Multimeter for a beginner which meets spec, price range: 100€

[winfreak]

Well if you insist on buying inside or Europe, the BM257S, without a doubt. The German GS version of the UT61E is different than the international version in that it has improved input protection but still not as good as the BM257S.

The UT61E can be purchased on ebay for under $58 USD shipped.

Get the BM257S and don't look back. If you can swing the extra money the PC connection kit is a nice addition.

Disclamer: I intend to start selling Brymens soon. This choice was made after buying 3 different Brymens and using them. My opinion on how good Brymens are is not swayed by my selling them but rather the other way around.

Probably I should get both, then

[ProBang2]

In EU UT61e is Eur 80 and BM257s Eur 84 nearly the same price.
[...]

84 € for the Brymen BM-257? Where to buy?
Can you post a link to the source, please?

[Lightages]

http://www.tme.eu/en/details/bm257/portable-digital-multimeters/brymen/bm257s/#

add VAT and shipping of course.

or it can be purchased for $135 USD shipped to your door by our friend iloveelectronics here on the forums. I am not sure he has any of the latest version yet, BM257S, but he might soon.

[winfreak]

That would be about the same than buying it from TME.
It's almost exactly 100€ (Price + VAT + Shipping) but that is fine with me as that was my limit.

[Wytnucls]

Second-hand Gossen 31,000 count, AC+DC 18S usually sells for 100 euros on eBay.

Make an offer on this one if you want a sturdy all-round meter:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Multimeter-Gossen-Metrawatt-METRAHit-18s-Isolationsmessgerat-/221466732162?pt=Mess_Pr%C3%BCftechnik&hash=item3390722682

[winfreak]

That is close to 200€. Way too much, even with the offer I won't get it down to 100€.

[Wytnucls]

If the seller doesn't take your generous offer of 100 Euros, you haven't lost anything and besides, those meters come up regularly for less, so only some patience is required.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Multimeter-digital-Gossen-Metrawatt-Metrahit-18s-voll-funktionfahig-Profigerat-/251566968792?pt=Mess_Pr%C3%BCftechnik&hash=item3a928f4fd8

http://www.utwente.nl/tnw/onderwijs/Practica_TNW/doc/apparatuur/multimeters/metrahit18s.pdf

[winfreak]

If I will get my hands on one, I might consider this instead of the Brymen. Looks like a higher resolution version of the Brymen, really.

[Wytnucls]

Some advantages:
31,000 count (0.05%+3)
AC+DC
double the AC bandwidth (20kHz)
4VDC diode test (instead of 1.6V)
auto Hold
clock
dB
event counter
German engineering 

[markce]

Com'on, its a very nice meter (the 18S), but Eur200 for a used one and was how much new?
If we switch to Eur 500 meters there are more examples that shine.

[Wytnucls]

Yes, like this mint 20,000 count Fluke from Gazelle:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/(fs-belgium)-fluke-8060a-dmm-100-ok/

[winfreak]

Guys, my limit is the 100€ mark. I won't go higher than that, I can't go higher than that (to be more exact) because I'm just a student and don't have so much money lol.
EDIT: I really don't like the concept of the Fluke you've posted. Also, probes don't seem to come with it.



And again, is that massive resolution really key? Where do I need more than 6000 counts?

[Wytnucls]

Voltcraft VC870 40,000 count:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Digital-Multimeter-VC870-CAT-IV-600-V-40000-Counts-Auto-Range-True-RMS-Messung-/301243833492?pt=Mess_Pr%C3%BCftechnik&hash=item4623881c94

http://www.ebay.de/itm/TRMS-Digital-Multimeter-m-Messleitungen-VC800-Serie-124609-UZ-30D-/251513237392?pt=Mess_Pr%C3%BCftechnik&hash=item3a8f5b6f90

[winfreak]

> Has only CE sign
> You have no idea how it looks from the inside (other than if you have it)
> It looks like a rebranded UNI-T - It's a Voltcraft, Conrad's own brand...

"And again, is that massive resolution really key? Where do I need more than 6000 counts?"

[mtdoc]

It seems that for some, higher resolution size "counts" for bragging rights. For others size doesn't matter...

Realistically, for many tasks I think very high counts can be more of a hindrance than a help, just distracting one from the task at hand. In this way I think it's nice that some meters, like the Fluke 87V, force you to push and hold a button to get the higher counts.

[Wytnucls]

Where do you need more than 2,000 counts? Why do people buy the Brymen 869 with a 500,000 count?
If you're all set for the Brymen 257, go for it.
I'm just showing you that many meters are available, for about the same price, with vastly superior features.
In the end, buy what you're happy with.
You did ask for advice, take it or leave it.

(UNI-T makes some meters for Conrad, to Conrad's specifications. They also make a few low cost meters for Fluke in China).


 

[Wh1sper]

Apparently you can do a lot with a cheap "SInometer":

Whow!
Thank You for this!
I took a look at the story behind.
Hats off! for the engineering idea to build a wave file for steering x/Y axis! Genius!
When I have time, I think this would be a huge adventure to play with.

 

[winfreak]

Quote from: Wytnucls on Today at 20:19:09

Where do you need more than 2,000 counts? Why do people buy the Brymen 869 with a 500,000 count?
If you're all set for the Brymen 257, go for it.
I'm just showing you that many meters are available, for about the same price, with vastly superior features.
In the end, buy what you're happy with.
You did ask for advice, take it or leave it.

(UNI-T makes some meters for Conrad, to Conrad's specifications. They also make a few low cost meters for Fluke in China).

First of all, the Brymen has a 6,000 count, not 2,000. But the question I asked was: Where do I need it? As you can read from the title, I am quite a beginner and have not so much clue about what's going on, so I asked in this forum. Now, just because the Brymen is *currently* my favorite doesn't mean that can't change, although it's the "benchmark" now. And yeah, why DO people buy 500,000 count meters, I'd really like to know, that's why I asked =)! What is it good for? What are the advantages?

And well, what, to you, is superior? The Gossen Metrawatt one is really nice and will probably outperform the Brymen with ease, but it isn't really affordable (or only if you are lucky, which I try to be in my eBay sessions, looking for that meter), the Voltcraft is (probably) a UNI-T clone and no one has experience with it. Other than a higher count size, I heaven't found any superior things about it!

I thank you for all your effort in showing me better meters, but please tell me briefly: why? (other than those buzz words like "it outperforms this or that", I'd like to know the reasons behind!)

[Wytnucls]

As a beginner with limited funds, I would say buy the cheapest meter you can find and play with low power circuits for a while, until you know what you need.
You may decide by then, that an oscilloscope is a more pressing requirement than a fancy multimeter.

[winfreak]

As a beginner with limited funds, I would say buy the cheapest meter you can find and play with low power circuits for a while, until you know what you need.
You may decide by then, that an oscilloscope is a more pressing requirement than a fancy multimeter.

I already bought an oscilloscope, Voltcraft 6100 (2CH, 100MHz), which is plenty enough for what I need. I already know the basics, but I want to advance now =)

[Bored@Work]

I thank you for all your effort in showing me better meters, but please tell me briefly: why? (other than those buzz words like "it outperforms this or that", I'd like to know the reasons behind!)

In the end you have to answer that for yourself. It is your money, you have to make the decision, and you have to live with the consequences of your decision. It is part of growing up.

You give the impression that you want to get your decision handed to you on a silver plate. That won't happen. You will have to learn by yourself what is a good multimeter for you, what the specs mean and what you need for your tasks. As a student, what about a trip to your university's library and getting a textbook about the principles of measuring electrical quantities? We are just a bunch or random dudes on the Internet, throwing suggestions and opinions of what we like around. We won't fix your problem, whatever it is, and we won't have to live with the result of your decision.

By the way, it also doesn't help that you are giving mixed messages. On one hand you want to get the most for your money. On the other hand you question better specifications over worse ones.

[winfreak]

I thank you for all your effort in showing me better meters, but please tell me briefly: why? (other than those buzz words like "it outperforms this or that", I'd like to know the reasons behind!)

In the end you have to answer that for yourself. It is your money, you have to make the decision, and you have to live with the consequences of your decision. It is part of growing up.
This forum if really nice and I love what I've read so far, so I hope I stepped on nobodys toe, if so, I'm sorry :/

You give the impression that you want to get your decision handed to you on a silver plate. That won't happen. You will have to learn by yourself what is a good multimeter for you, what the specs mean and what you need for your tasks. As a student, what about a trip to your university's library and getting a textbook about the principles of measuring electrical quantities? We are just a bunch or random dudes on the Internet, throwing suggestions and opinions of what we like around. We won't fix your problem, whatever it is, and we won't have to live with the result of your decision.

By the way, it also doesn't help that you are giving mixed messages. On one hand you want to get the most for your money. On the other hand you question better specifications over worse ones.

To the first part: You are actually right that I should do some research myself (which I am in the process right now, the forum is just a side-car kinda thing), but with the second part you are wrong. I don't question better specs, but if the multimeter is a good quality and SAFE one. If you never had it (or it's double the price I wanted to spend) it doesn't really match.
 
I wanted to hear your opinions on meters you actually owned and saw with your own eyes, not something one can research easily on the net - this was the whole purpose of the thread. Some people here told me the UT61E was great and they used it: OK, granted, I will take it into consideration, then again, others told me the Brymen was king of the hill and safer than the UT61E, which is why I would probably consider it OVER the other one. But what Wytnucls is doing is, he searches on eBay by spec and then just posts them here without having ever had that specific meter (at least that's how it sounds). We want to discuss about stuff, that's why we are on a forum, right? Just posting links isn't going to help, it isn't really what I wanted, I just wanted a nice discussion of meters you knew that were in that price range and in spec.

To clarify myself: I know I have to do the research on my own and buy it on my own, but I just wanted to have a nice discussion of what *could* be a good choice and what is definitely not.

Now, I hope I could bring the point across (which is quite hard for me, I'm sorry ) but thanks *anyone* for trying to contribute to my infinitely lasting mission on finding good meters

[Wytnucls]

'Now, my main question is: What meter can you suggest that is like those 3 and is actually in spec but in a price range that doesn't go well beyond 100€?
'

You didn't ask for advice from owners only.

Few people would question the quality of Fluke or Gossen meters, no matter how old they are.
I do own a couple of Gossen meters, but they are priced well above your budget. As for Voltcraft, a quick trip to the nearest Conrad will confirm that they do sell safe and affordable meters with a reasonable built quality and good warranty.

[markce]

For a beginner, I think the price point (sub Eur 100) is good. There are a number
of good meters in this range. There is no best meter for everybody. The final
choice is a personal preference.
With a used multimeter, be carefull. Why is it sold? Options and repair can be very
expensive (Gossen, Fluke).
For a starter I would choose a new one, and opt for a better (used) one later.

[mtdoc]

Of course the real issue here is there are trade-offs that have to be made, the main one being quality of build/safety versus high counts and other features.

My approach to tools in general is to focus on quality - since I like to be able to depend on my tools and for them to last.

The UT61E gives high counts while sacrificing quality and safety.

Brymen in general provides excellent quality for the price.  The BM257 is at your price point -where I don't think it can be beat for value/quality/features. The only sacrifice is number of counts  which as discussed is rarely important (above a minimum).

Of course Fluke and Metrawatt have well deserved reputations for high quality - but you'll pay for it.

I agree that a new meter is the way to go - especially if buying your main multimeter at a price that is going to be maxing out your budget.  A meter that has problems or does not last long will leave you high and dry - why risk that?

FWIW - my advice is buy a new, high quality meter now. After you have your go to multimeter - if you need a second meter then it's ok to risk buying a cheapy (the UT 136 is a good choice).

Later  on if you find you want or need really high resolution - buy a used, high quality bench meter like a vintage HP, Fluke or Keithley.