Multi-Meters ??

Disclaimer; I sell stuff like this for a living, but a fluke 115 or 117 will be good enough for the vast majority of people's needs. It's definitely one of the top brands out there. (the distinctive yellow is also a magnet for thieves) The 87-V is basically an improved version of the same thing that you probably don't need. A 789 is a process meter and is almost certainly overkill, though definitely high quality.

As to the issues with the one meter, it could be some problem that calibration would correct. It's also possible that it was never very accurate to begin with, and only comparing it with a more accurate meter allowed you to realize it. Some meters will also give incorrect readings if they do not use 'true RMS' to measure things. (as far as I know, all Flukes and any meter worth using has true RMS. Most amprobes have it too; amprobe is actually owned by the same company as fluke) ( www.fluke.com... gives a very brief explanation) Your meter might not have a 'low impedance' function (usually marked LoZ on the meter) which could be throwing off the accuracy as well. (www.fluke.com... )

a reply to: caterpillage

Ummm...OUCH!!

I was thinking sub-$400 range!

For $900 bucks, I could get a really nice bench meter, calibrated and certified.

That's the thing with Flukes...they're way proud of those meters!!

Analog or digital?

TheRedneck

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: caterpillage

Ummm...OUCH!!

I was thinking sub-$400 range!

For $900 bucks, I could get a really nice bench meter, calibrated and certified.

That's the thing with Flukes...they're way proud of those meters!!

Lol, yeah for 900 bucks you could get a nice meter, a great bottle of whiskey, a few steak dinners, a box of good cigars and a set of snap on wrenches

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I thought even the best have to be checked for or recalibrated every so many years to meet certification. I'll bet somewhere can service it at a reasonable price.

If the DMM in question has a mechanical selector, check those contacts and maybe use a pencil eraser on it. It may also be the meters fuse dropping voltage.

www.transcat.com...

I’ve burned through a few multi-meters at work and will only stick with Fluke stuff at this point because none of it has died on me. I’m not sure if it’s just cheap Home Depot crap or what, I can’t even remember the brand names because it’s been a couple years, but with most of our AC’s across the property running on 440 instead of 220, I don’t want a single margin of error to pop up with my staff, so I bought a few nice Flukes. Klein Tools, that’s what they were.

Temperature guns are the same damn thing, I’m on my 2nd Klein infrared thermometer in a year because the first one went to sh*t.

Guitar tools and electrical tools are two areas I refuse to skimp on. It can get crazy with guitar tools, like spending $65 on a single file, but it certainly beats trashing a guitar because the cheap files you bought on Amazon actually rip the frets out instead of filing them properly. Living in Florida with unpredictable rain and working on high voltage doesn’t mix and it’s not worth someone’s life, it’s a no brained with that stuff.

a reply to: Drucifer

440 VAC?????

Are you sure you don't mean 480 3p??

I just learned that Klein meters are the same as Harbor Freight (i.e. made by the same company and look almost identical).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

A meter is a meter is a meter. I use an old handheld Harbor freight freebie most of the time. It gets me close enough... and has actually proved to be more accurate than I usually need.

You'd be surprised at how many products are made with the same parts on the same assembly line by the same machines performing the same tasks, then get packed into different boxes and priced according to the box. Sure, Fluke has a great reputation; I have some Fluke tools. Same with Klein. But I have learned in life that it's not so much the tool one uses but how capable one is at using the tool.

Fix your old faithful and move on. If it's analog, there's an adjustment screw in the middle of the bezel, just below the dial. If it's digital there's a trim pot inside. Hook it up to a known voltage and adjust until it reads correctly; that's what a repair shop would do. With voltage reading slightly low and resistance reading slightly high, that's probably all it needs.

TheRedneck

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Drucifer

440 VAC?????

Are you sure you don't mean 480 3p??

Yessir. Overall, the higher voltage ends up costing less over time and really, all the 440 units run a lot more consistently than the 220’s. I’m certainly repairing them less frequently or dealing with fuse issues. I’m sure someone more knowledgeable than I can answer why, I’m just happy to have SOME relief from the damn things.