Brymen model numbers?

[pcee]

Can anybody help me get a handle on the zillion available Brymen multimeters?

I can’t tell which are newer or older or better or worse, and they’re all starting to run together in my head. I think the 7xx series is newer than the 8xx, but are the newer ones still having teething issues whereas the older ones are tried and true? Where do the 6xx and 2xx lines fit in?

The Great Big Multimeter Spreadsheet seems a bit out of date, that was the first place I looked after hearing so many competing recommendations and favorites here.

[rsjsouza]

Their website has a good differentiation between the families.
http://www.brymen.com/Products2.html

The highlights:
BM78x is the newest.
BM86x has the crown for the most sophistication and features, although it loses in some features to the BM78x (autohold, for example).
BM85x is the series that came before BM86x and was the previous top of the line.
BM52x/BM81x/82x/83x tends to be a bit mumbled as price/features are very close to call. BM52x has datalogging.
BM25x are the smaller meters with decent features such as bargraph, Loz, etc. BM257 is quite featured for the price and it also has datalogging. 
BM23x are the smaller meters with less features than BM25x, however, Dave's blue meter is a BM235 and it is also a notch below the BM257 and quite featured.

Simple, no?   

[Fungus]

I think the 7xx series is newer than the 8xx

Yes.

are the newer ones still having teething issues whereas the older ones are tried and true?

No.

Certain forum members found a tiny issue with autoranging under extreme inputs and Brymen responded in a couple of days shipping them a new meter to test. That was months ago and the panicky "have I got the latest firmware?" thread should probably be locked now because the answer is always "yes".

OTOH if you're buying by "newness" then you may be doing it wrong. Buy the meter that matches your personal budget, personal requirements and personal taste.

eg. I'm perfectly happy with my old-fashioned, square-shaped BM857. It's a solid meter, it does what I need and it has a simpler set of functions on the dial than the curvy new meters. I'm not sure I'd trade it for a 7xx. 

[pcee]

Simple, no?   

Thank you, that was hugely helpful!  It was really hard figuring this out via forum search, because I couldn’t tell from context what the alternatives were at any given point in time.

I’m liking the BM257s the best for my next meter (upgrading from my pocket UT120C).  It seems strong enough that by the time (if) I outgrow it, I’ll have a much better idea of what I want in a fancier meter.  (I also like its continuity sensitivity compared to the bigger ones.)

Can I just use any temperature probe with it or its larger cousins, or is there a specific one for the BM257s?

[rsjsouza]

Simple, no?   

Thank you, that was hugely helpful!  It was really hard figuring this out via forum search, because I couldn’t tell from context what the alternatives were at any given point in time.

I am glad to be of help. I certainly missed a thing or two, but the overall idea is there.

I’m liking the BM257s the best for my next meter (upgrading from my pocket UT120C).  It seems strong enough that by the time (if) I outgrow it, I’ll have a much better idea of what I want in a fancier meter.  (I also like its continuity sensitivity compared to the bigger ones.)

I don't think you will outgrow it. Knowing the curse of EEV, you will actually get one more, then another one, and yet one more... 

Can I just use any temperature probe with it or its larger cousins, or is there a specific one for the BM257s?

All Brymens I know use K-type probes (the BM257 comes with one), but one model or another might have a setting for a J-type.

[dark.viking]

Brymen should list this "feature comparison" on their website