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Choosing a multimeter - decisions.... decisions....

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unknownparticle:
This is such a difficult question to answer definitively as everyone has a different perspective on DMM's.
Mine is that if you are going to have just one, go for the highest spec and features within your budget. You may not need or think you need a feature rich meter but it's there if ever you do, there is always mission creep!
Looking at value for money it is difficult to beat Brymen, they are well designed and made, also reliable
If money is not an issue then Fluke is always in the equation, but generally not that upto date and seem to be short on features, quality product though, so worth considering.
Two brands that are rarely mentioned here are Flir and Chauvin Arnoux. Both are premium brands with some excellent models, and Flir is made in the USA, Chauvin in France.  The Metrix models in the Chauvin Arnoux range are superb.  I have examples from both makers and really, really like them. Not for the budget conscious though.
The other brand that doesn't get the attention it deserves is Hioki, made in Japan and outstanding quality and design. Not a budget option though.
Good luck in your quest!

ci11:

--- Quote from: Fungus on November 14, 2022, 04:16:48 pm ---
--- Quote from: ci11 on November 14, 2022, 04:07:22 pm ---I am now only the higher-end models from Gossen and Fluke as they best meet the 2 criteria mentioned above - they are likely safer to use, and I can trust the results they provide. Of course I have been tempted with lower-cost options and did yield to their allure a few times. But now, after eventually spending more in the end almost every time, my motto is "Buy once, cry once".

--- End quote ---

You'll struggle to find a forum member who believes that Brymen shouldn't be on that list.

--- End quote ---

You are correct that there are many supporters of Brymen.

I can only attest to and offer my own experience: attached are 4 photos comparing the Fluke 79 Series II which I owned and used since purchased new in 1985 against a brand new Greenlee DM860A, the twin of the Brymen 869s. I bought the Greenlee only because they are officially distributed in the US and has a warranty. Sure the Greenlee is perhaps an unlucky sample of one, but for nearly 40 years, the less than high-end Fluke has been consistently "lucky". At the time when I bought the Fluke, it cost nearly 3 times as much as anything else with the same features and it was by no means a high-end model. I still use it if it must fit into a tight space.

BeBuLamar:

--- Quote from: Fungus on November 14, 2022, 01:47:29 pm ---
--- Quote from: BeBuLamar on November 14, 2022, 01:19:15 pm ---My clamp meter has the resolution of 0.1A so if I measure starter current I would use it. I only go thru the trouble of inserting the meter in the circuit where I need higher resolution and in which case the current can't be high.

--- End quote ---

The same principle applies: Start with the clamp meter and use the multimeter only if the clamp meter shows it's safe to do so.  :)

--- End quote ---

What I meant is that even before you make the measurement you would know the range of the current and the accuracy you would need for the measurement and thus you don't need to approach it like a totally unknown measurement.

mwb1100:

--- Quote from: ci11 on November 14, 2022, 04:48:48 pm ---Sure the Greenlee is perhaps an unlucky sample of one, but for nearly 40 years, the less than high-end Fluke has been consistently "lucky".

--- End quote ---

If you look at the specs for all the devices, the Greenlee's reading is within range - it's possible (likely?) that it is closer to the true voltage than what either the Fluke 79 or the power supplies are displaying.

armandine2:
decisions ... decisions ... decisions, or just plain prejudice?

I prejudge certain brands and remove them entirely from a purely 'open' choice selection. Though often popular, acclaimed, and best bang-for-buck models of test equipment, they never quite raise the requisite consumer expectation on my part to buy. I'm sure there is a polar opposite, who is budget and specification conscious, who has little resonance with some longstanding 'classic' and vaunted design quality. Of course, given our predispositions we should still decide, as best we can, within them.   ;)

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