Multimeter recommendation

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reluctant-builder

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Could you please offer me some recommendations on multimeters that are reasonably inexpensive while still of worthwhile quality?

Thanks.

Edit: I found this one: http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=5770096#tab=Specs -- which seems to provide the range of resistance that would suffice for testing pots and pickups. Can anyone attest to its quality?
 
That's weird. I have that exact meter. Works great. It was the fourth in a series that started early this year. I lost my Fluke somewhere - have no idea what happened to it. So, I bought a cheap unit from someplace online. It worked for about a week, then quit for no apparent reason. Wouldn't measure voltage any more. Because I couldn't remember where I got it, I couldn't send it back. Probably wouldn't have been worth it anyway. So, I went and bought another cheapie (I think it was a Tripplett) from Lowes. Didn't last the day. Took that one back, and got the Amprobe unit you've picked out. That's been working fine ever since.
 
Haha. Go figure. So, how long have you had it? Long enough to attest to its longevity and durability?

I may be mad to think this, but would I ever want to measure the value of my capacitors? If so, would such a multimeter suffice? I don't see a setting for any degree of farads, just amps, volts and ohms.
 
Actually, now that I look more closely, that's a slightly better unit than I have. But, it still doesn't measure capacity. It's not something many ever measure anyway. Caps are too cheap to measure. If you suspect them at all, you just replace them.

As for longevity, I don't know. I've had this one for about 6 months now, and I use it maybe once or twice a month. Down in this price range, I doubt there's a great deal of difference from one unit to the next. My guess would be they're all made by one or two manufacturers in China. Like most electronic widgetry, if it works for more than a week, it may work for 20+ years.
 
I would skip that meter.

There are plenty of meters out there with more options, such as capacitance, frequency, duty cycle, diode check, transistor hFE and temperature.
Most meters will not, however, measure inductance or impedance. That's a bit more complicated to measure due to the frequency-dependance.
 
If I were to buy a meter, I'd get a Fluke 117.  The Fluke meters are very nice and their warranties are great.  Walk in, they check it, get a new one if it is toasted.  They make them with a capacitance meter as well.  It is not the best accuracy, but it tells you what you need to know.  The drawback is the price.  They are not cheap, but they tend to last forever.
Patrick

 
line6man said:
I would skip that meter.
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Ah, a dissenting opinion.

Could you please offer a suitable alternative since, for you, the above doesn't pass muster? I'd like to look into such an alternative; merely poo-poohing the one I cited leaves me back at square one. Thanks!
 
reluctant-builder said:
line6man said:
I would skip that meter.
Click to expand...

Ah, a dissenting opinion.

Could you please offer a suitable alternative since, for you, the above doesn't pass muster? I'd like to look into such an alternative; merely poo-poohing the one I cited leaves me back at square one. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sorry, I have no suggestions. All I can say is, rule out any meter that does not have the functionality you need, such as measuring capacitance.
 
Well, considering how huge of a price difference it is between a multimeter that measures capacitance and one that doesn't, I'm apt to adopt Cagey's philosophy of just replace the inexpensive cap if I doubt its viability.

That $50 meter becomes a $280 one just by adding a capacitance measuring range of 40 nf to 400 uf, which is well more than I need but the smallest range I could find, at least on Mouser's website. I'd have to dispose of 100 $2.29 caps ... which would be rather expensive ones, at that.
 
reluctant-builder said:
Well, considering how huge of a price difference it is between a multimeter that measures capacitance and one that doesn't, I'm apt to adopt Cagey's philosophy of just replace the inexpensive cap if I doubt its viability.

That $50 meter becomes a $280 one just by adding a capacitance measuring range of 40 nf to 400 uf, which is well more than I need but the smallest range I could find, at least on Mouser's website. I'd have to dispose of 100 $2.29 caps ... which would be rather expensive ones, at that.
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Nonsense! I've seen multimeters at Sears for under $100 with capacitance and other measures. I've actually had one for a number of years now, with no problems. RadioShack also used to sell a nifty multimeter a number of years ago, with an RS-232 port that would hook up with their software and let you plot out changes over time. :blob7:
I can't recall how much I paid for it, and it was no Fluke, but it was a cool meter for what it was.
 
reluctant-builder said:
Well, considering how huge of a price difference it is between a multimeter that measures capacitance and one that doesn't, I'm apt to adopt Cagey's philosophy of just replace the inexpensive cap if I doubt its viability.

That $50 meter becomes a $280 one just by adding a capacitance measuring range of 40 nf to 400 uf, which is well more than I need but the smallest range I could find, at least on Mouser's website. I'd have to dispose of 100 $2.29 caps ... which would be rather expensive ones, at that.
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You don't have to spend that kind of money to get capacitance measurement capability. In fact, you can get a lot more measurability than that pretty reasonably. Check out The Multimeter Warehouse. That oughta drive ya nuts with all the choices <grin>

I still don't think you need all that. Plus, as with most things, trying to do everything all in one unit usually means it's unlikely to any one thing very well. Look at most multi-function printers for a good example. Those things usually aren't worth the powder to blow them to hell unless you spend some major bucks.

And back to checking caps... you have to remove the cap from the circuit to measure it. At that point, you've more than paid for the replacement just in labor alone. Unless you've got a pile of capacitors laying around that haven't been marked and need to be identified, I'm not sure what value a capacitance meter has. Especially for guitar work, where dead-nuts accuracy just doesn't matter. You're not tuning radio receiver/transmitters.
 
Cagey said:
I still don't think you need all that. Plus, as with most things, trying to do everything all in one unit usually means it's unlikely to any one thing very well. Look at most multi-function printers for a good example. Those things usually aren't worth the powder to blow them to hell unless you spend some major bucks.
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Did I ever bitch about the time I bought a $30 all-in-one printer because it was on sale?
Never again! Piece of crap doesn't even feed the paper through straight! :sad:
 
I mentioned that they were expensive, but a 117 goes for about $150.  And It has all kinds of uses beyond guitars.  It is the brand that my electrician buddies swear by, and those guys deal with deadly quite frequently.  The warranty is a lot better, and it is a better meter.  If you are just getting the meter for your guitar building purposes, then yes, it is a a whole lot more than what you need.  Otherwise it is three times the cost of the meter you listed.  It comes with quite a bit behind it, and you pay for that.
Patrick

 
Patrick from Davis said:
I mentioned that they were expensive, but a 117 goes for about $150.  And It has all kinds of uses beyond guitars.  It is the brand that my electrician buddies swear by, and those guys deal with deadly quite frequently.  The warranty is a lot better, and it is a better meter.  If you are just getting the meter for your guitar building purposes, then yes, it is a a whole lot more than what you need.  Otherwise it is three times the cost of the meter you listed.  It comes with quite a bit behind it, and you pay for that.
Patrick
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I would be inclined to get a Fluke meter, too. Fluke has been an industry standard for a while now.
 
Yeah, I loved my Fluke. Had that thing for many years, and it had been to many places with me and seen all sorts of hazardous duty. Can't imagine what happened to it. Somebody probably "borrowed" it.
 
Judging by my Guitar Electronics = Rocket Science level of miscomprehension, I doubt I'll need a Rocket Science worthy multimeter as I can't conceive of any electronics project I would undertake beyond wiring a guitar.
 
I have a fluke 75 that I've had for many many years.

It works very well.  Highly recommended.
 
Cagey said:
Yeah, I loved my Fluke. Had that thing for many years, and it had been to many places with me and seen all sorts of hazardous duty. Can't imagine what happened to it. Somebody probably "borrowed" it.
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I have noticed that this happens frequently with these meters, well, if you deal with a crowd that is not constant.  Even when the crowd is constant, they migrate quite a bit.
Patrick

 
I don't know what you have for local pawn shops, but if you know a few check them out.  Sometimes you can run across a meter that someone had for HVAC school.  They get out of school and can't find a job in the field, so they sell their tools.  That type of meter is going to be nicer than what you are looking at, but you might stumble across a deal.
 
I have a fluke that's been in steady use since 1983. It's built like a bank vault. It's treated me so well it feels like family. It would be traumatic to have to replace it. No capacitance though.
 
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