Are they worth the money???

 

Ive got three of them a 77, an 87 and a 787. I love them, but it is still good to have an old analog type meter around. Theyre the best for switches. So, yes theyre worth it, in my opinion.

 

I used a 77 and an 87 for years and years, but when they finally required fixing, Fluke wanted nearly what I paid for them new to get them going again. I now use a much cheaper, 'disposable' meter from Harbor Freight . . . . in fact, I bought 2 for the price of one when they went on sale a few years back and the first one is still going strong

If you can buy a good used Fluke for $50 or less, I would say get one - If you have to pay more than that for one, I would buy something cheaper . . . . they're no where near worth the list price

Don

 

Don,

Have you ever had a problem with accuracy with the dirt cheap multimeters?

Is there anything that the disposable meters don't do and you would like to be able to do that the Fluke meters are able to do?

 

Fluke is definitely the top name in meters. If you have the money by all means spend it. If you are just looking to buy one for use a couple of times a year then I might look for something just a little cheaper. I have owned several different meters as a mechanic, fluke by far has stood the test of time, abuse, and accuracy. Cheap meters use cheap parts. They do not claim near the accuracy that a brand name will. But if your just doing some shade tree work then I don't think that a fluke is worth the money unless you don't mind springin' for the cadillac.

 

IMO it all depends on what you need from a meter. If you install trailer light harnesses at u-haul you won't be getting what you paid for.
If you work with more technical things such as 4-20 mA loops, electronic calibrations, safety systems in industrial settings you'll never be able to do it with a test light. I had a Fluke 87 or 88- I don't remember exactly, but it was a very important part of my toolset and held up well in a refinery for 5 years. The last time I dropped it the display went out and I just bought another one.
One of FLuke's better points is that there is a wide variety of attachments and special purpose leads and testers that can really make your day easier.
I am in agreement with grena, know why you're spending the extra $ for the Fluke before you do.
Digital multimeters have come a long way and you can get a very affordable one that can do alot. Most users probably don't understand all the buttons on an average multimeter. If you are well-versed in electricity/electronics and use a meter daily, I think the Fuke would be well worth it.
Cradar69 brings out a good point- accuracy. If your work requires high accuracy, most Flukes can be calibrated to NIST standards and will not deviate much over time if treated well. Most cheaper DVM's won't repeat or be linear, or go to a 4.5 digit display, and sometimes those qualities are important.

 

After using Fluke meters for nearly 20 years in aircraft maintenance, I'll say they are very good meters for a professional/industrial setting.
If you are going to use it as part of making your living, go for it.
If you just want something for the occasional use shooting wires, save some money and check out the line at Sears or other stores.

 

I think any cheap, made in China DVM will get you within 5% or so and I would disagree that they aren't repeatable

True, you can get a Fluke cal'ed to within 2% and it will mostly stay there, yet to be assured of accuracy, and meter will have to be regularly checked and recertified before you can trust it's accuracy

You're getting some good advice from some of the others - If you make a living with your meter(s) . . . . buy a good one, and Fluke is one of the best - Still overpriced though

If you're a hobbyist, buy a cheap one and it will be cheap to replace when you ruin it - You'll save lots and you'll never know the difference

Don

 

The ONLY meter that I have ever owned is the 30 dollars Radio Shack unit. It seems to do the job.

However, I have gone through 3 of them in the past 6 months!

I don't make a living with them. All I use them for is working on my own rigs and car audio. I guess you could say it is for my own hobbies; not my profession. I do think I am ready for the next level in the world of meters though.

I would definetly rather replace 30 dollar units from the Shack every 2 months than 300 dollars Fluke meters.

What is a good compromise betwen the 2?

 

If you want a fluke, go to a pawn shop I picked up a 87 several years ago for $20 that worked perfectly (I checked it at the shop to see if it worked before I bought it) Other than that I would agree with most of the opinions on here, if you are making a living with electronics (not just electrical but electronics there is a huge difference) Then by all means use the best, just like any other proffession, most proffesional mechanics don't buy walmart cheapie tools they buy and use good brand name tools (personally I feel snapon is over priced and not that good but you get the idea). But if your just using it for tracing out wiring problems either in your garage or home then any meter that has the capability to measure the voltages your dealing with is plenty good and cheap is a good thing cause most of those types of usages will get broke long before they see much use.

 

I think that the fluke would not fail as often on you as the RS has. Amprobe, Greenlee, Simpson are all good and run a little cheaper than Fluke.

 

Flukes are definately worth the money. I am a low-voltage communications tech and I use my meter every day. I have tried the cheap ones, but they are just that, cheap. The fluke will take one heckuva beating before it breaks. You can't say the same about the cheaper ones.

 

Look for a meter that is "UL" listed. That means that meter has been tested to meet and/or exceed the standards set for its uses . This is not to be confused with a UR (the "R" is backwards) rating that some of the cheaper units have...and some of those don't even carry that rating.

I've worked in residential, aviation/avionics, and now industrial electrical and I wouldn't use one that wasn't UL listed; I don't care if I was just using it to "ring-out" a wire or measure a small resistor.

FYI; Greenlee and Ideal also make meters that work just as well as a Fluke for less money.

 

I should add that I probably dropped this meter at least 30 or 40 times, and many of those were several floors of a refinery structure.

BTW I do endorse Greenlee also but if any of you have one you should check for a safety recall that may affect your model. I know that the CM-700/750 are affected, but I don't know what other models might be concerned. The CM700/750 have an inductive ( clamp-on) DC current mode. ( Yes, DC not just AC)
It's my understanding that they will send you a replacement if you send yours in.

 

UPDATE:


I bought a FLUKE-78...the "AUTOMOTIVE" multimeter.

This is a really nice unit. I bought it @ an authorized FLUKE dealer for $279.00. This seems to react very quickly to subtle changes in resistance and voltage that my old Radio Shack meters would not even pick up. It can also DO alot that the RS meters could not do...such as read RPM, measure temperature, dwell, O2 sensor high and low amongst other things. I did have to pay 9.3 times the money to get that FLUKE meter then I paid for the RS unit though.

All I need now is a hard shell case for the meter + the accessories.

Time will tell if it was worth it.

As of now, I am very happy with my purchase.