Everyone's favorite cheap meter has new fake features! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 12:23:32 am
content: I had a coupon for a free 24 pack of "Heavy Duty" batteries and snapped this:I think someone in their print department just put in their two weeks notice. I could understand this being something on ebay or aliexpress but not a major US retailer like Harbor Freight. All the meter boxes were like this, and yes that is the correct stock number it matches their site.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 12:28:17 am
content: Some of those features seem to be for the 14 function meter they sell.http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.htmlWhich their website link says 5-in-1.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 12:32:32 am
content: It's like they just took everything and put it in the blender since the resolution of "1999" is about right for the red meter but the green one says "3999".I posted the picture on their Facebook page. I wonder if they'll say something?

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 04:33:38 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on May 27, 2014, 12:23:32 amI'm more scared that you think HF is, or should be, somehow better than those examples!Tim

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 04:38:37 am
content: Fake, Fake, Fake........Everything is fake these days...

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 05:55:23 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on May 27, 2014, 04:33:38 amHF tools aren't the complete shit they used to be. Well some of them aren't. If you look a the Pittsburgh Pro stuff are made in Taiwan and aren't half bad. Impact sockets, ratchets, etc are ok. The multimeters on the other hand are horrible, mostly mastech rebrands.

author: babysitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 06:03:10 am
content: Data hold available only with additional camera, not included.Automatic zero adjust done several times for you already in the factory !High impact / soft overmold: On the probe cable !Frequency/Duty cycle: You can actually apply those !Temperature, Humidity, Sound Level, Lumonousubility: These are ambient requirements !You see, it is all there.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 02:46:07 pm
content: My Facebook post to them got a response of "here's a link to the manual pdf"

author: FrankenPC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 03:07:31 pm
content: Quote from: babysitter on May 27, 2014, 06:03:10 amLOL!

author: ajwgeek
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 07:21:28 pm
content: My school has a bunch of these exact meters. About a month ago I really needed to check the continuity between two points and I forgot my fluke at home. I remember that the LCD didn't even display anything while in the "continuity" mode, nor was there a buzzer. I also remember having to press quite firmly on the LCD to get the full voltage readout when testing my power supply.

author: deth502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 01:05:21 am
content: Quote from: PedroDaGr8 on May 27, 2014, 12:28:17 ammy thought as well, i thought it sounded like the mastech meter they sell.and btw, imo, the frequency measurement on that on is fake as well. i actually have 2 of them. cheap to throw in the toolbox and the ambient temp displayed on the dual screen is GREAT for hvac work. but all i ever get on either of them when i switch to frequency is 60hz.

author: PE1RKI
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 11:05:57 am
content: isnt harborfreight selling only chinese (crap) import ?

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 11:29:02 am
content: On auto-zero, you may want to read the chip's datasheet.

author: Evil Lurker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 01:28:37 pm
content: Harbor freight multimeters are total crap except for the rebranded MS8229s. Actually they would not be half bad if they would get someone more experienced than 8 year olds to do their soldering work for them, put an actual fuse and fuse holder on the PCB instead of an incandescent Christmas tree bulb (like they used to), replace the cheap ass trim pot with something slightly higher quality, and actually make a decent set of leads for it.I have gotten a bunch as freebies in the past and taken them apart just to see how they work and how piss poorly they were constructed. There are like 3 PCB revisions I have seen over the years with each generation getting cheaper and cheaper. Hell I even got one meter where the ground probe connection wasn't even soldered onto the PCB.To be honest if a person takes the time to look inside them it is amazing the things actually work at all!

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 01:41:24 pm
content: Quote from: PE1RKI on May 28, 2014, 11:05:57 amYes. Expecting quality ANYTHING from Harbor Freight will bite you in the ass later.Sometimes you get decent stuff. Everything I've ever bought from Harbor Freight broke on first or second use. And, I'm not rough with my stuff, their quality is just terrible.

author: N2IXK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 02:07:45 pm
content: You really need to check out their latest sales flyer:http://www.flutterby.com/images/2012/10/01/hf_tool_sale.pdfI have purchased a few tools from HF over the years, but mostly stuff that I need for one specific job (usually car repair) that I am unlikely to do again any time soon. Needed a ball joint separator press last year, and the $15 one from HF sure beat the $100 one the local auto parts store had, even though it was starting to show the strain by the time I finished the job (4 uses in total). Sure, if I used those kind of tools regularly, I would invest in the good stuff, but for a one-off application, or to buy a tool with the intent of hacking it up for some specialized job, HF junk has its place.I would NEVER trust anything of an electrical nature from that place, though. Not even a flashlight....

author: aroby
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 03:12:36 pm
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 28, 2014, 01:41:24 pmSome of their products leave a lot to be desired, however I've bought a few things that I'm very pleased with. A gas powered water pump that I use for my pool - $99 with a coupon! I've used it the past 3 years with no problems, and it always starts quickly. I bought a beefy framing hammer for $6 (!), and it's one of the best hammers I've owned. And the moving dollys they sell are very good for the price. Oh, and my $60 hammer drill / chisel just keeps on going. I've found the reviews on their site to be pretty accurate, so I usually base my buying decision off of those.Anthony

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 11:54:53 pm
content: I tend to go there more when they put out coupons for free things. This weekend I picked up a free 24 pack of Zinc Chloride AA batteries and a bug-zapping fly swatter.I've got at least 5 or 6 of those red meters and a few flashlights all free.I've broke some of their hand tools before but they have a "lifetime" warranty so I take them back.

author: bench_knob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2014, 12:26:48 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on May 27, 2014, 10:23:32 AM

author: melka
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 08, 2014, 01:23:52 pm
content: The Mastech MS8233C is being sold here in France in a shop called Leroy-Merlin (I guess you could call it a froggy Home Depot ?).Seeing that it's 15€, which is about the same price if you buy it on eBay, I went and picked one up, and the labels on the packaging were obviously not for that meter :- Supposedly did hFE- Despite the obvious C°/F° markings and the thermocouple, no mention of temperature measurement- Had to tell the salesmen that it had the NCV functionI don't know what the import-export guys are doing, but please, do some research. Actually, don't, or you would have priced that meter 3 times higher.Worse thing is that Castorama (another home improvement store) sells that same cheap meter that started the thread for 15€ (~20$)...

author: 6PTsocket
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2018, 12:25:15 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on May 27, 2014, 12:23:32 amSo what else is new? This is the same HF that had a 3 cyl single stage compressor listed as a two stage alternate number to the 5 hp 2 cyl. 2 stage. They open three new stores a week so I guess most of their customers don't know or don't care. What about all the specs. that are attributed to the correct device that are just pipe dreams?Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

author: Habropoda
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2018, 12:41:19 am
content: Quote from: 6PTsocket on August 26, 2018, 12:25:15 amCertainly not this thread from four years ago!