Need a good Multimeter. Suggestions?

[MikeH55343]

I'm looking to buy a Multimeter. Need something good but I'm no expert on electronics. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[jac714]

What do you want to use it for? At home use is one thing job site use another. That being said the intended use is important what functions do you need? Send me an e-mail at jcater02 (at) gmail.com and I'll give you a couple of options. I don't know if I can post those links here.

[CAMAN]

You can't go wrong with anything made by Fluke.

[LMITOUT]

If you are just looking for something around the house/garage then you don't need a Fluke. I use one at work but have a simple Sears/Craftsman that I use at home that is a 1/10 of the cost of a Fluke. Radio Shack has multimeters that would work as well.

[Nick Kuhn]

For the home, Sinometer makes some decent cheap units, the MS8268 being a very solid unit for about $50.

If you are using this for work and need a calibrated and precise unit, a Fluke 87 is the way to go. It'll set your company back 4 or 5 bills.

[pulsar_nx]

I can recommend greenlee, I picked one up at a local surplus store and it's quite good.

Stay away from the cheap yellow one at wally world it works but is kinda junky.

Flukes used to be very good, they seem to have cheapend up over the years. Work sent a bunch back once because the dials were breaking off.

If you don't know very much about meters you may want one that auto ranges. So that the dial doesn't need to be changed ranges like the inexpensive one will need to do.

[Jim Almquist]

I have a Greenlee and it was cheap and works great. I also have a cheap Fluke that went for something like $20 and it works pretty good but the thing I do not like is the automatic part. You might want to check for ohms and it is checking DC voltage. The better Flukes are great and very durable.

[BobT]

For everything I do around the home such as checking for 120vac or checking for continuity, a $10 analog from the local FF or Walmart is more than adequate. If you are using in the workplace where accuracy and repeatability is essential then a higher end Fluke might be your preference.

[jeffreyd]

If i had to get one for home and auto just basics, the craftsman digital would be the way to go. DO buy an analog meter for use on todays type electronics. Also if you pierce a wire to check voltage etc make sure you repair the small hole. I have use super glue if a quick fix, you do not want a leak or possible place for corrosion. Read the book that comes with it so you have a good understanding of how to check various things. If you want to check resistance you need to take the power away. I own two fluke meters and they are great but as noted would get a sears for the house if i didnt have the fluke.

[JohnMickish]

Like everyone else has said, if it's just a home/hobby unit anything under $20 will be fine. If you plan on using it on boats/autos make sure it is an AC/DC model. Not all multimeters will do DC.

[Gissert]

I have had a Fluke 77, purchased in 1984. 27 years of trouble free reliability.

[jeffreyd]

gissert is the 84 a pushbutton type or rotory dial like the newer ones? my father in law has a fluke not sure of the model but it has the push buttons on the side. it is pretty cool and works very well.

[Gissert]

The rotary style, w/ auto range and touch hold. The continuity beep is nice for tracing wiring by yourself when you cant always see the meter readout.

[jeffreyd]

pretty similar to my 88 that i have. the biggest thing i ever learned was to read the manual for the simple everyday things one wants to check. then as the system gets complex it aids the user having the basic knowledge. One other thing is to make sure the leads are of quality so they do not have a higher resistance built in. I bought some off name that had a .02 loss in them. can really screw things up when you are looking for such small limits.