The Harbor Freight Clamp Meter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2013, 08:45:44 pm
content: If anyone has one, can you do a teardown? I'm curious how much they share in common with the free meters they give away given that turned over and held side by side, things line up.And for those who don't have access to Harbor Freight these are the two types of meters.One always has a yellow switch and one always a red. They always sell for the same price but the logos are different and there are some build differences. I've got several but I think I like the red switch ones better. Even though they are really cheap I can't pass up free when they have them for that price.Just another rebadging of the DT830B meters that are sold around the world. The ohms range is crap and on many ranges there is no decimal point. But it does have a uA range and can test transistors and LEDs which is handy.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 01:52:50 am
content: I did a quick review on one of the copies/clones of that clamp meter. It was complete junk and I wouldn't trust it to show anything correctly.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 02:31:45 am
content: Quote from: Lightages on November 20, 2013, 01:52:50 amWhile searching youtube for a review of it, I came across your channel. At first I didn't realize it was you but the name sounded familiar.I watched the Uni-T vs Mastech clamp meter review that you did.I was just thinking of getting something for basic car battery charging troubleshooting. I had a car battery go bad on my Mom's car a couple of months ago where I wasn't quite sure at first if it was the alternator or battery so I swapped batteries with her car and mine (just so happened they took the same size) Hers had been fine since, but within a day or two I had battery acid sprayed inside my hood. It ended up being a shorted cell and I guess my alternator was a little better than hers and caused the battery to boil over. Luckily I made it to the battery place that day and pulled the steaming battery out with some gloves and a trash bag.

author: deth502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 03:39:19 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on November 20, 2013, 02:31:45 amif your referring to the clamp current meter, harbor freight has 3 models in the $10 price range, 5, 6, and 7 "function" models, with the 5 and 7 matching your posted pic, but none of them measure dc current.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 05:23:33 am
content: Quote from: deth502 on November 20, 2013, 03:39:19 amWell darn. I guess that settles that.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 02:17:35 pm
content: The UT204A isn't a bad buy for doing the kind of work you want. But as you saw from my video, I have a very low opinion of Mastech.

author: deth502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 07:21:34 am
content: heres the cheapest dc current meter i could find:http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Digital-Clamp-Meter-AC-DC-Current-Electronic-Tester-Multimeter-Instrument-/370770143020?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56539f672cimo, not too bad at around $40. most are in the $100 range, which is around what i paid for mine years ago. a note to pick them out, any clamp meter that measures dc current that ive ever saw always had the "zero" knob on it to null out the reading for dc current. if you dont see that zero knob, its probably only ac.

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 02:54:36 am
content: HA! I totally have one of those clamp on harbor freight meters. Does that make me the winner or the loser?

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:16:36 am
content: I have no personal experience ( I own a Fluke 336) but I've been told thatTHISCraftsmen branded clamp meter works pretty well and is an excellent value at $50.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:51:52 am
content: Quote from: Smokey on November 23, 2013, 02:54:36 amDepends... Will you take it apart and post pictures? I'm more curious about if they somehow reused the guts of the other meter but maybe changed 1 or 2 components.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:52:34 am
content: Quote from: mtdoc on November 23, 2013, 03:16:36 amThat's one of the few clamp meters that I've seen with the "trigger" on the right side.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:56:27 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on November 23, 2013, 03:52:34 amHa- I never noticed that - maybe it's for lefties.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 05:05:15 am
content: Same COB inside, but on a slightly different board. I modified mine to lead the CT voltage output to the very unused high resistance socket ( never have seen the high resistance test accessory offered for sale anywhere, it must cost more than $2 then) via a 100R resistor ( closest one to hand in the box for some current limiting just in case) so I can use a scope to see the current waveform. Not going to win any awards for bandwidth, but usable to see mains current distortion from Triac dimmers reasonably well, or to check for arcing inside a motor. Works well on a microwave to see the distortion due to the magnetron not conducting during startup when the transformer is running with a half wave DC load.

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 05:40:05 am
content: I have to admit that while I have these meters, I've never actually used the clamp one for anything. I was going to be hardcore and actually do some AC current comparison tests up to like 20A compared to a really nice LEM clamp and a hall effect sensor (ACS710) but I don't have my linear AC current source here (actually a linear servo amplifier but same difference). I only have a PWM amplifier and I'm not sure how well the cheap multimeter will handle the noise and switching. I don't expect great things anyway, but if anyone really really really wants to see it I might do the quick tests next week.

author: deth502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 02:21:36 pm
content: Quote from: mtdoc on November 23, 2013, 03:16:36 ami , also, have no experience with that with that meter, but i will say in general, that i have always given the advice to check out the craftsman meters. i have a few of them, and if youre looking for a mid range ($50-100+) meter, ive found the craftsman branded ones always beat the competition in the value/quality category. i use an $80 extech at work, at home, i have a $50 craftsman that i would rate on par with the extech, and i have an $80 craftsman that is miles ahead of it in quality/features/performance.one complaint about them---- always buy online!!! i was checking out that $80 one on line ($79.99) and went to my local sears to get one. when i got there, i was in luck! it was "on sale". the shelf tag said regularly $109.99, and on sale for $99.99. i got on my smart phone, ordered it on the website for $79.99, checked off "pick up in store for free", and paid with my credit card on the phone. a few min later, the salesman came over and i showed him which one it was and he walked me over to the cust service counter with it to complete the transaction.