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Posted by: gilty Dec 5 2014, 10:59 AM

Ideas on a good dmm. What are you using?

Posted by: Spoke Dec 5 2014, 11:05 AM

I bought mine at Radio Shack. $100. Extech 430. We just purchased a couple off of Amazon.

Posted by: SirAndy Dec 5 2014, 11:22 AM

I need to get a new one.

Apparently soaking them in 1/2 a quart of brake fluid is not recommended ...

Posted by: Mike Bellis Dec 5 2014, 11:30 AM

The Fluke 87 is a great meter. You get what you pay for, so consider this before you buy a cheap one.

I use a Fluke process meter that can do way more than the 87. But if you don't need all the features of process control, there is no need to buy the high end Fluke.

Posted by: toolguy Dec 5 2014, 11:30 AM

How can you beat the one Harbor Freight gives away free??

Posted by: stugray Dec 5 2014, 11:42 AM

At work we swear by Flukes, and the 87 is a "standard" old-faithful.

I cannot afford a "real" meter for work at home, so I bought the craftsman model for $35.

The only thing that has ever gone wrong with it is the LCD display stopped working. Sears replaced it for free even though it was not really included in the LT warranty.

I was just using a borrowed tekscope last night looking at the pulses coming out of my Mallory optical timing pickup.

If I was going to spend the $$ on a new fluke, I would just buy a used tekscope 700 series.
One sold on ebay a couple of weeks ago for ~$350

Posted by: Mueller Dec 5 2014, 11:58 AM

Meters at home:


Fluke 87v

Fluke 85

Simpson 260

Craftsman Analog (cannot remember model, it's a 70 vintage)

half a dozen HF "free" meters


Plus a few other oddball meters...

Posted by: messix Dec 5 2014, 12:12 PM

what do you need it for?

how advanced are you with electronics?

no sense in spending way over your skill level or demands of use.

I have used flukes for over 30 years and can speak to their reliability as very good all weather, rough use meters.

at home I have meters from very small digital voltmeters to a couple of old relics that are just cool to have.

I have a vom in any tool kit that I carry.

Posted by: jd74914 Dec 5 2014, 12:18 PM

I have a Fluke 87 for home use which will probably do everything you could ever want and will last forever (literally). You can always get a used 87-III off ebay, etc. if you don't want to spring for a new one; they are robust enough that it should be fine. Our abused 87's at work always cal'd in fine.

The process meters (789, etc. ) are really nice but you probably don't need to go to that level.

Note that if you buy a Fluke you will never really be happy using a lesser brand.

Posted by: walterolin Dec 5 2014, 12:21 PM

Fluke 179. Can't go wrong with a Fluke.

Posted by: 76-914 Dec 5 2014, 02:51 PM

I bought a Fluke 26 yr's ago because I always forgot to reset the meter from ohms to volts and was tired of burning up VOM's. The Fluke was auto ranging. I've never, ever regretted going with the Fluke. Someone mentioned free HF meters. I saw a YouTube where several were connected to the same power source yet each gave a different reading.

Posted by: Mueller Dec 5 2014, 03:01 PM

During our electrical safety course here at work they show what is left of a HF meter when someone tried to use one to test a 480volt machine...luckily the person wasn't injured!

Posted by: Dave_Darling Dec 5 2014, 09:54 PM

For working on 914s, you don't need a good multimeter. A cheapo one will do just fine. It's not like we get any information from precise measurements of resistances and voltages.

That said, I bought a Fluke 87 on advice from my step-father (a professional electronics engineer) about 20 years ago. The only thing that's ever gone wrong is that I drained the 9V battery once.

--DD

Posted by: championgt1 Dec 5 2014, 11:23 PM

Our techs at work all have Fluke 87 meters and they beat the crap out of them. None of them have ever failed!

Posted by: ice cold Dec 6 2014, 09:40 PM

Fluke, Patience, Ebay. Just purchased a Fluke 179 new in box on Ebay $165 shipped to my door.

Posted by: billh1963 Dec 7 2014, 05:41 AM

I've had a Fluke 87 since 1989. It will last your lifetime.

Posted by: ClayPerrine Dec 7 2014, 08:16 AM

I have a Fluke 87 and a Techtronix Scopemeter. The scopemeter is a full DMM and a two channel o-scope combined in a portable housing.



It only gets used with new cars that need the extra capability. I use the Fluke on the 914 and even it is overkill. Most of the time I make do with a test light.