$500 multimeter recommendation

[headingwest]

Hi All,

My better half has offered to buy me good multimeter, AUD$500'ish budget. What would your top recommendations be?

I've been using the Victor 86E - a lovely chinese product - but it's time to step up a bit.

Thanks for your help.

[Lightages]

I guess you have to ask yourself what you want to do. $500 might be much better spent on two multimeters. One is not enough many times and four can be required for some things.

If you really must spend $500 on only one multimeter then a nice one would be this:
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/agilent/multimeters/u1252b.htm
Hard to beat it for features and quality.

If you think you might want to have two meters then I would suggest a Brymen BM869 and a Brymen BM257 both with their optional USB cables. Two great meters, both with good safety with the BM869 having the highest safety rating in the industry.

Of course there is Fluke......

[c4757p]

If you're looking in the $500 range, then I'm going to adamantly insist on two $250 multimeters. There's not much you're going to get in the $500 meter that the $250 one won't have. Go for dataloggers if you can find decent ones.

[Fsck]

Are you limited to just one meter or the budget? (I'd hope the budget)

If handheld, I'd get 2 decent meters. Not sure what the market is like, but for that price (in Canada), you can get anywhere between 2 to 4 secondhand Fluke 87 types. Or something like a U1272a + UT61E or a BM869 + UT61E.

I'd personally probably go with a BM867 with logging kit+ 2*UT61E. (this fits if we convert AUD to CAD and buy shipped to Canada)

[Ferroto]

You can get yourself a Rigol 1052E for less then $500. I'd just stick with a Fluke 87, $500 bucks is abit much to spend on a meter.

[BravoV]

I think its better to tell us a bit about your self like are you hobbyist, electrician etc, and your normal usage for this new upcoming meter.

[jmole]

unless you're considering a bench meter, you should look into those handheld scopemeters by fluke. Believe you can pick up a used one on ebay for around $500 depending on the model.

[free_electron]

for that price you can get two 34401 meters on ebay.
can't go wrong with those...

[headingwest]

I'm a keen hobbyist with one years experience working with microchips and small boards. Mains voltage for testing faulty equipment but not design.

I need to repair the coffee machines we import: http://www.coffeemachine.com.au/product/hlf-fusion/

I am working revision 3 of a control board to let android phones control coffee machines: http://divapid.com/

While trying to build a robot - like most hobbyist are: http://jimsrobot.com/

So what do I really need:

• instructions in English - I'm sick of guessing what the manual says
• logging preferred
• precise small voltage / current
• digital troubleshooting tools
• plus stuff I haven't thought of yet but will need in the next few years
• new not second hand - it's a gift
• a very understanding wife

[Lightages]

Based on what you want to do I repeat my recommendation for these two meters:
http://www.tme.eu/en/details/bm257/portable-digital-multimeters/brymen/#  $111 USD plus shipping
plus the USB cable for logging when you need it:
http://www.tme.eu/en/details/kitbrua-20x/meters-software/brymen/  $31 USD plus shipping
or get it from Franky, iloveelectronics here on this forum, when he gets it back in stock for $135 shipped
plus he has the USB cable too when he has the BM257 in stock, I forget the price

Plus get the Brymen BM869:
http://www.tme.eu/en/details/bm869/portable-digital-multimeters/brymen/#  $240 USD plus shipping
and the USB cable:
http://www.tme.eu/en/details/kitbu-86x/meters-software/brymen/  $52 plus shipping

All in it should come under the $500 price including the shipping.

With these two really well built meters you will be able to have high accuracy and high safety plus the logging of both meters at the same time to a computer. The dual temp measurement of the BM869 will come in handy with the coffee machines as will the high safety of the meters when you are poking around the high power heater controls.

So you will be able to log current and voltage at the same time and figure out power, or log voltage or current vs temperatures, etc....

The BM869 is for high accuracy and high resolution and with dual temperatures, and the BM257 is the small one for poking around in smaller places and has a non-contact voltage detector to let you know if you have a live circuit before you actually touch something. Both should take a beating.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Yeah also want to say, for $500, go with two (different) meters. Unless you have a reason to need one meter worth half a grand.

[M. András]

for that price you can get two 34401 meters on ebay.
can't go wrong with those...

i dont find any of them below 500 on ebay

[Fsck]

for that price you can get two 34401 meters on ebay.
can't go wrong with those...

i dont find any of them below 500 on ebay

me either

[KJDS]

for that price you can get two 34401 meters on ebay.
can't go wrong with those...

i dont find any of them below 500 on ebay

me either

^^^Wot e Sed^^^

Usually at least £350 each

[BravoV]

Its obvious Vincent did his last ebay transaction at yester-years. 

[eevblogfan]

hey

sorry but I think you went nut'so

please have a look at the lovely 2'nd hand HP3478A

can be easly picked up for 100~150$ , so 2 can easly be bought ,

and besides , If you need two top end multimeters for that price ( and new )  I'll suggest buying 2X 87V from some ebay seller , you can easly tell one that he'll do 2 for 500$ including shipping , I did found one for 147$ including shipping but that's rear , so please go for one of those , I would but some 3610A and two 3478A if I was you ,

Cheers !

[bingo600]

So what do I really need:

• instructions in English - I'm sick of guessing what the manual says
• logging preferred
• precise small voltage / current
• digital troubleshooting tools
• plus stuff I haven't thought of yet but will need in the next few years

• a very understanding wife

new not second hand - it's a gift

Well the New criteria , prob. rules out any 6.5 digit meter.
The understanding wife ... Is prob gonna cost more than $500 (in shoes)

/Bingo

[ddavidebor]

I suggest you a good fluke or agilent plus an hp 34401a

So you have one strong and portable, and another one advanced and super accurate

[commongrounder]

Fluke 289.  Hands down best.  Logging with trendplot built in.  Measures just about everything. I treasure mine.

[olsenn]

Check out the Rigol DM3058E (http://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-multimeters/dm3000/dm3058E/). It costs $449 new, and is definitely your best choice unless you get a steal off some used Agilent stuff on eBay. The DM3058E is the same as the regular DM3058 except it doesn't offer GBIB or LAN connectivity (It still can be controlled remotely via USB or RS232).

It is 5 1/2 Digits, 0.015% DCV accuracy; 240,000 count, and 123 readings/sec. It has extremely advanced features for a DMM including histogram plotting and other statistical analysis, can measures in dbm and other less commonly used formats when desired, features all the common measurements as well as capacitance, junction (diode) voltage, frequency, custom sensors; it has a continuity buzzer, and the display is pretty nice.

If you are looking for a handheld meter, I'd highly recommend looking for a used Fluke 87 on eBay, or even a 28-II. One thing I would recommend though, if purchasing used, is to pick up some precision voltage references from TI free samples page to ensure basic calibration. Some precision resistors can also come in handy for calibrating resistance/current measurements.   

[kxenos]

My beloved Beauty I Take Care Honestly off, decided (after speaking with her mother, I believe) that our family budget can afford a bench multimeter some months ago, so I bought a Keithley 2000 from ebay. There is also a forum member that sells a keithley 2015 in a very reasonable price, if he still has it. My point is, if you have a chance to get something of 500$ don't waste the opportunity for things that you could get anytime. Plus a decent bench DMM is a nice bit of kit to have.

[bingo600]

My beloved Beauty I Take Care Honestly off, decided (after speaking with her mother, I believe) that our family budget can afford a bench multimeter some months ago, so I bought a Keithley 2000 from ebay. There is also a forum member that sells a keithley 2015 in a very reasonable price, if he still has it. My point is, if you have a chance to get something of 500$ don't waste the opportunity for things that you could get anytime. Plus a decent bench DMM is a nice bit of kit to have.

I can only second that , and i got a 2055 from KJDS
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/keithley-2015-teardown/msg213757/#msg213757

It was calibrated in May 2011 , and is spot on my 10v Geller reference.
Just get a probe set from ebay or ... If you decide to get the 2015 , there's just the 2015 in the package.

/Bingo

[Lightages]

You guys keep missing one important point. He said NO USED EQUIPMENT.

A new Fluke 289 is $600+

A Fluke 87V is a nice meter but lacking some features for the price.

The Brymens I mentioned cost less together with the PC cables and software than the Fluke alone. Two meters and each with PC software for less than the price of one 87V. It seems a no brainer to me and you can't beat the safety rating of the Brymen BM869. It is built to very high standards and is very accurate too.

[ddavidebor]

Used precision 5+ digit multimeter are much better than new

[EEVblog]

My better half has offered to buy me good multimeter, AUD$500'ish budget. What would your top recommendations be?

Agilent U1272A
http://www.triosmartcal.com.au/2251-agilent-u1272a-dmm-digit-water-dust-resist.html