarely used)Flukes that stopped working within about 2 or 3 years.

So now I'm pissed because I have a project that is way over due and the Flukes are just *too expensive* to get fixed.

At least with a cheap one, you can throw it in the garbage without worrying about it being a big loss.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

Then, you just buy what's cheap and available. If you are only spending $10 or $20, you can also toss it in the garbage if it's not suitable.

It's when you are spending big bucks that you need recommendations.

I have a twenty year old Radio Shack that's still running, though I took it out of regular use for other reasons. The replacement, in 1996, was a Radio Shack too (I lusted after a bigger readout, and more functions, so I splurged), and it too keeps running. I suspect that is the case for most DMMs, unless someone is really careless. There are other issues when buying a DMM, but most of those come into play when spending hundreds of dollars, because you are going to an expensive meter for reasons of good calibration or something else that's not there at the cheap end.

Have you actually checked to make sure that you have good batteries in the Flukes?

Michael

What's wrong with the Fluke? If it's broken they'll repair and calibrate it for a reasonable fee, the cheap meters are all about the same and they're all relatively crappy, Fluke is the gold standard though some of their low end stuff is Chinese now.

They're known for display problems. You can get parts.

Fluke 77. Mine's been through the mill for a dozen years and is still within 1%.

Well if you decide to dump those 8060's I'll gladly take one off your hands, I just looked them up and they're true RMS, very nice meters.

So basically, you are calling the Fluke 8060 junk because you wound up buying two bad units off an ebay auction.

I don't think the Fluke meters are the REAL reason the project is way overdue.

Junk? I never said anything negative about the company. You need to re-read my opriginal post.

The two meters I have just happened to crap out on me, so I concluded that they are not worth spending all that money on(initially or to get repaired).

I just need a cheap one that is accurate.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

Obviously, you haven't seen some of the latest Chinese imports. They also have reasonable accuracy just like Fluke.

Besides that they offer some conveniences that Fluke, apparently hasn't dreamed up as yet - at any price - such as:

Reading the output values out loud and probes with buildin LED's. Two features that are frequently very handy. The overpriced Fluke's are facing some real competition!

Fluke repair and recalibrate "for a reasonable fee"?

It cost twice as much to get one of these repaired than it does to get a used one on Ebay.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

But how great of a bargain was the used one off ebay that doesn't work? It was probably sold cheap on ebay for a reason, IIRC they're about $350 retail.

If you lose tools fairly fast or use them one or twice, chinese stuff would be the best way to go. Don,t even think about a warranty. On the flip side, I found a craftsman (sears) vise grip pliers that were not working good and walked into sears and exchanged them for a new pair on the spot. Fluke has there manuals available in pdf fromat (just photocopied ones) for all models as a free download.

Chinese stuff? Think "short term" . They put cheaper vacuum cleaner motors in things that require the more expensive continuous duty motors. won,t cover a abused burnt out motor. Pretty slick cache 22 argument.

Well... I spent $20 on a RadioShack pocket DMM, works fine, and had one battery change. Also use a Vellman DMM--same thing, cheap, wouldn't trust too much, but you know, it does the job. I, like everyone else, am surprised that you'd be having so many problems with Fluke meters. I mean... can I have one? :P If you're looking for something to just USE and get a quick test for diagnostics or something... yeah, go to a RadioShack or other electronics store, and don't expect to spend more than $10-20. I know both of mine are under $20 apiece. Just remember, you get what you pay for.... they may not be the most accurate things you can get.

He bought cheap used high end meters that were probably abused and having problems to begin with and that's why they were cheap, what does one expect? I have a couple cheap DMM's and they work fine as second meters, but they're all pretty much the same, and none of them are worth having fixed when they fail.

They were working when I got them.

Are you now suggesting that the previous owners somehow knew that the meters would fail soon, or that Fluke meters are garbage?

You are referring to one of the same two meters we were discussing when you said that you would "gladly take one off (my) hands", correct?

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.