desktop digital multimeter recommendation

[asliyucegsm]

my friend
Hello friends, which of these 2 measuring instruments would you recommend to me?
SIGLENT SDM3065X
Hantek HDM3055 5 1/2
thanks

[bateau020]

They are not the same.
Siglent: 6 1/2 digits, rather good reputation
Hantek: 5 1/2 digits, some very bad stories about that brand.

Do you need 6,5 digits? If not, there is also the SIGLENT SDM3055.
Do you need a graphical display (I would recommend a graphical display, but just in case you don't). If not: there are many older DMMs out there with an acceptable price, be it 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 digit.

A small search on this forum will provide you with a lot more info. Tools are never perfect, and the limitations may not go well with your needs.

[CalibrationGuy]

I've purchased many HP/Agilent 34401A 6 1/2 digits on eBay for less than half the cost of the Siglent dmm. Benefits include ultra stable internal voltage references that are well aged. Bought a meter from a college, brand new condition for a little over $200. There are good bargains out there if you set an alert and don't need it immediately. Also depends on your needs (histogram display, etc.)

TomG.

[thephil]

I have the SDM3065X, and I am very happy with it so far. I did also look at the Hantek, but the reviews were sparse (although I saw one very positive review on Youtube) and Hantek does not have the best reputation and, at the time, the Hantek was hard to find in Europe, so I went with Siglent.

I also considered buying a used Agilent or Keithley but in contrast to the US, I found it close to impossible to find a good deal in Europe. And having one shipped from the US or Japan was not an option because of shipping cost (and the risk of getting a lemon and having to pay for shipping it back).

[Veteran68]

No question: the Siglent is a far superior meter to the Hantek.

Also, the point about used HPAK gear like the 34401A is true as well. It just seems to be getting harder to find good units at good prices these days, unless you're willing to repair/rebuild one. As much as I like this seasoned gear, if I'm faced with paying close to the same for a 20+ year old 6.5 digit DMM than for a brand new one of similar specs (from a reputable brand of course, not talking about the cheap junk), I'm typically going with the brand new one unless I have a specific requirement for the old one.

I have both an Agilent 34401A and the Siglent SDM3065X. I like them both and use them both.

[bateau020]

...but in contrast to the US, I found it close to impossible to find a good deal in Europe....

Indeed. Very few resellers with acceptable prices in Europe. Ebay and SGLabs sometimes have nice objects. The bigger resellers use near-new prices.

[asliyucegsm]

Hello friend, we cannot make purchases via paypal from my country, but if it is available on Alexpres, I can buy it, thank you.

[Gyro]

Please forgive me if I am wrong but reading your other posts, "About using an oscilloscope" etc. You don't seem very experienced, and seem to be interested in repairing laptops.

For this sort of application, you don't need anything near the specs of the meters you are looking at. A 4 1/2 digit meter would be more than enough. You could use the considerable amount of money saved to purchase other items.

[nightfire]

Actually, here in Europe prices on ebay and such for used brand gear are crazy- even now for 20 year old fluke handheld DMMs people pay insane prices.
HP 34401 in good condition goes for about 400 €, put a bit on top and get a new Siglent 3045X ...

Question here would be: Is a bench DMM needed for the work to be done? I personally own 2 bench DMM, but for most of the "quick & dirty" stuff I use my handheld on the bench...

As for suppliers: In germany there is Welectron(.com) with a good reputation of delivering worldwide, if needed.
They also sell Brymen handheld multimeters and Siglent bench ones, so depending on the task at hand, maybe some money could be saved by going handheld DMM and spending the remaining money on other accessoires.

[asliyucegsm]

Friends, the prices are very high, the only sales price is in Turkey.
Siglent SDM3065X
$950.00
Thank you for your interest

[nightfire]

A short look on Aliexpress also yielded the Siglent 3055X-E for a bit above 500 €-  you are sure you really NEED 6.5 digits?

[asliyucegsm]

The important thing is that it works well, the measurements are taken correctly and the screen is 6 or 5. No problem, my friend.

[nightfire]

Then go for the Siglent 3055, it will save you serious money over the 3065 and leave some money for other stuff like better probes or hooks etc.

[bte]

A short look on Aliexpress also yielded the Siglent 3055X-E for a bit above 500 €-  you are sure you really NEED 6.5 digits?

The 500EUR equipment at AliExpress would turn into a $858 purchase, not including any shipping and broker fees:

500EUR -> 550USD (nice round figure)
Import tax from China at 30%: $165 for a total of $715
VAT at 20% using the value above: $143 (yes, we pay tax on tax)
Total: $858

The $950 quote already includes VAT at 20%. It is also possible to pay this amount in 9 installments with a 20% total interest over the purchase price (our official yearly inflation is 65% and de-facto inflation is above 100% so it may make sense to purchase it that way).

There's also the issue that it is not possible for a Turkish resident to purchase anything on a personal basis at AliExpress if item value is over 150 EUR (you simply can't check-out). This is due to the law change two years ago where personal import allowance was reduced from 1500 EUR to 150 EUR. Well, with other sites it is TECHNICALLY possible to place an order but then when the item arrives at customs, the above calculation takes place and there's the MANDATORY requirement of using a customs broker which generally means exorbitant fees and cumbersome bureaucracy. AliExpress knows this well and simply just allows the personal limit (where we get charged the import tax only, no VAT is involved).

I am assuming the OP is a business customer but I don't know if it is possible to purchase as a business buyer at AliExpress and overcome the 150 EUR personal purchase limit.

Here are the item links for the local authorized Siglent Distributor:

SDM3065X: https://www.kamitekno.com/siglent-sdm3065x-6-12-dijit-masaustu-dijital-multimetre In stock, $950 (20% VAT included)
SDM3055: https://www.kamitekno.com/siglent-sdm3055-5-12-haneli-tezgah-ustu-dijital-multimetre-true-rms 4-6 weeks delivery time, $699.87 (20% VAT included)

Would the suggestion change (SDM3055 vs SDM 3065X) under these conditions?

[asliyucegsm]

Hello brother, unfortunately, as you mentioned, it saddens us to experience these in my own country. The most logical thing is to buy from here.
I met with the manager of .kamitekno.com, their interest is very good, I was thinking of buying hantek, if I buy it later, I will buy siglent. Prices are constantly changing due to foreign exchange.