brymen 786 vs 789 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mastershake
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2023, 04:58:37 am
content: so i already have the 786 i like it a lot but i can get the 789 brand new for less then the 786 right now. so whats really the major difference between these and why would you personally pick one over the other or visa versa i need to order 4 or 5 of them to replace some old units for the guys theey picked these 2 as the 2 to order one or the other. fluke with med bills is a bit out of range for me right now i def dont mind when i dont have a million in bills sitting there. i did try to go over the specs best i can with my eyes reading is a bit tougher so its takes me a bit to really dig and read a bunch pf threads etc. so im curious which would you pick and why or would you pick a whole different meter i think these are prob best bang for the buck right now imo and im talking overall. i dont want an off name one use china unit i know these are china but at least brymen and dave are both responsive to issues as far as i can tell

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2023, 06:23:36 am
content: There are differences in some specifications between the BM786 and BM789. They were not meaningful to me, but your needs might vary from mine.The only other differences that I'm aware of are the few functions that are available on the BM789 but not on the BM786:- LoZ/Auto V- dBm- %4-20mA current loop- T2 (2nd Temp) measurementI think you are right that the BM78x series is among the best value in pro-level multimeters. Welectron has good prices on Brymen meters, ship meters to the US for 10 EUR, don't charge sales tax or VAT to US customers, and you can email them for a 5% EEVBlog discount code (though it doesn't apply to the BM786 meter for whatever reason).I can't remember if welectron's BM786 (or BM789) come with the silicone or PVC probes; you might want to check. If not, I'd definitely suggest adding the silicone probes to the order - they're only 10 EUR and are top notch leads.I hear people mention that getting warranty service on Brymen meters is difficult to impossible from the US, but I haven't needed to find out for myself. Brymen's multimeter warranty is typically only 1 year anyway (as it is on the BM78x series). That's one area where Fluke completely outshines - their pro meters have a warranty that lasts for the lifetime of the product (ie., until Fluke stop selling that model) plus some number of years (5?) after they discontinue the model. But you pay for that top class warranty with Fluke's much higher price.

author: mastershake
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2023, 01:16:03 pm
content: is there anywhere the 786 would excel over the 789 then or does the 789 have everything and then those added features? ive read some people say the 786 was actually a better meter in some cases then the 789 but i cant seem to find any actual info showing that

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2023, 01:02:58 am
content: I recall Dave mentioning something about the BM786 being better than one of the higher meters, can't recall if it was the BM789 or the BM869s. I think it was the latter.Looking at the specs in the manualhere, which covers all the BM78x models, the BM789 has slightly better ACV specs than the BM786. As far as I can tell, all other specs are the same. And of course the BM789 has the extra features mentioned.That said, I'm a big fan of the BM786. I also have the BM869s which is a fantastic meter itself, but is big and probably overkill for a handheld meter. The BM786 is pretty close to the ideal handheld electronics meter. But if you can get the BM789 even cheaper, I don't see why you wouldn't go for it. Unless you prefer that sexy blue holster of the BM786.