Looking for a multimeter please

[jockscott]

Hi all, new member here. Thanks for the site.

Anyone use this multimeter?
I'm on a tight budget but still wanted to get a multimeter that was well accurate. Saw the following one on Amazon, one for ￡19.9 http://amzn.to/1LYxCCN It had mostly good reviews. Any thoughts on if the above is ok to used for testing? thanks!

 

[winchman]

You should look for Auto ranging so as long as its on AC or DC voltage it will measure, some of the cheaper ones you have to select 0-20v, 20-300v etc. I found a continuity bleeps and back lights useful too
You should also use fused test leads

 

[winchman]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastech-Dig...233641&sr=1-6&keywords=autoranging+multimeter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LEADS-FUSED...4442&sr=1-4-catcorr&keywords=fused+test+leads

 

[Weld-Repairs-UK]

The Fluke 101 is a good budget Multimeter made by a market leading brand.

 

[500e]

Hunt down premington post on this site he went through meters a while ago as he uses them all the time follow his advice.
Have not bought a new one for years Analog AVO8 Mk11 had since apprentice 59 years ago
Have 2 other digital Avos & 1 Fluke & numerous cheapie's to use as almost throw a ways, where you only want to know there is a voltage or continuity

 

[voipio]

I started to write saying a Maplins cheapie would do the job well enough, but they have done away with their £5 multimeters, which were surprisingly accurate. If the budget is tight, Machine Mart do some for £15.59 which would do pretty much what the Amazon one would. There's even a £2.99 one on Amazon. Keep a fresh unused Duracell AA cell as a reference. It should read around 1.6V at room temp. Whichever you get, try and keep it in the warm and dry. Some of the circuit impedances in modern digital meters are high, and easily affected by damp.

 

[daleyd]

The meter listed will probably be fine for general use, I probably wouldn't buy it if you were thinking of using it for serious work use. If so then fluke are the usual first choice, though avo, robin, chauvin arnaux etc are also good brands.

I have a couple of fluke ones for work, which are excellent but expensive. Equally I have a cheap draper one that gets used infrequently at home, but that has proved totally accurate and reliable for general home use.

I've also used ISO tech range from rs components which are excellent quality and are a sight cheaper than fluke. (Bit more than the one listed but still relatively cheap for a good quality meter)

 

[BrokenBiker]

i only use fluke meters, and currently using a 113 true rms meter and a 1503 insulation meter, cant fault either of them but if you are just looking for budget then LAP do one for under a tenner that i have used and they seem to do the job.

http://www.screwfix.com/c/electrica..._sp=managedredirect-_-electrical-_-multimeter

there are a few on there that are cheap enough, and the 2 that i use along with the kewtech kt116 that a mate uses for his car diagnosing and that appears to work well.

i like my fluke as it is auto ranging etc, but as long as you know how to use them auto range insnt a huge requirement

i also use a fluke clamp meter for checking current (as the 113 doesnt do current) but cant remember which one it is and its about 6 miles away at the moment

 

[Robotstar5]

i also use a fluke clamp meter for checking current (as the 113 doesnt do current) but cant remember which one it is and its about 6 miles away at the moment

I've got a Fluke 374, handy as it does AC & DC current.

 

[BrokenBiker]

is it auto ranging? i only have the 113 as it was 'given' to me as a leaving gift at my last job while the storesman was on a fag break..

edit, just realised you mean the clamp meter...in that case it may be the same one that i have as that does AC and DC current

 

[Robotstar5]

Specs here

 

[BrokenBiker]

thats the one. i very rarely use it now but always handy to have it. plus the cpacity for 2500A (with a special probe) isnt to be sniffed at...not that i have ever got close to needing 2500 amps...

 

[jockscott]

Thanks for your all kindly and professional advice. Having read the reviews, I think it's good of price and quality, and I bought it. Hope it could work well.

 

[BrokenBiker]

What will you be using it for? As said above nearly all cheap meters are good enough for fault finding on cars, checking a cable is dead or doing basic electronics but if it's going to be regularly used on mains voltage I would want a slightly better meter that the budget offerings

 

[Robotstar5]

thats the one. i very rarely use it now but always handy to have it. plus the cpacity for 2500A (with a special probe) isnt to be sniffed at...not that i have ever got close to needing 2500 amps...

We had an expensive one at Longbridge for measuring the welding current in kA and a resistance meter accurate to .001 Ohms for measuring the welding cables (shunts) hate to think what they cost.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

This is mine http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/uni-trend-ut58c-digital-multimeter-n79cb , just wish I understood all it's functions fully.......

 

[BrokenBiker]

We had an expensive one at Longbridge for measuring the welding current in kA and a resistance meter accurate to .001 Ohms for measuring the welding cables (shunts) hate to think what they cost.

we had one that was accurate to 0.01ohm and in the 4 and a half years i worked there i saw t being used once, when one of the other meters was broken...

 

[voipio]

This is mine http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/uni-trend-ut58c-digital-multimeter-n79cb , just wish I understood all it's functions fully.......

It covers the basic electrical measurements - DC and AC volts (up to 1000V DC, 750V AC, and amps, up to 20A), reistance and continuity, capacitance, temperature, frequency, and also looks like it will measure transistor gain to boot. Doesn't make tea, though. Ask away regarding it's use.

 

[Wedg1e]

thats the one. i very rarely use it now but always handy to have it. plus the cpacity for 2500A (with a special probe) isnt to be sniffed at...not that i have ever got close to needing 2500 amps...

2500A at mains voltage would be serious... I calibrate magnetic particle benches and they go up to 6000A but the OCV is only about 3V

I have Tektronix, Fluke and AVO DMMs plus a couple of cheapies (one was £15 from B&Q I think) and for 99% of the use I have, any one of them is as good as any other. I've even had the cheapies on our Time Electronics instrument calibrator and they were as accurate as the expensive ones at the points you'd most likely use them (my AVO 2005 dates from the late 80s and is still within maker's spec.)
I like large digits, fast response and a backlight. I don't think I've ever used Display Hold other than to prove a point to another techie. Peak Hold would be more use but is rarely included.

 

[BrokenBiker]

2500A at mains voltage would be serious... .

more commonly known as a house fire...