Budget multimeter brands that use commonly avalable fuses?

[J-R]

The roughly $100 price listed for the DMM-B-11A fuse is for quantity 10, just scroll down on the page:
https://mou.sr/41QojXW
https://www.digikey.com/short/jzhztwh8
You can also see that these are companies that like to sell in bulk, hence the $7 each list price at higher quantities.

Dave also sells this pack, although he's out of stock currently: https://eevblog.store/products/multimeter-fuse-pack

Welectron, the german company that sells Brymen, offers the Cooper-Bussmann fuses for 9.50€ each, having 100+ on stock:

https://www.welectron.com/Cooper-Bussmann-DMM-B-44-100-R-HRC-Sicherung-044A-1000V
https://www.welectron.com/Cooper-Bussmann-DMM-B-11A-HRC-Sicherung-11A-1000V

That's a reasonable source also for Fluke owners in the EU.

Whenever placing an order with Welectron, I typically add some extra fuses to carry with the DMM.  Good prices even for here in the US, although I've picked up a few deals on eBay over the years.

[tooki]

The roughly $100 price listed for the DMM-B-11A fuse is for quantity 10, just scroll down on the page:
https://mou.sr/41QojXW
https://www.digikey.com/short/jzhztwh8

That is absolutely incorrect! (Unfortunately!)

The factory package size is informative only, so that you can choose to order a whole pack if you prefer the manufacturer packaging. It is not the quantity you receive when adding one piece to your cart!! DigiKey makes this a tad clearer: look at the price table on the right. You’ll see a little box icon next to the factory pack, the unit price, and the extended price.

On DigiKey, for items where adding 1 to the cart actually gives you multiple pieces, the description will contain something to the effect of “QTY1=100PCS”.

[tatel]

Well maybe you dont burn out fuses on modern meters, so it's not an issue. 

What about something like Brymen beeping to warn you?

[Monkeh]

$15 for a set of 4 fuses doesn’t seem unreasonably expensive.

It does to me, but admittedly that's because those are a standard fuse here. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Necessities_Index/Plug_Top_Fuses/index.html

[Peabody]

Well maybe you dont burn out fuses on modern meters, so it's not an issue. 

What about something like Brymen beeping to warn you?

That would be good, but I'll have to see if that feature is found on an inexpensive Brymen.

[bdunham7]

With my Zoyi/Aneng, a fuse in the 250mA range blows every now and then because, for example, a PSU doesn't start up as expected.

What size (ampacity, not dimensions) fuses does this meter take?  20A and 250mA or something else?

The whole safety issue is also massively overrated imo.
Someone show me a statistic on how many people die because they use a cheap DMM instead of a Fluke.
This statistic is guaranteed not to exist because it is completely irrelevant.

I don't have statistics but there are cases where it is clear that a substandard meter was the primary cause of injuries or fatalities.  AFAIK none of them involve working on (non-EV) cars, bench electronics or single-phase household mains so you do have a valid point that not everyone needs a CAT-rated meter.  It's a shame that Zoyi insists on putting a CAT-IV 60V label on this meter when it clearly cannot possibly meet that standard.

[Aldo22]

With my Zoyi/Aneng, a fuse in the 250mA range blows every now and then because, for example, a PSU doesn't start up as expected.

What size (ampacity, not dimensions) fuses does this meter take?  20A and 250mA or something else?

I ordered 250mA fuses because the device itself says “250mA MAX” at the mA/μA input.
However, when I opened the ZT-225, there was a 600mA fuse inside. But it is OK. I have 10 of them.
The one at the 20A input was 20A as expected.

P.S. The original mA/μA fuse on the AN870 is really 200mA.
That's why it didn't occur to me to check that on the ZT-225 first.

[floobydust]

You can't have both - high voltage (>250V) rating and high interrupt capability (>10kA?) in a small 5x20mm fuse... unless you make them expulsion and there's no room for that.
Do you derate the multimeter to 250V?

I see no innovation or advances in fuse technology - they could make something smaller, suitable for multimeters but there's no need to when old existing parts are profit centers.
I checked and the ripoff Eaton/Bussmann multimeter fuses went up in price 21% since last spring (2023-04 vs. 2024-12). Eaton stock to the moon! ETN

[bdunham7]

You can't have both - high voltage (>250V) rating and high interrupt capability (>10kA?) in a small 5x20mm fuse... unless you make them expulsion and there's no room for that.
Do you derate the multimeter to 250V?

Yes, they "derate" the meters by printing the 250V limitation near the fuse jacks.  Not CAT-kosher, but you get the picture.  The problem is that unless you have some super-specialty model I haven't seen, then the 5x20mm ceramic ratings are limited to 250VAC (typically no stated DC rating) and 1.5kA (or much less for the 20A version).  That's OK-ish for household mains, but if you used this meter on an HVDC solar system, UPS battery bank or the HV system of an electric car it could be very dangerous. 

I see no innovation or advances in fuse technology

Perhaps not very recently, but a fuse that can interrupt 1kVDC and >10kA is pretty remarkable.  That's getting up near the power levels of a steelmaking electric arc furnace.  Many older--just a few decades--expensive and even mil-spec instruments used HBC fuses with ratings much lower than we have today just because there weren't alternatives.  Even the KTK-15 used in earlier Fluke handhelds was 600VAC without really mentioning a DC spec.  The SC-3 fuse found in very expensive Fluke bench meters was good for 600VAC and 170VDC. 

[floobydust]

Years to come, this is an upcoming problem servicing EV's - common folk will be poking around in them with HV and high energy present.
I suppose it's best to get rid of the current-measurement function and use something else when they get better (Hall sensor) tech.

I'm from an era where multimeters had no fuses. One guy did poke his probes into an outlet to confirm "it was 15A" and the rotary switch exploded and launched but he survived ok. Japanese manufacturers think if you're that stupid, you should not be making the measurement in the first place, you're not qualified so their multimeters don't protect much and rarely have certs.

Fluke was a pioneer driving the safety standard IEC-1010 circa 1988. But with their patents on the protection circuit, it killed off all competitors who could neither afford certification testing or a Fluke patent-eluding protection scheme.
Looking back, it culled the herd of competitors and today, things are no safer with chinese fake claims on their multimeters, test leads and fuses.

[slburris]

Well, there's this story, although not something a hobbyist would encounter:

https://www.ecmweb.com/safety/arc-flash/article/20898038/the-case-of-the-deadly-arc-flash

The whole safety issue is also massively overrated imo.
Someone show me a statistic on how many people die because they use a cheap DMM instead of a Fluke.
This statistic is guaranteed not to exist because it is completely irrelevant.

[floobydust]

There was no fuse involved, that was during a voltage measurement.
"An engineer from the manufacturer testified that his firm had never tested that model instrument at the IEC test conditions — or even at its maximum working voltage rating."
This is the beef I have- multimeter products never tested to HV, yet claims of "designed to IECxxxxx", an EE theoretical.

People have recommended to OP to buy chinese untested products, but their PCB spacings are very scary sometimes, inadequate.
Never mind the fuse is from the bowels of Guangdong.

[bdunham7]

There was no fuse involved, that was during a voltage measurement.

The cheap fuses are probably the least hazardous aspect of cheap meters, they just get discussed more because their issues are obvious.  A Fluke from that era would have had a fusible resistor instead of the more modern surge resistor plus PTC, but in any case there has to be a limitation on input current even on non-current ranges.  One reason that meters like the ZT-225 we're discussing are unsuitable for anything beyond household mains (if even that) is that they omit the current limiting resistor entirely.  Even if you don't use the current ranges and ignore the fuse issue entirely, there are good reasons why you don't want this meter on any circuit with high fault current.  Of course we haven't seen the other side of the board so there's always room for a pleasant surprise.

[floobydust]

Look at the ZT-225 PCB trace routing- the input jack(+) goes cross country across the board to the MOV's and two MELFs, but the limiting factor is the rotary switch rung next to it.
This is what I mean by "testing" instead of some PCB layout guy thinking he's done great.

[David Hess]

The multimeter fuse discussion always amuses me.  Most of my multimeters are old enough that they predate "safety" fuses, and when I do replace a safety fuse in one of my multimeters, if I do not have the right fuse, then I typically drill it out and solder in a thin strand of copper wire with the proper fusing current.  The example below is from before I did even that.  In the second example, I replaced the really low current ohms converter fuse with a pair of 28 volt grain-of-wheat bulbs in series.

If you are really looking for a multimeter which uses standard fuses, then get the multimeter of your choice, and when you blow its fuse, replace it with a cheap standard fuse if you must.

I'm from an era where multimeters had no fuses. One guy did poke his probes into an outlet to confirm "it was 15A" and the rotary switch exploded and launched but he survived ok. Japanese manufacturers think if you're that stupid, you should not be making the measurement in the first place, you're not qualified so their multimeters don't protect much and rarely have certs.

I did that ... when I was like 9.

[Aldo22]

Well, there's this story, although not something a hobbyist would encounter:

I didn't say it couldn't happen.
But statistically speaking, it is completely irrelevant compared to other risks in life.
In this forum, pages and pages are filled with warnings about these “deadly meters”.
Hobbyists are told that they are safe with a Fluke and that a Zoyi poses an acute danger to life.

I took a look at the statistics.
In Germany, around 13,000 people die in domestic accidents every year.
In comparison, there were 32 fatal accidents related to electricity in 2019, 7 of which happened at work.
That includes everything. Hair dryer in bathtub etc.
I'm absolutely sure not one person died because a Zoyi was used instead of a Fluke.

But of course, as a professional in more dangerous environments, I would also prefer a professional tool.
But that doesn't apply to me.

[floobydust]

Early 1900's old home panels used fuse-wire. You can still buy some lol.
But people can't be trusted even for their own sake. Most cheated {1916 report} with heavy wire, bolts etc. and the widespread fires were a problem even with (refillable?) economy fuses. I think led to Henry T Bussmann's 1919 patents.

I've been to UL in Chicago and toured their test facilities at the Northbrook Campus. Huge equipment that would make Victor Frankenstein's lab look like an arduino club meeting. Fuse testing at 200kA requires huge inductors, massive equipment. The test suite is a lot of lab time.

I would say the main cost of fuses is obtaining safety certifications but nowadays- it's corporate greed making them massively overpriced.
Safety costs money and nobody wants that expense. The testing of the fuse/multimeter is kinda important.
I see under 1mm spacings in the ZT-225 rotary switch, pretty crappy.

[tooki]

$15 for a set of 4 fuses doesn’t seem unreasonably expensive.

It does to me, but admittedly that's because those are a standard fuse here. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Necessities_Index/Plug_Top_Fuses/index.html

Fair enough, those are of course super common there. (And frankly not a bad choice for an el-cheapo multimeter fuse. Not as good as real DMM fuses, but still 6kA breaking current. Way, way better than a 5x20 fuse!)

[tooki]

Well, there's this story, although not something a hobbyist would encounter:

I didn't say it couldn't happen.
But statistically speaking, it is completely irrelevant compared to other risks in life.
In this forum, pages and pages are filled with warnings about these “deadly meters”.
Hobbyists are told that they are safe with a Fluke and that a Zoyi poses an acute danger to life.

I took a look at the statistics.
In Germany, around 13,000 people die in domestic accidents every year.
In comparison, there were 32 fatal accidents related to electricity in 2019, 7 of which happened at work.
That includes everything. Hair dryer in bathtub etc.
I'm absolutely sure not one person died because a Zoyi was used instead of a Fluke.

Well yeah, but that isn’t despite safety regulations, but because of them.

Is an Aneng/Zoyi/UNI-T/Mastech or whatever a significant hazard to a home user? Probably not, if used only on the output side of the distribution board/breaker panel. But I sure as hell wouldn’t risk them on the supply side — something I can easily do with my Fluke or Keysight.

[Aldo22]

Well yeah, but that isn’t despite safety regulations, but because of them.

Is an Aneng/Zoyi/UNI-T/Mastech or whatever a significant hazard to a home user? Probably not, if used only on the output side of the distribution board/breaker panel. But I sure as hell wouldn’t risk them on the supply side — something I can easily do with my Fluke or Keysight.

If I had to do that, I'd want a professional device too.

My point is, that people here are suggesting to hobbyists that these “budget meters” are dangerous when measuring a 9V battery or repairing the toaster.

Perhaps we should also recognize a certain progress in safety in the budget sector.
I do believe that there is a difference in safety between a DT-830B and an AN870 or a ZT-255. I would certainly assume so, if only because of the robustness of the housing.

But as I said, I suspect that this problem is massively exaggerated in this forum and plays virtually no role statistically.
Or to put it another way: if you were to recommend that the hobbyist buy an AN870 instead of a Fluke and use the difference to buy some running shoes or healthier food, you would probably have “saved more lives”. 

[tooki]

My point is, that people here are suggesting to hobbyists that these “budget meters” are dangerous when measuring a 9V battery or repairing the toaster.

I don’t think that is an accurate or honest representation of how the forum behaves.

When it comes to meter recommendations for low-energy applications, the forum tells people it’s fine to use whatever, because it is. Nobody tells people they need a CAT IV 1000V meter for working on an Arduino.

Many times, people ask without specifying what their use case is. Until we know that it is a low-energy application, we err on the side of safety.

If someone asks why good multimeters use expensive fuses, we tell them why. The fact that the reason is not relevant to many users doesn’t mean it’s not the reason, or that the reason is bogus.

And we are merciless in our condemnation of cheap multimeter manufacturers who put fake CAT ratings on their meters. As I (and others) have said many times before: there is nothing wrong with selling a non-CAT-rated meter, as long as you don’t pretend it is. Say it’s for home and hobby use only.

[Sorama]

In 35 years of repairing electronics I never blew a fuse of a DMM.
One better focus on a good DMM regardless the kind of fuse it uses.

[Aldo22]

Many times, people ask without specifying what their use case is. Until we know that it is a low-energy application, we err on the side of safety.

Yes, but the title of this thread says it's about “budget multimeters” and immediately you're back to Fluke, Brymen and fuses, which cost more than 5 “budget multimeters”.
Does it always have to be like this?

I also can't shake the suspicion that this is often about advertising.
The term “FUD” always comes to mind in this context.

"The aim is to create fear, uncertainty and doubt in the recipient of the information (e.g. customers, voters) about a competitor or its products (propaganda). This exploits the fact that people's feelings of fear are irrational and that even demonstrably false information can lead to uncertainty."

But well, the topic keeps coming up here...
The “boss” has also commented on this.

[Sorama]

Wouldn’t a lack of knowledge not be the real (and only) reason why accidents with dmm’s happen?

[tooki]

Many times, people ask without specifying what their use case is. Until we know that it is a low-energy application, we err on the side of safety.

Yes, but the title of this thread says it's about “budget multimeters”

”Budget” is relative, and OP never gave a price range, nor any information about what it’s going to be used for.

immediately you're back to Fluke, Brymen and fuses

Fluke makes some budget models.
Since when was Brymen a premium brand? It’s good, but it isn’t a top-tier manufacturer and isn’t priced like one.
Fuses were what OP asked about. So it’d be weird to not discuss them.

Does it always have to be like this?

Better safe than sorry. We do not know what the intended use for the meter will be (OP isn’t the end user, and even so hasn’t shared anything about this). So we cannot assume it’s only intended for use on low-energy electronics. If the end user decides to use it to measure the input side of their breaker panel, then they really could be at risk.

I also can't shake the suspicion that this is often about advertising.
The term “FUD” always comes to mind in this context.

"The aim is to create fear, uncertainty and doubt in the recipient of the information (e.g. customers, voters) about a competitor or its products (propaganda). This exploits the fact that people's feelings of fear are irrational and that even demonstrably false information can lead to uncertainty."

But well, the topic keeps coming up here...
The “boss” has also commented on this.

To an extent it might be, but the fact is that those levels of safety are needed for some uses. What I see as the bigger problem is the lack of certification for something in between. I don’t understand why the CAT rating standard eliminated the CAT I and II ratings. That way we could recommend a safe, certified CAT I meter for basic applications.