Best hobby multimeter for around $80? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: geekgeek4
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 07:59:21 am
content: Hi there,I engage in various hobbies and DIY adventures. On some occasions, I would need access to a multimeter for various reasons. This could involve automotive things, rennovations or house projects, circuits, testing of random things etc.I've been looking at a few different meters, including the Uni-T UT61E+. However, I also heard that this meter has some safety concerns.Although I can't specifically define what I will be doing with the meter, I would definitely like it to be safe that I can confidently and reliably use in a variety of situations.In addition to safety, there is the usual wish list of longevity, durability, accuracy, performance, features, convenience etc.I was wondering what recommendations you would have for a hobby/DIY multimeter in the $80 range?If you think that there is a much better multimeter above $80, then I would still be interested to know and perhaps I could wait for a sale.Thank you.

author: ROT
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 08:51:37 am
content: Hi!I have a UT191 and the build quality is pretty sad considering it is marketed as a heavy duty industrial DMM.Personally, now I use a Brymen BM235 Multimeter, which is 90 EUR and I am very satisfied with it.I think you will not regret throwing in extra 10 EUR and buying the BM235, but if you want to stay under 80 take a look at BM231 or maybe 236 (3 phase capabilty) depending on your use cases and needs.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 09:24:29 am
content: Fluke 15B+ $85https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000150569958.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.5dd930d8Rb13GA&algo_pvid=bd9d9aa4-0d95-4172-9008-c3a3c48b7468&algo_exp_id=bd9d9aa4-0d95-4172-9008-c3a3c48b7468-20&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2210000000465486517%22%7D&pdp_pi=-1%3B127.11%3B-1%3B-1%40salePrice%3BNZD%3Bsearch-mainSearch

author: rpiloverbd
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 11:50:32 am
content: I like the original sanwa CD800A Digital Multimeter

author: Adrian_Arg.
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 01:50:48 pm
content: UT61E+, I have it for almost a month, it is very good, I paid it u $ s62 free shipping on aliexpres on their black Friday.UT61E+, Lo poseo hace casi un mes, es muy bueno, lo paque u$s62 envio gratis en aliexpres el viernes negro de ellos.

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 05:17:00 pm
content: Wow! I have a Fluke 189 which I bought around 2004 for less than $400 and I thought if I were to sell it on Ebay may be I get $100. So I checked Ebay and see if I can recommend something like that to the OP but no. They are asking for a lot of money. Wow!

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 05:26:11 pm
content: Fluke 101 ~$50

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2022, 05:42:28 pm
content: Good suggestions all around. Fluke 101 as well as the Fluke 15B+ are both are quite reasonable meters, very robust but very basic when compared to another very robust and safe meters from the brand Brymen. The Brymen BM235 is much better featured and will allow you to do a wide range of activities with your meter. Another closely priced meter is the BM257, which has a few additional features such as bargraph and PC communications and is also quite robust.The Uni-T meters usually pack a lot of features but robustness (both electrical and mechanical) are not their main feature.Good luck in your quest!

author: bobcat2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2022, 09:38:28 pm
content: I was in your shoe a year ago. I was looking for a multimeter to replace my age old Fluke. After shopping around for months, I picked the Greenlee DM-65. It was only $50 clams and had all the features I wanted. Some of the reasons to pick this model were that it had a lifetime warranty and it was only $50 bucks.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2022, 05:20:42 pm
content: Since you ultimately need 3 DMMs, two of them might as well be Aneng AN8008s. They're only about $30 and will work just fine for most hobby projects. I would suggest staying away from 'mains' because I don't necessarily trust the CAT ratings but I was in this business for decades before CAT was even a thing. And, yes, I would use the meter on residential outlets (in the US). I might hesitate before measuring the bus voltage of a substation with 100k Amps of available fault current at a voltage that sustains plasma.https://www.amazon.com/ANENG-AN8008-Multimeter-Resistance-Capacitance/dp/B076GZK62BI have a wide range of DMMs from the $400 Fluke down through the $7 Harbor Freight and the Aneng seems to be the one I reach for. It's just a darn handy meter.Dave did a video:https://youtu.be/xdGQEVdxmQQ

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 01:56:54 am
content: Quote from: bobcat2000 on January 04, 2022, 09:38:28 pmI am curious about where you got your DM-65 for $50 - it seems everywhere I look I see it for $80+

author: Vovk_Z
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 02:09:12 am
content: UT61E+

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 03:48:42 am
content: First; in my opinion the biggest risk to meters, durability wise, is the batteries that you put in them. If the batteries leak there is potential for significant damage. This is a big risk in a random home use situation where weeks might go between meter usage. This bugs me due to more battery leaks than I'd like to know about. So what I've done is to switch to lithium primary batteries or NMH rechargeables. So I'd suggest making sure the meters can operate with such batteries, most seem to be able to do so.Second; there are so many meters in your price range that I would suggest getting on line with a couple of electronics suppliers. The last time I looked there was huge number of meters less than $100. The Klein MM400 for example starts at $55 on one vendors web site. Amprobe has the 5XP-A right in your price range. The point is there are lots of meters to choose from that should be of higher quality and safe for use at higher power levels. In that regard it would likely be better to focus on manufactures that market to industry with the hope that the safety implementation is well done. If at all possible get review data that will verify the safety implementation. In any event because of your indicated random usage potential I would certainly look for safety first. That eliminates a lot of low cost options that would be OK for low voltage use. By the way if you can find the right instrument from Fluke, in your price range that would be good from the safety standpoint.In any event there is a list someplace on this forum where an evaluation of the safety implementation has been made for many meters. You can weed out the ones that apparently don't meet advertised performance levels. Sadly I don't have the link at the moment. I've only mentioned a couple of instruments here but there should be dozens that are quality in your price range.By the way for a first instrument don't blow all of your funds on the meter, you will likely want new test leads, possibly many types and other goodies. For the most part the test leads that come with most meters are "low end". A clamp on current probe can be very useful in many use cases too.

author: bobcat2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 07:16:03 am
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on January 06, 2022, 01:56:54 amamazon.com. It was $50.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 03:53:13 pm
content: Understand the CAT ratings:https://www.fluke-direct.com/files/fluke-multimeters-detecting-intermittents-u.pdfMore often than not, folks are working in a CAT 0 environment and that rating isn't even provided on a meter I have seen. Maybe CAT III from time to time and rarely CAT IV.But look at the underlying assumption for CAT III: You are working in a panelboard at the service entrance, cable-wise close to a utility transformer in the middle of a lightning storm. Well, gee, I'll bet I can avoid that situation!Before chasing this down a rathole, understand that we lived with unfused VOMs for generations and they sure weren't CAT rated until Fluke came up with this idea to differentiate their meters from all the others. Of course people trust Fluke's ratings and probably don't trust Aneng's but I question whether the concept has any validity from the start. Somehow I have been using rated/unrated Simpson 260s for 55+ years and haven't blown one up yet! But it's early...Where users get in trouble is when the meter is set for Volts and the probes are plugged for Amps. I have seen the results of a Simpson 260 used in this manner. It was in the pre-fuse days and the meter exploded like a hand grenade. The fellows were working on a large water chiller with probably near 100k Amps of available fault current. Oops! Many DMMs sense the probe connection and provide a warning - a useful feature.There's a lot of commentary on CAT ratings but precious little on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that is also required by OSHA. Flame proof coverings, face shield, rated gloves, rubber shielding and so on. It's always about CAT ratings...There are better tools for working in the CAT III area because 7-1/2 digits is unnecessary. Even if you don't like the answer you get on the display, there isn't much you can do to adjust it. Presence/absence is enough. I prefer the Knopp K-60 tool that I have been using, in one form or another, for 55+ years. It has a solenoid that vibrates when power is present and that's just about all I need to know. There is a voltage scale if I am looking for a missing phase. Over a period of use, you can get to where you can differentiate 120,240 and 480 by the way the solenoid pulls in and vibrates. There's no mistaking 480V! The tool does one thing, measure voltage, and it does it very well. It doesn't even attempt to measure current. My 50 year old Amprobe clamp-on does just one thing, measure current, and doesn't even have a place for test leads. Much safer!https://www.amazon.com/Knopp-K-60-Cat-Number-14460/dp/B003A7T5KGNote that it doesn't even measure current! I can't possibly misconnect it!As to misapplying a meter's voltage rating, well, gee, I think I know when I am working on 480V 3 Phase or 12 kV 3 Phase. There's something about the location and the massive bus insulators that tip me off real quick. My trusty Simpson 260 is rated for 1000VAC while the Aneng AN8008 is only rated for 550V and that's too close to 480V for me. We often set the transformer taps 5% high (to account for cable losses to the roof) and that's 504V. No, I wouldn't use the Aneng on 480V. But I would use the Simpson or some of Fluke's offerings like the 115 which is rated to 600V. If I even bothered with a DMM for electrical work...Is it worth having one Fluke for the CAT rating? Maybe... But the other meters (and there will be at least 2 others, sooner or later) need no such thing. OTOH, my trusty 260 has a 1000V range.If you are a professional, working on incoming power as a way of making a living, rated equipment will be purchased by your employer or you will pony up the money yourself. If you buy it yourself, it is probably tax deductible. For a hobby? Hm...Just some things to kick around. You can always go for the best, Fluke, and recognize that you have the very best equipment available. Or Simpson/Triplett. I like Triplett meters! Note that they even have a specific Railroad model!https://www.triplett.com/collections/analog-meters-vomhttps://simpsonelectric.com/products/test-equipment/These mechanical meters don't survive very long bouncing around in the back of a truck and they're EXPENSIVE!

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 06:59:44 pm
content: Quote from: Vovk_Z on January 06, 2022, 02:09:12 amThe + version has a much better DCV spec so it is worth finding this specific model. It's $95 at Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/UNI-T-Digital-Multimeter-Resistance-Capacitance/dp/B08NPJ58W3

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 07:04:56 pm
content: One advantage of the Knopp type tester for electricians is that you can feel when a circuit is energized. This allows you to keep your eyes on the probes. You don't need to look at a display to see the voltage. And you don't have to wait, the solenoid is instantaneous.This can be a really big deal when troubleshooting electrical systems with high complexity or high voltage/current. There are several reasons why this is my favorite electrical test instrument. Electrical, not electronic!

author: Vovk_Z
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 07:45:31 pm
content: Quote from: rstofer on January 06, 2022, 06:59:44 pmI'm not sure but I think UT61E is obsolete now and UT61E+ is the only model to buy.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 08:09:51 pm
content: I'm also generally an advocate of keeping the multimeter away from high energy circuits to begin with, or at least not using it as a primary, first choice tool. As rstofer notes, you're generally doing a go/no go check and you can't change the exact quality of grid power, so there's usually little point in precisely measuring anything about it. My household electric tool bag I keep around for the odd job just has a non contact probe and a cheap outlet tester in it. That and the back of my hand to confirm is good enough to deal with 120/240, my Fluke meter mostly stays on the bench. About the only time I use a multimeter on mains power is setting up the AVR and governor on a generator.If you're an electrician, HVAC, etc. then yeah, it makes sense to have a good and proper CAT III/IV meter, but for handyman type household electrical work you rarely need a meter, and if you do (check a run cap or whatever) you can/should do it with the power off anyway

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2022, 08:47:12 pm
content: Quote from: rstofer on January 06, 2022, 07:04:56 pmA 5mA 6000V transformer can give you zap but won't pull the solenoid in.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2022, 05:31:15 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on January 06, 2022, 08:47:12 pmJust like you don't mess around with the anode voltage on a CRT. You simply must know what you're doing.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2022, 06:35:23 pm
content: I'm not sure where one will run into unexpected high voltage doing residential electrical work, a solenoid tester is the wrong tool for job if you aren't working entirely with mains.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2022, 07:06:12 pm
content: Quote from: BrokenYugo on January 07, 2022, 06:35:23 pmPossibly the igniter on the heater or water heater? I think I would just look for the spark and, lacking one, work back on the low voltage side. I used to have a solenoid style tester that also worked on 24VAC (I think it was just an LED, not the actual solenoid motion). It was made for the HVAC trade.Another plus of the solenoid style tester: No batteries required. Nor can they be dead when you really need to test a circuit.Everybody has their own work practices.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2022, 07:53:10 pm
content: You are far from the HV side of an oil burner ignition transformer unless you open the thing up to service the gun assembly with the power on, which could go poorly for a number of reasons beyond the shock hazard.

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2022, 08:57:42 pm
content: I personally would never use the solenoid tester. It's about the poorest tester around.