Good decent multi meter

[John Rumm]

due to being harder to compromise with general wear and light damage / abuse.

Common on cheap ones, less so on the Flukes etc.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

One thing I find essential on a DVM is decent flexible leads which means silicone insulation. Something you don't get with a cheap one.

I'm cautious about using a general purpose DVM on mains after my Maplin Gold - quite a good meter in its day - blew up. It appeared to be dirt on the tracks of the rotary switch that caused a bridge of some sort on high voltage - it had been fine on low voltage stuff.

So I have one designed specifically for mains too - this sort of thing:-

Which is also more convenient for probing mains than a normal DVM.

I can't really recommend a low price unit as they change so often, and I lashed out on a Fluke, but I'd go for a decent spec one off Ebay at about £30 direct from the Chinese maker.

[Bob Minchin]

So how does that meet the requirements of the OP then?

[Bill Wright]

=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1397669933&sr=1-18&keywords=digital+multimeter

He's just saying. It's an aside.

Bill

[newshound]

It very much depends on what you want to do, doesn't it. My various meters are normally only used on cars or electronics. There are not many occasions when I actually want to *measure* mains volts or amps, a volt stick to show which wire is "live" is usually all I need.

I can see that if I were often working on (say) washing machines or dishwashers with heaters and motor control gear at "mains" then I would be better off and safer with a proper Fluke.

• 1 for ebay for that sort of thing, I have a Robin "earth tester".

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Could be. As I said I'm wary about using a multimeter on mains now. They all tend to use a similar rotary switch which might get dirty with age as my Maplin one did and flash over. The 'stick' type don't have that sort of switch.

I had a quick glance on Ebay and saw a Fluke 17* which was at 20 quid. Nice no frills older Fluke.

As regards car use, I find one with a dwell function useful. Although originally for points setting it is useful to check injector cycles, etc. And RPM can be handy. So really a specialist type - although it will do basic functions too. Depends what you want.

[whisky-dave]

Personally I'd avoid ebay for such things unless you can be really sure you 're not buying a fake fluke. The same goes for amazon supplies that ship fr om china.

[fred]

Quite a nice little meter that, thanks for the tip.

[meow2222]

rusting them to mains.

were often used on mains. The insulation on such is electrically adequate, just not as abuse proof as modern double insulated leads. If youre using a multimeter on mains you really should be quite capable of detecting a lead cut half through.

want one on occasion. The tiny investment has paid off many times over. The only downside I've found with them so far has been accuracy, they're not a lways within 1 or 2% as they claimed. I've got better meters as well, but t bh from my experience with the rock bottom ones I wouldnt have a problem re commending them, they're perfectly able.

ouldnt touch, but some is just as good. The brandnames are more about image than anything more concrete.

Rapid 85-0701 is what I got. I remember the yellow ones that were common, and lacking even the usual basic scales, couldnt see the point of them.

Re single insulated leads many meters use, its sensible to put a real world number on the risks. In terms of added risk to the user, its simply off th e chart. Deaths per year zero. I've no worry using such things at 1kV. I tr y to take more care with the real risks in life, like travelling from A to B and buying food. Those are what kill people en masse.

NT

[Bob Eager]

I've had that. Not so much dirt as microscopic particles of metal worn off the switch - you could see them sparkling on the switch wafers.

[dennis]

If you are paranoid you need something like

but it won't give accurate voltage measurements.

[cl]

All my more recent meters (I do actually have a Maplin Gold still) are autoranging so rotary switches aren't really involved any more.

Switch to volts and that's it.

[Mini Me]

It's just 40 quid for a brand new bottom of the range CAT III rated Fluke on Ebay and they are genuine but are intended for sale in emerging markets only.

FLUKE 101

Ebay 321355688632

[Bob Eager]

Not had any trouble with the rotary switches on the Avo 8, however...!

[tony sayer]

Well all I've had from ebay thus far has been fine. But a Fluke is well a fluke if the Chinese are building them as well as Fluke make 'em then they'll be fine;)

Mind you how to they get them looking "aged" a bit for a few tens of quid's you won't get a new one...

[John Rumm]

As has been pointed out many times, death is not the only undesirable outcome. Far more people are blinded or burnt by arc flash injury than killed. Many more will have injuries severe enough to require hospital treatment.

Its not the voltage that matters particularly (within reason) by the level of transients that may be present, and the "energy" level of the mains connection.

Poking about on mains wiring anywhere there is a PSC north of a few hundred amps is a foolish thing to do with a meter with no input protection.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My Fluke autoranges - but still has a rotary switch. You still have to select AC, DC, etc it's going to autorange on.

[Adrian C]

I'm sure folks here are aware of the following case, but anyway ...

"The Case of the Deadly Arc Flash"

[meow2222]

Do you have a reference for many people getting injured?

yes

Isnt it more foolish to fail at addressing the big risks in life?

NT

[The Medway Handyman]

It reads Ac and DC volts (up to mains level) amps and Ohms. Thats what he wanted?

It has a test lead as well.