Hobbie multimeter

[Fungus]

the common mistake is :   meter set in the current / probes in the current when probing the voltage (s)  i know  i did this mistake too  loll,   11$ a fuse

...which is why you choose a meter with no "wrong" dial position and beep alerts when the probes are in the wrong sockets.

Even if it's a cheap meter, like the Zoyi I mentioned.

[Fungus]

Other posters were criticised for mentioning safety, it is a serious matter. Meters can and do explode, or burst into flames.

True, but Harbor Freight has given away millions of DT130s with remarkably few deaths.

I couldn't even find one on google.

[Aldo22]

they will learn the hard way   ....  happened to see one bust,  and it was not  "in the so cheap price" ...

if the ZT-225   survives that  its another plus

I'll never "learn" that, because I don't have a 750V like these guys and I don't see this DMM being used in that range anyway.

the common mistake is :   meter set in the current / probes in the current when probing the voltage (s)  i know  i did this mistake too  loll,   11$ a fuse

Well, if the price of the replacement fuse is your biggest problem... 

[EEVblog]

Other posters were criticised for mentioning safety, it is a serious matter. Meters can and do explode, or burst into flames.

True, but Harbor Freight has given away millions of DT130s with remarkably few deaths.
I couldn't even find one on google.

Multimeter safety is a tad overrated, and has been pushed toward the extreme end of the OH&S spectrum.
That's not a bad thing of course, in fact it's great, but people do get a tad carried away.
Sure the general recommendation of "CAT III for anything mains related and above" is good general advice, but it's not needed.
Most people do not work on such high energy systems to warrant being that worried about it.
And basically it's limited to only one fault scenario, probes in the A jack by mistake when measuring mains or another high energy system.
The whole peak overload thing (e.g lighting strike on the mains) is so remote an issue that it's almost not a thing.

For example, my latest pocket meter (the 1980s) coming out soon was going to be CAT II, whcih would be fine for a pocket meter, but the new standard says you are no longer able to brand CAT I or CAT II on the front of a meter any more, you can only brand CAT III and above. So they did a few design tweaks to get it to CAT III standard so it could be printed on the front, lest anything think it has "no CAT rating".

So all new meters should (if they follow the standards for third party approval) either have CAT III/IV printed on them, or nothing at all.

[BillyO]

The whole peak overload thing (e.g lighting strike on the mains) is so remote an issue that it's almost not a thing.

Yeah, there maybe other issues in play for folk that take out their DMM and start probing their breaker panel at the height of an electrical storm.  Perhaps they are striving for a Darwin award.   

I have noticed that a lot of the newer meters on the market have either dropped any CAT rating at all or just say Cat III.

Feck, about 50 years ago I worked in what would be described as CAT IV environments today with a Simpson 260 meter.  We didn't have anything much better at the time.  I'm still here today.

I'd love to see a comparison between the number of fatal injuries suffered by people using budget meters to measure their mains versus the number of fatal injuries suffered from driving the family sedan to the local grocery store. 

[floobydust]

I wonder if it didn't start as a marketing angle. Fluke touted multimeter safety in the 80's and patented the common (MOV) protection circuit. It locked out any other manufacturers (which was a disservice) from using a similar scheme and then they were pushing safety standards 1010 etc. and had pretty much exclusive approval.

I think what matters is a multimeter was actually tested at high voltage. Creepage/clearance is a common place for design error, as well as the safety parts like the fuses, PTC, test leads etc.

For OP and $50 I think a multimeter that does not die easily is also important. It's on Ohms and you connect to a voltage whether 12V or mains OOPS. I think DT-830's bite the dust there yet many different designs/builds of them.
I would avoid UNI-T as they are intentionally stupid cheap inside and as a brand they are proven to have problems being honest.

Many DMM reviews here: https://lygte-info.dk/info/DMMReviews.html

[wasedadoc]

You can get a low cost TUV certified CAT III 300V meter such as https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/21045215038.  Basic volts, amps, ohms, diode, continuity.  No capacitance, temperature etc.  (Manual at https://customer-service.lidl.co.uk/SelfServiceUK/s/product2?productId=01t6N000000X2r1QAC&q=pdm%20300) Lidl stores have that Parkside one in the special buys every so often but also some sellers on ebay, typically 15 to 20 Euros.  Use that for household mains etc. (Review )

For electronics also get the likes of an Aneng 8008 or any of the similar makes/models.

Under 40 Euros total for the two.

[Aldo22]

You can get a low cost TUV certified CAT III 300V meter such as

Which DMM would you trust more?
A TÜV certified CAT III 300V meter, which only shows garbage above 300V, or an uncertified CAT III 1000V meter, with a 1000VDC / 750VAC measuring range?