Older Fluke Multimeters compared to cheap multimeters - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: sullyRD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 02:54:40 am
content: I have a Very old Fluke 23 the Continuity has gone to pot but the readings on AC-DC Diode current & resistance & audible continuity are still on a par with the latest Fluke Multimeters. I would recommend any older Fluke like the 20 or 70 range to anyone who is unable to afford a newer fluke rather than buy a cheaper meter because they still out perform new cheaper meters by a long shot.The following picture shows the accuracy of my Fluke 23 compared to the fluke 87v's connected to a 12v battery.

author: skipjackrc4
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 03:29:47 am
content: I would agree with this, I think. The caveat being that older displays can go bad, lose contrast or segments, etc...I have a fluke 51 from 1991 that still works like a treat, except for one segment of the second digit. You have to hold it at a specific angle to be able to read the full number.And old Fluke is FAR better than some cheap $20 Chinese POS.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 03:30:39 am
content: Quote from: skipjackrc4 on April 15, 2013, 03:29:47 amOld Fluke LCDs are utter crap.

author: Mike S
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 04:28:42 am
content: What about the Fluke 12? My uncle gave me one that he's had for several years. I haven't been able to much info on it except that it was one of their entry level DMM's in the early 90's.It seems to work well other than the dimming LCD segments that have already been mentioned.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 04:30:00 am
content: Quote from: Mike S on April 15, 2013, 04:28:42 amForget it, it's just a simple electricans meter.

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 08:58:30 pm
content: I don't know. If accuracy is your metric, the cheap Chinese meters do just fine. It's pretty hard to screw up; everything is in the IC. Even a $5 meter I got at a bargain tools store is accurate to +/- 2 of it's 2,000 counts (temp stability probably blows though). And you get a lot of handy features like capacitance range, uV on some, etc.It'll certainly be built a lot better and stand up to abuse much better, but the Chinese options are still going to give better bang for buck and a display that still works.Depends on how hard you're going to use it and what your needs are. Certainly not an option worth writing off though, they're good meters and the (average) price is right.Where'd you find a 13.00 volt 12V battery? Curious.

author: sullyRD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 09:36:46 pm
content: The reason why i posted this about the Older Fluke Multimeters compared to cheap new ones is you can buy them 2nd hand off Ebay for anywhere from £20 - £40 which is the same price you would pay for a new cheap VC99 or similar.If you were wondering what type of Multimeter to buy and were limited with funds this option is a much better choiceGiving people advice towards a 2nd hand Fluke is a much better and safer investment than to waste your money on some rubbish meter from China or elsewhere.The reason why my 12V battery is reading 13V is because i had just fully charged it up on my Optimate 3 Motorcycle charger

author: zaoka
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 10:47:49 pm
content: I love old Fluke 77. Sometimes you can get new one on eBay for around $100.

author: mzacharias
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 01:37:42 am
content: My .02 worth:I own seven Flukes dating from about 1975 to a new 289. Hardly a millivolt difference between them in any voltage reading. Never a problem more serious than a blown fuse.Speaks volumes I would say.

author: commongrounder
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 02:12:12 am
content: I find this a very interesting discussion, because Fluke has had much to say about their own older multimeters and the lack of CAT safety ratings on them (they want you to upgrade, of course). So it really comes down to whether you can believe the CAT ratings on the Chinese meters or not. If the Chinese meters have bogus ratings, then I suppose the older Flukes, even with their lack of CAT ratings and high voltage and current interrupt rated fuses, might be superior....

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 02:38:45 am
content: One thing my Fluke 77 has,which some modern DMMs seem to lack,is a method of determining if the meter is being used.If it is in use,the 77 will not go into "battery saving" shutdown mode.Some newer DMMS I have used happily shut down in the middle of a test,which is quite aggravating!Another thing,if the battery gets too low on a 77,it just refuses to work-----the early generation UNI-T DMMs they had at one of my last jobs announced the onset of battery failure by giving incorrect readings on the Ohms range.Nice ,if you are fault finding!They are probably better now,though.

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 12:58:56 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 15, 2013, 03:30:39 amOne of our members showed that it isn't the LCD that fails - well, I suppose technically it IS the LCD ASSEMBLY, but it's the polarizing film that fails on the early 70/20 series meters. I got a good deal on some replacements, so I've never had to repair one, but he reports that by buying new film, one can repair an LCD. He even made a "backwards" display by re-orienting the film.I've seen a few contact strips go bad from years of compression, but I find that most can be cleaned. Usually, I don't even have to do that - cleaning the PC board contacts fixes it.I've never seen a bad 27/25 LCD. I've broken one, and I've seen one that was broken in a meter I bought, but I've never seen a bad one. (I have purchased about 50-60 of these over the last 10 years or so.)The 10,11 and 12 meters, while very limited as Dave said, are good for what they do. These are made in the US and as a third or fourth meter, or for a "car meter" or something where you DON'T need what it won't do, they are nice, accurate meters. I keep one in my car tool bag. There is an "8" model "automotive meter" but, it's a marketing gimmick - it's the same as a 12. Similarly, a 18 automotive meter is a 16. (maybe a 12, my memory fails me.)There are some great Fluke repair people on here, they've really helped me out with my oldies.

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 01:44:13 pm
content: Not sure how 'old' old is, but the 1988+ series 80s DMM, i.e., the 85, 87 and 83, all that was wrong was the elastomer would gather oxidation and cleaning it with IPA will return its performance.

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 02:10:44 pm
content: the "snap together" tabs on the top shield of the 80 series meters sometimes break, if one is rough with the meter, or sometimes they break when servicing the connectors or PCB LCD contacts. These are 16 dollars (US) from Fluke, or 30 something from the E-bay guy. Again, if you know the part number it's better to order directly, or search E-bay for the p/n, some sellers are cheaper.I saw one guy selling a glued together one. I've found that doesn't work very well. It's best to replace it.

author: blasto9000
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2013, 04:11:18 pm
content: Quote from: ve7xen on April 15, 2013, 08:58:30 pmI have one of those $40 "Sinometer" meters from Amazon. It has a good feature set and build quality is reasonable for the price, but it is very susceptible to VHF RFI.When I key-up my handheld amateur radio transmitter (5 watts RF) within a 10-foot radius of the meter, the voltage display goes wild and the lights around the jacks for the leads light up in random fashion.I just don't trust it.