DMM Recommendation Under $150

[antonioZth]

Hi there peeps,

Ok, I’m no EE, not an electrician and definitely not an electronic repair guy. I’m definitely not going near high voltages 1000v power box. I own 2 cheapies DMM which is crap, a 10 dollar and analog Sanwa ripoff I got for free last 18 years

But can anyone help me in deciding which of the DMM would be the best for my budget. I’ll be poking around small headphone audio amplifiers, headphones, computers, just small electronics mostly... The most I’ll be poking is maybe my computer PSU.

My shortlist;

Fluke 17b+ RM450 AX No Warranty
Uni-T 195DS RM590 AX No Warranty
Uni-T 71E RM600 Local 1yr Warranty
Mastech MS8218 RM550 AX No Warranty
BK Precision 2712 RM550 Mouser 1yr Warranty
Keysight U1231A RM549 Mouser 3yrs Warranty

Prices are in Malaysian Ringgit, AX is Aliexpress, Local is my local e-commerce portal and my local Mouser. Here we also have others such as Digikey, RS and element14 but mouser seems to have a cheaper pricing (I don’t know why)....But hey if there is any other Brands or Model you think I missed out, feel free to recommend it here too...

Thanks in advance

[nightfire]

When you want quality that will last, go for the Fluke or Keysight.

These are also top-notch regarding safety, in case you hit something like trying voltage measurement and the leads are attached to the current input...

[tautech]

Fluke 15B are pretty well priced if you can still find them and based on my totally trouble free experience for approaching 10yrs plus another 15 units I got at the same time for a customer they have proven to be great value for the $.

[ledtester]

Note that U1231A does not measure current -- either DC or AC. Also doesn't do temperature - even though the plug has the thermometer icon - or non-contact voltage sense.

https://www.keysight.com/us/en/assets/7018-02915/data-sheets/5990-7550.pdf

Lo-Z voltage is nice for electrical work.

Maybe you can complement the U1231A with a UT210E to read current... being able to read DC current with a clamp meter is very convenient.

[Fungus]

When you want quality that will last, go for the Fluke or Keysight.

Sure, as long as you don't want any features.

These are also top-notch regarding safety, in case you hit something like trying voltage measurement and the leads are attached to the current input...

The Keysight on the shortlist doesn't even have a current input. 


If safety is a concern, look at Brymens. For Fluke17B+ money you can get something just as safe and well built with with a lot more capability. I don't know how easy it is to buy Brymens where you live.

If you want something that's capable but cheap at something like an Aneng 870 or Aneng Q10. Everybody here will scream about "safety" but you're unlikely to die from using one on household mains.

Notes:
a) If you haven't managed to kill yourself with an old analog meter or a $10 junker then you're very unlikely to kill yourself with an Aneng.
b) Safety isn't absolute. A more expensive meter isn't a substitute for good procedure - you can still kill yourself even with a Brymen/Fluke/Keysight.
c) Why are you even "measuring" mains? The voltage is very unlikely to be wrong, all you probably need is a "present"/"not present" indication and a meter with NVC functions like the Q10 can help diagnose most mains problems more safely than poking at bare wires with a probe in each hand.

[wizard69]

BK Precision 2712 RM550 Mouser 1yr Warranty

That is the unit I'd likely go for from your list.   It has True RMS capability which is a golden feature in my mine.   Also it is accurate enough to replace you current meters.   

Some people are obsessed with features beyond the main ones on DVM's.   That is all well and good but many of those features are of limited use or capability.   For example capacitance measurement alone is not a replacement for an LCR meter and the functions they have.   Things like temperature monitoring is nice but often you don't want to tie up your meter while monitoring temperatures.   What I'm trying to get at is that an infinite list of features should not be the reason you buy a meter.   How useful a set of extended features is is debatable.

Also if you are doing a lot of repair work at a bench seriously consider getting a used or low cost bench meter instead.   They are far easier to use on the bench.   Obviously how exactly you work is a factor but you already have two portable meters so I'd seriously consider a bench meter.   It is a human factors thing, I just find bench meters to be more usable on the bench.

[Isaac-1]

Consider adding a Fluke 117 to your list, it is not that much more expensive than some of the meters you have listed, has good ergonomics for one handed operation, and has proximity voltage detection, along with Lo Z voltage mode.

[bdunham7]

I'd second the BK Precision, except that it looks very expensive there compared to the others.  Here it can be had sub-$100.

Mastech is a brand that doesn't get much respect, but that meter actually looks pretty impressive for the same money.  No idea on quality, though.  My own cheapie Mastech has been OK....for $20.

Fluke 17B is basic, but otherwise good--but no warranty would make me want a bigger discount.

[AVGresponding]

When you want quality that will last, go for the Fluke or Keysight.

Sure, as long as you don't want any features.

These are also top-notch regarding safety, in case you hit something like trying voltage measurement and the leads are attached to the current input...

The Keysight on the shortlist doesn't even have a current input. 


If safety is a concern, look at Brymens. For Fluke17B+ money you can get something just as safe and well built with with a lot more capability. I don't know how easy it is to buy Brymens where you live.

If you want something that's capable but cheap at something like an Aneng 870 or Aneng Q10. Everybody here will scream about "safety" but you're unlikely to die from using one on household mains.

Notes:
a) If you haven't managed to kill yourself with an old analog meter or a $10 junker then you're very unlikely to kill yourself with an Aneng.
b) Safety isn't absolute. A more expensive meter isn't a substitute for good procedure - you can still kill yourself even with a Brymen/Fluke/Keysight.
c) Why are you even "measuring" mains? The voltage is very unlikely to be wrong, all you probably need is a "present"/"not present" indication and a meter with NVC functions like the Q10 can help diagnose most mains problems more safely than poking at bare wires with a probe in each hand.

While the safety aspects have variable relevance based on user cases, quality is quality. This generally translates to high build quality which gives good durability and accuracy over very long periods of time.
To contextualise this, I have a Fluke 8300A (I know, it's a bench meter, not a handheld) which is a nixie display 5.5 digit meter and around 40 years old. It agrees to the LSD with my in cal 8840A

Granted though, the lack of current on the Keysight would be an automatic rejection for me.

Uni-T are much too variable in quality for my liking, it makes it a lottery as to what you end up with. I do like my 139C, but I rarely reach for it, unless I'm doing a sanity check if I get a weird reading off one of my other meters.

I'd agree Mastech may be underrated, they seem to be at least on a par with Uni-T re quality and safety. I have a 2108A current clamp and have found it to be both reliable and accurate.

Depending on where in MY the OP is, he might have an unreliable mains. As ever, YMMV.

I would say, please be careful poking your PC psu; the primary side will have very dangerous AC and DC voltages present when powered, and some of the hi-v caps may hold dangerous charge for some time after.

There's a useful thread here for comparing DMM features, https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/multimeter-spreadsheet/, and it's worth checking if our resident meter abuser has reviewed the ones you're looking at, on his youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=joeqsmith


Hope you find one that fits your wallet/use case!

[Fungus]

While the safety aspects have variable relevance based on user cases, quality is quality. This generally translates to high build quality which gives good durability and accuracy over very long periods of time.

That's true, and the Fluke 17B+ is a good, solid meter.

OTOH it's deliberately crippled by Fluke to stop it from eating into sales of their expensive "western" meters, eg. it's not True RMS. That sort of thing really bugs me.

Granted though, the lack of current on the Keysight would be an automatic rejection for me.

I think everybody here will agree on that.

Uni-T are much too variable in quality for my liking, it makes it a lottery as to what you end up with. I do like my 139C, but I rarely reach for it, unless I'm doing a sanity check if I get a weird reading off one of my other meters.

This brings up a good point. One meter isn't enough, you need more than one for sanity checks, low resistance measurements, etc.

For that price of that Fluke 17B+ you can easily get a "safe" meter and an Aneng (or two) as well.

eg. Brymen 233

https://brymen.eu/shop/bm233/

[nightfire]

Just had a look at the specs from Fluke-VAC is sadly crippled to up to 500Hz- better than nothing, but no "real" TrueRMS.

And well, had not looked up the 1231 from Keysight- I have the 1272A myself, and had tinkered with the thought to get a 123x or 124x as backup/2nd device, but mostly looked at the 12x2 models... :-(
Yes, electronics stuff without being able to measure small currents is no fun...
Question would be if some Keysight 1232 is affordable/available in the region?

Given that we talk asian region: Is this all what the local retailers have to offer? From brands in that region I would second the Brymen recommendation, also throw in Hioki as a reputable brand.

[antonioZth]

Thank you all for the replies

The shortlist I scribbled was from setting a Budget for a meter around RM500-600 (USD124-149). Then I went to Mouser, RS, Element14, Digikey, Aliexpress and my local E-Commerce portal and start searching for a meter that suits my budget by sorting the multimeter meter page by price and start selecting it from there.

For the Fluke 17b+ if I were to buy from my local Fluke Official Store, it cost RM656 but if I were to get it shipped from China I can get it for around RM460 shipped a difference of USD49, which I think its better for me as I can direct the difference of price to get a supposedly better meter. If it were USD10 difference, maybe I can bite the bullet but RM200 is like 10% of my monthly basic salary so....yeah... buying from China would be better assuming The meter I get doesn’t have problem and genuine as I won’t be having a warranty.

The keysight was included because of the price, but for the functions n specs, I think it would be better getting another brand of meter unless I go higher up Keysight models..

For Brymens, I would either need to buy it from Ebay or from Brymen.eu because I can’t find it in the Mouser/Digikey/RS/Element14 and even Aliexpress... But there is alot of Extech and Beha Amprobe offerings though....But I don’t know how to find a rebranded Brymen from them as Flir and Fluke owns them.

[antonioZth]

Thanks for the recommendation but its 100% way off my budget... its RM1100 (USD273) sold here 

[antonioZth]

BK prices is cheaper at Mouser, but the 2712 fit nicely on my budget... higher tier ones costs alot more

[bdunham7]

Thanks for the recommendation but its 100% way off my budget... its RM1100 (USD273) sold here 

And it is made in....Malaysia!

Anyhow, the 117 wouldn't be a great fit for your intended use.  Its shortcomings include a screen that is difficult to read from certain (not extreme) angles and the lack of any temperature or milliamp ranges (the current is 10 amps only).  Even at half the price it wouldn't be the meter for you, IMO.

[Wytnucls]

With limited funds and minor requirements for electronic work, I would recommend the Fluke 101.
It is well made, safe and well priced.

I bought mine in KL from the Fluke shop on Jalan Pasar and walked out with a meter and a free Fluke Polo shirt. Bargain.

[antonioZth]

Hehe... Yes... Keysight, PLAYSTATION and XBOx too 

here we do actually make a lot of things which is considered a higher tier in a certain brand. Malaysia and Taiwan have a rep of being slightly better in terms of manufacturing but Taiwan wins in terms of producing mass finished products while here we make the components by reputable brands. Seiko mid tiers watches are made in JB which is south of Malaysia, Fluke factory is further up north, same with AMD and Intel, but the Playstation 5 and Xbox factory I can’t find where are they made.... Factories here doesn’t really state for what brands they are building... only when you managed to see it for yourself then you’re like “ooooooo here it is....”

Like for example Fluke... The 117 is made here but its lesser brother the 17B+ is made in China... Same goes for Keysights multimeters.... Although those high quality meters are made here the retail prices is on par or even higher elsewhere in the 1st world region... I don’t know the average salary of normal jobs in the US, but here salary from 1800 to 2500 is normal.... if you were to recommend me a USD250 fluke, its like half of my salary compared to someone in the US having a monthly salary of 2000, he’s just spending 250 dollars, which is only like 15%...

[antonioZth]

I’ll probably scrap the Keysight out from my list.... For the budget I have, I don’t think it would be a good price to features ratio meter. I would be probably paying for the name instead of the functions 

Maybe i’ll settle with another good lesser name meters like Fluke with the 17b+ 

[nctnico]

To the OP:
If this meter is for stationary use, why not get a bench meter? These aren't very expensive (and no, a bench meter doesn't need to have 6 or more digits or fancy displays). For the kind you of work you stated above, I use a Vici VC8145. It costs around 606 Ringit, has a ton of features, big display and never needs batteries.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/32867374120.html

[antonioZth]

Good idea, but on second thought since is would be my only reliable meter, I would prefer it to be handheld so that I can use it anywhere.

Maybe for my second meter, I’ll consider bench multimeters....

[antonioZth]

In short, get a meter with a good specs and accuracy rather than getting a multimeter with more functions and everything under the sink than it is accurate/reliable. 

By the way is it just me or does this look like Brymen made?

[2N3055]

In short, get a meter with a good specs and accuracy rather than getting a multimeter with more functions and everything under the sink than it is accurate/reliable. 

By the way is it just me or does this look like Brymen made?

That is Brymen for sure..

[wizard69]

One thing I forgot to mention, don't dismiss the value of a warranty.   I was kinda shocked that your are even considering no warranty devices.   Like many of use a too expenditure like this is nontrivial and you want to make sure the manufacture will back it up if it has issues upon arrival.   Infant mortality is still a real issue with electronics and as such you want to have the ability to make a warranty claim if needed.    I'm not sure How I forgot that in my previous post.   

As for bench meters, I still think they are a good idea even if you might need portability, mainly due to being "easier to use" on the bench.   However if you are willing to consider a low end bench meter like the https://octopart.com/72-1055-tenma-18849119 or TENMA 72-1055 you can get portability and bench niceness.   I seem to remember that there is more than one of these bench style meters with built in battery support on the market, so maybe a bit of searching is in order.   More elaborate bench meters can be used in the field but you do need an extension cord.   I go this route at work if something needs calibration.

If you do go handheld consider making a cradle to hold the meter.   Something with a bit of mass so that the meter doesn't tip over constantly or slide around on you.   This would position the display nicely and keep the meter from walking when changing ranges or otherwise manually adjusting it.    I suggest this because the kickstands that come with most meters are just about useless.   Unless of course using the meter on its side appeals to you.

[wraper]

By the way is it just me or does this look like Brymen made?

Loks like BM257s on the left and BM252s on the right.

[Fungus]

One thing I forgot to mention, don't dismiss the value of a warranty.   I was kinda shocked that your are even considering no warranty devices.

Math: When a "warranty" makes the device cost much more then it's often a worthwhile risk.

The same goes for buying parts on Aliexpress or eBay: Some people find it completely unacceptable to ever get bad parts. I figure I'm paying half price so even if one in three purchases goes wrong then I'm still ahead in the long term.

(and it's nowhere near that high, more like 1 in 50, and every time I get at least a partial refund).

With limited funds and minor requirements for electronic work, I would recommend the Fluke 101.
It is well made, safe and well priced.

No current measurement or TrueRMS. And horrible leads.

But ... a Fluke 101 plus an Aneng is a good combination to own. Use the Fluke for poking at dangerous stuff and double-checking the Aneng, use the Aneng for everything else.

With $100 you can get Fluke101 + Aneng870 + a reasonable set of gold plated test leads.

[Wytnucls]

There are safe workarounds to palliate some of its shortcomings.
Measuring 20mA with a 1 ohm shunt:

[antonioZth]

That is Brymen for sure..

Yap... I had 15min of trying them, I can tell they were made by brymens and its made in taiwan...

One thing I forgot to mention, don't dismiss the value of a warranty.   I was kinda shocked that your are even considering no warranty devices.   Like many of use a too expenditure like this is nontrivial and you want to make sure the manufacture will back it up if it has issues upon arrival.   Infant mortality is still a real issue with electronics and as such you want to have the ability to make a warranty claim if needed.    I'm not sure How I forgot that in my previous post.   

The meters I listed does come with warranty, but only If I send em back to China or Taiwan. I've ask local Fluke and UNI-T distros and dealer, they told me that they will not honor the warranty if a meter is bought outside Malaysia. This is usual practice here in Malaysia not only multimeters but also for computer parts like graphic cards and motherboard, mobile phones, cars and so on... Since the locally sold products is sometimes 50% more in terms of sticker price here, many people tends to import from outside or buy from China trading platforms such as Ali Express...

So that is why I just put No Warranty to indicate I be buying a grey import meter.
 

Loks like BM257s on the left and BM252s on the right.

Yap.. spot on

With limited funds and minor requirements for electronic work, I would recommend the Fluke 101.
It is well made, safe and well priced.

No current measurement or TrueRMS. And horrible leads.

But ... a Fluke 101 plus an Aneng is a good combination to own. Use the Fluke for poking at dangerous stuff and double-checking the Aneng, use the Aneng for everything else.

With $100 you can get Fluke101 + Aneng870 + a reasonable set of gold plated test leads.
[/quote]

Yap.. but I'm looking for a not only decent but a well built and accurate multimeter with the highest safety built into the meter that is within what I'm looking for.

And happily enough, I found one, a gem, a respectable brand of multimeter with a price that I just can't refuse...

[Fungus]

And happily enough, I found one, a gem, a respectable brand of multimeter with a price that I just can't refuse...

 


Now you can start thinking about your secondary meter. 

[bdunham7]

By the way is it just me or does this look like Brymen made?

What prices are those?

[rsjsouza]

I know you probably went ahead and got the Brymen rebrands, which are quite decent meters for their price.

If you are still on the lookout, I see you mentioned Amprobe. The 37XR is well praised around here, and their model AM570 is well featured and robust - I have an AM530 (same family as the 570) and it is well built but somewhat limited. 

For budget you wouldn't find better price/performance ratio than the AN870 or the Q10 mentioned by Fungus.

After my experience with two Fluke 101s that had quality issues, I would never recommend it. It is just not at the same level as the real Flukes.

[jonpaul]

Bonjour a tous,

For non-critical use,  Harbor Freight! "7 Functon Digital Multimeter" SKU 63759, 90899, 98025, 69096, 63604, 63758, 30756

https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-63759.html
https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63604.pdf

2 ACV 200, 250, batt test, diode, DCV 200 mv...250V ma 200 u ...200 ma HFE (transistor socket)
Ohms 200...2M

On sales at variuos prices like $5, BUT sometimes FREE.

2.75 x 4.75 "

For that cost I eventually got 5 plus a few to give as gifts when overseas.

Really a throwaway!

Enjoy,


Jon

[Fungus]

For that cost I eventually got 5 plus a few to give as gifts when overseas.

I'm sure the natives really appreciate them.

[antonioZth]

What prices are those?

RM450 but on offer at RM380... so in USD around 95

I know you probably went ahead and got the Brymen rebrands, which are quite decent meters for their price.

If you are still on the lookout, I see you mentioned Amprobe. The 37XR is well praised around here, and their model AM570 is well featured and robust - I have an AM530 (same family as the 570) and it is well built but somewhat limited. 

For budget you wouldn't find better price/performance ratio than the AN870 or the Q10 mentioned by Fungus.

After my experience with two Fluke 101s that had quality issues, I would never recommend it. It is just not at the same level as the real Flukes.

Here it listed as Beha Amprobe... I've browsed around a couple model but didn't really dive into it coz its priced similar or high ler than BK for lesser equipped or spec model...

Nope your guess is incorrect, didn't went for the rebadge Brymens... Even now I can't believe what I've done.. I managed to score a Fluke rival

And happily enough, I found one, a gem, a respectable brand of multimeter with a price that I just can't refuse...  

Now you can start thinking about your secondary meter. 

Owhh noooo... no for a looooong time.... 

[antonioZth]

Well thanks guys for all of the recommendations... I didn't get what I listed, but I think I did the close to perfect decision...

Here it is...A NOS BNIB Agilent U1272A .... they say YOLO

[antonioZth]

Hit the limit on attachments

[nightfire]

Well, thats the exact opposite of what you asked for...
But congrats, I have this DMM myself and I am quite happy with it ;-)

[2N3055]

Good meter....

You should check this, just in case, if applies to your meter..:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-933-keysight-u1272a-emc-issue/msg1046031/#msg1046031

[rsjsouza]

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

[AVGresponding]

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

Indeed, very good advice.

I'd add, find out if it works with NiMH or NiZn rechargeables, these almost never leak.

[rsjsouza]

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

Indeed, very good advice.

I'd add, find out if it works with NiMH or NiZn rechargeables, these almost never leak.

I don't know about the U1272A, but the 1273A allows selecting the battery as Primary (Alkaline, non rechargeable) or Secondary (rechargeable) to adjust the low batt indicator accordingly.

Due to the higher power consumption of the U1273A, I personally use Lithium non-rechargeables but its availability and price varies wildly across the world.

[antonioZth]

Well, thats the exact opposite of what you asked for...
But congrats, I have this DMM myself and I am quite happy with it ;-)

Yaaa I know right...maybe it paid off for waiting the right time as opposed to hastily click on the buy button...

I found this NOS at the same place I saw the rebadged Brymen... There was a demo unit alomg side the display shelf ... I asked how much and the shopkeeper mention something like an equivalent to USD190... he said there is 2 more stocks in the back he wants to clear...

Brought both out for me to see and test... he also told me once I made my decision of which unit, No warranty will be provided... as this is as is basis sale...

I checked both units along with the demo, and decided to ignore my brain and just forget about the additional coins I had to fork out.... Paid and left a happy bunny...

Good meter....

You should check this, just in case, if applies to your meter..:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-933-keysight-u1272a-emc-issue/msg1046031/#msg1046031

It probably has this problem but I can’t be certain for sure because I don’t really have any test equipment on my table...

By the time, I’ll encounter this problem, I certainly would already have another 2 or 3 meters from Fluke laying around on the table... At the time being, I think I’ll be fine with just measuring components... but if a problem arise, I just send em back to Keysight or is it Agilent for repair...

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

When I reached my house, I replaced those GP with Energizers and date em... now the GPs are in my TV remote control 

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

Indeed, very good advice.

I'd add, find out if it works with NiMH or NiZn rechargeables, these almost never leak.

Will do, I let these brand new Energizers finish firsts...

[antonioZth]

After a full day with learning to use and tinkering with the meter, I noticed that the Backlight/Setup button weren’t responsive same goes to the Null/Scale button....

Since there is no warranty, and am to lazy to go back to the shop to ask for another test run with the other stocks, I decided to take apart the meter, check and clean the contacts and the Rubber dome buttons with IPA, which I suspected was the culprit...

And after assembly, the buttons was perfectly fine and responsive....Everything is fine except the top part of the meter case above the LCD seems to not be able to close even after I screw everything back together...its like the top part was somehow joint together with adhesive or non residue glue of some sort... owh well, just a minor thing... If anyone knows how to close the gap of the top part between the lower part of the Case domlet me know yaa... for now I just leave it as it is... below are 2 pictures which show one without me squeezing the meter and one while squeezing...

[Doddy883]

I'm glad you're sorted, but just for future reference if this comes up on search - I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built. It's better than my Fluke 83V which would have cost £400 new

[Fungus]

I'm glad you're sorted, but just for future reference if this comes up on search - I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built. It's better than my Fluke 83V which would have cost £400 new

Welcome to the world of Brymen.

[wraper]

Everything is fine except the top part of the meter case above the LCD seems to not be able to close even after I screw everything back together.

Because you are trying to do it the other way around. You need to close the snaps on top of the case first, and only then screw things together.
Also you have broken one of the hooks which holds PCB. 

its like the top part was somehow joint together with adhesive or non residue glue of some sort

As if it's not apparent there are no screws on top and everything holds on snaps.

[antonioZth]

Because you are trying to do it the other way around. You need to close the snaps on top of the case first, and only then screw things together.
Also you have broken one of the hooks which holds PCB. 

As if it's not apparent there are no screws on top and everything holds on snaps.

I did close from top first then towards bottom but as soon as I release pressure, it gap itself again... after like 5 attempts i cam to the conclusion of the sticky method because I did notice when I opened it for the first time the top part had some resistance like a weak adhesive...

The broken hook is probably me or not me... When I trace my steps back via the photos that I took, it was already broken even before I took apart the PCB from the case... like the first opening, it was already bent  :-/Oor broken....plastic fatigue perhaps or factory assembling fault...

Owh well... can't do anything about it, if I want, I can just order a new bottom half portion of the case from keysight.. but ai probably lose the Agilent name.... nahhhh I'll skip it

[antonioZth]

I'm glad you're sorted, but just for future reference if this comes up on search - I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built. It's better than my Fluke 83V which would have cost £400 new

I'll definitely will get a Brymen for my next meter... Longgg before I get a Fluke...

But you'll never know, sometimes lucks just happens to pass by and voila... a 250 Brand new Fluke 87v 

Never in my head I thought of this U1272A... the most was its little brother the U1231... but the idea was scrapped because less value compared to my budget

[nightfire]

Well, as I was building up my little home lab over the course of the last months, I also was on the lookout for some Fluke, simply because they were available in some quantities on ebay and I use them at work, so I know about their abilities and shortcomings, and how well they can last...
Also CAT III/600V or better was my requirement, as I also work on live circuits, so the range of DMM I would trust to have good protection was automatically quite small- From the well-known brands I knew there were Fluke, Gossen (here in germany quite a big brand) and HP/Agilent/Keysight. Brymen is hard to get here, I really did get them to know from this Blog...

But, as I dove deeper in the stuff, my U1272A appeared on ebay, and after some thinking I got it for a very good price, that otherwise would only have bought me a Fluke 179- so I jumped the train and bought it.
After that, I managed to get as Bench DMM two old Fluke units, both also as lucky shot and both in very good condition- so I am happy now, and spend for all three a sum that otherwise would have bought me a well-used Agilent 34401 or so- in that way, I am more flexible now.

With the knowledge I have amassed all that way, I probably would decide different in case I have to build up a new home lab from scratch, but for the time being, I think that those DMMs will be more than enough for the stuff I am doing.

[J-R]

A few years ago when I jumped back in to electronics after about 25 years I discovered Dave's channel and this blog and was initially naïve to think that Dave and some prolific and long-term members of this forum always knew what they were talking about at all times.  So I bought quite a bit of equipment based on those recommendations.

Well, I've discovered for myself that some of the statements they've made about test equipment just simply aren't true or are biased and it takes research and internalization of the details to determine what might be best for you and your use case.

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.

So it pays to do your homework.

[antonioZth]

The shop which I bought the U1272A is offering a Bench DMM from agilent 34401A

He says like my 1272, this is also a NOS he wants to clear... dangggg I wish i had more funds laying around... he was gonna give me 55% off the displayed price...

 

[Fungus]

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist. There's nothing wrong with that but you have to remember it is possible to get work done with "lesser" equipment.

Knowledge is often more important than the equipment you use, and knowledge is free these days.

PS: Try watching Big Clive as a contrast to EEVBLOG.

[wraper]

I did close from top first then towards bottom but as soon as I release pressure, it gap itself again

You should close it under something like 20^o angle so there is 1cm+ gap on the bottom, and then press on top quite hard until it clicks. Broken hook might obstruct it from closing properly too. Either remove it, or glue it in place where it should be.

[J-R]

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist. There's nothing wrong with that but you have to remember it is possible to get work done with "lesser" equipment.

Knowledge is often more important than the equipment you use, and knowledge is free these days.

PS: Try watching Big Clive as a contrast to EEVBLOG.

I don't think Dave is elitist as he covers a broad range of topics and equipment.  I am more referring to taking someone's words at face value and not doing your own research. 

Information is free, knowledge is not.  Where possible I try to add knowledge to discussions in addition to just pure information.

Sure, I frequently watch Big Clive along with many other channels.

[Fungus]

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist.

I don't think Dave is elitist as he covers a broad range of topics and equipment.

OK, that's maybe the wrong word. 

He likes using the good stuff though, you won't see him using an Aneng meter in one of his videos unless it's an Aneng review video.

If this is the only channel you watch you might get the impression that Anengs aren't good enough for "real" work.

[rsjsouza]

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist.

I don't think Dave is elitist as he covers a broad range of topics and equipment.

OK, that's maybe the wrong word. 

He likes using the good stuff though, you won't see him using an Aneng meter in one of his videos unless it's an Aneng review video.

If this is the only channel you watch you might get the impression that Anengs aren't good enough for "real" work.

I personally think that "a bit elitist" is the right expression here. I don't think this detracts from his excellent reviews of many things, but it indicates he also may miss the mark for someone living in a peripheral country with limited and prohibitely expensive name brand gear. The job still needs to be done and therefore the acceptability threshold is a lot lower.

This is always relative between the presenter and the audience. In a video where I disassemble a few CFL I occasionally get called an elitist for not fixing and putting back together US$1.00 lightbulbs. (my intent was never that). 

I am more referring to taking someone's words at face value and not doing your own research. 

100% true. Perusing some of the threads here, there is a natural bias to suggest the upper echelons of DMMs but that is excessive in several cases. Similar thing happens with oscilloscopes.

[antonioZth]

You should close it under something like 20^o angle so there is 1cm+ gap on the bottom, and then press on top quite hard until it clicks. Broken hook might obstruct it from closing properly too. Either remove it, or glue it in place where it should be.

I re-read your previously highlighted reply, and I decide to open the DMM back again...

As you mentioned, the reason for the cover not to be able to close is because the protruding plastic hinges/flaps broke on both top side... I've set aside the meter in a graphics card anti static bag and will order either Araldite or Loctite Superglue. Most of the shops near my house only has normal adhesive such as Dunlop rubber cement, and UHU glue... which I think wont be strong enough compare to Araldite... my last Araldite tube was already harden and can't be use anymore....And thanks to lockdown, I can't travel more than 10km from my house to my nearest Ace Hardware store...

The smaller break which holds the PCB is no where to be found...

[nctnico]

I am more referring to taking someone's words at face value and not doing your own research. 

Only a fool would take anyone's word at face value. 

[wraper]

I re-read your previously highlighted reply, and I decide to open the DMM back again...

That's brutal. I guess you used a lot of force when opening, instead trying to release hooks more gently by pushing back cover in a way thaе hooks somewhat move out of recesses. Those hooks IME and IMHO are almost impossible to break. BTW I have a good back cover which was barely used, it's only lacking battery contacts since they corroded when batteries leaked. I was forced to buy full assembly since keysight did not sell contacts separately. I also recommend you to replace batteries with LSD NiMH rechargeables because of that.

[antonioZth]

That's brutal. I guess you used a lot of force when opening, instead trying to release hooks more gently by pushing back cover in a way thaе hooks somewhat move out of recesses. Those hooks IME and IMHO are almost impossible to break. BTW I have a good back cover which was barely used, it's only lacking battery contacts since they corroded when batteries leaked. I was forced to buy full assembly since keysight did not sell contacts separately. I also recommend you to replace batteries with LSD NiMH rechargeables because of that.

The back cover is available via Keysight website for USD35 https://www.keysight.com/my/partDetail/U1271-64401 
I don't know if that is include shipping fees to me or I still need to pay for it....

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Maybe it cracked because I open from the back by lifting the bottom part first.... my noob mistake....    Owh well, a free lesseon thru experience for me indeed....

[rsjsouza]

Maybe it cracked because I open from the back by lifting the bottom part first.... my noob mistake....    Owh well, a free lesseon thru experience for me indeed....

We have all been there.

I would just point out that its original safety is not guaranteed anymore (the CAT stuff) - just be careful if you are working on something higher voltage. A proper seal on the DMM housing is part of its safety. 

[nctnico]

Maybe it cracked because I open from the back by lifting the bottom part first.... my noob mistake....    Owh well, a free lesseon thru experience for me indeed....

We have all been there.

Yep. At least this multimeter doesn't have a bunch of hybrids which can be crushed/broken when the case is closed the wrong way 

[wraper]

The back cover is available via Keysight website for USD35 https://www.keysight.com/my/partDetail/U1271-64401 
I don't know if that is include shipping fees to me or I still need to pay for it....

I thought sending it for like $10 delivered, if you want.

[Fungus]

I personally think that "a bit elitist" is the right expression here. I don't think this detracts from his excellent reviews of many things, but it indicates he also may miss the mark for someone living in a peripheral country with limited and prohibitely expensive name brand gear. The job still needs to be done and therefore the acceptability threshold is a lot lower.

I just watched this video...

Before you watch it you have to imagine Dave sat in his lab surrounded by Tagarno microscopes and professional studio lighting asking Big Clive how he takes those amazing photos of PCBs that he uses on his channel.

This was Big Clive's reply:


Big Clive often uses DT830 multimeters on his channel. I don't think he even owns an oscilloscope. He's also not afraid of mains AC and his favorite circuit seems to be the capacitive dropper.

[EEVblog]

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist.

So elitist I reviewed and recommended a $25 multimeter

[EEVblog]

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist.

I don't think Dave is elitist as he covers a broad range of topics and equipment.

OK, that's maybe the wrong word. 
He likes using the good stuff though, you won't see him using an Aneng meter in one of his videos unless it's an Aneng review video.
If this is the only channel you watch you might get the impression that Anengs aren't good enough for "real" work.

Why on earth wouldn't I want to use my own branded meter in my videos? 
My $100 BM235 I use in most of my videos is hardly "elitist" 

[EEVblog]

I personally think that "a bit elitist" is the right expression here. I don't think this detracts from his excellent reviews of many things, but it indicates he also may miss the mark for someone living in a peripheral country with limited and prohibitely expensive name brand gear. The job still needs to be done and therefore the acceptability threshold is a lot lower.

I just watched this video...

Before you watch it you have to imagine Dave sat in his lab surrounded by Tagarno microscopes and professional studio lighting asking Big Clive how he takes those amazing photos of PCBs that he uses on his channel.

This was Big Clive's reply:

And before he posted that that I posted my own showing how to build one for almost nothing:

[Fungus]

It wasn't meant as a criticism in any way. You've also shown us how to build our own $10 RF probes and a lot of your fancy test gear is auction/salvage stuff.

[EEVblog]

And if you want to know the story behind the light box video. Clive wasn't going to release info on that, he wanted to keep it secret, which is why I censored him showing it in the live chat with the other Youtubers. And I was fine with that.
So I experimented with my own version as I've been meaning to do for years, and published my one. I didn't mention Clive in my video because I didn't want him to get pestered by people wanting to know his "secret"
But I guess once Clive saw my video on it, and because I did goof the censoring of it in the video, he probably got pestered enough to reveal his own one which he did.

[EEVblog]

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.
So it pays to do your homework.

I don't think there is a single review of anything where I have not mentioned that your requirements, and your idea of bang-per-buck, and what country you are in etc might differ.

[Fungus]

You also do a lot to educate and teach and your new meter shows that Fluke 87Vs simply aren't necessary, that a $150 meter can be better. It's all good.

The thing I was trying to say is that you tend to work surrounded by fancy stuff that most of us can never hope to own.

I don't want to call you 'eliteist' as a person, because you're not, but your work environment is.

(nb. I'm well aware that there's people on here who have even better stuff than you and that they're part of your audience, too)

[EEVblog]

Hi there peeps,

Ok, I’m no EE, not an electrician and definitely not an electronic repair guy. I’m definitely not going near high voltages 1000v power box. I own 2 cheapies DMM which is crap, a 10 dollar and analog Sanwa ripoff I got for free last 18 years

But can anyone help me in deciding which of the DMM would be the best for my budget. I’ll be poking around small headphone audio amplifiers, headphones, computers, just small electronics mostly... The most I’ll be poking is maybe my computer PSU.

My shortlist;

Fluke 17b+ RM450 AX No Warranty
Uni-T 195DS RM590 AX No Warranty
Uni-T 71E RM600 Local 1yr Warranty
Mastech MS8218 RM550 AX No Warranty
BK Precision 2712 RM550 Mouser 1yr Warranty
Keysight U1231A RM549 Mouser 3yrs Warranty

Prices are in Malaysian Ringgit, AX is Aliexpress, Local is my local e-commerce portal and my local Mouser. Here we also have others such as Digikey, RS and element14 but mouser seems to have a cheaper pricing (I don’t know why)....But hey if there is any other Brands or Model you think I missed out, feel free to recommend it here too...

Thanks in advance

As others have said. Brymen should certainly be considered. Either the BM235 or new BM786.
The Uni-T UT61E always comes up in the bang-per-buck stakes, and is excellent for the price. But Uni-T can be very hit and miss. e.g. the other meters in the UT61 line are pretty crap, only the E model is any good. Some models are now UL listed but not all.
Other factors like size and features like EF testing and visual continuity should be considered.

[EEVblog]

You also do a lot to educate and teach and your new meter shows that Fluke 87Vs simply aren't necessary, that a $150 meter can be better. It's all good.
The thing I was trying to say is that you tend to work surrounded by fancy stuff that most of us can never hope to own.
I don't want to call you 'eliteist' as a person, because you're not, but your work environment is.

And you hardly ever see it.
In videos I use mostly a low end $100 meter and a simple low end scope, albeit a Keysight (because I like its small size and the black case helps with camera exposure)
Sure I use a Tagarno microscope because it produces the best visual result for my audience, but even then I've done videos on cheap equivalents.
I have an expensive JBC iron, but I use a cheaper Pace model on camera mostly.

If you want the extreme end of the bell curve:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSignalPathBlog

[Fungus]

The Uni-T UT61E always comes up in the bang-per-buck stakes, and is excellent for the price. But Uni-T can be very hit and miss. e.g. the other meters in the UT61 line are pretty crap, only the E model is any good.

The big problem I see with the UT61E is that you don't know what will be inside. Some are OK, but there's Chinese variants with less components on the PCB (usually the safety components). If you're buying online then it's the luck of the draw.

See here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/uni-t-ut61e-multimeter-teardown-photos/msg1437056/#msg1437056

[EEVblog]

The Uni-T UT61E always comes up in the bang-per-buck stakes, and is excellent for the price. But Uni-T can be very hit and miss. e.g. the other meters in the UT61 line are pretty crap, only the E model is any good.

The big problem I see with the UT61E is that you don't know what will be inside. Some are OK, but there's Chinese variants with less components on the PCB (usually the safety components). If you're buying online then it's the luck of the draw.

I thought that an issue from a few years ago and they wer pretty consistent now? If not, that's a shame. Still good bang-per-buck though.

[Fungus]

The Uni-T UT61E always comes up in the bang-per-buck stakes, and is excellent for the price. But Uni-T can be very hit and miss. e.g. the other meters in the UT61 line are pretty crap, only the E model is any good.

The big problem I see with the UT61E is that you don't know what will be inside. Some are OK, but there's Chinese variants with less components on the PCB (usually the safety components). If you're buying online then it's the luck of the draw.

I thought that an issue from a few years ago and they wer pretty consistent now? If not, that's a shame. Still good bang-per-buck though.

This guy (who's an EEVBLOG forum member) got even less inside his:

https://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20UNI-T%20UT61E%20UK.html



There's a redesigned UT61E+ with a red selector switch that's been available since a couple of months ago, maybe that's different.



They wasted a whole selector position on "hFE" though... 

[Fungus]

I know I'm building a tupper-cam as soon as the shops open tomorrow. 

(ducks under table)

[EEVblog]

There's a redesigned UT61E+ with a red selector switch that's been available since a couple of months ago, maybe that's different.



They wasted a whole selector position on "hFE" though... 

Woah, teardown photo on here somewhere?
hFE 

Edit: Teardown: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-uni-t-ut61-series-(ut61e)/msg3326960/#msg3326960

[EEVblog]

I know I'm building a tupper-cam as soon as the shops open tomorrow. 

Why wait, go to your recycle bin and get an Amazon box 

[EEVblog]

Doesn't sound like they nailed it.

[AVGresponding]

I personally think that "a bit elitist" is the right expression here. I don't think this detracts from his excellent reviews of many things, but it indicates he also may miss the mark for someone living in a peripheral country with limited and prohibitely expensive name brand gear. The job still needs to be done and therefore the acceptability threshold is a lot lower.

I just watched this video...

Before you watch it you have to imagine Dave sat in his lab surrounded by Tagarno microscopes and professional studio lighting asking Big Clive how he takes those amazing photos of PCBs that he uses on his channel.

This was Big Clive's reply:


Big Clive often uses DT830 multimeters on his channel. I don't think he even owns an oscilloscope. He's also not afraid of mains AC and his favorite circuit seems to be the capacitive dropper.

Actually he owns a couple of nice modern scopes at least, a 4-channel Owon, and iirc a Keysight. They just rarely appear in his vids because they aren't often necessary, and they don't really fit his usual filming format.

Bear in mind a lot of the very nice gear Dave has on his workbench gets sent to him by manufacturers wanting the exposure; his R&S PSUs for example. Am I jealous? Yes, but if I made a successful EE yt channel I'm sure they'd send them to me too.
Not really sure that makes him "elitist" in the normal usage of the word.

I own a Fluke 289, and it's my go-to handheld meter at home, an 87V being my work go-to, and a Keithley 2000 is my home bench go-to. Does that make me elitist? I hope not.
I also sometimes reach for my Uni-T 139C, or Mastech 2108A, or Micronta 22-195, all very much at the cheaper end of the market. Indeed, the Mastech is my go-to clamp, ahead of a Fluke...

[Fungus]

They wasted a whole selector position on "hFE" though... 

Woah, teardown photo on here somewhere?
hFE 

You also get a huge dongle-adapter thing to connect your transistors to the meter:



I'm sure not a single one of those will go unused... 

[rsjsouza]

The UT61E (non-plus) also has the hfe adapter, but it is not designed to use it (the UT61D uses it, IIRC) .

The UT61E seems to be quite consistent for a good five to six years now (all PTCs, no MOVs if purchased in China, otherwise if purchased in EU with ETL). The recent major PCB revision with the blob IC seems to have left the input intact, but I don't have one to be sure.

[Fungus]

The UT61E seems to be quite consistent for a good five to six years now (all PTCs, no MOVs if purchased in China, otherwise if purchased in EU with ETL). The recent major PCB revision with the blob IC seems to have left the input intact, but I don't have one to be sure.

Where do you suggest somebody should buy one? What price?

(and where do USA buyers stand?)

[rsjsouza]

Doesn't sound like they nailed it.

From what I could see from some review videos, they also crapified the otherwise great bargraph of the "non-plus" version, which is a downer for me.

[Fungus]

Doesn't sound like they nailed it.

The stand looks good.

[rsjsouza]

The UT61E seems to be quite consistent for a good five to six years now (all PTCs, no MOVs if purchased in China, otherwise if purchased in EU with ETL). The recent major PCB revision with the blob IC seems to have left the input intact, but I don't have one to be sure.

Where do you suggest somebody should buy one? What price?

(and where do USA buyers stand?)

Well, I bought mine a few years ago on eBay at a much cheaper price than what you find today. You have a few other clones as well, such as the GWI GDM-461 or the Tenma 72-10415.

Despite these get at the price of the lower end of the Brymen product lines with much better protection, they have features that are great for electronics such as counts, bandwidth, wide capacitance and resistance meter, etc.

[J-R]

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.
So it pays to do your homework.

I don't think there is a single review of anything where I have not mentioned that your requirements, and your idea of bang-per-buck, and what country you are in etc might differ.

Dave, I suppose the main attraction of the videos by various content creators such as yourself is that we hope to skip a bunch of tedious digging and research about topics that we may not be up to speed on yet.  So if you want to get some equipment and start tinkering you feel the pressure to just get what the "experts" recommend.

But there are products that inevitably get left out, mistakes/omissions/etc. are discovered in the video, and of course newer products are released after the video was created.  So then you would need to dig through the Youtube comments and the forum posts and do your own research, which seemingly defeats the main point of just watching the video in my opinion.

So I freely admit my naivety, but it also would be nice to see some of the videos get updated.

[rsjsouza]

But there are products that inevitably get left out, mistakes/omissions/etc. are discovered in the video, and of course newer products are released after the video was created.  So then you would need to dig through the Youtube comments and the forum posts and do your own research, which seemingly defeats the main point of just watching the video in my opinion.

So I freely admit my naivety, but it also would be nice to see some of the videos get updated.

Speaking from the standpoint of someone about five years in this road and doing numerous DMM reviews as well, I can tell that things tend to be omitted as you continuously improve the review process. I have left out things that I deemed important only at later reviews, but sometimes one's self energy or the audience interest are not enough to create an addendum (especially if the video is old). Heck, most of the times I don't even have the meter anymore.

[bc888]

Was going though Australian customs in Melbourne @ 1990. We were in a long line which might have said: "everybody else" or some such. Whereas there was a line with zero people in it right next to it that was titled "Australians only". The little girl in the "Australians only" line waved us on up...or at least we thought she did so we go boogieing up and as we approached her a burly Australian Customs Guard started right towards us. My buddy looks up at the ""Australians only"" sign and sort of ducks his head by way of apology and says to the guard "Uhh, we're not Australian".

The guard smiles and loudly announces: "S'alright mate, nobody's perfect". LOL

1) nobody is perfect

So when you see these things, announcing your opinions becomes quite valuable to the rest of us. Thank you for playing. Good thread.

[antonioZth]

As others have said. Brymen should certainly be considered. Either the BM235 or new BM786.
The Uni-T UT61E always comes up in the bang-per-buck stakes, and is excellent for the price. But Uni-T can be very hit and miss. e.g. the other meters in the UT61 line are pretty crap, only the E model is any good. Some models are now UL listed but not all.
Other factors like size and features like EF testing and visual continuity should be considered.

If I didn't managed to get the U1272A, I probably go with the Brymens or the Chinese Fluke 17b... I don't know but I do usually endup getting a better stuffs from what I researched prior because A) I would put a bet on the better instrument (or item) would be better in the long run and last longer, and B) The name Keysight (or in my case a NOS Agilent), or Fluke instills confidence, although the things I'm going to be doing, CAN be done on a cheaper meter. Heck, when I posted my purchase on my facebook, my friends were like, are you nuts buying a three thousand Ringgit (price in Keysights Malaysia website) digital multimeter? Are you an Engineer now they ask? 

But some of my higher paid, professional career'd friends (aircraft engineer, electrical engineer) acknowledged my purchase of the U1272A, quoting, "you won't need another one after this, unless its a bench DMM from Keithley, Tektronix or Keysight... .

So in short, I'm happy with the purchase... Although it took a chunk and some of my budget...

I thought sending it for like $10 delivered, if you want.

Sorry for the late reply my Internet was down, we had a lockdown, didn't managed to get online as my house a very weak LTE connection and my Wireless Broadband modem had problems. Also the Araldite I've ordered was lost in the mail and had to settle with the seller which takes almost 3 weeks before they decided to ship another to me. But in the end, I managed to get em and applied them sparingly to avoid any unwanted nastiness  At first I was planning to use the glue used by those Tamiya model car building hobbyist...But those are much expensive and I am not familiar with it, unlike Araldite, a brand I've used more than 15 years when it comes to gluing stuffs back together.

At last, I managed to glue to the broken bits back and my meter is now clamp shut and no widen gap....

Now, its almost good as brand new... Almost 

[Analog4]

....I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built.....

I just got a Brymen BM789 (about $216 USD with the case & shipping).  It seems to be a very nice meter so far.

[daisizhou]

Fluke 27/FM is your right choice

You can view it by viewing its picture (military grade)

I think the FLUKE manufacturing process today is not as good as before

[antonioZth]

I just got a Brymen BM789 (about $216 USD with the case & shipping).  It seems to be a very nice meter so far.

I like the layout.... might be added to one of my target for the next portable DMM hunt

Fluke 27/FM is your right choice

You can view it by viewing its picture (military grade)

I think the FLUKE manufacturing process today is not as good as before

For fluke the one I would go for probably the 87, but as u mention the 27, the brochure shows that it is an 87 with water and dust proof...wow...

I won't be using my DMM underwater anytime soon, but I might add it to my list of targets if it is a 87 equivalent 

[EEVblog]

For fluke the one I would go for probably the 87, but as u mention the 27, the brochure shows that it is an 87 with water and dust proof...wow...
I won't be using my DMM underwater anytime soon, but I might add it to my list of targets if it is a 87 equivalent 

They have the 87-VMAX, a 28-II with the 87V label.

[Fungus]

They have the 87-VMAX, a 28-II with the 87V label.

And slightly different electrical specs, even though the 87V is "impossible to change". 

[wizard69]

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.

Dave, et., al are a bit elitist. There's nothing wrong with that but you have to remember it is possible to get work done with "lesser" equipment.

I'd hardly call Dave elitist.   More importantly if people would watch his multimeter videos they would learn a bit and be able to make the right purchasing decisions.   More importantly Dave points out one reality that everyone should be prepared for, that is eventually you will need more than one meter.

Knowledge is often more important than the equipment you use, and knowledge is free these days.

No truer words have been spoken.   Perhaps the bit of knowledge I consider to be most important with respect to multimeters is that they should be looked at as long term buys.    A decent meter should last a user decades and in this price range it is fairly easy to get a decent meter.

PS: Try watching Big Clive as a contrast to EEVBLOG.

Personally I'd rather see people figure out how much they think is rational per day to spend on a meter over 10 years.   If it is 10 cents that implies a budget of 365 dollars or 182 dollars for 5 cents a day.   It is just a way to look at things that allow you to see it in a less mentally stressful way.   The average person can pick up 5 cents a day, off the ground, just walking around town.   So no I don't see buying a decent meter as elitist at all.   

Consider any other trade, there are things that the new to the trade person is advised to spend good money on.   A mechanic for example really needs a decent ratchet simply to keep the frustration level down.

I just see people getting cheap on what will be one of the most useful pieces of instrumentation they will own.   Further like a good screwdriver it will remain useful even if the interest in electronics comes and goes.   Starting out a meter is a far better place to put your money than in a fancy lab power supply.

[2N3055]

Well, looking at the statistics from 2011, 61% of all world's population lived with less than 10 USD a day...

I am lucky that I can afford to think about rational investment in tools. But to many people out there 400 USD for something is not a good investment, but simply something not affordable..
Like with people getting a loan to buy house or car, they might be able to afford cheap 30-40 USD and change it every few years if need be.

[rsjsouza]

I also agree that buying quality tools are quite ideal and the initial cost can be fully amortized over 5, 10 years, but this argument also assumes the cheaper tools can't last that long. That is 100% dependent on how the owner uses his/her tool. I had a cheaper meter that lasted 25 years and I have an 18 year-old M830B that still works quite well, despite having been used quite constantly for the first 7 years of its life, and I know of others that have similar tools that are lasting that long. Sure, it did not suffer any accident apart from the occasional blown fuse and the chances of survival in case a major problem happens are much smaller than a Fluke, but they allowed many more people to get into electronics than Fluke.

[Fungus]

I also agree that buying quality tools are quite ideal and the initial cost can be fully amortized over 5, 10 years, but this argument also assumes the cheaper tools can't last that long.

It also assumes that they aren't exactly the same quality in reality, and that you aren't paying double/triple price for just a brand name.

eg. Fluke vs. Brymen. I look at my BM857s and see a meter that's equal to or better than a Fluke 87V in just about every way. Why would I pay three times more just because the other one is yellow.

[EEVblog]

eg. Fluke vs. Brymen. I look at my BM857s and see a meter that's equal to or better than a Fluke 87V in just about every way. Why would I pay three times more just because the other one is yellow.

One has a lifetime warranty, the other one doesn't.
One is made in the USA, the other one isn't.
One has a long history of calibration traceability and stability to satisfy metrology departments, the other one doesn't.

These things of course may not matter to you, and that's just fine. But thye can certainly matter to others, and that is why the 87 series is still one of the world's top selling multimeters after 30+ years.

[nightfire]

 Why would I pay three times more just because the other one is yellow.

Well, it implies that you are aware what the yellow multimeter and the infrastructure behind that color has to offer, and did your homework in analyzing which features and post-sales services YOU need, or probably NOT need and maybe never will need or use.
For home and hobby usage, buying a new Fluke or Keysight or Gossen probably is overkill, unless it is intended that the DMM has to last a guaranteed 20+ years.
For industrial use, where a yearly calabration is required, including guaranteed compatibilty with measuring accessoires, the calculation is different- here a certain brand may have some serious advantages in offering services like on-site-calibration of equiment to reduce downtimes.

So, you are correct with the "Why should _I_ spend that much money" - I asked myself the same question as I was looking for some DMM for my humble home lab, and decided against a new yellow DMM.
(okok, as I got some good deals on ebay, TEA began to settle in, and now I have 3 DMMs...)