Best DMM you can get with a budget of max $300?

[rsjsouza]

I see a lot of handhelds bein recommended and wonder how appearantly so few get fed up with changing batteries.

That's because it's rarely needed. Other than second hand meters that came with spent batteries, I don't think I've changed any batteries.
about it.

In my handheld the battery always died when I needed it the most. And how about auto-shutdown? That is pretty annoying too. I only have one handheld DMM which goes along to customers. The rest are bench DMMs. I'm not quite sure where you want to go with your remark about Brymen versus Vicy. Both are low end brands and I don't expect the inside to be better or lesser quality between the two. Last time I checked (using my Keysight 34461A) my VC8145s meet their specs.

Even with my U1273A with its shiny OLED display I really thought that battery was going to be a huge problem, but that didn't happen. Auto Power Off is something quite annoying at times but it can be easily disabled.

Despite your VC8145s are still in cal after all those years, Vici's offerings in the handheld market are light years behind Brymen! There is absolutely no comparison in robustness and build quality between a VC99 or a VC9807A and anything that Brymen has had in a long time.

But my point is not about Vici's handhelds but their very cost effective bench-top model which IMHO has excellent value for money (even for using in a business like I do). Brymen doesn't seem to have bench-top meters at all.

I see your point about the VC8145 and I agree it seems quite a good value. Perhaps I should have marked the target of my statement (see above) - this sentence is what I objected on my previous post.

[3db]

@stian

I bought my BM869s from Welectron in Germany (via Amazon in UK) and can confirm that are a great outfit to deal with.
I bought a BM257 from TME in Poland a few years ago and had no problems with them.
I reckon Welectron would be the better company if you are looking for test gear.

3DB

[Deridex]

I think autoturnoff is nothing bad aslong you can turn it off and the dmm notfies me when shutting down

[joeqsmith]

I see a lot of handhelds bein recommended and wonder how appearantly so few get fed up with changing batteries.

That's because it's rarely needed. Other than second hand meters that came with spent batteries, I don't think I've changed any batteries.
about it.

In my handheld the battery always died when I needed it the most. And how about auto-shutdown? That is pretty annoying too. I only have one handheld DMM which goes along to customers. The rest are bench DMMs. I'm not quite sure where you want to go with your remark about Brymen versus Vicy. Both are low end brands and I don't expect the inside to be better or lesser quality between the two. Last time I checked (using my Keysight 34461A) my VC8145s meet their specs.

Even with my U1273A with its shiny OLED display I really thought that battery was going to be a huge problem, but that didn't happen. Auto Power Off is something quite annoying at times but it can be easily disabled.

Despite your VC8145s are still in cal after all those years, Vici's offerings in the handheld market are light years behind Brymen! There is absolutely no comparison in robustness and build quality between a VC99 or a VC9807A and anything that Brymen has had in a long time.

But my point is not about Vici's handhelds but their very cost effective bench-top model which IMHO has excellent value for money (even for using in a business like I do). Brymen doesn't seem to have bench-top meters at all.

I see your point about the VC8145 and I agree it seems quite a good value. Perhaps I should have marked the target of my statement (see above) - this sentence is what I objected on my previous post.

I've looked at the VC99 and a few different Brymens and don't see how the Vici would ever be considered to be in the same class.  I've put that BM869s I have through a lot of tests.  I don't remember the Vici getting off the starting line.