recommendations for aftermarket probes/test leads for Fluke DMM

The Probemaster ones are _gorgeous_, and insanely cheap for what you get. The wires have very supple silicone insulation, not the cheap PVC crap you get on the Chinese ones. The gold plating also holds up well, though it does eventually wear out on the sharp points.

Other than that, they stink. ;)

I don't use anything else on my meters.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

There is always the Mother Ship:

I had one (1) that failed, when I was working overseas. I emailed Fluke with a picture, and a complete set of replacements arrived about 10 days later. Not just the one.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Simpson still pushes the screw on attachment probes. Their stuff is real "classic" though and I have no idea what if any safety category they meet, if any.

Real nice flexible rubber leads and solid probes. None of that modern stuff that starts to warp or get dirty easy.

You might want to check ummm...

Their front page is f***ed up but they do have some nice probes.

Thanks to all that posted. I followed up on all the suggestions. For my Fluke meters and my intended use, the 8043s seemed to be the best fit. Also ordered some additional probe tips. J

ious size alligator clips, micro-clips, and mounting lugs.

Pomona quality with more reasonable prices is what I have in mind.

rching on aftermarket probe sets and found this one which seems to be a goo d match to what I am looking for.

wark, etc.)

Fluke meters and my intended use, the 8043s seemed to be the best fit. Al so ordered some additional probe tips.

As a follow-up: Just received the test lead/probe kit from Probemaster...at first blush, they are *GREAT* nice sharp points, 1000V isolation, and th e threads for the screw-on attachements (~5 turns) seem sturdy. the attach ments seat and snug-up well. Fit and finish are excellent with my Fluke me ters. Just what I was looking for. Thanks again. J

how flexible are the leads? Are they more rubbery/silicone-like or more like soft PVC?

The sample size is two, but I noticed my ~5 year old Fluke probes seems more flexible than the newer ones. Part numbers are the same.

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various size alligator clips, micro-clips, and mounting lugs.

or Pomona quality with more reasonable prices is what I have in mind.

searching on aftermarket probe sets and found this one which seems to be a good match to what I am looking for.

Newark, etc.)

e.

my Fluke meters and my intended use, the 8043s seemed to be the best fit. Also ordered some additional probe tips.

..at first blush, they are *GREAT* nice sharp points, 1000V isolation, an d the threads for the screw-on attachements (~5 turns) seem sturdy. the at tachments seat and snug-up well. Fit and finish are excellent with my Fluk e meters.

That is a hard question for me to answer. I would say they are fairly flex ible. I would add that the lead wires are 'supple' and more flexible tha n the standard lead wires that came with my 2 year old Fluke 179. The leads on my 30 yo Fluke 77 are more rubbery in texture/feel. The probe master leads are also more flexible that those of the 77.

Rubber/silicon or PVC. I would say more like silicon. My perception of PCV is that it is stiffer, somewhat plastic-like. (like the leads that came wi th my cheap extech that I keep in my car repair tool box) Hope that helps J

They sound like nice leads. I really don't like test leads that feel stiff, like old crappy automotive jumper cables. cheaper leads seem to have a memory or sorts. If you bunch or fold them up they stay sort of bent or kinked, even if you let them hang off a hook to relax.

They're nice supple silicone. I use them exclusively--for $17 a pair they'll change your life (in a small way, admittedly, but a good one).

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Didn't Pomona make some Probes for Fluke?

They do. I think they make high quality products. Their probe that has the interchangeable tips us the 'banana plug' style ar rangement on which one slides on different tips.

From my perspective, the expanded metal gets weak over time and the tips do nt maintain contact very well. One can always bend the metal back out and t his lasts for some time, the metal has weakened and the probe tip doesn't s tay on very long. One can repeat the cycle but each iteration results in a decrease in time the probe tip is securely attached to the lead. I wanted the screw-on tips. (I think Simpson promoted this style). J

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arrangement on which one slides on different tips.

dont maintain contact very well. One can always bend the metal back out and this lasts for some time, the metal has weakened and the probe tip doesn't stay on very long. One can repeat the cycle but each iteration results in a decrease in time the probe tip is securely attached to the lead.

I always liked the H.H. Smith probes that held a steel 78RPM needle in a ti ny collet. When the point got dull, it was just a few cents for a new needl e. The sharp tip would penetrate the surface of the solder joint, and make good contact even if the surface was oxidized. The early ones were machined fiber tubing. Later ones were injection molded. I found some with a sharp, gold plated tip on Ebay, but the tip isn't replaceable. They aren't too ba d, and they are handy on fine pitch ICs.