Purchasing a multimeter,...

[MarcelvO]

Hi all,

I hope my English is good enough,…

I’m in the market for a new multimeter. I already have 2 old second hand Fluke meters. A Fluke 77 (Series 1, yes,..that grey bricky  ) and a Fluke 183. Both within specs. I’ve seen a lot of Dave’s video’s about multimeters but not a shootout in the € 250 - € 300 range. After a list of 10 multimeters I end up with 3 multimeters. The Brymen BM869S, BK Precision BK393 and the Agilent/Keysight U1241B.
I believe that they are all three good meters with their own pros and cons if I can thrust the datasheets.

For my electronics use the BM869S would be my first choice. About the BK393 & the U1241B I cannot find many use full video’s while there is a lot to find about the BM869S.
Have anybody of you experiences with the BK393 or the U1241B and should one of these meters a better choice considering the measurement- and overall quality over the years? The meter will not be stored in a toolbox and outdoors usage.

I hope you can tell me something to learn from, before I purchase a meter.
Thank very much.

[2N3055]

Those two meters are a class below BM869.. They are more in line with BRYMEN BM525..

As for quality, BRYMEN is very well made, has industry leading protection, and so far performed flawlessly..  I actually have BM869 and BM525 (525 has logging capabilities)

As far as the brands, B&K is rebranded something else, and Keysight is a old design from  Escort that Agilent bought long ago...

Keysight does have great support... So if that is important to you...

I'm very happy with Brymen.... They work great.

[ap]

I would recommend you go after a 6-5 digit DMM, like the K2000, K2015 (cheaper, but better than the 2000!!), 34401 (not better, but mor expensive).
Any of such meters will give you much more than you have today (the K2015 even has a sine generator), and the prices today are moderate. Make sure you get a meter that is fully working.

[MarcelvO]

Thank you for responding.

Good to hear that the Brymen is a great meter. Has the meter stable readings? My Fluke 183 in 50.000 count mode is jumping too much in some ranges which driving me nuts some times 

@AP

Yes, I've considered taking a bench multimeter but importing from outside the EU is not cheap and in the EU there are not many bench meters for a reasonable price and at this point
I cannot justify the costs of such a meter. Hopefully I can find a bench meter by luck here in my neighborhood.
But thank you for your input. Much appreciated 

[daqq]

Yes, I've considered taking a bench multimeter but importing from outside the EU is not cheap and in the EU there are not many bench meters for a reasonable price and at this point
I cannot justify the costs of such a meter. Hopefully I can find a bench meter by luck here in my neighborhood.

Well, try ebay.de , ebay.co.uk or your local classified ads site. You never know what kind of bargain you might find. I lucked out on both my benchtop multimeter (34401A and 3458A) locally.

[tggzzz]

I hope you can tell me something to learn from, before I purchase a meter.

You don't say:

• why you need a third meter
• what isn't good enough about the two you already have
• what you will use another meter for
• if you don't buy a third meter, what you might like to get instead

[chickenHeadKnob]

Thank you for responding.
Good to hear that the Brymen is a great meter. Has the meter stable readings? My Fluke 183 in 50.000 count mode is jumping too much in some ranges which driving me nuts some times 

I have a Brymen  BM857a and a BM869 (non s) both meters have 50,000 and 500,000 count modes and are very "steady" depending on what is being measured. For example I used the BM857 across my truck's battery when the engine was off in 500,000 count mode to see the self discharge rate. The meter was steadily counting down a few micro volts per reading. I like both meters and wouldn't hesitate to recommend a new BM869s. If you are measuring something you have to be aware the fluctuating display maybe due to the source changing during ADC aperture time.

[MarcelvO]

Thank you all for your comments  I really appreciated it.

@ chickenHeadKnob, I use a constant source for checking my DMM. So in one range the Fl 183 is fluctuating. Good to hear the Brymen's are steady.

@ tggzzz: The Fluke 77 is not really a electronics meter, it's more designed for electricians. The Fluke 77 has no uA range. Only mA & A., no capacitance, no Hz etc. So that's why I want a meter that's more suitable for electronics. And both meters I have are heavily used.

@ daqq: I am constantly checking Ebay  but the US market is a lot bigger. So I keep my patience

[GigaJoe]

a bench meter ? like HP3478a - it alot on ebay with a great precision