Multimeter recommendations

[Mickey Bitsko]

this won't sit well with many of you , I have used HF multi meters for years, I have one in both my vehicles in my camper and my shop.
I realize they're not necessarily for commercial use but for all my needs they are fine, @ $3.99 each hard to beat.

 

[luthj]

this won't sit well with many of you , I have used HF multi meters for years, I have one in both my vehicles in my camper and my shop.
I realize they're not necessarily for commercial use but for all my needs they are fine, @ $3.99 each hard to beat.

They can work, until they don't. My parents had one of these on their boat. I tried using to it trace down a charging problem. Finally gave up and picked up my good personal unit. The "5$ special" meter was reading between 3-5V high! The results are pseudo random numbers, mostly dependent on how hard I tapped the back. When dealing lead acid charging systems, especially on off-grid type electrical setups, 0.2V can change battery life by more than half.

 

[dwh]

I had one HF meter years ago. Was a freebie coupon. Worked fine except for the +/- leads being wired backwards.

 

[JPaul]

I've gotten a few of the HF freebies, but the leads always break in short order, usually the positive...

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[DaveInDenver]

I've gotten a few of the HF freebies, but the leads always break in short order, usually the positive...

The great thing about cheap ones is you can buy 10 to average the reading of the 6 that work to arrive at an approximate value you can use to make a slightly better than coin toss guess if your circuit is working or not.

 

[JPaul]

The great thing about cheap ones is you can buy 10 to average the reading of the 6 that work to arrive at an approximate value you can use to make a slightly better than coin toss guess if your circuit is working or not.

Yeah, I only use them more to see if there is voltage or a short or ground issue. I have a True RMS Craftsman meter that I've had since I was a teenager (20 years now) that I use for more precise things. Just picked up one of the Uni-T 210E meters as well. Just needed it as a "precise enough" DC clamp meter.