Asking for opinion on one of two multimeters (ONLY those two please) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: mistercris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 03:36:50 am
content: Hey all, I'm picking up a new multimeter and I'm deciding between the Klein mm700 and the eevblog BM235.As I'm ordering online and I've no way to actually see them prior to delivery, I was hoping the collective here with their combined experience might be able to tilt the table for me one way or the other by offering why one or the other is the better option (otherwise Im just flipping a coin).It wil NOT be for professional use (well... professional tinkering maybe).Mostly I'm looking for a better replacement for the POS I got when I didn't know better when i was doing some home wiring. I do some tool repairs (my own tools only), but I also do some tinkering with small projects (like music electronics and led lighting projects). I do want to start working with micro-controllers but that's for later.Any suggestions?(PLEASE do not suggest another meter - for various reasons I'm only interested in these two.)Thanks!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 03:57:20 am
content: MM700 Disadvantages:4000 vs 6000 countNo visual continuityNo 50mV range DC or ACBasic specs aren't as good (1%+8 vs 0.3%+2)No EMF detectionBiggerBoth are certifiedSimilar AC TRMS frequency range.Only advantage of the MM700 would be the ruggedness perhaps? But the BM235 is already pretty rugged.Also it has bargraph.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 04:20:25 am
content: I quickly scanned the documentation for both and did not find anything which would immediately disqualify one of the meters like variable input resistance. They seem very comparable. I like that meters are now using two AA or AAA cells instead of a 9 volt battery.The EEVBlog meter not only has 6000 instead of 4000 counts but has about 3 times better basic DC accuracy. Plus being Australian, it can fend off all of those non-poisonous and non-venomous North American meters.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 03:14:30 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 26, 2017, 03:57:20 amI concur on the ruggedness of the Brymen meters. I have two, Dave's BM235 and another BM867 and they could certainly be used to bludgeon someone to death if needed. Very solidly built piece of gear.

author: mistercris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 04:59:12 pm
content: Quote from: David Hess on October 26, 2017, 04:20:25 amlmao! Thanks that gave me quite a chuckle.Quote from: janoc on October 26, 2017, 03:14:30 pmGood, that was one of the things I couldn't tell. The Klein is rated to 6 foot drops, and while I don't plan on flinging it about, I have dropped my current cheapy a few times so was wondering how robust the BM was.So, is having a 6000 count better than a bar graph in terms of benefits/tradeoff? I mean, if you had to pick one over the other.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 05:19:09 pm
content: Whether the bar graph is useful depends entirely on how fast it updates (in my opinion). My use for such a feature would be watching car battery voltage drop as I crank the starter. To do this, the update rate has to compete with an analog V-O-M.My Fluke 189 has a bargraph and I have "oohed and ahhed" over it but never used it for any real work. If I want to see a somewhat fast change, I use an analog meter. But the 189 is probably fast enough, I just have never used it for that function.I have the EEVblog meter and it works very well.I would think that the Klein meter is intended for electricians and the Brymen for electronics techs. Just an opinion...

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 06:50:41 pm
content: I don't have time to read the Klein manual, but looking at the picture, you have to hit the sel button to switch between ACV and DCV.My interpretation of the symbols suggests ACV is default and pressing sel switches it to DCV. If this is correct, then I would not buy this meter for myself since I mainly do DCV measurements.On some Brymen meters and possibly Dave's BM235, it remembers your last selection after you power it off. I don't have time to read the BM235, but that maybe a feature valuable to you?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 08:15:34 pm
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on October 26, 2017, 06:50:41 pmOn my Keysight handheld DMM I can change the default (AC or DC) so I would guess this is a common feature for other handheld DMMs.

author: mistercris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 08:47:37 pm
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on October 26, 2017, 06:50:41 pmYou're right. It does default to AC. Just checked. Also couldn't find anywhere saying it 'remembered' last selection either.Quote from: rstofer on October 26, 2017, 05:19:09 pmI think given the defaults you're right.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 09:16:02 pm
content: IMHO, te BM235 is a better buy. Why? I am biased. I like Brymen. But another thing is I rarely use the bar graph function so it is secondary to me.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2017, 10:42:08 pm
content: the kleine looks a lot like a rebadged mastech

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2017, 12:16:31 am
content: Quote from: mistercris on October 26, 2017, 04:59:12 pmTo me accuracy is more important than resolution but only because the former tends not to be commensurate with the later. Like most digital multimeters, the Klein meter lacks the accuracy to fully support its own 4000 count display or even a 3-1/2 digit 2000 count display. That does not mean that the extra resolution is useless as it allows getting the most out of each range but it can be misleading. The EEVBlog meter is slightly better in this respect with 3 times better accuracy for 50% more counts. The accuracy of my 4000 count DMM916 is about 7 times better than the EEVBlog meter (but at more than twice the cost!) but it has the lower default resolution of the Klein meter.As far as the bar graph, I have used mine to either evaluate the stability of a signal or to calibrate something for the minimum or maximum reading; both of these things are much easier to do with the faster update rate provided by the bar graph. I would say that a fast continuity beeper is more important than a bar graph but whether the bar graph is worth selecting for depends on your intended application; I doubt I would miss it and if I did, I would just get a second cheaper meter which has it.

author: mistercris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2017, 02:44:32 am
content: Thanks all! I appreciate you taking the time to answer.Just went ahead and ordered the BM235.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 27, 2017, 02:58:39 am
content: Quote from: mistercris on October 26, 2017, 04:59:12 pmI rarely if ever have use for a bargraph, but more counts very often gives you greater resolution on a given range.e.g. if you measure a 5V rail on a 4000 count you get 5.00V, but on a 6000 count you get 5.000VI'd go with counts every time.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 27, 2017, 03:00:06 am
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on October 26, 2017, 06:50:41 pmYes, the BM235 remembers modes.