Trying to understand choosing between  a used 34410a and a used 34461a DMM - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: wanderer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 01:51:34 pm
content: I am a hobbyist and I still consider myself beginner even if the equipment I get would not generally be what a beginner would have. So far I have generally focused on doing a specific thing but I am just starting to try to delve into understanding more about electrical engineering. What this mean is I end up buying equipment with the full intention of learning to use it but life has gotten in the way and some of it has ended up sitting with only occasional use.That said, I wanted to add a used bench digital multimeter. I went down the rabbit hole and found myself looking at 2 units on ebay.the first was a HP 34410a. It looked very clean, seller had a 100 reputation and about 2000 sales. The listing showed "Hewlett Packard model 34410A 6-1/2 digit digital multimeter in great condition!Fully tested using my Wavetek 4800 multifunction calibrator, and is well within spec, however I do not maintain a certified lab, so accuracy to any accepted standard is not guaranteed.New probe set and power cord included." at a price of 579.95 located in the US. As best I can tell the screen looks bright I see no damage on the outside of the unit and very minimal wear. Looks like from the serial number it was manufactured in 2008.the second was a keysight 34461A truevolt with accessory kit. Seller also has 100% feedback but under 20 sales Not many details on this, other than it says it is slightly used, it is powered up and the screen is bright. Price is $800 also located in the US. Looks like from the serial number this was made in 2015.The question is which one would have been the better purchase?Was the tested machine a better option than the newer scope with less info.I've spent a bit trying to understand why some equipment seems to draw more attention than others, and I sometimes understand, like Firmware, or revision history, parts are available etc.I already purchased the 34410a. So for now that is what I'm adding to my set up. So not buyers remorse or anything. I just want to know other people's thoughts, and also check how my thought process on making the decision tracks with others who are more knowledgeable than I am.I made the decision based on a few factors.1. It was tested and appeared accurate2. It looks like it does most of the things I might want to do in the future3. They seem to last a long time4. The appear to be more repairable when something goes wrong5. Price6. while the difference wasn't great between the two systems I would have been more upset if the 800 unit ended up being trash than if the 600 meter was. Yeah weird I know.Thanks for any input

author: wanderer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 01:59:07 pm
content: I wanted to add, I've read all the other threads I could find on these and other DMM and their pros and cons. So this is more about the specific listings.

author: MathWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 02:21:44 pm
content: Did you reach out to the 61A seller? Sounds like they weren't a busy store, and maybe they would have done more testing if asked. But yeah, there's scammers out there too.I was also considering some used 344xxx models, in the end I went with a new Siglent 3065X. For repair-ablity, I have a couple of old Keithley DMM's.I've bought a bunch of open-box and used video cards off ebay over the years, only 1 had an issue. IDK if they were all tested, but yeah, I should ask the sellers, more questions.

author: wanderer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 02:40:49 pm
content: I didn't ask any questions this time. I've had a string of bad luck with purchases lately, even brand new where it was broken or damaged for all sorts of things. So this time I really just wanted something that works even if I missed out on what looked like possibly a good deal.

author: wanderer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 02:43:37 pm
content: I did consider the Siglent that is in the clearance section of their website the sdm3065x that was 642.75 New with a 1 year warranty. That did make it tough but there was no way to add the communication card to that model and I can see a possible use case for that in the future.

author: the Chris
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 03:29:23 pm
content: Quote from: wanderer on June 26, 2025, 01:51:34 pmThe serial number indicates a 2017 model year and my guess would have been that the Keysight cal sticker from 2019 indicates the factory calibration.But other than that: I prefer the older VFD instruments as well. There is a thread with a poll here to see if people would buy a LED replacement display for the 34401A despite cheap Chinese VFD offerings. If there is enough positive feedback, it might happen (personally, I voted for it). My 34401A tends to be the one I grab first for everything regarding electric troubleshooting, at work or at home, because it is so quick to be ready after switch-on and everything just works the way I like it, from a quick continuity checker to fast enough resistance update rates. If I know that I need to test capacitance or higher resolutions with fast update rates, I take the 34410A instead, but that one is usually more expensive than 600EUR. For datalogging, I revert to one of my 19" instruments, but that is a different story...

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 03:44:53 pm
content: My personal choice would 100% 34401a 34410a 34411a not the 346xx seriesAs you may have found mcu spears who fails, some memory corruptions / non booting etc ... but in the black series, many reports reliability ...Keysight has been pretty much silent on theses problemsthe 344xx series vfd have been cloned, sure their prices have increased, i did bought a few on Ali, no problems, very good substitutes ... and schematics existsCapacitances tests, use an de-5000 or other lcr, not an dmmSiglent dmm, i don't hear any particular problems with them, we have the 6.5 digits, fun to use in automated setups, with an acquisition cardKeithley dmm 6500 7500 people seems satisfied whit theses tooK2000 series, some reversed schematics, not completes ones, and mostly their special resistor networks who may fail, very hard to getRigol DMM never tried, i would have said nah ...my 2 centsAlways a matter of knowing your present needs and futures ones, here some people have built logging softwares etc ...

author: wanderer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 04:50:09 pm
content: I did see some of the issues, and with the modular design and chance for expensive repairs that was one of my concerns.the Keithley 6500 was a fairly large price increase, and while I am not 100% sure I can justify the expense of the 34410a, I am certain at this moment I couldn't justify the 1500 price tag I was seeing.

author: BennoG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 06:05:04 am
content: You can get a K2000 for about $400 on fleabay.At the moment there is a project ongoing for the replacement displayhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/127200815227?_skw=keithley&itmmeta=01JYS29DPF6HRTS79V41H09MBGBenno