Chasing good/awesome quality multimeter/test lead kits, as well as cheap leads.  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: rawrs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2019, 01:22:12 pm
content: Hi all,I feel like this question may have been done to death, but I'm buggered if I can find it! So, please do accept my sincerest apologies for clogging the forum up if this question has been asked before and I simply missed it because I'm a numpty.I am after two distinct, yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.Wait, hang on, that was the telly. OK, enough goofing around, I just had to.I am after two types of multimeter test leads that are both good quality and reasonably priced. I assume they would exist in China, just I wouldn't know where to start. The vast, overwhelming majority of these test lead sets are not branded, so I have no idea what they are like.Basically, I want an awesome test lead kit for my baby - my UNi-T UT181A. I guess I want somethingthis kitwould do for all the weird and wonderful jobs I might need to do some day.In additionto my baby's kit, I wantawesomebasic probes, and awesome alligator clips. The probes are most important, though. I want them to be silocne, and I want them to be gold plated. Most importantly, I want them to be able to do 10 bloody amps like they are supposed to. Now, Jaycarhave such *fairly* awesome leads, but they are not gold plated, and somewhat annoyingly, they have permanent banana plugs on them. Don't get me wrong, when I am doing power supply stuff, they are so damn handy, but every other tiime, they tend to get in the way. I have a set of these probes and they will remain in my daily carry.All I want in the awesome probes, is gold plating, a simple, sharp tipped probe, silicone leads, the ability to do its rated current, and if they're nice and long that would definitely be appreciated. It is in the Jaycar leads.Now, what do I want in the smaller, cheaper kit? I don't really want a kit. I just want some cheap, dependable little test lead sets, that again, can do their rated current and not melt, and are a simple, no frills product. I don't need gold plating, don't really need silicone (though would be nice if everything is silocne, I love it so much!), all I want is just some leads that do what they say on the tin and no more. I have a few other multimeters, such as clamp meters, so even then, amps rating is not all that crucial. But I just want to have spare leads in the car, toolbox, etc, as I have a few older multimeters around that do still work, but the leads are long gone, or junk to begin with.Jeez, this is way too much waffle for two basic questions. Apologies in advance!-Rory

author: rawrs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2019, 01:24:50 pm
content: Quote from: rawrs on April 16, 2019, 01:22:12 pm

author: todd_fuller
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2019, 03:04:14 pm
content: Many people like the ProbeMaster leads:https://probemaster.com/dmm-multimeter-test-leads/Good stuff and not exorbitantly priced.

author: //Matt//
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2019, 03:30:13 pm
content: Yes, the probe master ones seem good. Some people like the Brymen leads. They are even cheaper at around 15 AUD.https://brymen.eu/shop/silicone-test-leads-bl21s2-t4sc-brymen/

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2019, 10:11:40 pm
content: I love Probe Master probes.Quote from: rawrs on April 16, 2019, 01:22:12 pmProbe Master meets all of these criteria easily. Sharp enough to easily draw blood, gold plating so good it makes even the worst continuity testers work great, large choice of banana plugs and cord lengths (including custom), superbly soft, limp wire that meets its specs. (For what it’s worth, I found longer leads to be only a nuisance, since leads longer than arms length mean you’re too far from the meter to see the reading!)I’m pretty sure the banana (“lantern”) tips on the jaycar probes unscrew. They’re intended for use in 4mm European power outlets.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2019, 12:26:36 am
content: I'm not sure of the value of gold plating (and if it would survive high current use), if you remove that requirement the choices open up substantially.Fluke moved much (all?) their manufacturing to china, and sell cheaper priced options into that market. Thanks to the free market and enterprising people you can access those discount prices on exactly the same items that are available locally for 10x higher prices.

author: Housedad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2019, 12:57:49 am
content: I am in love with my probemaster probes. They are wonderful, and they fit all your wants.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 17, 2019, 02:03:08 am
content: Quote from: //Matt// on April 16, 2019, 03:30:13 pmI have multiple sets of the Brymen leads. Very good quality for the price. I recently picked up a Fluke 110 for my tool bag for work. Promptly tossed the crappy leads that came with it and added a set of the Brymen leads. The meter has better accuracy on resistance settings with the Brymen than the OEM. That is important to my use.

author: gabeeg
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 19, 2019, 06:03:57 pm
content: Another vote for Probe Master leads, vastly better than the half-dozen OEM probes that I have. Soft, heavy, sharp, comfortable.

author: windsmurf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2019, 07:37:10 pm
content: Pomona's are pretty good too, IMHO.

author: Photoman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 01:07:19 am
content: Another vote for the ProbeMaster probes. They are extremely sharp and great for poking through old crusty flux or getting below the oxidation on a board.Just watch your fingers, especially on needle probes. The needle probes are great as well.I also have a few sets of the Fluke TL175's. Great for everyday electrical use. Not as sharp as the ProbeMasters but good enough.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 02:13:22 pm
content: Quote from: windsmurf on April 19, 2019, 07:37:10 pmPomona (which is Fluke) is very good, but Probe Master is better.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 02:54:08 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on April 17, 2019, 02:03:08 ami'm surpriesd the Fluke fanboyz have not flooded this thread yet!

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 03:04:05 pm
content: It's a shame you're not in the UK, these Metrix ones with Siba fuses are still available (they were quite popular on here a while back)...https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metrix-Electronics-fused-probe-MX67-meter-Fluke-meters/372374118197?epid=11008589837&hash=item56b33a1f35:g:JyUAAOSwIBNbUIP3&frcectupt=trueYou do need to provide your own red sleeve identifier though (they only come in black).

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 03:04:40 pm
content: Franky (99centhobbies on eBay) has both the Brymen probes and also decent accessories. He is also on this forum, so if you need something specific, just ping him.

author: cjs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 04:13:04 pm
content: On the "very cheap and pretty decent" side areleads like thisthat I picked up from AliExpress. (Various vendors there seem to sell the same ones.) They're gold plated (and you can tell the difference when doing continuity tests), sharp enough that I've hurt myself on them several times (which I've never done with "regular" leads) and the silicone wire is very soft and drapes easily.I don't know how these compare to really good leads like ProbeMaster, nor do I know how much I would trust them with 20 amp currents, but they're definitely a lot better than the leads that have come with any scope I've ever seen, including Flukes. And they're under US $5.That UT181A looks like a pretty nice meter! I noticed it's selling for only ¥405 (about US $3.60)on amazon.co.jpso I ordered one. I do have this funny feeling they're going to cancel my order and refund my money, though....

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 10:16:55 pm
content: My best leads are all ones which I made myself using test lead wire, probes, banana plugs, and alligator or grabber clips.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 09:57:22 am
content: Quote from: cjs on April 20, 2019, 04:13:04 pmthanks for posting that, i'll try a set.they look perfect for probing for shorts on smd pcb's

author: cjs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 12:45:48 pm
content: Quote from: stj on April 21, 2019, 09:57:22 amI forgot to mention, they also go into the holes in breadboards and seem to make pretty good contact, which is pretty darn convenient.

author: mapleLC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 10:51:33 am
content: Is there really value in the gold plating beyond the first dozen readings, if that? It's a microscopic coating that just rubs off. Am I incorrect?If not, then the material the lead tip is made from is primary. My experience with cheaper leads is that the tips bend too easily.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 01:02:07 pm
content: Quote from: mapleLC on May 15, 2022, 10:51:33 amYes.Quote from: mapleLC on May 15, 2022, 10:51:33 amI'm sure it will eventually but it takes a long time.If anybody's after some really really sharp gold leads then the ones they sell on Aliexpress for $3-$4 are awesome.https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=gold+test+leadsThese ones:

author: salvagedcircuitry
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 04:54:39 pm
content: The ~$3 cheap fine tip probes have worked terribly for me. They are high impedance and the wire almost always pulls out from the banana terminal jack over time leading to intermittent, unreliable probes. I would highly suggest to avoid those probes completely.I have found these banana to fine-tip adapters to be quite good and inexpensive:Rigid machined tips:Often called "HT307 Back Pinning Probes"https://www.ebay.com/itm/185355798255semi-rigid sewing-pin tips:Also called "HT307 Back Pinning Probes"https://www.ebay.com/itm/124872761607both of these fine-tip to banana jack adapters are lower impedance and more consistent than then cheapo $3 fine tip probes. The down side is the adapters are not comfortable to hold like the cheapo probes.

author: TiN
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2022, 12:25:26 am
content: Awesome test leads would not have any alligator, clips or other nonsense but dedication interface to DUT or solid connection.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2022, 07:24:55 am
content: Quote from: mapleLC on May 15, 2022, 10:51:33 amYes, you’re incorrect. Probe Master gold tips are still gold after years of use, and it makes a real difference.