I got a Fluke 83 for $60 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: microbug
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 07:05:26 am
content: Hi,Yesterday I saw a Fluke 83 (no leads or case as far as I can tell) on eBay, so I set up a snipe ongoofbid.comand I won it for £38 ($62). I assume that's a decent deal. It's an original (not V). At first it grated a bit because I know I'm getting a Brymen BM257 for Christmas, but my current meter is only a crap pocket one so if I have this I'll be able to measure voltage and current more precisely (with the option of min/max etc).One question I have is whether the original 83has auto hold. I have seen Dave talk about this feature and there is a Hold button on the meter, but I don't know whether it's automatic as well.Also, is it possible to get replacement soft keys from Fluke? In the eBay picture the text is quite faded.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 07:29:57 am
content: Quote from: microbug on November 29, 2013, 07:05:26 amIf the fuses are good and you got a rubber holster, it is a decent deal. The 83 doesn't get a lot of love because it is not True RMS. For me personally, I rarely require that function.QuoteYes. Press it and it will automatically freeze a stable reading on the screen. All the 80 series have touch hold or auto hold.QuoteYou can get replacement soft keys on ebay, but the asking price, IMHO, is way too much (typically $10 to 15 USD). Just print some labels and stick them on the casing.

author: microbug
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 07:33:23 am
content: It said 'in good working order' so I assume the fuses are fine (it hasn't been shipped yet). All there was in the picture was the meter itself, so my hopes are not high for the rubber boot.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 07:35:15 am
content: Do you mind sharing the ebay link so I can see the details of the auction?You have no fear of ebay competition from me as I'm in Canada!!

author: microbug
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 07:38:44 am
content: Here you gohttp://bit.ly/198EsTS

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 08:34:04 am
content: That short link seems to be stuck. For anyone else trying to load the page, maybe this is better?http://www.ebay.com/itm/161154074504I don't see any test leads or holster so you are likely not getting them. The keypad doesn't look too bad. The flash from the camera may be making it look worse than it is.The seller has sold multiple Fluke 77 III in 2012 and all but one buyer was happy. The unhappy buyer claimed it didn't work. The other buyers all gave positive feedback so hopefully that means the fuses are good and they are the proper HRC ones.I bought a Fluke 77 III from a buyer and had him test the fuses as per Fluke's instructions in the manual. When I received the item, the fuses tested good, but when I opened up the case, I got crappy glass fuses.HRC fuses cost anywhere between $7 and $12 each. My ebay "bargain" turned out close to $20 more than expected.With respect to the rubber holster, I like it as it protects the meter and stores the probes. A new one will cost around $25 USD.It will be interesting to see what your opinion of the 83 vs the 257 will be especially when the 83 is 1/2 the cost of a 257 (assuming you buy from Frankie here at $135 USD). Both should serve you well.PS. If you have any problems with the 83, the most common Fluke 80 problems are well documented in modemhead's blog page athttp://mrmodemhead.com/

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 08:38:43 am
content: I forgot to add that my first Fluke 80 was an used 83 III which I got for $40 USD. Before that, I had an used Fluke 75 and Fluke 12. After I got the 83 III, I could see why the 87 was/is such a popular meter.

author: microbug
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 03:50:44 pm
content: I posted that link from my phone by clicking 'copy url' in the eBay app, so I didn't know if it would work at the time. However, clicking it now on my computer seems to work fine.I don't think I will get the probes/case, but I sent a message with the winning bid saying to the seller that if they did have them, please send them as well.The keypad will be fine, cameras usually don't capture the full contrast of images anyway and the text is just faded; still readable.I also think it will be interesting to see how the BM257 and fluke 83 compare, especially on AC (I know the fluke is not true RMS). I'm happy to know that the fluke has auto hold (I don't think the Brymen has an equivalent feature).If the meter is broken, I'll open it up and have a poke around - most accounts I've seen about flukes involve either blown fuses / movs or a spill of some sort of conductive liquid which gets through the input jacks. Either one would be fairly easy to solve.