Best < $600 / €450 multimeter for electronics

[CrashO]

I am currently in the market for a new multimeter, after a bunch of horrible ones where the battery was actually more expensive then the meter itself and a Chinese VA40 which lasted a couple of years, I am ready for something decent.
But after looking trough dozens of pages here at the forum and looking at a bunch of reviews. I can´t seem to make up my mind.

I´m currently leaning towards the Agilent U1252B which retails here in The Netherlands for about 425 euro ($580), but the reviews keep tossing me off. "Crappy" battery life, slow continuity mode, .. No doubt it's light-years ahead from the "quality" I am used to. But if you gotta do it, and are willing to spend a few pennies, well. Do it right 

I will be using it on my Bench mainly, measuring microcontrollers and other < 10v stuff, so a good accuracy on low amps and voltages is a requirement. No need for 1000V CAD ratings and unbreakable jungle approved armour.
6,5 digits and someting AC mains powered would be ideal, But seeing the price of bench meters I figured I'd better go with a handheld DMM and give up a few digits. I've considered picking up a HP-3478A from ebay, but they go for about 250 - 300 euro's including shipping if I want to get one to The Netherlands, which is just mad.

Anyone got any suggestions? My top limit is about 600$, but off course a cheaper option with more bang for buck is always welcome 

[Balaur]

I would go for a Fluke 187/189. Obviously, you cannot buy them new, so you may have to dig around marktplaats or huizenzoeker.
Nice specs, fits perfectly low power electronics needs: 0.025% basic DC accuracy, microamps, full set of features, good AC bandwidth. For me, it's everything I need in a multimeter (well, I still miss 4 wires R)

Failing that, I guess that the 287/289s are also good. Never touched one though.

[Lightages]

I agree with what has already been said. You might also want to consider a Brymen BM869 plus the PC cable. This will cost much less than $600, closer to $300, plus shipping. Then you have enough money to also get a second, maybe a BM525 which will log 20 times per second up to 87,000 records. They use the same PC cable so you get two meters with logging and can do current and voltage logging at the same time, or four temperatures, or or or.

I have both meters and cannot be happier.

[VK5RC]

I think once you pass the usd300 mark you get good gear,  I have a U1253b and once the charging algorithm was corrected by software update (it went well) I get about 20hrs off a battery charge and I really like the display,  to me better than an lcd. 
Fluke make good gear also.

[hamster_nz]

I must be missing something here, or maybe my needs are pretty simple.

Most of my circuits are < 1A, < 25V, they have bits and bob with tolorances of at best +/- 1%, (usually 5% or even 30% for some caps or maybe 3x for transtor's hfe), I don't do any very low power stuff. I find it hard justifying a $100 meter, let alone a $600 one.

What advantage is there to owning a top of the line meter over a more modest one?

Or is it the pleasure of owning and using 'professional level' gear? (Not that that is a bad thing - this is from a guy who owns a nice carbon fibre road bike but doesn't race...)

[Lightages]

I must be missing something here, or maybe my needs are pretty simple.

Yes, perhaps you are correct. Any meter that costs $600 is not going to be a low level electronics meter. And you are correct. For general electronics a meter with better than 0.5% accuracy is probably more than good enough. Now if the original poster has needs for higher accuracy then he might be doing other things not fully disclosed. A $600 meter is also going to be CATIII or IV 600V rated too.

[jpb]

It is worth looking at Hioki and Gossen meters as well.

The Hioki DT4282 has good specs and is within your price range (£325 + VAT in UK). As is the Gossen MetraHIT Xtra (£299 + VAT in UK) (see Dave's review on this site) that has slightly worse accuracy specs .

The testtoosshop in the UK seems to have quite good prices but I don't know if they export to Europe (I've not bought from them yet, but I've been looking at the Gossen Ultra and their price is much less than Farnell and RS).

http://www.testtoolsshop.com/multimeters

The price range you're talking about is getting close to 5 1/2 digit bench meters. For example the Fluke 8808A is £530 inc VAT in the UK ($850 but this would be $700 ex VAT) from ISSWWW :
http://isswww.co.uk/Multimeters/Fluke-Testers/Fluke-8808A-Bench-Multimeter/
NB they give the list price of £520 ex VAT on their web site but if you e-mail them they give a discount (they offered me 15% discount). They also have good prices for other Flukes but again I don't know if they export.

[bdivi]

One more vote for Fluke 187 -  and even better two of them. They usually go on ebay at around $200.

I also have Keithley 6 1/2, Solartron 5 1/2 and Fluke 5 1/2 but I use them for specific measurements and from time to time to make sure my handheld Flukes are sharp.
Bench meters take space, need warm-up, consume power and are difficult to keep in calibration. This is of course all irrelevant if you are one of us volt-nuts 

[jpb]

Bench meters take space, need warm-up, consume power and are difficult to keep in calibration. This is of course all irrelevant if you are one of us volt-nuts 

OT but your comment interested me as I'm trying to decide between a high end handheld (e.g. Gossen Metrahit Ultra/Fluke 289) and a 5 1/2 digit bench (e.g. Hameg HMC8012).

I have a Advantest 7451A which I got off e-bay and I've been very pleased with it but I've never had it calibrated so I can't say how much it drifts. I'd have thought that bench multimeters with heated buried zener references would drift a lot less than handhelds which have to rely on battery power so can't use such good references.

Or was your comment more that a meter with more resolution/tighter specs is more difficult to keep in calibration than a lower resolution one with much more error margin?

[bdivi]

OT but your comment interested me as I'm trying to decide between a high end handheld (e.g. Gossen Metrahit Ultra/Fluke 289) and a 5 1/2 digit bench (e.g. Hameg HMC8012).

I have a Advantest 7451A which I got off e-bay and I've been very pleased with it but I've never had it calibrated so I can't say how much it drifts. I'd have thought that bench multimeters with heated buried zener references would drift a lot less than handhelds which have to rely on battery power so can't use such good references.

Or was your comment more that a meter with more resolution/tighter specs is more difficult to keep in calibration than a lower resolution one with much more error margin?

Bench meters, especially the ones with high quality / heated reference, will generally drift a lot less than handhelds in absolute terms. My point was that if you want to keep 6 1/2 digit meter within specifications you need at least 4 fold better calibration accuracy or a more DIY solution is to have a number of meters/voltage standards that you cross-reference to detect and isolate drift. Here you begin a nice ppm hunting journey that never ends :-)

[TopLoser]

6.5 digit Keithley bench DMM any use to anybody? All nice and new and just calibrated.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-%28uk%29-keithley-2000-6-5-digit-bench-dmm-as-new-just-calibrated/

[nctnico]

Get a Vichy VC8145 from Ebay. It is a bench meter which is very complete and offers excellent bang for your buck. It also has fast (instant) continuity testing and can handle 20A.

[CrashO]

Get a Vichy VC8145 from Ebay. It is a bench meter which is very complete and offers excellent bang for your buck. It also has fast (instant) continuity testing and can handle 20A.

To be honest, this one looks like a < $100 handheld multimeter in a AC powered box. Nothing wrong with that, except they charge > $150 for it. Which seems a bit much for what you're actually getting. 


Seems many of you recommend the Fluke 187.
It looks great, spec wise, and it's a Fluke. Unfortunately  they are nowhere to be found at the moment on ebay/marktplaats/e.g. It's brother the Fluke 189 is generally available on ebay, but it's price is getting close to a brand spanking new Fluke 87V.
The Hioki DT4282 is nice but goes for about the same price as a Fluke 87V or a Agilent U1252B. Where the last two options are available locally and the Fluke carries lifetime warranty.

The Brymen BM869 does seem like a great meter for about $320 (shipped) which is half the price of other 3 meters mentioned above. Giving me to option to get a pair of them.

Hmmmm , tough call 

[jpb]

The Hioki DT4282 is nice but goes for about the same price as a Fluke 87V or a Agilent U1252B. Where the last two options are available locally and the Fluke carries lifetime warranty.
Hmmmm , tough call 

I share your pain as I'm going through a similar decision process.

On the Hioki DT4282 I don't particularly want to push it, but having studied the various specs I'd say that the DT4282 is closer to the Fluke 289 than the 87V in terms of error - eg its basic dc error is 0.025% the same as the Fluke 289 whilst the 87V and the Agilent have a basic dc error twice the magnitude at 0.05%.

Just to add to your problems, Fluke are currently providing the interface kit with the 287 for free (the 287 is the same price as the 87V in the UK):

http://isswww.co.uk/Multimeter-Kits/Fluke-Testers/Fluke-287FVF-FlukeView-Forms-Combo-Kit/

so if you plan doing data logging this might be an enticement - but then again Agilent provide a cable pretty cheaply anyway.

Lastly, if you get the Agilent beware of upgrading the firmware:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/failed-firmware-update-on-u1273a-and-agilent%27s-response/

[nctnico]

Get a Vichy VC8145 from Ebay. It is a bench meter which is very complete and offers excellent bang for your buck. It also has fast (instant) continuity testing and can handle 20A.

To be honest, this one looks like a < $100 handheld multimeter in a AC powered box. Nothing wrong with that, except they charge > $150 for it. Which seems a bit much for what you're actually getting. 

Looks can be deceiving. I'd look at the specs from the VC8145 more closely and less at the brand name if I where you. Most of the VC8145's specs are equal to the Agilent U1252B (which costs 3 times as much). To put it simple: you are nuts when spending 3 times more money on a handheld multimeter while you actually want a bench multimeter 

[bingo600]

Get a used 6½ digit , if you're using it for the bench.

Ie.  HP 34401A , Keithley 2000 or 2015.

Make sure to get/see pics of the actual unit , as the VFD on the above 3 models can be "worn out".
And to get seller to guarantee that the meter shows no errors on startup,

One from F
http://www.ebay.de/itm/HP-AGILENT-34401A-Multimeter-/371041682028

One from I (A newer model Agilent branded , and with both "red+black bananas" older ones just have red's.
I can't decide if the display looks "worn" , it does on one of the pics.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/HP-AGILENT-34401A-DIGITAL-MULTIMETER-6-DIGIT-/291152337104

One from Italy  with 1yr guarantee , calibrated and pic of selftest pass  (nice offer....)
If the calibration is trustworthy , this is a really nice offer. Unless shipping is the "hidden trap"
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Multimetro-professionale-Agilent-HP-34401A-6-5-digit-Multimeter-/131190662561


Keithley 2015 (Same seller as above)
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Keithley-2015-THD-Multimeter-6-5-Digit-Dist-Analyzer-Signal-Generator-/131138841810


I got a 3478A for 90€ + 30€ shipping (Italy) , but the cheapo's un EU are rare :-(

Here's one for 195€
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Multimeter-HP3478A-/161300953239


I'd pick the 34401A with 1yr guarantee & cal
 
/Bingo

[KJDS]

I've still got some Keithley 2015THD, but they are missing a handle or rack mount brackets so have an opening in the side.

PM me for details.

[bingo600]

I got a K2015 from KJDS , it's a nice meter and a nice price 

Absolutely a nice bargain.

/Bingo

[kripton2035]

I bought a used fluke 189 on ebay for some 150 euros and I'm very happy with it. use it everytime.
I also have a bench hameg 8012 which is very nice too.
then 2-3 $10 multimeters to roughtly check some voltages or current around if I don't have enought of the first two.

[CrashO]

Just bought a Keithley 2015THD from KJDS. Great deal