# Help choosing multimeter



## JLawrence08648 (Mar 1, 2019)

Lowe's - Southwire multimeter with outlet tester and non voltage tester $25


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## luisdent (Apr 13, 2018)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Lowe's - Southwire multimeter with outlet tester and non voltage tester $25


Will that do all AC stuff without blowing a fuse? I was about to buy that specific one, because the guy there recommended it but it was out of stock. Lol

The listing on their site shows it as 10A. Does that mean if I'm testing the load on a circuit at my house that is 15A it can't measure that?


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## surferdude2 (Nov 21, 2019)

Consider the Southwire Model # 21550T clamp meter at Lowe's also. It's more money but does lots more... even DC current. Has no contact feature also. It makes me want to throw my old trusty Amprobe away so I can justify getting one.

SD2


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## luisdent (Apr 13, 2018)

surferdude2 said:


> Consider the Southwire Model # 21550T clamp meter at Lowe's also. It's more money but does lots more... even DC current. Has no contact feature also. It makes me want to throw my old trusty Amprobe away so I can justify getting one.
> 
> SD2


That appears to be discontinued...


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## surferdude2 (Nov 21, 2019)

Not discontinued that I have heard. Still get them locally and I see them on other places.

Lowe's

Amazon

Good price at Amazon


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

luisdent said:


> I can't seem to find one that does everything.



And I don't believe that you will. Look at any of the name brands of meters and you will find a lot of options, with not a single one that is the best choice for any given application. For "bench work", like the "headphones and audio things" you mentioned, it's probably hard to beat replacing the one you have with another "cheap multimeter". And they do fail by the way, anything from the internal workings of the meter itself to the copper inside the leads breaking down and becoming less conductive or fraying where they are soldered at the ends. So they don't last forever and fortunately are quite inexpensive today so just replace one when it is suspect. And, for these types of projects, I will personally take an analog meter over a digital any day, so, again, not a bad way to go. For say automotive work, or chasing an electrical problem on a lawn mower, there are times that this same meter is the way to go, like checking the resistance on a suspect coil, but otherwise I usually start out with a simple 12 volt tester that has a probe on one end and an alligator clip on the other, as well as a similar one for checking continuity. For house wiring though, you're not usually working at a bench, the leads on an inexpensive multimeter generally are not as durable, and analogs are a bit harder to work with in cramped spaces, plus a tone is often handy, so now you're probably looking at a heavier GB, Southwire, Fluke, or whatever. You mentioned amps, and I think you would find that the ones you have seen are likely DC amps. For AC, you'd be looking at a clamp-on. And if you're thinking that you would check the current draw on your microwave, refrigerator, or whatever, you would also need a line separator because a clamp-on on a 110 volt line is going to read zero. But frankly, unless you just want to play, there is little if any need for reading amps in a home. If you are concerned that too many appliances and/or devices are on a given circuit, first off, then there probably are, and secondly you know that it's not above the 15 or 20 amp rating on the breaker. And if you did have a problem with a breaker tripping, it's a simple matter of adding up the current ratings for the affected devices.


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## Amped_up (Jun 5, 2019)

Personally, I would stay away from Southwire...in my experience they are junk. My feeling is this....Southwire’s bread and butter is wire, then they started putting their names on tools and such. When dealing with electricity I would not jeopardize my safety using something made by who knows who with a known companies name plastered on it. Same applies to Klein tools meters or Milwaukee tools meters, Craftsman, etc. One of them very well may be suitable for you needs and last forever. However, my advise would be to spend a little more on a quality Fluke made by a company that specializes in electrical meters. A Fluke 323 clamp can be had for about $100 bucks and will likely take care of most of your needs. For $80 more you can get a 323/117 combo that surely will. Just my 1.5 cents.


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## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

Did you ever make a decision on what to get?
A meter isn’t something to skimp on. You’ll want something that can do most tasks around your home. Amp draw, capacitance, AC/DC voltage, resistance, and temperature are baseline abilities. 
The poster above suggested the Fluke kit, I actually use the 116/323 combo kit professionally. That kit is around 7 years old and if it died I’d buy another one without hesitation.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

I am tempted but the new Harbor Freight Ames meter.
DM1000 Electrician's HVAC Contractor TRMS Multimeter $70

Has all the functions needed for electrical work and I like the low z (impedence) function that elimenates ghost voltage that bug high impedence digital meters.




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## More Power! (Aug 2, 2011)

Amped_up said:


> Personally, I would stay away from Southwire...in my experience they are junk.


Agreed.



roughneck said:


> A meter isn’t something to skimp on. You’ll want something that can do most tasks around your home. Amp draw, capacitance, AC/DC voltage, resistance, and temperature are baseline abilities.


Agreed.



Amped_up said:


> The poster above suggested the Fluke kit, I actually use the 116/323 combo kit professionally. That kit is around 7 years old and if it died I’d buy another one without hesitation.


I've had my Fluke 115 Compact True-RMS Digital Multimeter for 8-1/2 years. It hasn't seen a lot of use, but, when I *do* use it I know I can trust it.

I've been doing electrical/electronics/radio/computer stuff, both professionally and as a hobbyist/DIY'er, for over 50 years.


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## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

rjniles said:


> I am tempted but the new Harbor Freight Ames meter.
> DM1000 Electrician's HVAC Contractor TRMS Multimeter $70
> 
> Has all the functions needed for electrical work and I like the low z (impedence) function that elimenates ghost voltage that bug high impedence digital meters.
> ...


Not sure I’d trust a cheap Harbor Freight meter testing something that can kill me. 
At a minimum you should have 2 testing devices to verify the circuit is dead. This is a requirement for some of our industrial sites, from everything from low voltage 24V circuits to 480V line circuits. 
It may seem silly and overkill for residential duty, but as someone that’s been hit and seen others get really hurt, you can never be too safe. 
I was on a site one time and an electrician took 115V across the chest, in one hand and out the other. Really messed him up, the life flight helicopter had to come get him.


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## surferdude2 (Nov 21, 2019)

More Power! said:


> I've had my Fluke 115 Compact True-RMS Digital Multimeter for 8-1/2 years. It hasn't seen a lot of use, but, when I *do* use it I know I can trust it.
> 
> I've been doing electrical/electronics/radio/computer stuff, both professionally and as a hobbyist/DIY'er, for over 50 years.


Agreed, Fluke is top deck stuff and worth the money if you need accuracy and reliability.

I'm evidently older than you so my trail goes back to VTVM's and single trace scopes. When Tektronix got popular and I needed a wide bandwidth dual trace unit, I gulped but went ahead and paid their hell for high price. It was worth it! It enabled me to fix the "dogs" that others gave up on and brought to me. They never parked in front of my shop so their customers wouldn't see who actually fixed their equipment. :smile:

Having retired now, I use a $10 multimeter for most DIY jobs. I still have my old trusty Amprobe but rarely use it. I gave the bulk of my equipment to a young friend wanting to get started in the business.

My point is, buy whatever quality and accuracy fits your needs and learn how to use it properly.


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## More Power! (Aug 2, 2011)

surferdude2 said:


> Agreed, Fluke is top deck stuff and worth the money if you need accuracy and reliability.
> 
> I'm evidently older than you so my trail goes back to VTVM's and single trace scopes.


Possibly . I used VTVMs and other test gear with nixie tubes for displays, single-trace o'scopes, etc.

This was my third good personal multimeter. My first good DMM was a Beckman. That died after about thirty (?) years of use. My first multimeter, an analog which I still have and still works, was an RCA.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> The listing on their site shows it as 10A. Does that mean if I'm testing the load on a circuit at my house that is 15A it can't measure that?


You need to read the specs more carefully. That meter is DC amps only.
Most houses are AC, with little to no DC.

If you want AC at 120-240v, it's best to use a clamp meter. It's safer that way.

If the load you are try to measure is cord connected, you will also need a line splitter.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

I have a couple of the cheap HF meters, bought with coupons. The box seems solid but the probes are the weak spot. After not-much use the wires come out of the probes, and the wires were crimped onto the metal and then the plastic was injection molded around it, so I don't see how it can be fixed.

Probes are often the weak spot on meters.


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## UltraRed (Jan 20, 2018)

i have been very happy w/ this amp meter from Greenlee (after trying several others). Greenlee has several models to pick from. i use it mostly for measuring current and it has a record feature for when the compressor kicks in which may be otherwise hard to catch. you can put it on, hit record come back later and all the info you need is there. it has 2 amp reading features, tiny little indent in top of the inside of the clamp for a single wire or the full meter for something bigger.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...oJp0U8lBy.aATSM8zLmDg&slotNum=0&ie=UTF8&psc=1

also as mentioned if you are trying to do anything with a multi cord, like a frig you will need this: https://www.amazon.com/Extech-48017...ords=line+splitter&qid=1579799513&s=hi&sr=1-5


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## surferdude2 (Nov 21, 2019)

Try to get one like the ones in this video. :wink2:


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## mrlabradog (Jan 25, 2019)

I just bought a used Fluke 87 V to replace my Fluke 77 II that had been dropped one too many times. It still works but the case is cracked in several places and I was fortunate enough to see this one come up for sale. It'll do most of the things you mentioned but it doesn't have amp clamp. I use mine for everything from guitar, amp and electronics repair to home and auto repair. The 77 II is 33 years old, if the 87 lasts that long I'll probably be too old to be using it!


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## Missouri Bound (Apr 9, 2011)

Oso954 said:


> If you want AC at 120-240v, it's best to use a clamp meter.


A clamp meter measures amperage, not voltage.
That being said, most of those meters come with leads to allow you to measure voltage and resistance.
But the clamp is only for amperage.


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## udraft (Nov 26, 2019)

The Fluke is the top of the heap. Of course they come in all different configurations.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

I have the Klein Tools Electrical Test Kit.










The kit includes the digital multi-meter, non-contact voltage tester and the receptacle tester.

It is available at Home Depot for less than $40.


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## NotYerUncleBob2 (Dec 29, 2017)

Not nearly expert enough on the meters, but one thing I have been told was to make sure that any meter you get is autoranging, in that you don't have to set it for the range of voltage before you touch the probes. Like being able to test a home receptacle after testing a 9volt battery and not having your meter get fried. 
The Klein non contact tester is great, but that meter in the kit might be a little on the cheap side. I have the Klein a version or two up from that (with autoranging) that I've been happy with.


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

I have compact ones that I keep in the glovebox of my truck and SUV and larger ones that I keep in my garage and office. What I look for is autoranging and removable test leads for the garage and office ones so I can swap them out for longer ones or ones with clips. 

My last one was a Mestek bought on Amazon for $23 and it works very well. I have had very expensive Fluke multimeters but for home and automotive use they provide no added functionality. The Mestek uses two AA batteries instead of the 9 volt batteries found in many multitesters and this is also a very good thing.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

NotYerUncleBob2 said:


> The Klein non contact tester is great, but that meter in the kit might be a little on the cheap side. I have the Klein a version or two up from that (with autoranging) that I've been happy with.


I have used the meter for all sorts of tasks, electrical issues in my home, checking circuits in my vehicles, appliances, electronic devices, testing batteries and it has always worked well.


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

Being able to clip the leads onto a wire is great if you only have two hands to check something. I check AC and DC voltages and the Ohm meter to check for resistance or to verify a non-powered circuit does not have a break. All the other features are nothing I have needed to use around the house or with my cars and trucks. 

I do have a transmitter kit (Circuit Detective Pro 90-280VAC) with a device that plugs into an outlet and then a tool to check which breaker is involved as the wiring for outlets in my house was done in a less than logical manner. 

I have a Fluke non-contact voltage tester but I do not rely on it 100% and find myself grabbing the VOM instead. The contact tester is not particularly good for determining if there is a floating ground or voltage on the neutral wire. For an arc fault situation my eyes are what I rely upon.


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