Are counterfeit Flukes a thing? How is it 40% cheaper from a store in China?

[the_cake_is_a_lie]

I'm sorry if I'm asking something that's obvious to test equipment veterans. I want to measure inrush current without an oscilloscope so a clamp meter with inrush seems like the move. The Fluke 374 has the specs I want but I see it's $500 USD from DigiKey/Mouser/Newark. My budget is $300. Then I see a no name seller on Amazon listing for $275 new, which in-line with eBay and AliExpress sellers also operating out of China.

What stops someone from reshelling a $120 meter and doubling their money in a place where they aren't getting sued by Westerners? Or does Fluke reduce their excessive markup in less rich countries and buying Chinese Flukes is what everyone else has been doing?

[Veteran68]

Counterfeit Flukes are virtually unheard of.

Those are usually Chinese Flukes made for sale in Asia. Consider them "gray" market. They're not authorized for sale in the West and you'll get no warranty/support for them, but if you're not concerned about that they can be a great bargain. They're still a "real" Fluke.

[dorkshoei]

Prescription meds,  textbooks, electronics.  Lots of items sell at much lower prices in developing countries.
As stated, you'll get no help support from the US distributor if you buy from a cheaper overseas market.

[bdunham7]

The $277 version on Amazon is the recently discontinued (I think) 374, the current model that goes for $500 ($400 at TEquipment with EEVBlog discount) is the 374FC which has "Fluke Connect".  I doubt the Amazon one is grey market, you can probably buy it and register it with Fluke--and if they won't register it, you can send it back under Amazon's return policy.

Edit: I just looked and the seller is Japanese, so it actually might be grey market as this model is still available outside the US. But not counterfeit.

[DaneLaw]

The $277 version on Amazon is the recently discontinued (I think) 374, the current model that goes for $500 ($400 at TEquipment with EEVBlog discount) is the 374FC which has "Fluke Connect".  I doubt the Amazon one is grey market, you can probably buy it and register it with Fluke--and if they won't register it, you can send it back under Amazon's return policy.

Edit: I just looked and the seller is Japanese, so it actually might be grey market as this model is still available outside the US. But not counterfeit.

Yep, the 274 US seems to be the non-BT version 374  https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-True-RMS-Clamp-Meter-600A/dp/B004E248XA

374FC is 410US https://www.amazon.com/FLUKE-374-600A-Trms-Wireless-Clamp/dp/B017OVC2GW/
Both of these Amazon US offerings seem to be operated by the same Chinese store. [YuByKa] will give a clue about the price jump between Fluke374 versus the Fluke Connect able BT version, when it's the same seller.
CN seller https://www.amazon.com/sp?ie=UTF8&seller=A30SFQDM752KB9&asin=B004E248XA&ref_=dp_merchant_link
[Business Name: Shanghai Yubyka Information Technology Co., Ltd]

Though still attractive US prices, here in northern Europe [Denmark] lowest pricerunner is 725 USD (Fluke374FC 4900 DKK)
https://www.pricerunner.dk/pl/345-3308293/Elvaerktoej/Fluke-374-FC-

So people here in Denmark would definitely purchase from the grey overseas market USA Amazon..    - as the 410US Fluke 374FC on US Amazon lists the DK VAT-import & shipping as a total of another +129US (539US total / 410+129) while the older 374 non-FC seems to be outsourced here.

Uhmm' for those lucrative attractive overseas grey-marketprices where you can save 25% to 30%, but it's Denmark in a nutshell, sadly.. prices here are ludicrously high, Eurostat just came with their annual consumer report, showing Denmark as a superb nr1 on consumer-prices (it's a negative stat) and +50% above the EU average. sure the income & salaries are very high here, and generally high living standards, but the problem is that many people will purchase from abroad, often other EU countries or the USA or the Far East and that kills the home market, when it's so difficult to compete on prices versus other regions that operate with very different living & income standards.

[the_cake_is_a_lie]

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. I saw threads 5-10 years old saying Flukes weren't faked but I thought the times had changed. Should be possible to reshell a 374 into a 376 or similar but I don't think there's any real money in that. So downside of 40-50% off with grey market models is no warranty or support from Fluke. This reminds me of buying "international edition" college textbooks that were about half the price of the American version except with "Not for sale outside XYZ" printed on the cover.

I'm feeling the FC models that can send readings to iPhone or Android to let me be lazy and not write measurements down. Non-FC versus FC manuals, looks like other difference is upgrading to 1000V for 374/375. Improve two things and call it a new version placed at the next price tier, marketing genius.

Well I think YuByKa is a Japanese merchant. I overlooked the Katakana on the DC ZERO and INRUSH and the Mitutoyo tools but same idea of getting Flukes at low Eastern prices and reselling to supposedly richer Westerners. I'm sorry Europeans don't have it any better. Denmark got it worse.

[bdunham7]

So downside of 40-50% off with grey market models is no warranty or support from Fluke.

...but same idea of getting Flukes at low Eastern prices and reselling to supposedly richer Westerners. I'm sorry Europeans don't have it any better. Denmark got it worse.

There is no 50% off.  US prices are comparatively reasonable, especially when compared to places like Denmark or Brazil.  The $277 'grey market' price is about what you would have paid for it when it was available in the US from Fluke. 

You might look at the a3000FC AC current clamp, it has inrush and is just over $200. 

[BeBuLamar]

I recently bought about 4 of the Fluke 374FC for $365 from Amazon and they are the real thing. If the ones the OP found for $275 are the older model 374 (without FC) then it's about right. But this model has been discontinued for like 5 years already.
In fact if I found a countefeit Fluke and I can't tell the difference it would be time not to buy Fluke any more.

[bdunham7]

In fact if I found a countefeit Fluke and I can't tell the difference it would be time not to buy Fluke any more.

Here's a picture of a water-damaged 376.  Do you notice anything (other than the damage) about it?   

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/lx40ca/i_work_for_a_small_calibrationrepair_lab_and_a/

[Caliaxy]

A Bitcoin chip?

In fact if I found a countefeit Fluke and I can't tell the difference it would be time not to buy Fluke any more.

Here's a picture of a water-damaged 376.  Do you notice anything (other than the damage) about it?   

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/lx40ca/i_work_for_a_small_calibrationrepair_lab_and_a/

[BeBuLamar]

In fact if I found a countefeit Fluke and I can't tell the difference it would be time not to buy Fluke any more.

Here's a picture of a water-damaged 376.  Do you notice anything (other than the damage) about it?   

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/lx40ca/i_work_for_a_small_calibrationrepair_lab_and_a/

The shape of the jaw doesn't look like that of the 376. It looks shorter to me.

[Veteran68]

Here's a picture of a water-damaged 376.  Do you notice anything (other than the damage) about it?   

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/lx40ca/i_work_for_a_small_calibrationrepair_lab_and_a/

Looks like it was dug up out of a swamp.

A Bitcoin chip?

LOL. But to that point, aren't Fluke's chips normally potted? Granted I've not seen many Fluke clamp teardowns.

[Kean]

Isn't "BTC" the marking used by Brymen on their custom ICs?

[BeBuLamar]

It does look more like the 373 and definitely not looks like the 376. But I think the 373 was made by Brymen.

[bdunham7]

It does look more like the 373 and definitely not looks like the 376. But I think the 373 was made by Brymen.

Maybe it is a different model, I was thinking it just might be a perspective issue.  It looks like it has the connectors for the iFlex probes though and I don't know what other model it could be.

[the_cake_is_a_lie]

So downside of 40-50% off with grey market models is no warranty or support from Fluke.

...but same idea of getting Flukes at low Eastern prices and reselling to supposedly richer Westerners. I'm sorry Europeans don't have it any better. Denmark got it worse.

There is no 50% off.  US prices are comparatively reasonable, especially when compared to places like Denmark or Brazil.  The $277 'grey market' price is about what you would have paid for it when it was available in the US from Fluke. 

You might look at the a3000FC AC current clamp, it has inrush and is just over $200.

Fair point that the 376 was discontinued and it may not have been priced as high as the replacement 376FC. Thanks, I wasn't aware of the a3000FC that is within my budget. It has MIN MAX AVG but no mention of working specifically for inrush or a 100ms period. I guess it could still work with inrush.

I settled on a seemingly gently used 376FC for under $300. Still no warranty and no iFlex hula hoop or case for something that retails for more than my oscilloscope but I didn't need either. I just thought I could buy a Fluke case to show off my rich person clamp meter but they retail for $52! Not sure if the attachment is a fake Fluke case or the grey market cheaper Asian version. We got counterfeit purses, counterfeit $52 meter cases isn't the craziest thing.

Reddit link is interesting. If it's a 376 like the OP says then someone reshelled a 323 or 373 or similar model on the hope that the buyer doesn't notice iFlex is missing.

[bdunham7]

Thanks, I wasn't aware of the a3000FC that is within my budget. It has MIN MAX AVG but no mention of working specifically for inrush or a 100ms period. I guess it could still work with inrush.

The a3000FC seems either poorly documented or the proper manual has poor availability.  I did find a pictoral representation in the multi-language quick-start guide that it does have a 100ms inrush feature.  It's too bad they can't write manuals anymore for whatever reason and apparently this has cost them a sale.

I'm not sure I'd care too much if the carrying case was fake.

[BeBuLamar]

The Fluke Representative gave me a free A3000FC. I don't really like it. It run down battery unused in about a month or so.