Is this a real or fake Fluke multimeter?

[Pcmaker]

I was looking for a cheapest, small multimeter and I found this on Amazon

its under 50 bucks but it claims to be a Fluke brand multimeter. Not much features, but it's got everything I need. I need it mostly for testing regular batteries, continuity and testing 120v to 240v electrical things.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HE6MIJY

[Martin72]

It seems it is a product for the asian market - google it then you will come to the indian fluke website.
When you can buy it in your country, it´s a gey market thing I guess.

[ataradov]

Yes, it is legit meter, but for Asian markets. If you buy it in the US, Fluke warranty would not apply. But it may not matter at that price.

Note that 101 does not have a current measurement capability. If you want a cheap, but fully capable Fluke, look at 15B+. It is also a model for the Asian markets, but you can get it for less than $100.

[bdunham7]

I was looking for a cheapest, small multimeter and I found this on Amazon

It isn't fake, but it is grey market, meaning Fluke has not authorized it for sale in the US--and there is no warranty.  Your Amazon 30-day return policy will be all you have, although your risk of failure after the 30 days is probably low.  The seller is in Korea, other sellers are in India or other places.  It would be fine for mains voltage and the like, but if you are testing regular AAA/AA/C/D and 9V batteries, you need a specific function for that with a set load, otherwise you won't get an accurate result.  It doesn't have that feature.

The cheapest small meter that does have that feature is the formerly free now $6 Harbor Freight atrocity.  I don't recommend it for any use on high energy or mains voltages, but it has been slightly improved over its even more atrocious predecessors, which were truly worth the $0.00 (free with any purchase) that they sold for.

https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-63759.html

What might work better for you is something like the Klein Tools MM325, which appears to the about the same basic crappy meter in a much better package and hopefully with a better implementation and external components.  Start watching the linked video at about 6 minutes if you want to see what I mean about battery testing.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-600-Volt-Digital-Multi-Meter-Manual-Ranging-MM325/320822947

[BeBuLamar]

Many Fluke DMM's including those that are in the US market don't have current measurement capacity. I myself rarely ever used the current measurement function. So even the Fluke 116 doesn't have the current measurement function. It would prevent the mistake of making voltage measurement while the test lead is in the current measurement jack.

[Fungus]

I was looking for a cheapest, small multimeter and I found this on Amazon

its under 50 bucks but it claims to be a Fluke brand multimeter. Not much features, but it's got everything I need. I need it mostly for testing regular batteries, continuity and testing 120v to 240v electrical things.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HE6MIJY

Fluke 101. Well respected, 100% Fluke.

The thing it lacks is current measurements but apart from that... it's a great little meter for the price.

(and very, very tough...)

[Pcmaker]

I do hotel maintenance, I dont do much low voltage stuff. I only need to check voltage from outlets mostly and check the batteries on the urinal flushers which are AA batteries.

[ataradov]

In that case, it is perfect.

[bdunham7]

In that case, it is perfect.

How is it good for testing AA batteries? 

[bdunham7]

I do hotel maintenance, I dont do much low voltage stuff. I only need to check voltage from outlets mostly and check the batteries on the urinal flushers which are AA batteries.

A multimeter might not be what you need.  Using test leads to measure either AA batteries or wall outlets directly is a bit awkward andclumsy.  In some cases it can even be a bit dangerous.

For the batteries, try this:

https://www.amazon.com/Amprobe-4589825-BAT-250-Battery-Tester/dp/B00OCBSASM

For testing outlets, if you just need a go/no-go result, try this or something like it:

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-ST120-Socket-Tester-Audible/dp/B0B3VCZ4XK

If you actually need to measure the voltage accurately, then you need a DMM or similar device, but that would probably be at or beyond the point where you need an electrician. 

[Someone]

In that case, it is perfect.

How is it good for testing AA batteries? 

Because it will do an ok job of that while still meeting all the safety requirements for the mains work (robustness etc). Given the OPs description of what they do it seems like an excellent choice.

Are there better tools for battery testing? yes? But if the choice is a single device to do all the above I'd pick the Fluke 101 too.

[ataradov]

How is it good for testing AA batteries? 

It is mostly perfect for not sticking $6 Harbor Freight meter into the mains. And just getting the voltage from the battery is sufficient in many cases.

Obviously, dedicated tools would be better. But if you are looking for just one tool, this is fine.

And not even having the current range prevents you from sticking it into the mains on the current range.

[bdunham7]

Are there better tools for battery testing? yes? But if the choice is a single device to do all the above I'd pick the Fluke 101 too.

I don't know if 'single device' is a hard requirement here, but I really have to protest that ANY standard DMM with standard test leads is just a bad choice for either task.  Testing alkaline batteries OCV doesn't work and recent discusssions here have pointed out that using OCV is even more pointless than I'd previously imagined.  Probing wall sockets with test leads is also a fairly wretched way to do it, as you often have difficulty making contact and may wrongly assume that the socket is dead.  Any awkwardness or obstruction in getting to the socket makes that 3X worse.  And then there are some hazards as well--the accidental insertion of the leads into the amp jacks (not a problem with the 101, of course), accidentally touching the probe tips (note that the 101 has long, uninsulated probes) and even the possibility of shorting the socket internally.

The tools I've proposed are what works easily and safely in my experience.  The DMM won't work for the first task and sucks for the second.  And if you want to read the voltage at the socket for some reason, get a Kill-a-Watt type device that will even let you test under load.

https://www.amazon.com/Poniie-PN2000-Electricity-Electrical-Consumption/dp/B0777H8MS8

[bdunham7]

And just getting the voltage from the battery is sufficient in many cases.

OK, so for an AA Duracell used in a momentary medium-high drain (which I presume is what you have with a urinal flusher), what OCV voltages are good and bad?

[AVGresponding]

Are there better tools for battery testing? yes? But if the choice is a single device to do all the above I'd pick the Fluke 101 too.

I don't know if 'single device' is a hard requirement here, but I really have to protest that ANY standard DMM with standard test leads is just a bad choice for either task.  Testing alkaline batteries OCV doesn't work and recent discusssions here have pointed out that using OCV is even more pointless than I'd previously imagined.  Probing wall sockets with test leads is also a fairly wretched way to do it, as you often have difficulty making contact and may wrongly assume that the socket is dead.  Any awkwardness or obstruction in getting to the socket makes that 3X worse.  And then there are some hazards as well--the accidental insertion of the leads into the amp jacks (not a problem with the 101, of course), accidentally touching the probe tips (note that the 101 has long, uninsulated probes) and even the possibility of shorting the socket internally.

The tools I've proposed are what works easily and safely in my experience.  The DMM won't work for the first task and sucks for the second.  And if you want to read the voltage at the socket for some reason, get a Kill-a-Watt type device that will even let you test under load.

https://www.amazon.com/Poniie-PN2000-Electricity-Electrical-Consumption/dp/B0777H8MS8

And just getting the voltage from the battery is sufficient in many cases.

OK, so for an AA Duracell used in a momentary medium-high drain (which I presume is what you have with a urinal flusher), what OCV voltages are good and bad?

The OP says they want it for hotel maintenance, checking room sockets etc, those aren't going to be access impeded, though my personal choice would be a dedicated plug-in tester, which would also give you the status of the loop impedance (where appropriate), polarity, and the CPC. The one I use also has the ability to trip the RCD (GFCI). A multimeter won't tell you these things, necessarily.

AA alkaline in such an application are probably good above around 1.4v OC, but it's one of those "suck it and see" situations where experience tells you if it's good; ie you learn pretty quickly where the cutoff voltage is by observation.

[Fungus]

OK, so for an AA Duracell used in a momentary medium-high drain (which I presume is what you have with a urinal flusher), what OCV voltages are good and bad?

I'll know after I've looked at three or four of them.

PS: A "battery tester" won't be any better because it doesn't know the load or the cutoff voltage of those devices - you'll have to measure three or four of them to figure it out just the same as a multimeter.

[Someone]

Are there better tools for battery testing? yes? But if the choice is a single device to do all the above I'd pick the Fluke 101 too.

I don't know if 'single device' is a hard requirement here,

That's pretty much what the OP wrote verbatim. So rather than dismissing any discussion on that basis, why not just as "ok, but perhaps 2 devices would be better for you?". Instead you sure seem to be writing a lot to justify your imagined position for the OP and defend it agains any alternative view points, without actually checking back with the OP as to what they want.

Looks like most of us here see the point in using a single multimeter for these different tasks.

[Pcmaker]

I'll also be using it to check fuses and contactors, troubleshooting control boxes, but I'll be using it for checking batteries and outlets, most of the time

[themadhippy]

If your going near mains id trust the flukes cat rating much more than an equivalent priced wonhunglo device

[bdunham7]

That's pretty much what the OP wrote verbatim. So rather than dismissing any discussion on that basis, why not just as "ok, but perhaps 2 devices would be better for you?". Instead you sure seem to be writing a lot to justify your imagined position for the OP and defend it agains any alternative view points, without actually checking back with the OP as to what they want.

The OP originally merely asked whether a Fluke 101 is a genuine product.  I've never seen him state an explicit preference for having only one device.  I'm a bit taken aback at the resistance to my observation that a DMM with standard probes is awkward for probing US-style NEMA 5-15R sockets.  I've done a fair bit of this and it took me awhile to realize that there were better ways.  Seriously, for those of you in the US, try it both ways.

Looks like most of us here see the point in using a single multimeter for these different tasks.

Then why not recommend a DMM that will actually do both things properly?  I did, in my first reply.

[bdunham7]

If your going near mains id trust the flukes cat rating much more than an equivalent priced wonhunglo device

True, but I'd worry more about the probes than the meter.  Even with the D830 crapster you're far more likely to have a probing accident than you are to experience a meter failure due to transients.  And Klein is not in the UNI-T/Aneng/Kaiweets class--they're legit.

[bdunham7]

I'll also be using it to check fuses and contactors, troubleshooting control boxes, but I'll be using it for checking batteries and outlets, most of the time

If you need everything to be in one device, then look at the Klein DMM I mentioned above.  And make sure you aren't working in any 3-phase panels or anything like that.

If you are probing building wiring in anything other than the outside face of wall sockets, you really should have shielded leads. These are insulated down to the very tip to avoid the accidents that can happen with the longer bare probes.  The leads included with the Klein MM325 have these shields.  Edit:  To be clear, the Fluke 101 kits also include these shields.  You can't use the shields when probing a US wall socket fromthe front, so my objections to this practice stand.  Here's a picture to illustrate this:



If you do decide on a DMM and you're willing to heed my advice to buy a DMM that actually does both things properly, this kit has the Klein DMM I mentioned above as well as a version of the receptacle tester, all for only $5 more.  That way you can do it both ways and compare.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Test-Kit-with-Multimeter-Non-Contact-Volt-Tester-Receptacle-Tester-69149P/318617418

[bdunham7]

I'll know after I've looked at three or four of them.

PS: A "battery tester" won't be any better because it doesn't know the load or the cutoff voltage of those devices - you'll have to measure three or four of them to figure it out just the same as a multimeter.

Read this short thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/battery-voltage-reduces-the-longer-it-is-being-mm-voltage-tested/msg4930432/#msg4930432

He's getting an OCV of 1.38V on a "very, very dead" AA Duracell.  The same cell measured virtually zero on the actual battery test range of one of his meters.  The point of the thread was that even a 1M vs 10M load was enough to draw the cell voltage down, even though that would involve less than 1µA of current. 

I have two AA Duracells sitting on my desk that I removed from something.  They register as 'low' but not 'dead' on my analog battery tester and I get 3.6mA with the Harbor Freight D830, which is just below the minimum of 4.0mA for a pass.  So the cells are low, almost dead but probably still good enough to operate many devices.  They'll put out over 700mA into a short circuit.  They'll likely still operate a urinal flusher.  Both of them measure 1.25V open circuit. 

I don't use OCV to test alkaline cells, so I don't know how common this issue is.  The OP might have to make some observations about how a particular level reading correlates with loss of function in the flushers. The Amprobe device I recommended uses a 4R load with a cutoff of 1.0V for "good" and 0.9V for "dead".  The one I have uses a 25R load and 1.15V for "good" and 1.0V for "dead".  Might they disagree on a marginal case?  Maybe, but they probably both would make the right call the vast majority of the time.  OCV, on the other hand, clearly fails us in the above example.

[BrokenYugo]

I'd sooner teach someone to bounce test a AA than expect them to use a DMM and the usual probes. It's just awkward, same with probing a NEMA 5-15R with ordinary probes, it isn't easy and what you see is mostly useless information anyway, a plug in tester is sufficient.

I keep a small toolkit just for handyman level residential electrical work, the only test gear is a non contact probe and a plug in 3 neon tester, I need to know if power is present and on which wire(s), finer detail is generally the power company's responsibility.

[BeBuLamar]

Well I use the DMM to check battery all the time. If I get 1.38V I would toss it.
As for checking the outlet if I do it all the time I would take a pair of test leads and wire them in a plug. But since I don't do that all the time I just use the test probes as is. I don't see any problem with that. I much prefer that than a plug with the light or a non contact device.