Good cheap multi-meter?

[tautech]

Rather than opening a new thread, I decided to reply here.
Not looking for a cheap DMM but not going to spend a kidney on it either. My thoughts were to get a fluke 117 but then found out I can get a brymen 869s for the same price. Any advice? I’m a mechanic and have a cheap innova multimeter. Looking for something better.

Welcome to the forum.

Get Daves 235 from his shop.
A good sound trustworthy DMM.
https://www.eevblog.com/product/bm235-multimeter/

[wizard69]

The first question I have to ask is what sort of Mechanic?   If an automotive mechanic I'd suggest looking at Flukes automotive series of meters.   Yes a bit pricey compared to their low end models but they are worth it if you work regularly on internal combustion engines.    Interestingly Snap-On has some meters that may be worth considering for that field as they are not so extremely over priced like some of their tools.

IF some other sort of mechanic then we will need more information.   Given that I almost always steer people to Fluke so get on line and pick a meter that looks good to you.   As for the Fluke 117 ask yourself this, can it do everything you need to do with a meter!   Further when looking at meter cost, think about that cost in cents per day over the expected lifetime of the meter.   

Too put it bluntly too many people look at the cost on the price tag and don't think about how long the meter will last them.

Rather than opening a new thread, I decided to reply here.
Not looking for a cheap DMM but not going to spend a kidney on it either. My thoughts were to get a fluke 117 but then found out I can get a brymen 869s for the same price. Any advice? I’m a mechanic and have a cheap innova multimeter. Looking for something better.

[zabov]

The first question I have to ask is what sort of Mechanic?   If an automotive mechanic I'd suggest looking at Flukes automotive series of meters.   Yes a bit pricey compared to their low end models but they are worth it if you work regularly on internal combustion engines.    Interestingly Snap-On has some meters that may be worth considering for that field as they are not so extremely over priced like some of their tools.

IF some other sort of mechanic then we will need more information.   Given that I almost always steer people to Fluke so get on line and pick a meter that looks good to you.   As for the Fluke 117 ask yourself this, can it do everything you need to do with a meter!   Further when looking at meter cost, think about that cost in cents per day over the expected lifetime of the meter.   

Too put it bluntly too many people look at the cost on the price tag and don't think about how long the meter will last them.

Rather than opening a new thread, I decided to reply here.
Not looking for a cheap DMM but not going to spend a kidney on it either. My thoughts were to get a fluke 117 but then found out I can get a brymen 869s for the same price. Any advice? I’m a mechanic and have a cheap innova multimeter. Looking for something better.

You're right, should've been more specific. Automotive mechanic, but also doing some repairs and diagnosis for hobby at home, so don't want it to be auto mechanic specific, for this purpose I have the Innova 3340 which I am using in the workshop at the moment, although it lacks mV function. I'd like another one I can use at home too, as I do some garage work as well.
Regarding your advice for the Fluke 117, as I said before, it wasn't about the cost. My budget is basically Fluke's 117 price, which is AUD 330 here, while  Brymen 869s apparently is comparable to Fluke 87 and I can get it from Europe for roughly the same price. Neither of these two has a lifetime warranty. I think it's 3 years for Fluke and 2 for Brymen. So should I go for something with more functions or it is irrelevant?

You cannot go wrong with any Brymen. For a car mechanic and general use I would say go for a Brymen BM235, BM257, or bigger models if you can spare the cash. You also might want a clamp meter to look at battery currents. This opens up a whole new can of worms.

Getting the BM235 or 257 imported in Australia will cost me $AUD 220, not far from the imported 869 price.Haven't thought about clamp meters.

[exe]

After receiving the meter it turns out that the display is junk, it works, but is full of color patches which make it unreadable in certain angles.

Can you please post a picture? If it's an issue with contrast, it can probably be adjusted.

I myself got aneg 8002 and 8008 and my only two complains are the safety rating and cumbersome calibration process. I use them for low-voltage work. Very happy about them and I wish they released a properly rated version.

[bluey]

For good at a good discount, suggest the hioki. Dave did a review.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-973-hioki-multimeter-review-clamp-meter-teardown/
https://www.testequipmentonline.com.au/DT4256-General-Electrical-Use-DMM

Under your budget of aud330, i’d have no hesitation getting hioki. First rate quality made in Japan. Unless you don’t like blue!

Or Appa 79 for half price:
https://www.testequipmentonline.com.au/appa-79

Just got an Appa A1 clamp meter that will do 300A DC for $93+postage. Over $250, post is free.
https://www.testequipmentonline.com.au/appa-a1
(Just arrived today - mini review/teardown to come.)

Read this thread on battery testing:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/lead-acid-battery-analyzers-working-principle/

I had been looking far and wide for a cheap DMM for my brother and a second meter for me. Ended up with hioki dt4222. No amps, but the appa clampmeter fixes that for high currents where dmms don’t go.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hioki-dt4222-compact-trms-multimeter-teardown/

Not as robust as the DT 4256 but less than half the price and almost identical performance (no current ranges).

[bluey]

The trickiest bit to figure for long-term ownership is stability and calibration/adjustment cost. I havent managed to find any specifications for this for the usual chinese dmm chips. Chip on board designs may suffer more from drift and random failures. There are threads here of complete losses of cheap fluke meters i presume is a chip on board connection failure.

Typical bandgap voltage references have long term stability around 25ppm per 1000 hours. My 30 yr old fluke 87 unadjusted measures same as my new Hioki. I guess integrated voltage references on well made dmm chips would be in the same ballpark of long-term stability.

[de_light]

I have the Brymen TBM807 I bought used which I am pleased with. Nice, sturdy build. Good safety features. Excellent customer service.

Also received a cheap Richman 113D today in the post (actually got it refunded from Aliexpress as it took three months to arrive....)
We shall see how that turns out.

[joeqsmith]

Rather than opening a new thread, I decided to reply here.
Not looking for a cheap DMM but not going to spend a kidney on it either. My thoughts were to get a fluke 117 but then found out I can get a brymen 869s for the same price. Any advice? I’m a mechanic and have a cheap innova multimeter. Looking for something better.

Most of the people I know working in automotive are using the MODIS.   I looked at a few low cost automotive meters that would do some of the basic timing calculations.   I picked up an old Fluke 97 scopemeter that had the original training tape.   Fluke allowed me to post it free of charge.         


 

[John B]

Getting the BM235 or 257 imported in Australia will cost me $AUD 220, not far from the imported 869 price.Haven't thought about clamp meters.

Where are you buying the BM869s from? (As in, is it the updated "s" model, not multiple of them)

Even sub $300 AUD is pretty amazing for one of them. I had to pay much more for that a few years back, even for a second hand/ex demo type unit.

At that price, there's pretty much no competition as most of the main brands like Agilent and Fluke come with a hefty premium. (In Aus that is)

[zabov]

Welectron website mate. it's euro 184 which converted will be aud 298 plus 10% GST once it arrives in Australia and shipping.

[Doctorandus_P]

I've also bought 2 AN8008, and they seem to work ok.
Some people complain about the lack of current ranges, but instead it has a mV range with 1uV resoluton, which work with external shunts. With a simple 1 Ohm resistor it thus gives thus uA resolution, and you can range it all the way up to the maximum power dissipation of your shunt. If you use this often, I recommend to make some kind of adapter for your shunts.

An annoying thing of the AN8008 is that it beeps too much, and it turns itself "off" all the time.
I've also read some posts about these failing after a year or two. Probably the rotary switch wears out easily, but i'm not sure of that.

Fluke seems overrated. They were too expensive for me in the first place, and after they seem to monopolize yellow jackets for DMM's I'll boycot them for the rest of my life.
https://hackaday.com/2014/03/19/multimeters-without-a-country-flukes-broad-trademark-bans-yellow-multimeter-imports/

The Brymen meters seem to be the same quality as the Fluke's, but for half the price (or less).

[EEVblog]

Getting the BM235 or 257 imported in Australia will cost me $AUD 220, not far from the imported 869 price.Haven't thought about clamp meters.

I sell the BM235 for AU$170, and use the coupon code bm235forum for an extra $20 off.
https://www.eevblog.com/product/bm235-multimeter/

[EEVblog]

My thoughts were to get a fluke 117 but then found out I can get a brymen 869s for the same price. Any advice? I’m a mechanic and have a cheap innova multimeter. Looking for something better.

The 869s is physically huge compared to say a BM235, a disadvantage for a lot of uses IMO. You don't need anything beyond a rugged 5000 count meter for automotive use. Visual continuity on the BM235 might be handy, and bonus EF tester for mains work.

[chegueva01]

Anseng 8002 or Chinese fluke 101. They are both pretty cheap under 50$ and they have received very good feedback from lots of people.

[bluey]

I swear there used to be a thread here somewhere called “don’t buy a cheap fluke”. But i can find no trace of it any more. Censored?

There were reports of some of the cheap china only models dying and being unfixable. In their own market they might be under warranty, but as a direct import, may not be.

(Though my ex-uk “assembled in china” fluke 1507 has a global warranty.)

[Corner]

@zabov Have you bought your meter yet. I bought my 869s from tme for roughly $350 AUD, and BM235 for maybe $150 shortly after it was out. You cannot go wrong with either. TBH BM235 is an impressive little meter. If you just want one, I'd go for the BM869s cuz like you said you have hobby stuff as well and it's more powerful than the 87V for 1/3 of the (Australian) price.

The first question I have to ask is what sort of Mechanic?   If an automotive mechanic I'd suggest looking at Flukes automotive series of meters.   Yes a bit pricey compared to their low end models but they are worth it if you work regularly on internal combustion engines.    Interestingly Snap-On has some meters that may be worth considering for that field as they are not so extremely over priced like some of their tools.

IF some other sort of mechanic then we will need more information.   Given that I almost always steer people to Fluke so get on line and pick a meter that looks good to you.   As for the Fluke 117 ask yourself this, can it do everything you need to do with a meter!   Further when looking at meter cost, think about that cost in cents per day over the expected lifetime of the meter.   

Too put it bluntly too many people look at the cost on the price tag and don't think about how long the meter will last them.

Rather than opening a new thread, I decided to reply here.
Not looking for a cheap DMM but not going to spend a kidney on it either. My thoughts were to get a fluke 117 but then found out I can get a brymen 869s for the same price. Any advice? I’m a mechanic and have a cheap innova multimeter. Looking for something better.

You're right, should've been more specific. Automotive mechanic, but also doing some repairs and diagnosis for hobby at home, so don't want it to be auto mechanic specific, for this purpose I have the Innova 3340 which I am using in the workshop at the moment, although it lacks mV function. I'd like another one I can use at home too, as I do some garage work as well.
Regarding your advice for the Fluke 117, as I said before, it wasn't about the cost. My budget is basically Fluke's 117 price, which is AUD 330 here, while  Brymen 869s apparently is comparable to Fluke 87 and I can get it from Europe for roughly the same price. Neither of these two has a lifetime warranty. I think it's 3 years for Fluke and 2 for Brymen. So should I go for something with more functions or it is irrelevant?

You cannot go wrong with any Brymen. For a car mechanic and general use I would say go for a Brymen BM235, BM257, or bigger models if you can spare the cash. You also might want a clamp meter to look at battery currents. This opens up a whole new can of worms.

Getting the BM235 or 257 imported in Australia will cost me $AUD 220, not far from the imported 869 price.Haven't thought about clamp meters.

[EEVblog]

I swear there used to be a thread here somewhere called “don’t buy a cheap fluke”. But i can find no trace of it any more. Censored?

We don't censor here.

[Fungus]

I swear there used to be a thread here somewhere called “don’t buy a cheap fluke”. But i can find no trace of it any more. Censored?

It would never happen. There's nothing wrong with them except bang/buck.

There were reports of some of the cheap china only models dying and being unfixable.

There's probably some reports of expensive meters doing that, too. I wouldn't say it's very likely though.

[Fungus]

If the Brymen BM869S is within budget then get that.

The only possible reason to not get it would be the size. It's a big meter.

[zabov]

If the Brymen BM869S is within budget then get that.

The only possible reason to not get it would be the size. It's a big meter.

Doesn't look that bigger compared to fluke 117. Just a little bit. But obviously, never seen one in person and videos don't really show it unless you have one at home and you can actually compare it, but I don't have neither of them so it's like comparing to nothing.

@zabov Have you bought your meter yet. I bought my 869s from tme for roughly $350 AUD, and BM235 for maybe $150 shortly after it was out. You cannot go wrong with either. TBH BM235 is an impressive little meter. If you just want one, I'd go for the BM869s cuz like you said you have hobby stuff as well and it's more powerful than the 87V for 1/3 of the (Australian) price.

Nah mate, not yet. A little in financial crisis with rona. Just holding on.

[Fungus]

Doesn't look that bigger compared to fluke 117. Just a little bit. But obviously, never seen one in person and videos don't really show it unless you have one at home and you can actually compare it, but I don't have neither of them so it's like comparing to nothing.

The dimensions of both those meters are easy to find online. 

[Shock]

Doesn't look that bigger compared to fluke 117. Just a little bit. But obviously, never seen one in person and videos don't really show it unless you have one at home and you can actually compare it, but I don't have neither of them so it's like comparing to nothing.

[mqsaharan]

If the Brymen BM869S is within budget then get that.

The only possible reason to not get it would be the size. It's a big meter.

Doesn't look that bigger compared to fluke 117. Just a little bit. But obviously, never seen one in person and videos don't really show it unless you have one at home and you can actually compare it, but I don't have neither of them so it's like comparing to nothing.

If you would like a guess for the sizes, keep in mind that Fluke 117 is 167 x 84 x 46 mm (6.57 x 3.31 x 1.82 in) and Brymen 250 and 230 series is 161 x 80 x 50 mm (6.34 x 3.15 x 1.97 in). Now take a look at the following video from Dave where he is reviewing BM257, BM869s and BM857A:

https://youtu.be/tXu0lsOjvDs?t=792

Qasim.

[ercapoccia]

I prefer the BM257s over the BM235.
Brymen has some cheap automotive meter

https://brymen.eu/shop/bm319s/

[rsjsouza]

If you ever get tired of your Innova, the BM315S and BM319S have dedicated automotive functions.

Both the BM235 and the BM257 are quite interesting compact meters, but I couldn't yet justify getting them (too many multimeters).

I usually put the following options on the table for low cost multimeters for low power electronics:
Ultra cheap: the Richmeters RM113D. Quite fast, reasonably featured and with good ranges: 6000 counts, 100MΩ, 100.000μF, 3V diode test, fast continuity, temperature, NCV, flashlight,etc.
Reasonably cheap: the Richmeters AM219/Aneng 870. Reasonably featured meters with plenty of resolution: 20000 counts, 200MΩ, 10.000μF, 3V diode test, fast continuity, temperature, NCV, etc. 
The top of the cheapies: UT61E. The most featured of them, with a reasonable balance between features and implementation. 22000 counts, 200MΩ, 200.000μF, 3V diode test, fast continuity, excellent bargraph

 If you are looking for a balance between safety, features and low cost, the UT139C is a great alternative. I would put the Fluke 101 on this as well, but I experienced quality control issues with two units bought from different sellers and with different date codes, thus I would be cautious. Also, it is too basic when compared to the other options. If you are looking for safety, though, it is unbeatable.