EEVBlog BM235 Multimeter question

[mgysgthath]

I'm just beginning with electronics, reading theory and watching a lot of electronics repair videos, and of course all of the eevblog vids, among others.   I've got vague ideas of what would be useful, but I run a computer repair business, and am trying to expand into repairing things at a component level, instead of just tossing out perfectly good motherboards that need a 10 cent resistor or something.

Anyway I have a cheap mastercraft multimeter, and I'm looking to buy a proper one that will do everything I could reasonably need to do.  I see EEVblog has their own BM235 multimeter, and I'm guessing that is because you've been asked this "best multimeter for me" question a million times before and now have a canned answer.

So if that is the answer, I'm happy to buy it and support EEVblog.  However I just wanted to quickly ask if money not being an issue (within reason), what would be the best multimeter to buy?  I am not an advanced user, but I plan to expand my skillset as far as possible, and I don't want to find out in a year that a particular meter is not able to do something I need it to do.

So I am simply asking your advice, everyone, should I buy the EEVblog BM235, or something more expensive?

Thank you all for your time, and especially to EEVblog for the free education and the passion for electronics!

[rob77]

the BM235 is good enough for most of the tasks, if you need more accuracy but still maintain safety and reasonable price then go for higher models from Brymen (Brymen makes the EEVblog meter as well).
if money is not a concern at all, or you need a meter which is aceepted as "industry standard" then go for Fluke.

[imidis]

Personally I like my BM 235. There isn't really a do everything meter.  You will probably find an LCR meter useful as well. That being said, in the future if you find it useful another good quality multimeter will always be useful.

[MosherIV]

Hi

I run a computer repair business, and am trying to expand into repairing things at a component level, instead of just tossing out perfectly good motherboards that need a 10 cent resistor or something. 

While investing in a good multimeter (tool) is always worth while, one function that will be invaluble is not found on any multimeter - Equivalant Series Resistance or ESR.
Many capacitors fail and show within tolerance value but their ESR has gone high making them bad.
So also look into getting an ESR meter.

Additionally, do not throw out your old meter, as Dave always says it is better to have 2 meters so you can check wih the other if one is measuring some wrong value.

[mgysgthath]

Thanks all for your input.  Good advice.  As for the Fluke suggestion, any particular model?  I will start with a BM235, and look at getting an ESR Meter (very good idea, as caps are a huge cause of failure in pc parts), but I may want to try a nice Fluke in the future.
Thanks again.

[EEVblog]

It's always handy to have a small simple meter for everyday tasks, and then a bigger better more accurate feature rich meter for more advanced stuff.
95% of the time you'll just need the simple meter.
No problem and very common to buy a cheaper simpler meter first and then get a bigger one when and if required.

[Lightages]

For a general electronics hobbyist with the inclination to have a multimeter that is safe, accurate and will last, then hard to go wrong with Dave's BM235, or BM257S, or an Amprobe AM530, a cheap Uni-T UT136C, or many others. My personal advice? Buy a BM257S or Dave's BM235 and you will have something that will just do the job and won't make you feel like you are using junk, nor that you spent too much money.

If you want to spend more, then Extech MM560 or MM570, Brymen BM829S, BM869S (still under $300), some Keysights, some low end Flukes, etc...

IMHO, just get the BM257S or Dave's BM235. No matter if you decide that you want something "better" I bet you will reach for these most of the time when you need to do some measurements. You can't go wrong for under $135.

[mgysgthath]

Thank you for the suggestions and advice everyone.  I ordered a BM235, I figure as a beginner I can't go too far wrong with that, and later I'll want another one anyway, so I can shop around when I know more by then.


Do you have any suggestions for an ESR tester, anyone?

[RGB255_0_0]

Thank you for the suggestions and advice everyone.  I ordered a BM235, I figure as a beginner I can't go too far wrong with that, and later I'll want another one anyway, so I can shop around when I know more by then.


Do you have any suggestions for an ESR tester, anyone?

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/$20-lcr-esr-transistor-checker-project/

[MosherIV]

Yeah, I have one of those.

The one I got is "Transistor Tester T4" - available on ebay or amazon.

Does not do in circuit testing as bought. It is capable of doing in circuit testing but need to be programmed with the latest firmware and is fiddly (you have to press and hold the test button).

Bear in mind that the results are just an indication, the actual ESR measurement is by no means accurate.

[mgysgthath]

If that meter is not very accurate, is there anything better?  Or is that as good as it gets?

[MosherIV]

If that meter is not very accurate, is there anything better?  Or is that as good as it gets?

Yes, there are better ones.

I do not have one of these but this should be much better :
http://www.peakelec.co.uk/acatalog/jz_esr60.html

However, it is not really needed. Most electrolytic caps should be below 1\$\Omega\$
If the ESR meter shows that it is above that, then the cap is most likely duff.
What that value is, is not that important.

[mgysgthath]

Thanks guys.  Your advice is all appreciated!

[PedroDaGr8]

If that meter is not very accurate, is there anything better?  Or is that as good as it gets?

There is also the Der EE DE-5000 which is rebadged by the very high end IET Labs as the DE-5000 and DE-6000.