Digital multimeter recommendations please (1 Viewer)

[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

My Maplin one in the van has a dodgy display, while the one in the house appears to be broken. Not looking for anything fancy; ideally something I can order online to save me facing the Christmas Eve/Boxing Day/New Year crowds

Mainly for testing 3/9/12V battery voltages and continuity. Are all low-cost models pretty much the same nowadays? Any brands to look out for?

If I start researching online I'll end up spending hours comparing specifications in minute detail, and then getting one that's complete overkill

 

[hchris]

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/fantastic-value-multi-meter.96800/

 

[DBK]

For what you want this is a lot cheaper (£9.99) : http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-mas830b-digital-multimeter-600v/75337

 

[tonyidle]

21w bulb with wires attached

 

[Gromett]

Even the cheap ones these days are excellent. I bought a budget one that included a frequency counter, capacitance meter plus loads of other stuff for £20 odd about 7 years ago and it is still going strong.

I still miss my old AVO with a Bakelite body. Rock solid and very easy to read but a bit bulky compared to modern ones.

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[34127]

Even the cheap ones these days are excellent. I bought a budget one that included a frequency counter, capacitance meter plus loads of other stuff for £20 odd about 7 years ago and it is still going strong.

I still miss my old AVO with a Bakelite body. Rock solid and very easy to read but a bit bulky compared to modern ones.

The AVO were quality and a lot are still in use. Wonder how many were thrown out because they weren't as 'cool looking' as the new digital meters

 

[Chipster]

The AVO were quality and a lot are still in use. Wonder how many were thrown out because they weren't as 'cool looking' as the new digital meters

Still got an old Avo 8 somewhere!! Use Fluke stuff day to day now.

 

[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

Thanks for the suggestions

For what you want this is a lot cheaper (£9.99) : http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-mas830b-digital-multimeter-600v/75337

I'd forgotten about Screwfix...and they have a depot around the corner from where I store my van Maybe I'll pop over next week after all.

21w bulb with wires attached

I'd even manage to break that in next to no time

 

[Phil J.]

I've just bought this one. It does the job, has a useful little stand and a buzzer for continuity as well:

Broken Link Removed

Hope this helps

 

[Taran_Las]

Thanks for the suggestions


I'd forgotten about Screwfix...and they have a depot around the corner from where I store my van Maybe I'll pop over next week after all.



I'd even manage to break that in next to no time

When you phone them up remember they're not a dating agency

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[Daifuse]

I've still got an AVO model 7 which I still use - analogue readings can be quite useful in some circumstances but it's usually the Fluke for ease of use - the AVO is definitely for workshop use because of its bulk. The fluke is in my toolkit.

 

[gozomike]

A few weeks ago at the Radio Club in the UK we had a session testing several Digital multimeter's against a calibrated standard. I do not have the actual results with me but they were all very accurate, including the one I had purchased form Lidl for £10 (which looks similar to the screw fix one).

 

[Phil J.]

I've just had a look at the Screwfix multimeter and as far as I can see from the pictures and the spec the only difference to the EBay one is the colour and the name.....the ebay one is half the price though!

 

[Jaws]

If you are not looking to spend in excess of a couple of hundred quidlets they are all much of a muchness nowadays
Even the Fluke ones are just rebadged Chinese specials until you get in to the higher price ranges

One thing often not mentioned.. The cheaper ones do go out of calibration with time and use
I have two quite expensive units that I use in my workshops for electronic stuff ( where I might be measuring .1v or something equally silly ) but the one I have in the van was well under a tenner and gets thrown away ( actually, usually just gets passed on ) every couple of years and replaced

 

[Chipster]

All my fluke kit is U.S. made. (Not necessarily a good thing!) Ease of use and speed of measurement seems to set them apart.

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[Jaws]

Must be over 10 years old then yes ?
Might be worth having it calibrated.. Fluke offer a really good service for the decent older stuff

 

[littlehouse]

The most important things are:-
1 An auto switch-off facility.
2 BIG digital display.
3 LOUD buzzer for continuity.

If you get one with the above features, and it lasts a long time, you'll always be able to see/hear it and be able to afford a congratulatory glass of something nice for each maintenance job well done !!