Had a few cheap crappy ones which never last, can anyone recommend something the equivalent quality of a Hakko for soldering irons?
Recommend Me a Multimeter
idjces on 01/10/2018 - 19:42
Last edited 01/10/2018 - 19:58 by 1 other user
Last edited 01/10/2018 - 19:58 by 1 other user
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Saw a good review on this, though probably a bit out of my ideal price range, perhaps up to a couple hundred $
I mostly use it on car stuff, and sometimes computer gear. So i guess just checking continuity, confirming a voltage, sometimes reading a resistance
Not sure what potential functions/uses could end up being useful in the future
I have one these ~AU$5 delivered from aliexpress.
use it when working on washing machines. testing circuit boards, motors, etc.
hasn't failed me in 8 years. just goes and goes.
Jaycar usually have good stuff
+1
Go for their $12 one, not their really cheap one.
If you're going to get serious Fluke is where it's at.
If you're going to be measuring in the thousands of a mV then you'll want a higher resolution (more digits behind the decimal place) meter, otherwise for most every day stuff something like a Fluke 115 would be perfect. The 179 is great, so are the 87 but the prices do go up substantially.
I have a 117 that i've used for almost a decade and for context my business is restoring vintage electronics (vintage computers, audio equipment and whatever else my customers throw at me to restore or for our store) never let me down and it gets used every single day. I have to replace my probes every couple of years as I wear the tip all the way down with so much use!
Paired with a set of Fluke TL55E probes which screw on alligator clips and you'll have a multimeter that will last you for many, many years.
I would never trust a cheap multimeter, not only for readout value but for safety also.
Thousands of mV? That would be volts then 😀
Are you measuring mains or just playing around with low voltage DC like USB and batteries, DC adapters?
usually car stuff so 12v, very occasionally mains powered devices
I have a UT139C its great and unlike most Uni-T meters it has proper input protection. I have been having some issues with the range switch lately and i am not the only one. I took it apart and cleaned the contacts with IsoPropyl alcohol seems to be okay now. Few people on EEVBlog had the same issue but this is a few people out of the 10s of thousand sold. Its a fairly popular meter. Its actually the same meter as sold at Supercheapauto just under a different name.
There is a YouTube channel where a guy test heaps of multi-meters to see if they stand up to there rated specs the UT139C got up to a 6kv hit before it died.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsK99WXk9VhcghnAauTBsbgIf you where willing to give up the mains testing part i would go for the AN8008 or AN8009 or similiar type of meter they offer great features for a low price. Measure volts,current,resistance has a diode test mode plus heaps more features and offers good a good display.
Of course Fluke is good but do you want to spend $200 just to occasionally use it. They also have the Chinese Flukes that are still good but still pricey. Going Uni-T will get you a higher count number (better accuracy) and more features at a cheaper price. The cost is some give in robustness.
If the mainstream Flukes are out of your budget you can purchase Fluke 101, 15B or 17B (depending on your requirements and budget) from Aliexpress and others. These aren't fakes but made for certain markets such as China and SEA and happens to be relatively cheaper than their counterparts sold here.
Brymen is also a respected multimeter brand. In addtion to their own Brymen branded multimeters they are a OEM for other industrial brands. So there is a very good chance of finding a Brymen for relatively cheaper as a rebadged unit. In the good old pre-gst days I once purchased a Greenlee DM-820A from eBay US for about 120AUD which is a rebadged Brymen BM859.
The EEVblog BM235 Multimeter also gets very good reviews and has an excellent features for the price you pay.
+1 on the EEVblog BM235, I have one and its great.
It has a genuine Cat IV rating and is UL listed. Its small too!
Check out these guys
https://www.uni-t.cz/en/multimeters#sort=alphabetically
Uni-T.
They have been reviewed and have been shown to be very good.
They are not cheap rubbish, but for the features i think they are well priced.
You can get all sorts of features, so just figure out what you want from it, find the model number and then go searching for a price.
You can get them on ebay or aliexpress.Based on what you wrote if I was to buy a single meter that I wanted to have lots of confidence with then I would buy:
Fluke 115 ~$250
Second preference would be something like:
Jaycar QM1549 ~$90I have a Fluke, a jaycar and a uni-t multimeters. They all have lasted. My preference of use these days is:
Fluke
Jaycar
Uni-T (this comes out for quick battery or rough DC check)I would say that TrueRMS is a must if doing anything outside of DC, especially if you will only have 1 meter. Some weather resistance is also a must if doing anything outside or in a dusty shed. CAT III or preferably IV for safety is also a good feature when dealing with cars or certain parts of computers.
Lots and lots of options out there. eevblog has some good shootouts and recommendations.
Thanks guys great info! will do some more browsing based on your recommendations, the lower end fluke's sound like they may be worth the money spent
If you don't need True RMS take a look at the RS Pro RS14.
Should be suitable for your needs and ~$30.
As an electrician, I use a Fluke 179.
What functions do you need?