New Harbor Freight multimeter teardown request - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 12:06:52 am
content: Harbor Freight has introduced a new multimeter under the Ames (Iowa?) brand. The multimeter is DM1000 and competes with the Klein MM700 multimeter.Can someone please purchase this meter and tear it down? I am curious to see what the fuses and input protection looks like.https://www.harborfreight.com/electricians-hvac-contractor-trms-multimeter-64019.htmlThanks!

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 12:24:49 am
content: Quote from: Axtman on January 20, 2018, 12:06:52 amSomeone else had started a thread on this meter not too long ago.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-better-quality-%27ames-instruments%27-multimeter-brand-from-harbor-freight/You should pick one up and pull it apart for us. I will watch it if you do. If I buy one, there would be nothing left of it and you don't want that on your conscience do you?

author: Terry01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 01:25:45 am
content: Quote from: Axtman on January 20, 2018, 12:06:52 amIs it just me or is this a bit of a funny request???Someone buy a meter and pull it apart so you can see what the fuse and input protection look like!!LOLYou buy one for somebody to pull apart would be the way to go surely??Some peolple!!

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 01:34:28 am
content: Sure no prob, just pop $70 in my paypal account and I'm so there.For what it's worth this looks like a rebadged mastech.

author: Terry01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 01:38:47 am
content: I'd say your spot on there buddy! They've just changed the colour of the boot and put a different name on it.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 01:41:28 am
content: Makes sense as many of the meters they offer are made by Mastech as well. I have bought a few that I use outside. They take some mechanical abuse but the ones I have looked at have never been very electrically robust.

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 03:23:30 am
content: Quote from: Terry01 on January 20, 2018, 01:38:47 amAlmost on the money, mateThe AMES claims True-RMS in the pic, whereas no show on the MastechHow true the True-RMS actually is, depends on when I receive a free one to compare with my FlukesBoth meters have the same optimistic CAT ratings,which TBH may give half that only if they sport metal threaded posts to hold the meter together on a juicy HV/HI [[BANG!]]

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 03:26:42 am
content: Quote from: phil from seattle on January 20, 2018, 01:34:28 amThe case could be the same but the insides could be different?For instance the AMES says True RMS and has a Lo-Z range.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 03:31:48 am
content: There's also an Easter Egg. The display picture in the brochure shows a USB symbol whereas the picture in the manual has no mention of this. Maybe there is a comms feature hidden inside waiting to be reverse engineered?

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 03:37:19 am
content: It's theMS8251Bmodel, 'B' not the 'A'.'A' is the non-TRMS version and no Low-Zi.e. DM1000 is inspired by the MS8251BAnyways, we were close, but no cigar guysThere's a thread going here too >www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-better-quality-%27ames-instruments%27-multimeter-brand-from-harbor-freight/

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 05:37:37 am
content: So I went to Harbor Freight and bought the Ames DM1000 meter. I will post a few pictures. The input protection are two fuses, one large 10A/1000V HRC fuse and one smaller 600mA/1000V ceramic fuse. There are also 4 PTCs. There is one arc over slot cut in the board.Overall the meter is just okay. I briefly tested it on voltages and resistances and the meter performed ok. The backlight is great! Nice and bright and consistent. Soldering is okay. The rotary switch traces appear to be nickle not gold. The boot or holster is pretty flimsy rubber. The leads are also pretty poor vinyl. The continuity sucks. The latching is so slow that you can touch the leads together fast and not get a beep. When you do get a beep you can untouch the leads and the beep will continue.If Fluke was a 10 and free Harbor Freight meter was a 1, then this meter would be about a 6. My Klein MM2000 meter would be about an 8. My Craftsman meter would be about a 4. This is probably a pretty good beginner student meter.I will be returning this meter.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 05:40:28 am
content: Really flimsy boot/holster.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 05:43:42 am
content: Nice bright backlight.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 05:45:44 am
content: Separate battery and fuse compartment with threaded inserts! I like not having to take the meter apart to change fuses. It did not come with the Engergizer battery. It came with Harbor Freight's cheap Thunderbolt brand battery.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 05:47:40 am
content: Proof that this meter is a rebranded Mastech MS8251 meter. Also notice the 4 green PTCs.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 05:55:06 am
content: This meter is basically a "Behringer". If you don't know Behringer is an audio company that takes great piece of audio gear and copies it with the cheapest components known to man.

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 06:43:13 am
content: Quote from: Axtman on January 20, 2018, 05:55:06 amActually, it is a Mastech as the model number on the PCB shows. It's not a cheap copy of great piece of gear, it's an exact copy of a mediocre piece of gear. Not that it means that much difference in the end, though.By the way, HF always has coupons - typically 20% off full price. So don't buy this meter at full price.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 06:49:27 am
content: The 20% off Harbor Freight coupon does not apply to Ames meter. It's in the really fine print. I did find a $10 off coupon. It does not matter because the meter will go back tomorrow.

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 07:10:12 am
content: By the way, how is the viewing angle of the LCD? In particular, is the display legible when it's lying flat a couple of feet in front of you? Say from 45 degrees.

author: Axtman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 07:24:39 am
content: Yes the LCD screen is best viewed from up from 45 degrees. When the screen is viewed straight on 90 degrees, the digits are a little bit faded out. The digits are almost completely faded out when viewed from the top down at 135 degrees.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2018, 01:48:47 pm
content: Quote from: Axtman on January 20, 2018, 05:47:40 amIt appears to have place holders for additional MOVs.

author: 6PTsocket
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2018, 08:55:55 pm
content: One of my freebees days Mastech on the pc board.Quote from: phil from seattle on January 20, 2018, 01:34:28 amSent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

author: 6PTsocket
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2018, 09:01:42 pm
content: True RMS is only going to show a difference in something other than a sine wave. What seperates the good ones from the junk is how much wave distortion it can process and still read correctly. Non RMS meters actually read average and are compensated to read RMS but ONLY ON A SINE WAVE.Quote from: Electro Detective on January 20, 2018, 03:23:30 amSent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk