Any safe - quality meters for $50-150 recommendations ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2018, 09:56:32 pm
content: I need a 2nd DMM for bench use and once and a while household 240V in Canada/USI could get a Brymen BM235 for $160 CAD (and I know that's safe/quality). And has tons of options for benchtop hobby stuff.What are some other's a bit cheaper ?

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2018, 10:03:29 pm
content: Hi, do you want a 'bench dmm' or just a dmm that you will use on your bench?I forget which thread it is in but in general the bench meters are not safers than hand held meters. They are designed for accuracy, resolution and stability (temperature and low calibration drift not wobble on the bench).I agree that for the price range, Brymen are your best bet.

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2018, 11:09:06 pm
content: No I'm getting benchmeter sometime, but for now I need a DMM I would also take out of the house. I don't want to take my BM869 anywhere untrusted

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2018, 11:37:41 pm
content: You could look at cheaper Brymens, though it might pay to spring for a BM257S for the connectivity and bar graph.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 12:52:27 am
content: Fluke 101? Cheap, small, safe and as a 2nd DMM, you can have it measure voltage while the 1st measures amps.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 08:44:33 am
content: I second the Fluke 101.It's limited as a primary multimeter but it's really really safe, almost impossible to destroy electrically and would make a useful second multimeter. You can get them for under $50, delivered.If you're spending $100 you can get a Fluke 15B+.If you're spending $150 you can get either a Brymen BM235 or a Fluke 17B+, but now we're moving into "primary multimeter" territory.

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 10:30:13 am
content: Fluke 114 is THE safest meter I ownbecause it has no current inputsEven though it's a basic shmasic affordablefeature challengedFluke, it has worthy specs, TRMS, Min-Max, Low-Z, great Continuity/Buzzer etcand won't break your pocket, well... it may pop a few stitches

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 10:56:29 am
content: For mains I'd recommend sparky tools like a Duspol.

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 10:56:50 pm
content: Quote from: madires on May 03, 2018, 10:56:29 amTwo Duspols are even better if playing with electricity, in case one fails, flat or leaking battery, or damaged during a jobYou can compare readings to ensure both workor keep one at home, one in the tool bag etceither way it saves you a petrol bill and headache shopping for another if you only have one and it fails, gets forgotten or stolen etcbut the poster is after another meter

author: treesap
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 06:42:39 pm
content: I recently purchased aFluke 17B+meter for around $100. Its feature set far exceeds that of the 110-series meters available, and as it's made by Fluke, I'm very confident of its safety. However, one caveat: as it is designed for the Asian market, its warranty is not valid elsewhere. However, given the brand's reputation, as well as the low price, that is something I can certainly accept.That aside, it certainly feels about as well built as my father's Fluke 87-V and when I compared some readings with the 87, they were pretty much spot-on. It has some high-end Fluke features for cheap, too. It seems like it's going to serve me well for a very long time. I wanted something I could trust to give reliable readings, and that I knew wouldn't blow up on me when exposed to higher voltages.I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it (as long as you're okay with the warranty thing), and it ralls right in the middle of your price range.Edit: No True RMS, which could be a potential downside, depending on your use case. For my usage, though, it really doesn't matter. If this is a necessity, you can always go with one of the 110-series with TRMS, though you give up a lot of features--it's really targeted more towards career electricians.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 10:33:43 pm
content: Quote from: treesap on May 04, 2018, 06:42:39 pmI like the 17B+ as well and it's done well in the robustness thread, I'm sure it will last a long time.Feature-wise you don't get as much as the equivalent-price Brymen though, no TRMS, no bar graph...Me? I'd get the 17B+. Because it's yellow.

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 11:51:40 pm
content: Quote from: treesap on May 04, 2018, 06:42:39 pmI wouldn't be that confident with any meter, much less a popular brand cheapie model, introduced to grab a market share of cheaper feature rich competitorsThat said, I'd be looking at a competitor's product for better value, specs and similar CAT wishful thinking, if I'm going to spend 17B type moneyThe 110 series do what little they offer in features really well, and stop reading at about 660 volts AC or DC IIRCto let the brave and or foolish know that the meter should not be used in a dangerous high voltage with ouch current scenarioThe 110 series is a proper poor man's Fluke, and what LOW voltage/current specs they lack can be supplemented using most cheapo meters as a second meterAll that aside, consider the EEVblog meter too, it's hard to beat as an all rounder

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2018, 09:37:18 am
content: The Fluke 110 series are electricians dmms.They lack current ranges mA and uA.Other than that they are pretty good.Flukes and Brymen offer certified CAT ratings.So do Keysight, Gossen Metrawatt and Hioki.Amprobe may be worth a look as well.European versions of some Uni-T models are safe, eg the UT61E.The UT139 (any model) while not having official certification, is regarded as safe. Teardowns show that they have decent looking input protection.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2018, 10:34:41 am
content: Quote from: Electro Detective on May 04, 2018, 11:51:40 pmAny meter can blow up in the wrong environment but I doubt a Fluke or Brymen will do much damage in a CAT III Zone.The small Flukes (101/107) have done as well as any of the big expensive meters in joe's electrical robustness tests.(obDisclaimer: whicharen't"safety" tests)Quote from: Electro Detective on May 04, 2018, 11:51:40 pmThe 101/107 are even more so.