Me, the curmudgeon!
Over the decades (1970-1980's) I've owned many Simpson products (DMM's, Panel Meters, etc.) and they were all built well but all were manufactured with somewhat dated technology & processes. Absolute accuracy was never a strong suit of Simpson nor, was there any appeal to markets other than heavy industrial/government.
Here's their validated corporate statement:
"Our team at Simpson Electric has focused on providing a quality product for our buyers. Our brand continues to show resilience by growing and adapting to the manufacturing industry that is today. The durability and craftsmanship reflected in our products show that we care about our customers and appreciate the business they provide to our company. At Simpson Electric, we want to make it well known that we always back our work and are a phone call away to any customer worldwide if there is ever an issue that arises.
We also continue to instill the need for community by reinvesting into the business locally to ensure that our products remain 100% “Made in the USA.” Our main goal is to keep jobs local and improve our economic impact on the community right here in the Northwoods while providing a superior product.Simpson Electric"
Well, their new DMM's are obviously NOT MADE IN USA. Makes ya wunda?
They look nice and have lots of interesting features for meters in the $100 - $200 range but, after reading the detailed specifications, facts like their measurement "uncertainty" tables reveal possibly poor shielding performance and many areas of LSD ambiguity which, when compared to other 50,000-count DMM's, tell me that the usability of displayed readings is only accurate to about 5,000 counts. If my initial understanding of their specs is correct, I can buy imported meters with similar performance for about 80 bucks, NOT $575.00!
Give me my FLUKE 87V's for $500, any day. At least they won't electrocute me!