Looking at three very different multimeters: (ANENG AN870 and EEVBlog's meters)

[solarity]

I have been going back and forth looking at lots of reviews and different multimeters, I am highly considering the ANENG AN870, based off what I have seen on reviews of ANENG in general and some of the short comings of the an8008 and an8009 meters. I am very new to this hobby, granted I have done a bit of DIY around the house with 120 15/20A. I have never measured current on mains, though I have measured voltage on a handful occasions. I have been using an Ideal 61-310, though it isn't auto-ranging and as recommend, I should get a second meter. My main interest in low voltage and low current application such as LED lighting. I finished my first PCB, this weekend, though someone installed the mosfets in the wrong way ><.

I was liking the AN870, then saw that EEVBlog does have two meters they sell. One which I read has a different holster and EEVBlog's name on it. The other one is almost double the price, though it looks like it is more customized and designed by David, though is out of stock. While I think the AN870 would be more than good enough for what I need and I understand that EEVBlog's version would benefit in being safer if I ever had the need to measure current from a main as well as be more durable. Are there any additional features that I am overlooking that the other MM could provide me that I am overlooking? The only reason why I am considering the pricier EEVBlog meters is that it supports the person who unlocked the ancient and black art of soldering for me.  It is amazing how easy it is, when you have the right tools, parts, and technique! I already support some youtubers via patreon, I see this as nothing different.

In Summary:
1) Anyone have any experience with the AN870?
2) Other than better leads, better construction, and safety via fuses/usability in mains; are there any cool features that I could grow into for either of the two eevblog?
3) Does anyone have a written review of the 121GW? (youtube is blocked at work)

Thanks in advance!

[ttelectronic]

The reason I bought the BM235 was it is a very good meter for the price, but I also bought it because I have the occasional need to measure high voltage DC. Really the BM235 is a great general purpose meter and safety rated. The 121GW is just not something I believe I will ever need.I do have an Aneng 8008 as a cheap secondary.  Really happy with the BM235 though! 

[Fungus]

As noted in the other thread, you might need both!

I'd start with the AN870 (because it's cheap/easy to get) then study the BM235 at your leisure after it arrives.

You'll have a bit more experience with a "fancy" multimeter by then.

[iainwhite]

There is a whole thread here on the AN870 :   https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/another-cheapo-multimeter-19999-count-0-05-dc-accuracy/

I own an EEV BM235 and think it is great. Like you, part of the reason to purchase it was to support Dave.  (OK, also bought a 121GW, too)

I think you have probably covered many of the improved features with regard to the BM 835.  However I would not underestimate the safety issues with using budget-priced meters on mains circuits.
 

[joseph nicholas]

Aside from the obvious safety features present in the more expensive meters, they do have some features that the Aneng ones don't have that you will grow into with time.

One thing they have is min/max which you will find very useful.  For example if you want to test if a fuse blew because the circuit its attached to is drawing more current than the fuse allowed or the fuse blew because its defective you could jumper out the fuse in the amps range briefly and the min/max will tell you the amps the circuit is drawing.

Just one example.

[Fungus]

Aside from the obvious safety features present in the more expensive meters, they do have some features that the Aneng ones don't have that you will grow into with time.

One thing they have is min/max which you will find very useful.

The ANENG 870 has min/max.

[solarity]

I really feel like a Waffle.

I think Fungus might have a good point. How about this standpoint? If I were to get the EEvblog BM235, which one of the ANENG would complement it: AN8008, AN8009, or AN870?

Again I am a noob here and I know there are a lot of known unknowns for me

The more I look at it the less bad I feel about putting my Ideal that my father in law gave to me as a back for a backup/quorum. It seems like people say that you need two, though it seems like many people like to have more than 2. I am also learning a surprising amount of MM as I look into this.

AN8008: $23 shipped 2-day via Prime/Amazon - $20 shipped 12-20 days via Aliexpress
AN8009: $31 shipped 2-day via Prime/Amazon - $22 shipped 12-20 days via Aliexpress
AN870:    NA shipped 2-day via Prime/Amazon - $32 shipped 12-20 days via Aliexpress

I know there are different ranges, counts, sizes, features, and value. I am curious which one I should go with. Even if I am interpreting the AN870, people seem to go with the 8008 as more of a value.

[iainwhite]

It seems like people say that you need two, though it seems like many people like to have more than 2.

One reason for having 2 or more meters is to be able to measure voltage and current at the same time.
Another reason is that some EEVblog members are addicted to test equipment and buy meters for the fun of owning them. (I am guilty of this).

I would not spend too much time agonizing over a decision.   Maybe get an AN8008 and treat is as a 'throw-away' purchase and start doing some fun low-voltage projects with it. 
You will learn a lot.  Also, we have quite a few AN8008 owners on the forum who have posted interesting info.
(30 pages of posts here: AN8008 )
You might also look at https://www.jackenhack.com for his mods to the AN8008 to improve it.

[Fungus]

I know there are different ranges, counts, sizes, features, and value. I am curious which one I should go with. Even if I am interpreting the AN870, people seem to go with the 8008 as more of a value.

The AN8008 has well, known, well publicized weak points. Dave's done a video on them:



People around here have a blind spot for them because they all own dozens of meters to fill in the gap but if you get an AN8008 you're guaranteeing that you'll have to buy another meter in a couple of weeks.

And:
a) It shares the mA socket with the V socket to help you blow fuses more easily.
b) The fuses are a special size (about the size of a grain of rice IIRC) that you won't be able to buy anywhere.

[HKJ]

3) Does anyone have a written review of the 121GW? (youtube is blocked at work)

Yes or mostly yes. The review is written and will be published in a day or two.

[trobbins]

solarity - what did you perceive were concerns with the Aneng range, as I have just got an 8009.

I'd suggest that if you are new to the game, then you wouldn't want to be measuring AC mains, as there are other simpler devices like a plug in power meter that can do that adequately well and a lot more safely (no matter what meter you choose).

[Fungus]

3) Does anyone have a written review of the 121GW? (youtube is blocked at work)

Yes or mostly yes. The review is written and will be published in a day or two.

121GW is still in beta and I'm not sure you can even buy one (is there any stock at the moment?)

[HKJ]

3) Does anyone have a written review of the 121GW? (youtube is blocked at work)

Yes or mostly yes. The review is written and will be published in a day or two.

121GW is still in beta and I'm not sure you can even buy one (is there any stock at the moment?)

I cannot see that has anything with writing a review to do with the amount of meters already on the market, as far as I understand it has also been sold from the website (A small batch).

[Fungus]

The fuses are a special size (about the size of a grain of rice IIRC) that you won't be able to buy anywhere.

I know I'll be accused of exaggerating so here's a photo of an ANENG 8008 fuse next to a grain of rice.



If you've never seen one, get a piece of paper and draw a 10mm x 3.5mm rectangle on it. That's the size of an AN8008 fuse.

[HKJ]

That type of fuse is often used inside equipment, a typical rating is 250VAC with a breaking capacity of 35A.

[trobbins]

That fuse is readily available on ebay - its just normally with pigtails, but that is no big deal as it should still fit the holder.

[Fungus]

That type of fuse is often used inside equipment, a typical rating is 250VAC with a breaking capacity of 35A.

True, but you can't just pop down to a hardware store and get a replacement.

That fuse is readily available on ebay - its just normally with pigtails, but that is no big deal as it should still fit the holder.

Let's hope you didn't need to measure something in the next couple of weeks.

Don't get me wrong, the AN8008 makes a fine secondary meter, but that's not what this thread was about.

[solarity]

So I don't need to consider the EEVBlog BM-235 anymore, as I bought it late last night, should have it by Wednesday. Though I think I will go ahead and buy a ANENG meter as well, maybe a couple more as gifts to some family, while I am at it. Sometimes shopping for myself makes shopping for others easier.

Again as I am a newb I don't know how to appreciate the differences in feature set. On my current meter I was mainly using continuity, resistance, and voltage. I don't think I have used mA, though plan on using it for testing. Though switching manually between ranges is really annoying.

I think Fungus brought up some good points about the Fuse size, granted I do not appreciate nor understand the importance size of fuses. I have only really handled 120v breakers in a breaker box and use  15amp breakers for 14awg, while I use 12awg for 20amp. I also follow the requirements for replacing a fuse in my vehicle. I understand how the breakers work and understand the sizing and reasoning. Though will need to look into the reason for different sizes and various "single" use fuses.

I do have a small hand size NCV, though it is a cheaper HF so it could break. So maybe a NCV would be helpful. I don't how I would use a square wave output, so I don't know your thoughts on that. I also do see Fungus's point about the advantages of having separate sockets for mA and Amps. This way I guess I won't accidentally blow a fuse. At least not as easily. 

Right now I am planning on buying the AN870, for the underlined reasons.  My biggest hesitation is that so many people who know more than me use the AN8008, though I wonder if it is because the AN870 is so new and the price use to be a lot more, that not a lot of people have purchased it. On paper the AN870 seems a lot better. The time it takes to ship isn't a huge thing as I have my old meter and will be getting the BM-235 on Wednesday.

I was looking at these reviews:

AN870: https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMAnengAN870%20UK.html
-Temp Sensor
-NCV
-Fuses size: 6x30mm (.8mA)
-Display 20000
-$30 shipped via China & NA via Amazon
-Separate mA and A socket
-Larger Size
-No Missing Ranges

AN8008: https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMAnengAN8008%20UK.html
-Wave Ouput
-Fuses size: 3.6x10mm (.2mA)
-Display 10000
-$20 via China & $23 2day via Amazon
-Compact size
-Missing 99.99mA and 9.999mA ranges

AN8009: https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMAnengAN8009%20UK.html
-Temp Sensor
-NCV
-Fuses size: 3.6x10mm (.2mA)
-Display 10000
-$22 via China & $31 2day via Amazon
-Compact size
-Missing 99.99mA and 9.999mA ranges

BSide ZT301: https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMBSide%20ZT301%20UK.html
-Temp Sensor
-Display 8000 (Lowest of the lot)
-Fuses size: 5x20mm (.2mA)
-$20 via China  & $23 2day via Amazon
-Compact size
-Separate mA and A socket
-Has 82.00mA and 820.0mA range
-Less accessories than ANENG

BSide ZT302: https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMBSideZT302%20UK.html
-Wave Ouput
-Display 10000
-Fuses size: 5x20mm (.2mA)
-$24 via China & $28 2day via Amazon
-Compact size
-Separate mA and A socket
-Missing 99.99mA and 9.999mA ranges
-Less accessories than ANENG


I might purchase 3 or 4 of the same unit as gifts for family. You can always use a decent multi-meter and get x-mas shopping out of the way.

Edit: Added ZT30X for comparison.

[HKJ]

May I suggest you also check there two:

https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMBSide%20ZT301%20UK.html
https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMBSideZT302%20UK.html

They are from the same factory as the Aneng, they are slight larger than the AN800x series.

[Fungus]

My biggest hesitation is that so many people who know more than me use the AN8008, though I wonder if it is because the AN870 is so new and the price use to be a lot more, that not a lot of people have purchased it.

Because when it came out it was revolutionary and everybody was ZOMG! 9999 counts+autoranging for $20!!!

A lot of people bought one as a secondary meter out of curiosity.

Now there's half a dozen ANENG models available and that particular model isn't particularly special any more, but it's the one everybody has.

[solarity]

May I suggest you also check there two:

https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMBSide%20ZT301%20UK.html
https://lygte-info.dk/review/DMMBSideZT302%20UK.html

They are from the same factory as the Aneng, they are slight larger than the AN800x series.

@HKJ - That is interesting basically very similar to the ANENG, though they have the additional socket for mA and a larger fuse than the AN800X series. I added these to the list as comparisons.

@Fungus - Yeah that is what I thought. Right now it seems like the AN870 for a few bucks more is a better overall meter for $30 on paper. Granted it is not 50% more of a better meter, though it seems like. It also has the largest fuse that can take up to .8mA, compared to the others which have smaller .2mA. Granted it isn't super compact, though I don't know if that is a bad thing for me as I will use it at the bench. Looking at side by side comparisons this thing is rather large lol. Think this is the best route or do you think there is any reason I should get something with wave output?

[Fungus]

They are from the same factory as the Aneng, they are slight larger than the AN800x series.

@HKJ - That is interesting basically very similar to the ANENG, though they have the additional socket for mA and a larger fuse than the AN800X series. I added these to the list as comparisons.

I wouldn't get the ZT302 - it has the exact same (lack of) mA range problems as the AN8008, etc.

Bigger model numbers aren't always better.

@Fungus - Yeah that is what I thought. Right now it seems like the AN870 for a few bucks more is a better overall meter for $30 on paper.

Yes.

(unless 'size' is your only criteria for choosing a meter)

do you think there is any reason I should get something with wave output?

No, it's pretty much a non-feature (IMHO) and on these meters you have to trade it for something really useful, ie. temperature.

If you can afford the EEVBLOG Brymen then maybe you can afford to get one of each ANENG (AN870+AN8008). Three meters is better than two and that way you'll never be left wondering.

[EEVblog]

It seems like people say that you need two, though it seems like many people like to have more than 2.

One reason for having 2 or more meters is to be able to measure voltage and current at the same time.
Another reason is that some EEVblog members are addicted to test equipment and buy meters for the fun of owning them. (I am guilty of this).

The other reason is so you can check them against each other to see if one has drifted. Your own calibration check so to speak.

[trobbins]

Let's hope you didn't need to measure something in the next couple of weeks.
Don't get me wrong, the AN8008 makes a fine secondary meter, but that's not what this thread was about.

Just to clarify:
The OP already has a meter, and identified "I should get a second meter" in the first post.
Many people are buying such a meter as they already have other meters, and if they don't yet have a meter for small project work (like LED lighting and pcbs) then often two small cheap meters are just so much more handy than one.
Many fuses for handheld meters that I've come across are quite specialist - not something the general hardware store would have.

[solarity]

Thanks everyone for helping.

I went ahead with an EEVblog BM235 and an AN870, the AN870 for some reason it came to $28 shipped after a discount. While I could easily buy all of the meters, I really wanted to learn more about them and understand the differences and shopping is a good way. If I went and bought them all, I really wouldn't have the need to find the differences out. I also wanted to document this a bit, so people could see what I looked at as they might not have the money to buy a BM235. That is why I edited the list I put. I think they will suit me well and I think I might buy a couple more of the AN870's as gifts for family for the distant holidays. Thanks all for the help again.