fluke 27/FM vs fluke 115

[001]

fluke 27/FM vs fluke 115


40years vs 10 years old design
but
0.1 vs 0.5
but
3200c vs 6000c
but
USA vs China......


Any opinions?

[Fungus]

Before Dave started branding his own meters there was only ONE meter that was visible somewhere in all his videos.

It wasn't a Fluke 87V or 115.

[rsjsouza]

I have an old brown one and it is a war tank - although very well put together, the 115 does not inspire the same confidence and it does not have the uA/mA ranges nor conductance.

I highly recommend it for the tough jobs. However, beware if you leave it in direct sunlight as it gets quite hot due to the dark color of its housing - mine developed a fade on the LCD that will require some TLC to put it back to full operation (I just didn't have the time yet).

[Shock]

I wanted a Fluke 117 over the 115 because of Volt Alert and LoZ. For me temperature measurement has never been super important to have on a multimeter. The Fluke Volt Alert function detects the presence of mains voltages. LoZ loads the circuit so reduces the chances of misreading ghost voltages as live. You just have to be careful you never use it on a sensitive circuit, but it is also a quick and dirty way to trip an RCD and see if it's working. It was cheaper for me to buy the whole meter secondhand than a Fluke SV225 adapter. It turned out the one I brought hadn't seen any use.

The Fluke 27/FM were apparently $450 msrp in 1988. I wanted two identical meters for the bench, mainly for measuring fairly high voltage and current, they had to be reasonably safe, cheap and have True RMS. I wasn't so worried about resolution count but the meter has mA uA mV both in AC and DC so nice. I also wanted something fairly easy to repair and so I got a few additional spares if required. The ones I brought had been well maintained and calibrated when they were last used. They are built for use in harsh conditions and substantially larger than the Fluke 117 but they make great bench monsters. Consider that the leads might need replacing and be in questionable condition after all this time.

[GreyWoolfe]

I use a set of Frankie's Brymen leads with my 27/FM.  I got mine with a crappy set of leads and a high voltage probe.  It is the go to around the house to stick in AC outlets and what not.  I like it much better than my Aneng AN8008 but it is too large and heavy to fit easily into my toolbag for work so the Aneng wins out there.  I only paid $65 USD shipped for mine with the hard case.  I think the EEVBlog made it too popular and prices went up.

[Fungus]

The Fluke 27/FM were apparently $450 msrp in 1988.

Mine was made in 2003, that's quite a production run.

I think the EEVBlog made it too popular and prices went up.

Definitely.

[Shock]

So 001 which one are you looking at buying? What was your conclusion?

[001]

I got two 115

[Shock]

I got two 115

Now you have an official multimeter collection

[001]

I got two 115

Now you have an official multimeter collection

What do You mean? I have two flukes only 

[Shock]

I got two 115

Now you have an official multimeter collection

What do You mean? I have two flukes only 

So far hehehe.

[GregDunn]

I'd gladly own a model 27, but they seem to be very scarce around here - let alone at bargain prices.  I picked up my 115 very cheaply (under $50) at a pawn shop, and it's in like-new condition.  Within the limits of its display precision, it's as accurate as my 8600 and 179 so I can't complain; I have meters for pretty much any measurement and the 115 has its place. 

[TheBay]

I still use a Fluke 77 Series II

[kkritsilas]

I have a 77 Series 1, and a 27/FM (military version of the 27).

In the 77 ‘s favor are the rubber holster, which incorporates a tilt stand, belt hook, and probes can be stored on the holster rear. It is lighter and smaller, even with holster. It also has annunciators for VDC and VAC, DC or AC annubiators for current. It is .5% accuracy rated on DC (don’t recall the count uncertainty), and is an averaging meter.

The 27/FM is much bugger and heavier, and is has O ring seals to keep out moisture. There is no holster, so no belt hook, or is there probe storage. The tilt stand is built into the case., and is extremely rigid. Display is slightly bigger than the 77's, and has a slightly tan coloured rear reflectior. There are no annunciators for voltage or current.The 27/FM has uA ranges for both AC and DC, and mV AC range. There are MAX/MIN and REL functions.The 27/FM is a true RMS meter and is rated at .1% accuracy on the DCV ranges +/- 1 count.

Both meters lack a back light, both have nS ranges (manual), both have real touch hold functions (not just display freeze), and both are 3200 count meters. Both are perfectly safe meters (note that the 77 Series I has no fuse on the 10A range). I do like the rotary switch better on the 27/FM; it is the most logical layout I have ever seen.  OFF positions at 12 and 6. DC voltage functions on the left, AC functions on the right. To either side of the bottom OFF positions are the Diode/Continuity on the left, and the Ohms to the right.

I’d love to see Joe Smith do his testing on both meters; it would be both a look into the past in terms of build quality, and allow us to see hiw stuff has progressed (or digressed) as time has gone on.

Both are good meters. The 27/FM seems to be all over eBay; the military must be getting rid of a lot of them. There are many 77s available, too, but a lot are Series II, Series III, and Series IV, and they cost more than a 27/FM (Series III are true RMS). If you can live with the increased size and weight, or need a very rugged meter, look for a 27 or 27/FM. Otherwise, a 77 (Series II or later) is fine.

[shteii01]

3-4 years ago on ebay 27/FM was going for 25 USD.

[blacksheeplogic]

fluke 27/FM vs fluke 115

I like to compact size of my 117, it's been a good meter. I am not prejudicial against China made, their quality can be just as good if not better than the US for the same or similar price point. If you need something more robust Series II 27/28 are nice but they are big meters which don't offer anything over the 87V.

[Shock]

I got two 115

Did you end up swapping a 115 for a 117?

[001]

I got two 115

Did you end up swapping a 115 for a 117?

No
I sold out both

[GreyWoolfe]

3-4 years ago on ebay 27/FM was going for 25 USD.

Now, they seem to be starting at a BIN price of $55.  Chalk it up to inflation.   

[rsjsouza]

3-4 years ago on ebay 27/FM was going for 25 USD.

Now, they seem to be starting at a BIN price of $55.  Chalk it up to inflation.   

It's the EEVBlog effect.

[paulbt]

Hi,

I searched this forum for "Fluke 115" and this is the only topic which is not related to a specific problem about it. I do not want to open a brand new topic just for this question of mine:

Can someone please tell me what probes come in the box with Fluke 115?

I'm a little confused because on fluke.com in the pictures I can see TL-75 probes (which I hate) besides a Fluke 117 with "115" label on it [ ironic  ] , and on TME's pictures I can see TL-71 probes (which I wish) but in product description it says "TL-75" 

Please see pictures below...

[Per Hansson]

It is better to ask the seller, you can never rely on such pictures being correct.
Especially not on the large places like TME.

[paulbt]

It is better to ask the seller, you can never rely on such pictures being correct.
Especially not on the large places like TME.

If I ask TME Customer Service via email, they will not answer my question about details, they will only copy infos from the product description and say "thank you" at the end. It happned to me a few times and I was like    ...

More interesting is that if I look on farnell, there is the same price, but in the description it says "Fluke 115 DMM, holster, installed 9V battery, 4mm silicone test lead set & user manual". There might be a spark of hope for me if I go buy from them.

On youtube I searched for unboxing videos and I found about 10 videos showing TL-71 and as many showing TL-75. That's why I asked here...maybe someone will enlighten me soon.

[PaulAm]

3-4 years ago on ebay 27/FM was going for 25 USD.

Now, they seem to be starting at a BIN price of $55.  Chalk it up to inflation.   

I snagged 3 of them at a BIN price of $15 each back then just to be able to have a decent meter in my shop, lab, etc.  I think that seller had a couple hundred to go through at that time.

A backlight would have been nice, but I can live without it.

[Axtman]

Is the 27 a true RMS meter?

I own both a Fluke 117 and 116. They are great meters. Don't let "China" scare you. They are Fluke quality. I use those meters more than my Fluke 87 V. I like the small form factor that fits well in a hand. My only complaint on the 117/116 meters is that they only measure up to 600 volts. I work on tube amps and sometimes need to measure more than 600 volts on the output tube plates.