Multiple questions about Brymen multimeters (BM857s, BM859s, BM789) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: elemieu
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 01, 2023, 09:58:41 pm
content: Dear community,let me get straight to the point...I am deciding on buying either BM857s, BM859s, or BM789.I don't care for measuring temperature. A factor which brought me to these meters is the fast continuity buzzer response. This alongside a meter's life expectancy is the most important criterion. I tend to trust more mature products when it comes to electronics, which is why I am inclined to buy the BM857s the most.I mostly dabble in digital electronics, but occasionally probe about connections with mains voltage on them.1. What is the functional difference between 850 and 850s series? Words like *s*uperb and *s*wift keep popping up throughout the latter's brochure. But that in itself does not imply that much...2. What makes BM859s $50 more expensive than BM857s? I've only been able to spot slight differences in accuracy, the ability of the newer model to measure temperature, as well as operate reliably at a wider bandwidth. But, to me, that in itself doesn't seem to justify the price tag. Is there something I'm missing?3. How does the BM789 compare to the former two in terms of its potential propensity to die after very little use?I do apologise if some of these questions have already been discussed in other topics; I must have missed them.The more verbose your answers are, the better. Thank you.

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 12:22:41 am
content: Quote from: elemieu on July 01, 2023, 09:58:41 pmDon't know if this applies to the 850 series, but the one difference I was able to find between the BM257 and BM257s was that the current measurement range went from 8A to 10A.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 04:33:09 am
content: Quote from: mwb1100 on July 02, 2023, 12:22:41 amWhen I had asked Brymen about the BM869 vs BM869s, they had re-certified for CATIV 1000V. At a minimum, the HRC fuse would have changed.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 07:25:30 am
content: Quote from: elemieu on July 01, 2023, 09:58:41 pmI have 2xBM789 in operation every day and there are no failures, they work stably. I'm sure BM857s, BM859s, like any other complex technical device, also has a very low failure rate.AutoHold Real-Read™, BeepLit™ Continuity, BeepLit™ Diode Alert, long display backlight, stable and long life on 3xAA Eneloop batteries. This is not onBM857, BM859.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 08:07:14 am
content: My understanding is that Brymen doesn't sell both "s" and non-"s" versions of a specific model number, such as BM869s. They made various improvements at some point, so added the "s" model and stopped selling the previous model without the "s". Otherwise you would not be able to tell them apart.You do have it right with the differences between the BM857s and BM859s. As with many products, the pricing structure can be a complex decision on the manufacturer's side, such as component cost or buyer psychology. Sometimes when a product lineup is first launched, the cost difference was significant, but over time that changes. In the case of the BM867s and BM869s, it's been reported that the performance disparity was not at the point Brymen was claiming, which could be a simple result of it being cheaper to buy one part for both models rather than have to deal with two. This is why for some products you can hack them to the higher model with just software changes.However, I still suspect Brymen holds the BM8x9s models to a higher standard, so they might be at least binning the better components. And even in this case it's not 100% a done deal. Say you have to make 500 of the lower model and 100 of the higher, but you bin the components and find that you have 300 for lower and 300 for higher. Well, the higher-end components could end up in the lower-end model. Or maybe you change suppliers and only get higher spec parts.This is all speculation on my side, though.I don't think you can go wrong with any of the models you mentioned, assuming the one you choose has the feature set you are looking for.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 08:19:46 am
content: Quick additional note on the BM859s, it does come with a thermocouple and thermocouple adapter, so there is some small additional cost there. Also, the BM859s has better accuracy specs for resistance and AC functions.Some thoughts on the BM789... They have had quite a few revisions of this and so if you purchase a recently-made one it should be generally good to go. Some of us early adopters have a few annoyances to deal with. My last order with Welectron I was lucky to notice they sold the speaker shield for the BM789 and picked that up. At some point I need to install it and remove my previous hack-shielding.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 09:14:22 am
content: Quote from: elemieu on July 01, 2023, 09:58:41 pmFirst, old stuff is not better. Just old. It can be old but still good, but not better, comparing to same class of instruments.1. others already answered2. You don't understand that more precision means more expensive components, and more measurements mean more components and work. Actually price difference between BB867S and BM869S is so small that it makes no sense to buy 867 at all. As for "I will never use this function", that has proven to be wrong on many occasions. I measure temperature with BM869S all the time.. And I have several dedicated instruments for temperature.3. Brymen is quality manufacturer. It's meters propensity to die is at equal level as Fluke handhelds. Rock solid. Simply buy meter that you can afford with featureset best representing what you will use it for.For digital meter is useful only for power rails voltages, resistance and continuity. Scope and all kinds of logic level analysers are primary instruments for digital.For poking around mains it is best to use voltage testers like BT-75EU (or equivalent). Those are devices made for just this task. For your work (as explained) I would get BT-75EU and some simpler meter like BM257... But that's me. Any Brymen meter is safe to use on household mains, so you don't absolutely need tester ....

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 04:41:29 pm
content: Quote from: elemieu on July 01, 2023, 09:58:41 pmGood choice. Least clutter, simplest dial layout.Things like dual display are just a distraction most of the time. Go for a physically smaller+simpler meter for daily use. Keep a cheap second meter in a drawer for the rare occasions when you need to see two numbers simultaneously. The combination of values that can be displayed is limited anyway, when I need two numbers it's usually volts+amps, which those meters don't do. Not having to press a button to see Hz doesn't seem like a big win.Quote from: elemieu on July 01, 2023, 09:58:41 pmI don't think there's much electrical difference but take a look at the backlight in this video, it's one of the things they changed:The 's' version of the 857 has a nice even, orange backlight (like the 257 in that video).(also note the size difference between the 857 and the 869. It's not something to trivialize when your bench is getting crowded)Dave says the 857 is on the way out in that video but Brymen is still selling it.

author: elemieu
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 05:45:32 pm
content: Thank you, everyone, for your constructive replies!After not doing anything but trying to decide for the last couple of days, I went with the 857s. I'm still not sure if I made the right choice, but, then again, I can return it within 14 days of receiving it if anything bothers me considerably.Cheers.- elemieu

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 05:51:19 pm
content: Don't worry. I have both the BM857 and the BM869s. Both are fine; use my BM857 the most due to the superfast continuity meterHappy metering.Quote from: elemieu on July 02, 2023, 05:45:32 pm

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 01:34:52 am
content: Quote from: elemieu on July 02, 2023, 05:45:32 pmLet us know how it goes...

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 02:08:37 am
content: If the Brymen is as good as they said any of the models should last at least 20 years.

author: elemieu
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 03:43:59 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on July 07, 2023, 01:34:52 amThe meter arrived today, so here it goes. Note that I don't have much experience with other multimeters apart from a cheap Lidl one that I used for ~5 years; don't expect any sort of educated or in-depth review.- The continuity buzzer kicks in staggeringly fast - I can't imagine it being much better than this. I had to wait somewhere in the order of hundreds of milliseconds with the last meter for it to realize something was happening. That was especially annoying when probing large amounts of pins, and deteriorated surfaces or small connections, which is what I do the most often. The sound might actually be a bit too loud for me, but I can always remedy that with a piece of tape if it starts getting on my nerve, I suppose...- I especially appreciate that the meter can be woken up from auto-sleep with a press of a button, without having to move the knob around. The fact that it remembers the last SELECT mode for each position is really very nice too.- The stand is actually usable, compared to the last meter. Though I'm almost a bit afraid I might snap the plastic when unfolding it - it's clipped in quite hard. However, I can turn the knob and press the buttons with considerable vigour, and the meter stands its ground just fine. If necessary, changing the probes also seems possible, but more care is needed.- The display might be a bit too small for those with poor eyesight and/or those who might want to look at it from greater distances. That is not my problem, however, so I can't go into greater detail.- The backlight is, I believe, not as bright as that of newer models, but I personally like that.- I've tried rotating the knob with the meter lying on various surfaces (polished and unpolished wood, ceramic tiles, cooker top glass, and smooth conveyor belt rubber), and it's very well possible on all of those. The meter can be made to slide around with a bit of determination but that's outside the bounds of general use. The holster rubber's fairly coarse surface feels nice to the touch.- It's nice that I don't have to switch jacks for measuring resistance and voltage.- The probes came with an unlabelled cable, but are otherwise performing OK. They look the same as those in Dave's video.I haven't got anything to test the meter's accuracy with (though I believe Dave's done it in the same video as referred to above), and the functions all work as advertised. That's about it.If anything cardinal comes up in the future, I'll try to summarise it in this thread.If you present me with any questions, I'll try my best to answer them.Thanks again, everyone, for the help.- elemieu

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 03:55:55 pm
content: Quote from: elemieu on July 07, 2023, 03:43:59 pmYou could try my stand mod...https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/help-me-decide-fluke-87v-or-brymen-bm789/msg3505584/#msg3505584

author: HAO
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 10:57:31 am
content: Hello everyone, is Brymen BM857s still worth buying? The design is too old, Amprobe and Extech have also stopped selling it. Will Brymen stop producing it in the future? I already have BM869s, BM789, BM786, each has its advantages and disadvantages, so I want to try the BM857s.

author: TomKatt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 11:47:30 am
content: I'm surprised that not one post in this thread discussed what the primary use case would be for selecting what meter was the 'best'... There's a big difference in needs between testing 5V digital circuits and 408 3 phase industrial equipment, not to mention everything in between.I've got a Greenlee DM820A (rebadged Brymen 827s?), which is a big beefy industrial CAT IV 1KV dual display meter and also Dave's Brymen 235... Both are great meters, but the big Greenlee is more at home working on mains power while the 235 sits nicely on the bench. I really like the flashing light continuity display on the 235 for tracing pc boards, and the dual readout DC + AC voltage or AC + Hz frequency on the Greenlee is great for VFD motor drives.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 11:52:10 am
content: Quote from: HAO on July 08, 2024, 10:57:31 amYes, it's their best meter!(IMHO)Quote from: HAO on July 08, 2024, 10:57:31 amThe design has been updated internally since it was introduced. It's a rock-solid meter now.It's part of their "industrial" range so it's square, has a rubber bumper and recessed screen. The front-on photos on the Brymen web site are awful but it looks good in person, IMHO. It's quite a lot smaller than a BM869s.I like it because it's all very simple, basically one function per range position and no screen clutter.The LCD is also very good contrast compared to the others.Note: Post was fixed...

author: PushUp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 02:10:47 pm
content: I think you meant another model or it is a typo:It's quite a lot smaller than a BM859s: 869s ?..., as the 857s (160 Euro) and 859s (200 Euro) are the same in size, but differ in temperature measurement; 0,02% (vs. 0,03%) accuracy and 100kHz (vs. 20kHz) bandwidth.Here are the pictures of both models:soon in stock:https://www.welectron.com/Brymen-BM857s-Multimeter_1on stock:https://www.welectron.com/Brymen-BM859s-Multimeter_1Cheers! ;-)

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 02:21:31 pm
content: Quote from: PushUp on July 08, 2024, 02:10:47 pmYeah, Typo. I meant the 869s.(obviously it's the exact same size as an 859s...)

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 02:34:47 pm
content: Quote from: PushUp on July 08, 2024, 02:10:47 pmMe? If I have to choose between those two I'd get the BM857. I don't need temperature in my multimeter and putting the diode range on a separate position is a good thing.Theonlyshared range in the BM857 dial is resistance/continuity and it only takes one button press to toggle that. No cycling through three or four functions like on those more "modern" meters.The BM859s claims higher accuracy than the BM857s but as far as I can tell my BM857s is accurate to within a digit.The only complaint I have with it is the short backlight time and the stand isn't great (although there's a simple fix for that)

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 02:45:45 pm
content: there was backlight changes between S and non S was better on S ....857s for me is the best lolli dont like the shape of the 86x model, since it wobble on the bench

author: TomKatt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 02:56:37 pm
content: I never understood the authoritarian approach to meter backlighting with these short-duration timers. If the user wants the backlight on, turn it on - they probably have a reason. If the battery runs down, fine - the user knows that the backlight draws power. Reset the backlight at every power-off cycle so it needs to be re-enabled the next time you turn on the meter - that's a sufficient guard to prevent accidental battery draining. But this 10, 15 or even 60 second auto turn-off 'feature' is ridiculous.Dave's BM235 version is acceptable - I wish more would follow that path.

author: HAO
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 03:38:06 pm
content: The backlight of BM857s ( and BM869s ) has changed to 256s. I also like the BM857s for its simplicity like the Fluke 87V. I will buy one at brymenmeter.com (Eleshop) from Netherlands. Price is cheaper than TME and Welectron.

author: cv007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 03:46:49 pm
content: QuoteI recently purchased a 857s and its backlight timeout is 256 seconds which I assume is the max they could do with the chip in use. I wasn't thinking of backlight time when I made the purchase so just assumed it would be on the short side like most other meters but pleasantly surprised when I found out otherwise.I would have been happy with either the 857s or its newer equivalent (forget which number), but chose the 857s because I like the form factor compared to newer models (squared off instead of 'curvy'). I also like the 'normal' lcd digit height instead of the somewhat elongated digits found on newer models. I tend to dislike most meter lcd displays but the 857s has good contrast and viewing angles. Although the backlight color is old school (not white), it does the job. I did want to get away from 9v batteries, but that was not a deal breaker and I'm not even sure it matters either way.I do like the 857s, and probably should have bought one long ago.

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 04:23:29 pm
content: Quote from: TomKatt on July 08, 2024, 02:56:37 pmCouldn't agree more!

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2024, 07:55:22 pm
content: My hack to fix the stand on the BM857s:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/help-me-decide-fluke-87v-or-brymen-bm789/msg3505584/#msg3505584

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2024, 02:44:42 pm
content: Quote from: TomKatt on July 08, 2024, 02:56:37 pmYep. It's ridiculous.Put a warning sticker on the back or whatever to avoid idiots complaining about battery life, but keep it on.(...or make it timeout by default but add a very simple way to make it stay on, eg. a long press of the power light button)PS: The Chinese can make a set of Christmas tree lights (hundredsof LEDs) last for weeks on a set of batteries, why can't multimeter techs do the same?