Garage Gazette
TOOLS AND THE SHOP => GENERAL TOOL AND MACHINE DISCUSSION => Topic started by: muddy on December 13, 2022, 09:05:50 PM
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After doing some trouble shooting on the kids power wheels I noticed my cheapy Craftsman multimeter doing some funky things. Think it's time for an upgrade.
I don't need anything spectacular or super accurate. Will be mostly for 12V DC. Voltage, ohms and continuity.
I don't really get into (or understand) AC that much So if it can tell me I have 110 at the outlet I'm pretty set.
What's your recommendation?
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I have this clamp meter I picked up years ago at a warehouse vendor show. Company rep let me have it for $60 just for showing interest. It does everything I need done for service work but small and simple enough for around the house. Probably more than you need - and I'm sure the price has risen - but it's damn tough, accurate, and not bulky.
The meter number MA-12813 looks real similar - probably the recent version.
https://www.ma-line.com/our-catalog/clamp-on-meters/
And I've been itching to grab this cheapo just to throw it in the truck so I have a DMM wherever I go. Friends and family are always "asking for favors" you know. Can't go wrong for $25. lol
https://www.mpja.com/Digital-Multimeter-4-Digit-6000-count/productinfo/35525+TE/
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i probably have 4 or 5 of those cman ones that used to always be on sale for 20 bucks +or-.
basic meters with a red protective sleeve. 2 in the shop, one or 2 in the house. one in my service pickup and i may have a new one in the package yet.
good enough for the girls i go with but not enough to cry about if it gets lost or falls off the ladder.
my needs are much like yours. ac and dc voltage, polarity, continuity beep and resistance with reasonable accuracy.
ha, i reccomend pretty much what you want to replace. ymmv i guess.........
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Fluke is of course the brand name but not cheap
My neighbor swears by the cheap HF one
I have an Actron clamp meter at home that I really like but you didn't say anything about checking amps and clamp meters for DC get pricey quick.
Zoro had a basic Actron for $32 that would do all you asked.
Note, did you check the battery in your Cman. That can cause wonkiness if low :))
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So many choices these days, and for the most part they are all pretty good home-owner solutions. I purchased a cheap HF version with a 400A AC clamp just to cover all the bases and throw into the kitchen drawer for basic testing of household items. Price was less than $40
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I used to run those $20 cheap craftsman DMM and found they worked ok until you got them hot. Leave it in the sun or in a hot truck toolbox and the displays would gray out or quit altogether.
I finally broke down and bought a fluke. best move I ever made. When i went to work for my current company they provided me a fluke for troubleshooting electrical panels. When I took over the managers spot two years ago I had to start using my personal vehicle and the fluke came with me. so now I have one for the truck and one for the shop. :dance:
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i probably have 4 or 5 of those cman ones that used to always be on sale for 20 bucks +or-.
basic meters with a red protective sleeve. 2 in the shop, one or 2 in the house. one in my service pickup and i may have a new one in the package yet.
good enough for the girls i go with but not enough to cry about if it gets lost or falls off the ladder.
my needs are much like yours. ac and dc voltage, polarity, continuity beep and resistance with reasonable accuracy.
ha, i reccomend pretty much what you want to replace. ymmv i guess.........
This one has severed me very well as well.
Unfortunately the $20 Craftsman are no more. They are still in the Sears website though lol (how does Sears still have a website??!!!)
The newest version is $60. Figured I'd looked around see what all is out there.
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This Australian YouTuber has done a comparison of pocket DMMs (14 from $8 to $65) that might help. He also has other comparisons of more expensive meters.
EEVblog #1083 - Pocket Multimeter Shootout
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I have several Flukes and one Ideal. Don't recommend Ideal. I use Meters just about every day so Fluke is it for me. No experience on other brands other than Ideal
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I have several Flukes and one Ideal. Don't recommend Ideal. I use Meters just about every day so Fluke is it for me. No experience on other brands other than Ideal
For pro use Fluke is the choice
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I have several Flukes and one Ideal. Don't recommend Ideal. I use Meters just about every day so Fluke is it for me. No experience on other brands other than Ideal
For pro use Fluke is the choice
My thoughts as well
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I have 2. My go to is an old fluke from the late 90's, its old military surplus and does way more than I need it to. My #2 is blue point I bought out of a pawn shop for $15 because it "didn't work", it needed batteries. Pretty sure fluke made it as well. I would hit up pawn shops or fb market place before I bought a new one. I prefer the digital read out as well, much easier to read when your straining to hold the probes while standing on your head in an engine bay.
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Muddy, I once had a Radio Shack multimeter (or Guessometer as my grandfather called them, after my father killed his accurate one, somewhere between 5 and 8 years old), that did funky things, and it turned out the battery was going bad. Might just check it first.
My around the house and mainly for Raspberry PI type stuff is a Craftsman I bought before Sears left here, when I was trying to use up a gift certificate. I have some of those Loadpro leads on all my meters, after my first set, when I found them occasionally (damaged freight store) for an extremely reasonable price. I've never found a deal on a Fluke yet (have a friend who did a few times), and I don't use one often enough now, to pay full price. My high end meter, is an OTC 3545 I bought decades back, that served me well. I have family in electronics, but couldn't get them to teach me anything. By the time my father started an electrical discussion, he was using Open and Short in their opposite meanings.
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Finally got around to getting a new meter.
Picked up this Fluke 101 for $45. Bare bones, but works good.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dV3DqWyX/PXL-20230209-015156245.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPxTjyVN)
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It will do all you need at home and last a long time
Well done
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Money well spent! Excellent Choice Tim
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Good choice. You won’t be disappointed with that one.
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Nice meter with no frills. I like it. Might have to get me one i just need the basics.
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Nice meter with no frills. I like it. Might have to get me one i just need the basics.
I picked this one up off Amazon
FLUKE-101 Digital Multimeter https://a.co/d/buctRoa
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