Fluke 87V tests before buying second hand

[bitshift]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to a buy a second hand Fluke 87V. I'm meeting with the gentleman later today and I was wondering if there any tests I could/should do to ensure the integrity of the unit? Also are there any common gotchas I should be aware of when buying a second hand fluke?

[Psi]

Ask why he is selling it.

Bring along a battery and a resistor so you can do some basic volts and ohms checks

Set it to continuity, hold probes together and move the cables around in all angles (to check they have no breaks).

Check out the LCD for cracks or missing segments

Shake it and make sure nothing is rattling around inside

If you're able to open it up you could have a look at the fuse contacts for any sign the meter has been through a high energy short.

Check all the buttons work

[bitshift]

Perfect, thanks. I will be sure to do all those tests.

[radioFlash]

Check that the fuses aren't blown and there isn't corrosion from leaking batteries on the battery terminals.

[bitshift]

Very ametuer question, but how do I visually tell if the fuses are blown?

[RobertHolcombe]

FYI you can test fuses by setting the meter to continuity test or ohms and probing the A/mA banana socket using the red probe, if either reads open circuit then the fuse is blown, missing etc

[bitshift]

That makes things a bit easier, thanks 

[giosif]

You may want to watch this: https://youtu.be/C4UCdc4A18k
Some of those functions might be useful in your evaluation.

[bitshift]

Very useful video, thank you for sharing 

[bitshift]

The meter passed all of the above mentioned tests. I am now a happy Fluke 87V owner. Thanks all for the help 

[retiredcaps]

For others in the future, some hints

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Fluke-Meters-Main-Read-First-/10000000007231862/g.html

For the OP regarding fuses, see

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/buying-used-multimeter-what-to-watch-for/msg190227/#msg190227

[bitshift]

Thanks retiredcaps 

Also to help any one in the future here is the list of things I checked for:

Fuse Tests

Insert the black lead into the COM socket and the red lead into the V/Ohms socket

1. Switch meter to the diode function
    - Use the red lead to probe the A socket. If it beeps the 10A fuse is good.
    - Use the red lead to probe the mA socket. If it beeps the 400mA fuse is good.

2. Switch meter to the resistance measurement function
    - Use the red lead to probe the upper part of the A socket. The meter should read between 0.0R and 0.5R.
    - Use the red lead to probe the upper part of the mA socket. The meter should read between 0.995k and 1.005k.
    - If the meter reads out these ranges, it could be that either the fuse is blown or it's out of spec.

3. Switch meter to the continuity function
    - Use the red lead to probe the A and mA. If the meter beeps the fuses are good.

LCD Test

With the meter off, hold down autohold button and keep holding it down
    - Switch the meter to AC volts measurement
    - All segments on the LCD will switch on, allowing you to make sure the LCD is 100%

Button Test

Switch the meter to AC volts measurement
    - Press all buttons on the meter and listen for a corresponding beep.
    - If you push a button and the meter doesn't beep, it could be faulty.

Calibration Count

Hold down the min max button and turn the meter on into AC voltage mode
    - Press the autohold button
    - The number of times the meter has been calibrated will be displayed in the form nxxx
        - Where xxx is the number of times the meter has been calibrated.
    - Don't push any other buttons, switch the meter off.
    - Use this to check claims of recent calibrations for example.

Other Tests

1. Check the battery terminals for corrosion
2. Tests the probes by switching the meter to continuity mode. Bend leads around to make sure they have no intermittent faults.
3. Take some common components, resistors, batteries etc and check that the corresponding modes on the meter give real results.
4. If possible, open the meter and visually inspect the fuses. Also look for any signs of a high energy short.
5. Shake the meter and make sure nothing rattles