For my short life in the electrical world (14years) I have to say I believe Fluke to be more hype than they deserve. I do not see the build quality I'd expect for the price. I own 5 probably worth 4k. 28ii, 376FC, 117, 1587FC, 1630-2FC. Fluke connect is the only feature i feel innovative that i appreciate. Not one screen is impressive, they are slow, the switches dials feel cheap, the standard leads SUCK, the magnetic hook up is goofy. and all lack in features that companies like Klein make standard. I own a Klein cl900 that I think is a better meter than my fluke 376fc. The price difference is ridiculous. Someone sits in an office and figures out how to pair up features with meters to get you to buy more than one or an accessory like the i400 clamp (AC only) which costs more than the Klein cl900 meter (AC/DC). ITS NOT WORTH IT. My opinion is you are paying for count, resolution, and name. I bought a fluke 28ii (most people wouldnt buy because of price) before they came out with 87v max (same exact meter most people own an 87v) Naming it the 87 got them selling again. Id appreciate you comparing some Kleins like the mm700 and the cl900 to all the others. Klein leads are horrible but they have everything most Flukes lack at a 1/4 price. I respect you for saying FLUKE is sticking it to its customers with no innovation.
I really appreciate this great feedback from someone who owns Flukes and works with them. I too like Klein, I’m glad to hear a professional likes them as well. I have 2 that I’ll review very soon. I agree with what you have said here. I have used Flukes for years and have not been impressed with them for a long time, but then came the Fluke 189 which I thought finally! Now it is discontinued. I think because of the warranty on the high end meters...life time means 10 years as far as I can tell. At the price, they should be. After starting this channel I really opened my eyes and went from not impressed to totally dismayed that they had my loyalty for all those years;)
I did beta testing for Agilent handheld meters about 10 years ago when they were first developing their Bluetooth modules and receiver (they also work with phones and tablets). This was before Fluke was even hinting at coming out with anything that allowed remote readings. Since then a lot of other brands have incorporated Bluetooth into their testers either directly, or, like Agilent via a separate module. The one thing I thought was interesting about Fluke's implementation were the removable screens in their 1st gen wireless units which are great in facilities where you're not allowed to bring a phone or tablet in, or just for speed (rather than pulling out a phone, starting an app, pairing, etc.). But from what I understand it's morphed into the Fluke Connect cloud based service which you have to pay a subscription for to use. Nickels and dimes. Nickels and dimes.
sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a way to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid lost the login password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me.
@Briggs Major Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and im trying it out atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Fluke meters are expensive for many reasons, none of which has anything to do with protection: 1) Lifetime warranty 2) Build quality and proven measurement confidence. Those that don't understand the concept of measurement confidence have never work in a professional field that takes metrology seriously. 3) Longevity of production. What other maker still has the same model available after almost 30 years? For many clients, e.g. military, this is a BIG deal. Again, if you don't know why that's important then you've never worked on military stuff. 4) Made in the USA 5) They pioneered the field the field of digital meters and became the defacto standard. They don't *have* to make cheap meters, they have a massive professional client base that demand their meters. 6) They maintain world class calibration labs and standards.
I agree on your point regarding the price, but the main reason I stopped using my Fluke 289 meters is the very old style screen and the slow user interface. It takes forever and a day to plot readings compared to almost any other comparable meter. Every other graphing meter I used was waaaay faster and generally nicer to use. I picked up a CEM DT-9989 and 2 Uni-T 181A for the same price as ONE(!) of my flukes (+ fluke connect kit). I ended up liking the Uni-T meters so much they have pretty much replaced the flukes for almost all my daily usages. Safety was not a huge concern as I only work on mains rarely and even then nothing like the 2ohm sources that the cat ratings call for. The Fluke eats batteries like crazy, its slow to start and slow to graph, and the bluetooth is very poorly integrated - it is clearly an after-the-fact hack rather than a capability built into the product from the beginning. The Uni-T also has a 100KHz bandwidth (and an optional low-pass filter, of course), and the battery lasts ages and the screen is the nicest I've seen on any meter, particularly when looking at AC, DC and AC+DC at the same time, or min, max, avg all at once etc.
Thank you! You make many great points here. I am so used to the Fluke 87, when I saw a 189 come to the lab - I was so happy to see some innovation! Wow, a two line screen! LOL, now that I do RUclips, I see there are many other better choices that actually cost less;)
Enjoyed the rant! I'm a hobbyist/homeowner and I felt the itch to get a Fluke for a long time, because "that's what the pros use." So I bought a 115. It was expensive for what it does, and the display is poor. It's definitely rugged though. I bought an Amprobe AM570 around the same time for the a similar cost and it's a beast! I love that meter. When I recently decided I need a clamp meter I got a Klein. I don't feel the Fluke itch anymore and it's nice to see someone more knowledgeable say what I saw too. It just doesn't seem to be worth it.
Thanks Scott for your feedback! I'm glad to see you got rid of that itch;) I did a some months back - but it was there for years;) The AM570 is a great meter.
Most well informed hobbyists nowadays know to get a Brymen. Preferably the BM869S or if budget is tight the BM867s (misses a few functions but is a third cheaper) Very good build quality, well thought out design, high accuracy and less than half the price compared to similar flukes (in case of the bm869s, fluke doesnt even have anything similar spec/accuracy wise!) BTW my Fluke 115 came with silicone leads with nickel plated probes with 4mm tips which is I think a good combination as it's more an electricians meter than an electronics meter. Fluke is a good brand for large corporations. The higher end ones are easy to calibrate (ie iso17025/dakks) and that process can be virtually automated. Ideal for corporations that buy 2000 289's and have their own calibration center. Btw the brymen bm869s can also be calibrated (other models probably too), only the known method is not automated, so finding a lab to do so is less easy. As far as safety goes the only potential dangerous situation a non pro can encounter is for example a VFD with running motor (on for instance a lathe or big drill/saw) that doesn't run right and then start troubleshooting. Inductive loads can pack a punch well above the feed voltage.
Great video! The thing about Fluke is they don't make a mid-high end and reasonably priced general purpose ELECTRONICS multimeter anymore. I was recently in the market for a mid-high end multimeter for bench electronics use. I thought about getting a 87V, but you only get max 20000 count on high res mode, which is even lower than the cheap uni-t 61e 22000 count, not to mention the defaulting to ac annoyance for quite a few ranges. The 287 and 289 are better suited for electronics, but are expensive, chews through batteries, boot up takes a long time and the lcd response is slow. Even though I don't work with high energy sources, I did kill two uni-t 61e with low energy high voltage transients before, which I've never managed to do with my fluke 17b+. So I wanted something what Joe Smith would describe as 'electrically robust' . Watching reviews on the internet, esp Joe Smith's reviews, I went with a Brymen bm869s and could not be happier. Fast, accurate, precise, good UI and UX, dual display, cat iv 1000v etc. If Fluke 87v was 50000 count by default, and remembered last used function on each range switch position, I'd get it in a heartbeat even if I'd pay a premium compared to the Brymen. I wish they did not stop producing the 187 and 189.
Great input! I agree with you. That is interesting about the transients. What were you testing? I also like my Greenlee/Brymen, but I also like my Amprobe, Flir, and even the Amazon Commercial. The 87 needs a major update, better screen, and lower price to ever turn my head again.
About 15 or so years ago I had a Fluke T5-1000 (or whatever it was called back then). The meter has slots to put the probes in so you can hold one probe onto some ground point and hold the meter in the other hand to probe around. Anyway I was testing inside a control panel with 230vac to earth. Suddenly I got a huge shock through my hand as I gripped the meter. It wasn’t immediately obvious what had happened until I got out into the sunlight, and could see that the batteries had leaked and the liquid was sleeping out though the gaps around the battery cover. I don’t know if the battery liquid had tracked across the pcb to the red probe or if the battery terminals are always at the red probe potential.
Thanks for that story - crazy and scary! I think that is why many meters today keep the battery compartment separated from the PCB. Glad it turned out only to be a scary story - could have been worse!
When you just focus on safety and/or function range, you’re absolutely right. But in my time in MVS cal, I saw some very shitty meters which were cheaper yes, but in terms of accuracy, precision and stability, I never saw something comparable to a Fluke meter. Keysight does some kinda neat meters, GMC as well, others yes. But send them in for Cal, you will be surprised how far they have drifted from their factory cal. Especially in the AC range. Most 87-5 Meters I did were bang on the value tested, even after years. Sidenote to the Tek Meters: They were later sold under Fluke brand 😜.
Thanks so much for this great feedback! I'd think that in the last, say 10 years, with meter manufacturers including fluke using pretty much the same chips - I wonder if this has closed the gap? Also, did you test Flir or Amprobe meters? Thanks for the verification of the Tek/Fluke meter - I had only heard ramblings of this before;) They are both owned by Danaher so I believed the stories;)
I absolutely loved this video, and I am not afraid to say I completely agree with you. There are many options out there that a far more affordable, have far greater functionality and are every bit as safe as a Fluke. I bought Flukes because of the hype and peer pressure. However my techies pointed out many of the same points you made here. So in recent years we've been buying Klein and Ideal meters. We now get so much more for much, much less. And we have better stands... 👍🏼 I appreciate you being real.
Great video, I enjoyed your rant and agree with most of what you say. I've got three flukes an 87-3 a 116 and an old 23. The 23 is my go to meter because it's so reliable and easy to use. Still really accurate. I bought mine all second hand as I couldn't justify the new price. The 116 and 87-3 were like new and I got them really cheap. If you want a fluke buy a really good used one, there are bargains out there.
Thanks for sharing that! I agree, most of the time I buy usedFlukes, but I’ve been burned too many times now, so that’s not working for me. By the time I find out why the meter was up fir sale , it’s too late to complain:(0
I was a great Fluke fan for several decades but, at last, just a couple of months ago I purchased one from a reputable Chinese manufacturer for just a fraction from Fluke equivalent. For my surprise it is very precise, a par with my Flukes, and makes all it proposed. But the proof leads are very superior with lower resistance and way more flexible.
Super entertaining! There are so many options and choices now days, it amazing to be an electronics student or getting into the trade and engineering. Appreciate your time putting this video together.
@@KissAnalog Am in my mid 40s from software background. Have started learning electrical and electronics in the last 3 years. Your videos are fun and helpful in my learning progress. Will be building more control systems with Arduino this year so your oscilloscope videos are wonderful.
The fact that Fluke sell models only available in China, for less than the equivalent international versions, says it all to me. I'm too tight to buy a Fluke anyway.
@@KissAnalog Dave from EEVBlog did that some years ago- the inside was actually quite nice, but a basic design, but no compromise on safety. Accuracy obviously not as good as the top models, but decent and usable for the most basic tasks.
@@KissAnalog Why is it, that we in the US must pay the highest price - look what the medical cost is. We can go to Canada and buy them at much lower price than if we buy them here! I wish Trump was re-elected, he would make even Fluke bend for us in the US!!!
I agree with everything you have said here. My Fluke 87V which I bought back in 2016, was most probably manufactured in China for Fluke because nowhere on it does it say "made in USA" anymore. It might still be up to Fluke's standard, but the production cost must be way down, yet it's still priced way up there! It doesn't come with a carrying case, doesn't come with quality silicone leads but cheap ass, stiff PVC ones instead. Fluke have rested on their laurels for so many years now, that China has caught up and even surpassed them in many cases, with innovative high-quality products which offer a much, much better value for money ratio.
Well said! Better leads is a basic must! I’d say that better displays are way pat due, and reduction in pricing should be made. Thanks for your feedback!
This was a really interesting video! You covered a lot of the things that have been bothering me about this same topic. For me, it comes down to value. If it's low price but hasn't got the features I need, or is unreliable it is a bad value. If it has the features and reliability but costs 10x more than another meter that does too, it's also a bad value. If I can get a full featured 20000 count meter with a case and multiple sets of leads (including tweezer leads) for $38 -including shipping-, then paying $380 for a 6000 count meter with one set of leads and no case seems... irrational? What is the other $342 paying for? The name? Some vague idea of "status"? Some "guru's" opinion that a transient spike is going to make it through my home's wiring with enough remaining energy to ignite my meter in a burst of plasma that will reduce me to ashes? How would just touching my toaster be any safer?
Just don't forget to check the other specs... 20000 counts can quickly reveal that the accuracy does not match with the resolution... Also check the sampling or refresh rate. But I totally agree. My 22000 count Uni-T UT61E seems very close to some Fluke meters, in terms of quality, build, and specs, but at fraction of the price.
I especially like the part about the cheap, PVC TL75 test leads that come with a $400 Fluke...inexcusable! A decade (or so) ago even the $300 70 series meters shipped with TL175 leads, seems Fluke is not worried about competition from companies like Brymen/Greenlee, which will come back to bite them in lost reputation and market share. Edit: I meant even the $300 170 series, (not 70)
You are right about the leads that they ship. It is hard to make a blanket statement because it seems that they change what they provide. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason. But, I know that most leads that I have been provided in the workplace are the TL72 type. We have a closet full of them. Most guys don't care. Not a lot of engineers that I work with even do work at home, so they probably don't own a meter unless they got a free one at Harbor Freight. So, I was one of the few that would grab up the prcbmaster if they ever wondered into the lab.
I agree that for the money Fluke wants for their Meters you should never ever get the cheap PVC leads and just on that issue alone I will never buy Fluke again.
What I know is the my Fluke 75 from the mid 80s still works perfectly in 2022. By comparison, my Uni-T 210E started getting flaky after 3 years. Looking at the innards of the 75, it's a thing of beauty. Seems that the Chinese meters offer a lot of features for the money, but are they accurate? Will they remain accurate? Will they still be working perfectly after 35 years? I don't think so. I think it's great that in 2022 I can still buy an American made meter that is built by a company that makes safe, accurate, and durable stuff. I'm glad that Fluke isn't joining the race to the bottom.
Thanks Dan for the great feedback! Things have changed since the 80s, the meters today (good ones) are all made with integrated chips that will continue working for decades. I'm afraid that the reputation will die with us and the new breed will not care or know what Fluke did 30 years ago. If you don't join the race then you will be left in last place. I like the idea of 'made in USA', but many of their new products (and most of their meters today) are not made in the USA. I feel like Tektronix as also taken a turn for the worst - as this was my favorite scope manufacturer.
Rubber stand with a metal plate inside on the old FLUKE meters (including mentioned 87) was way better than any rigid plastic one. That "soft" stand could be bent to the required shape and be used to hang a meter on equipment, some pipe, hook, nail or a screw.
I love you man, but Fluke have a very important place in my life for troubleshooting. I have used lesser meters for troubleshooting commercial and industrial buildings as an electrician. I have been a foreman and electrician since 1994, and can say, fluke are worth the money for this environment. It is a very big bite that is hard to swallow. EEV BLOG IS VERY good to watch for meter differences. Maybe now there are more competitive meters at a lesser cost, but in my opinion and research, paying 75% for an uknown meter does not make sense. For a bench meter building tube amps, I use several meters in all cost ranges. You may be absolutely right about bench meters. High voltage is 750 volts and above. What works me, and something that is not mentioned so far is, there are oscilloscopes for 400 dollars with technology that far surpasses multimeters in the same price range. That is something that is crazy. Fluke leads are durable. I am an epic ranter too!
Thanks Wayne! Great feedback and information from an expert in the field! What meter models do you use - clamp on type? I think about the flatscreen TVs that I can buy now and how much the price has dropped - and then with the same technology advancements (micro chips that do most the work) in multimeters - but the price (at Fluke) just keeps going up. I do watch EEV BLOG, but he has become very biased as the years go by. He will review a lower level meter and point out everything wrong, but then ignore or gloss over the very same in the brand name meter. Same with the Scope reviews - or actually you can make this comment about all his equipment reviews. It is his biggest criticism I see on the comments.
@@KissAnalog Here is the summary... When troubleshooting a building infrastructure for low technical troubleshooting by bench standards, a reliable a quick and trustworthy meter that you know and will last for years is invaluable. This is because you may have to go from area to area and those junction boxes and equipment may be in very hard to reach areas. The pressure is on and energy is crucial to figuring out mysterious things. I had spent time on bigger job sites with less expensive meters that gave differing intermittent readings, as well as slow readings. I got fed up going around in circles and went and spent the real money on a fluke and have never looked back. Yes the majority of troubleshooting has been with a clamp on meter, but fire alarm and some building automation and controls were not able to be troubleshot by the clamp on. This is because until recently, the resistance was limited to about 5k, which of course was BS. Most electrician preferences lean to the clamp on as it serves as and nice hanger in ceilings and boxes etc. It was frustrating when the ohms was limited. I am not saying that the less expensive meters are not adequate, but I am saying the ones I was familiar with for 1/2 the price did not match up. Electricians would be comparing them to Greenlee, Ideal, Amprobe, and Klien etc. I can tell you contrary to popular opinion, more than half of electricians out there have no idea how to troubleshoot or use a meter. A top Foreman Supervisor as I am, has to figure out the issues as he often is on a desert island when it comes to theoretical and technical and troubleshooting electrical circuits. One other issue you could point out with Fluke, is lack of functions that are sometimes included on meters from Asia. It is really weird that Fluke is selling high premium priced meters, but they are limited in functions related to capacitors and inductors. Fluke is getting away with high prices as union workers, manufacturing, municipal, government, demand them in their industries and thier employers are forced to buy them for them. The EEV blog on the fluke 28II was monumental and impressive thou, when my previous Fluke 117 and 330 were stolen, I went right away and bit my lip hard an bought one.
I've done commercial and industrial electrical work for years. Never owned a Fluke. I've used everything in.VOM from a $10 Radio Shack analog meter to a $200 Greenlee. I currently use a Uni-T scopemeter that we got for $179. My ammeter is a Greenlee clamp that does AC & DC and have also used Sperry & Amprobes for years.
Thanks for your feedback from the field;) Wow, I forgot about Sperry;) I like my Amprobes! I just found one that I've had for many years - I'll have to show it in a video. I think the Greenlee is a rebranded Brymen, but not sure.
I dunno, ive been in the communication industry for 42 years. I use a Fluke 87v for the touchy things like balancing interface polarization in microwave networks so on and so forth and, I use a Fluke 117 for general purpose chasing copper cable problems general continuity and the like. Iv'e tried other meters but, i always waste time by checking theri reading with my Flukes. maybe it sounds like fan boy stuff. but if you want to not have to go back into the snow and re-fix a down dish...im going to stick with what i trust. even if it cost more.
Thanks for the great feedback. I'm like you, I have used the 87 for many years and was happy with it. Now that I've started this channel I have found better meters at lower cost. My favorite now is the Hioki meters:) ruclips.net/video/YvivwYCxrBo/видео.html
I bought a Fluke 75 with the rubber boot sometime around 86 or 87 when I was an electrical apprentice. Two days after I bought it I dropped it off the roof of a four storey building It survived and I still use it today.
Great story from the field! There is no question Fluke's are made well - especially with the rubber boot. There's a 2 meter drop test that most Flukes and other branded meters pass as part of the 3rd party testing cert. But, my point is that Fluke today costs twice the price of any of the others. I just think that they are very expensive, and today there are other options. I never really thought about it until starting this channel;)
I second that. I wanted a Simpson because all the old timers had one. But my trade school sold me a Fluke for half price. 20 years later its still going, its been very accurate and easy to use. I've bought half a dozen other brands since then because I thought they would be better. But every one was a waste of money when they started giving wrong readings and went in the trash.
This is a great video with many points I agree with that needed to be made. I know Flukes have earned a reputation for good input protection and so on, but I also feel they are way over priced. I did want to own one Fluke for the protection, but I bought one of the newer chinese 17B+ Flukes for a much more reasonable $120 & im very pleased with it and its more protection than ill ever need for my intended use. I also own various lower cost import meters simply because in some of these budget priced meters you get a much better deal far as functionality - the Habotest/Kaiweets HT118A is a good example, very little input protection but for bench DIY and hobby use they are a great value and has some nice features like lighted led indication for continuity and ncv but the feature I really like is the audible diode beep previously only seen on just a few much more expensive meters. Im waiting for the day when a feature similar to Flukes touch hold makes it to the budget meters. I figure you buy a meter for an intended use, and many of these import meters obviously use digital processors so the basic accuracy is usually on par with a Fluke for basic DVOM use. I think even Fluke knew the were pricing many buyers out of their market hence we now have the asian import Flukes, but the catch with them is theres no factory warranty support from Fluke and the only recourse you'll have is if it fails within a sellers defect return window, other than that its a bit of a gamble.
Exactly: Each tool should be used for what it is constructed- and if you know that that tool WILL only be used for some bench use and never will experience a live electric installation with 230V or more, then any lowend meter will do the job. But in case you know THAT the meter one day probably could be used to check things in a wall outlet, then you should invest in the right tools to do that... And in industrial environments Fluke gear is big,because of proven stability over the years. In that league there are only a few other manufacturers with a proven long-time track record... GMC, HP/Agilent/Keysight come to mind, Tek now is Danaher/Fluke, same for Beha and Amprobe- and some of those lower-end models are OEM stuff... I have a Agilent U1272A for private use (got it as a deal on ebay), and when I look at the prices here in germany, GMC or Keysight are more expensive than Fluke for comparable use cases.
I own 2 flukes. one is a 789 the other is the fluke 16. The 789 was close to a 1000 bucks new. I needed something that could calibrate a 4-20ma signal. You can buy stuff off Amazon that works for 30 bucks now. I bought the 16 for temp and it’s great for testing caps. This is back when I worked in power plants. I don’t really regret buying them since they served me well for a decade. Nowadays I use a Fluke 17b+ at work. Pretty good basic meter. At home I use an el cheapo Astro AI. The expensive flukes sit in their cases collecting dust. Along the same line of thought is I have a nice Rigol oscilloscope but I still prefer my little handheld Hantek. It is so much easier to setup and use rather than trying to drag out an extension cord for the rigol. To answer your question yeah probably a little. They are good meters but the comp has caught up with them. You can get a Chinese competitor for 60 bucks what costs 300 from fluke. People are calling kaiweets top meter the fluke killer.
Thanks Tron - great feedback! I remember the days when 4-20ma was not so common in test equipment. Now I see it in many meters at a low cost;) Until doing this channel - I just used Fluke by default. I guess that's why the rant;) I really like my Kaiweets meters! I'd say that they should kill off using Flukes at home or small shops. If you need calibration and such - then go with Flir or Amprobe who is owned by Fluke. You can buy 2 or 3 at the price of the Fluke and have better capabilities in your meter. I think besides Fluke being high priced - they just don't innovate anymore.
Haven't watched but I'd say absolutely. The leads are quality, but there are comparable meters for about 1/4 if not less the price in each and every category they make. Industrial electrician, and don't have the scopes and all the rest to get down to the resolution of testing you do, however for what I do they've just cornered the market on safety yellow. As far as features you're absolutely right. My kaiweets "cheapo" has better resolution, with far more types of readings for dirt cheap vs a comparable fluke.
Thanks Brett, I agree the yellow meter did corner the market, but I think they have fallen behind and now there are many safe certified meters to choose from.
I know you may not get this comment, Or able to reply. Just curious what you would think a good replacement for the FLUKE 88 Automotive meter. I want to get a good automotive meter but the FLUKE price is just so expensive. Ive been getting by with my chinese fluke 17b+. But looking for a good direct replacement for the 88. or should i just buy the 88.
Great Question! No, I think the 88 is way over priced and doesn't offer very many features. It is one of the most over priced meters there is IMHO. I am ordering a meter that I think is a good option and at a pretty good price. I'll review it soon but here is a link to it. amzn.to/3bEGTrY
Great rant 👍🏻 Here’s a question: what’s the best low cost meter that’s the smallest form factor, feature rich, and is accurate? I was looking at getting a cheap Aneng AN8009 as reviews were great but doesn’t measure current in 10&100mA range. I like to measure lowish current projects in the mA & uA range and also some AC & DC voltages in the automotive area so no household voltages. What would you recommend with the smallest size? Was looking at the Aneng AN9002 and the SZ18, have you tested these? Thanks.
Great questions Ian! I was looking to purchase something along these lines. I do have a bunch of meters that I need to start reviewing, so you will see some each week for awhile. I'm going to make catagories, and one will be a good lab bench meter that is capable of uA (which will be one of the criteria for a good bench meter). The Aneng meters that I've tested so far have been surprisingly good.
Well I saw a cheap meter blow up once. I was working live on the low voltage side (277/480V) of a small transformer (probably a 1000KVA). Had a cheap meter hooked up across two phases in a transfer switch being fed off this transformer. When I made the connection at the transformer the meter in the box exploded! I wasn’t injured but had I had that meter in my hand I’d probably only have one hand today! After seeing that happen and having to replace an expensive transfer switch that was completely melted from the resulting arcing. Low voltage most certainly can blow up a meter if something is wrong with the meter. I’m sure a fluke or other quality meter can blow up as well if it has a fault but if you got badly hurt at least you would get compensated. Good luck getting any money out of no name Chinese meter company.
@@KissAnalog It was set to voltage, the leads were in the voltage position. I don’t remember the brand it happened a long time ago and the thing turned into shrapnel. It claimed to be cat 3 1000 volt cat 4 600v rated but anyone can print anything they want on something. Not sure what happened the I had used the meter a few times before with no issues maybe tin whiskers?
I'm in the Industrial HVAC-R, Fluke meters are regarded as the most reliable meters. I have used a few different meters from Flir, Fieldpiece etc. I always go back to my Fluke 902fc and trust its readings the most.
Thanks for you feedback from the field;) I know in my work place everyone regards Fluke as the best, as did I. But now doing this channel I see so many other lower cost options. I have heard that Fieldpiece, also a US company, is a meter of choice for some. Amprobe (also owned by the same company as Fluke) made their name doing clamp on type meters and they are still the meter of choice for some. I have a Klein that I think is a better meter than my Fluke clamp on meters. Have you tried the Klein meters?
Nice Video. FLUKE DMM's enjoy momentum gained prior to respectable competition. Their reputation and price point, at times, give ME instant credibility with both clients and other contractors when I pull one out at a jobsite. Sorry to say, some clients see a generic meter and get fidgety (perhaps they think you are apprentice). Yes, the FLUKE leads are pathetic -- I usually replace them (I too noticed the similarity to POMONA years back). I love my FLUKE 189's, and my 289 on special occasions. I bundle a Uni-T clamp meter with each of my FLUKEs. And my Simpson 261's don't see much action these days. One Fluke feature that keeps me loyal is that I can set custom dBm ref Z -- other DMM's only have presets (e.g. I use 2 and 6 Ohm ref Z often, but not an option in other meters).
Thank you! This is great info - real world experience! Some years back I advised my friend to buy Fluke current clamps for all his guys (HVAC). I think it was the Fluke 32. Today I think I'd recommend the Klein. That looks like an impressive meter and has a good name recognition;)
@@KissAnalog: The Klein looks nice. TODAY, MANY meters truly rival FLUKE. As respectable guys like you, Joe Smith, etc. pull back the curtain, perception of "other than FLUKE" will change. FLUKE better stay on their toes because UNI-T and BRYMEN, besides gaining market share with their own labels, i think they are re-labelling for a BUNCH of other brands as well. And BRYMEN includes decent leads with their meters; silicone and gold 👍. I have purchased just the leads to try -- very nice, but a little short for me (they are 1 meter, and i prefer 1.5 meter). I really like the Uni-T UT210E -- I bundle one with every DMM for the convenient 1 mA amp-clamp resolution in both AC & DC. And i keep a Uni-T UT216C handy for big current. The bundle allows me to view A & V simultaneously. BTW: Will the Klein display current and voltage simultaneously? Cheers
Hi Eddie, never owned a Fluke meter. Being a electronic hobbyist guy and I am never going near cat III or cat IV equipment. For a few years now I have been curious about Brymen meters like the BM257 or the higher series like the BM857 with a crazy 500,000 count whatever that means. Shame you can't buy them in the USA, they are blocked for direct sale here for some reason (might be a deal with Klein). Do you have any experience or thoughts on the Brymen meters?
Thanks for the great feedback! Most engineers - I'll bet do not even understand the CAT ratings;) I do like the Brymen and they are hard to find - I don't know what the deal is. There are the Greenlee meters which are rebranded Byrmen meters;)
I'm with you man. look at the new eevblog meter. I don't think there's a meter on thr market that can beat the cost / value ratio. I am beginning to feel like I'll never own one of them even haha
There are a few meter safety points in favor of the Fluke 87-V that I didn't hear in your rant. The Fluke 87-V has high-energy fuses and overload protection (to the rated voltage) that protect against 2 potentially dangerous measurement mistakes: 1) setting the meter and leads to resistance measuring mode but then probing a voltage supply and 2) setting the meter and leads to measure current but then probing a voltage supply. In the resistance measurement mode, not all meters can withstand a voltage supply voltage like 480 Vac. The Fluke 87-V has overload protection to the rated voltage of the meter. With other meters, this scenario could harm both the meter and the user depending on how the leads and meter respond. In the current measurement mode, internal meter resistance is for most meters is nearly a short-circuit. So probing a voltage source while configured to make current measurements could bring disastrous results to the user and the meter. When using a Fluke 87-V in this scenario, its high-energy fuses reduce the severity of damage to meter and the user that could occur because they are designed to quickly clear the fault. And my last point: Don't use any meter (or leads too) that doesn't have an appropriate CAT rating for the power circuit you are measuring. To be safe, if there is no CAT rating for the meter, it should NOT be used on a power circuit.
Thanks for your feedback! There are lots of meters that are 3rd party Safety tested to CAT IV as many of the Flukes are, so that's not a good reason for the price to be 2x or more. Even the Amprobe AM570 is a terrific buy and is a feature rich meter safety certified to CAT IV. Also owned by the same company that owns Fluke (so there should be some trust there, even if a person doesn't know the great history of Amprobe).
@@KissAnalogOne should not assume that meters with similar CAT ratings to the Fluke 87-V offer protection from the dangerous measurement mistakes I outlined. You need to confirm what safety features are available in any given meter-including other Fluke meters. The CAT rating is directly related to the level of transient voltage withstand ability of the meter. Also, the Fluke meter is not only designed to meet the CAT rating specifications, but it has gone through testing by independent labs: UL, CSA, and TUV and displays the markings on the meter.
Fluke is spending more money in their marketing department then in the R&D department. We can get both uni-t ut181A and a brymen 869s for the same price of a single fluke 289. Fluke? no thanks... there is more then that out there.
@@primordialsoftware9294 the thing is, the fluke products is overpriced. Every good piece of equipment is expensive, but not every expensive product is good. The 287 and 289 is an example of it.
Nice Rant! I appreciate your experience, and broad knowledge on the topic. I also agree, you see that in many product categories, the difference between consumer and business class is usually small with features, and huge with prices. I always tell people, you don't become a multi-billion dollar without having high margins, unless you have huge volumes like Walmart. Thank you!
You are so right Joe! If you can get the high dollars - than do it. I just think that with some info - maybe the rest of us can find a better place to put our dollars;)
I agree with you on how annoying it is that fluke always seems to have 3 or more meters in each line and you pay a good deal more to get that one aditional feature. I know that amprobe is now owned by fluke but amprobe seems to have much better value for features of their meters. I have had an amprobe 35xp-a since about 2008 and it has never let me down. I also like to see innovation and tools that do their intended job well like the extech prt200.
Ooohh, i sense these spicy takes will have excited some folks! 🤣 I have never touched a fluke meter. I'd always read the "don't mess around, buy the fluke" stuff, open a new tab, check the price 😦 and close the tab quickly. Maybe someday I'll be in a situation where I need that, but for now no thanks
hopefully only slightly off topic, but i've been in tech since my early teens when i got a ham license and then at 17 joined the navy and became a radioman with satellite speciality (graduated the very first navy satellite class in 1971) so i've been tech-adjacent my entire working life as i went into computers and telecom when i got out of the navy. i say all that to note that between 1970-1980 when i was in the navy, it was dammed near impossible to see a piece of high tech test equipment which wasn't hewlett-packard--i expect they had some near-exclusive government contract. oh, and the simpson 360 meters of course were ubiquitous and i own a simpson telecom analog meter to this day. i got my start in computing around '74-75 with the hp55 calculator--the 35 and the 45 were out of my tiny navy salary range, but i saved up for the ?$400-500? the hp-55 cost and it was the first consumer handheld model with programming i believe. this led to building the altair 8800 from a kit, but that's off topic. what i'm slowly getting at is that in the 1980s i think, hewlett packard started outsourcing overseas and got new management and went totally and absolutely to shit. maybe jobs and wozniak sensed that was coming and bailed out. no longer were they the near-exclusive test equipment supplier and they started making their calculators in malaysia and singapore and people wouldn't buy them--they'd hold onto their usa models. but those tables turned and today all the calculators are disposable junk and the outsourced hp models fetch near-astronomical prices on ebay. i have a dozen such calculators that are up to 50 years old and still working, albeit some displays have dimmed over the years--they are still better than the current sharp, casio, and ti and even hp models. i got sucked into the fluke orbit when recently i needed a new meter. i bought several of the kaiweets models and i should have stopped there as those guys are turning out some amazing stuff dirt cheap. and they respond to the customers and replace stuff that has issues. i mean, you could buy 10 of the $40 km-601s for the price of one decent fluke and you'd have the most gorgeous display there is and the newest cutting edge features. and if you didn't like the smart phone operation of the 601, you could get the retro dial 118 which has tested slightly ahead of the 601 and has more ranges. anyway, bottom line, i didn't feel like i had a 'real' meter until i ended up with a fluke and i got a very good deal on a like new 28-ii but when it came in i was gobsmacked at the size--i had no use for a meter that size around the house and it'd take up the whole workbench. so i threw good money after bad and have a 117 coming in, the chinese limited-warranty (if any) line i guess just so i could have a reasonably sized one. many thanks for your videos. wish i could watch all of them, but i'm slogging my way through as many as possible. at least i feel good about the probe master leads you recommended in another video. i got the fluke tl-175s on sale for $35 thinking i'd settle on one pair of leads for all my meters and they weren't worth that--i dislike them. /guy (73 de kg5gt | wqpz784)
Thanks for your great feedback! Great story and I'm happy that you settled on the meters that you like. This is a great test lead set that is so functional because of the great tips. amzn.to/3ZrJxrO
What mostly gets forgotten in reviews: The build quality and intended use of a tool- in this case, the Multimeter. I use Fluke 179 at work, and my device just got out of calibration- 8 years old, still spot-on. When you work in industrial maintenance or other environments where you need rugged tools, go Fluke. They can be used and abused and still will function. And Fluke has a very good reputation from the past when it comes to Multimeters still working correctly after 20 years... When you do not need this level of robustness, you can obviously choose another tool that lacks this feature. Brymen DMMs have a good reputation, but they have to prove their long-term-stability. Also: When you KNOW that you can use your tool for about 10 or 20 years without problems, then it is possible that on the long run it is cheaper than if you buy a tool half the price that needs repairs or maintenance like adjustments more often- also the time put into this is also wasted...
Thanks for the great feedback! Fluke makes a great meter - there is no question! But, I think there are competitors that make just as rugged and better meters at a lower cost. I think Fluke should provide better leads and make better displays. But people buy Fluke automatically and so many people believe in some strong mystic about them. I never questioned it, I always used Fluke - but after starting this channel, I realize that there are better meters for half the cost. Today, solid-state electronics should work for years without drift. Other test equipment has advanced a lot to keep the price up and the technology we could get 10 years ago is much cheeper - but not Fluke.
@@KissAnalog Well, especially in the industry the decisionmaker often has no time to go extensively into detail what to purchase- and in lots of cases, when some minor mistake can lead to costly happenings, many people like to play safe. And in regard of stability and security Fluke has build quite a reputation in the last 40 years, especially with their work (and some marketing) along the CAT ratings. For an amateur tinkerer that works on some battery circuits in his home lab, those are usually irrrelevant. But in the industry, where a power spike regularly WILL come along some big busbars, you really need equipemt that protects you. And the decisionmaker in buying a new (possibly 10 or 20 Multimeter for the whole staff that they are uniformly equipped) multimeter weighs in the following facts: - Does the multimeter has the appropriate features really needed for the job? (Maybe transistor check is nice, but not needed when measuring Voltages in a big machine) - CAT ratings in order? - Is a calibration certificate needed, and do we get one from the manufacturer or is it extra price? - When the meter breaks down, how costly is the downtime for the worker? - Does the multimeter has a good reputation to really hold up in a rugged environment? (Some sly people ask themselves, if that colorful prospect can be true...) As Fluke has a good reputation of being rugged and protecting the user from transients etc., it is in lots of cases the default route. Especially, when you can save maybe 200 $$$ or €€€ on a single device, but this is also the price for a repair if a multimeter is cracked due to a fall or some other accident. And on top of that the employee cannot work properly, so replacement has to be arranged. Altogether, this can be more costly than the price difference when buying... And where are the differences? In the professional world, here in germany we have Gossen Metrawatt, that also build very nice meters, but they are more expensive than fluke. Then you can get HPAK (HP/Agilent/Keysight) here, still with a premium over Fluke as street price. Other manufacturers like Amprobe/Beha/Benning are not bad, but mostly regarded as somewhat inferior to Fluke. Brymen and Hioki would be some candidates for good gear, that offers the same level of protection and ruggedness like Fluke does, but the premium models also come with their price tag attached... And yes, if you don't need all the features that a fluke DMM has to offer, then it is no shame to go for another brand/model. A professional worker also uses a different drill on a construction site (Hilti is quite popular in Europe), whereas at home you use some cheaper brand from the hardware store next to you...
@@nightfiremovingpictures5632 You are the dream customer for fluke. They pump out ordinary gear with a stupid price tag, and people like yourself lap it all up, enabling their rip off business practice.
@@procrastinator1842 Well, the point I was trying to make is a bit more complex, regarding the targeted userbase of Fluke. Thing is, as a private user which is tinkering at home (which I also do and repair stuff in my spare time) one does not need a rugged multimeter or the whole papertrail of conformity declarations. I own several Fluke multimeters- an old 8600A, a 45, and just recently acquired a 8020A from 1979- all of them Iot cheap in a very good condition. My main multimeter is nonetheless an Agilent U1272A for more sophisticated work. And if I would not have gotten them in good condition (Even got the Fluke 45 freshly calibrated for slightly more than what a calibration alone would have costed me), I would have turned towards other brands and models. So, for work in non-industrial environments you are probably better suited with some of the competitors devices. Same goes if you do not need reliable precision on a DMM that does not drift over the years. So, in this case you would not be the intended target audience of Fluke, simply because you do not need the features of this. (It is like here in germany years ago, as Mercedes was really living up to the name, nearly every taxi (cab) was a mercedes diesel, because of the build quality, long-living engine (some 500.000 km (approx 310.000 miles)) were usual mileage for those cars- simply because the owners knew what would cause over the years low costs of ownership) In industrial environments, you have to take care of a papertrail nowadays. This begins with work safety considerations, danger assessments of the areas you would like your people work into, overvoltage/transient protection etc. A branch of the company I work in does consulting for exactly this stuff, and regulations are going crazy nowadays. So you have as a company to be able to provide proof that the devices you are using to do your work will comply to several regulations. And some "CAT IV" sign printed on the Multimeter is not enough in case of trouble, you are required to provide certificates on paper proofing this. For the ones interested: There is some longer thread in the EEVBlog Forum regarding the tests a guy named Joe Q Smith (Also has a youtube channel) does regarding transient robustness regularly conducts- and where real-world findings sometimes not match with the theoretical robustness of the tested devices. Regarding this, multimeters that I personally would trust in this regard besides Fluke are Brymen, Gossen Metrawatt, Hioki, Agilent/Keysight. The pricing of those is not cheap either, when going for above CAT III/600Volts. Some practical aspects: The rotating knob of my Fluke 179 at work (about 10 years old) feels better that that of my Agilent U1272A in terms of build quality. The only better rotating knob i personally felt was that of a Gossen Metrahit Extra (or Pro?) that we also have at work. But this is nearly double the price of the Fluke 179... The magnetic hanger is some design I personally like, expecially after looking at the ideas of some of the competitors... Yes, the test leads Fluke bundles do not have the best price/performance ratio, this is true. But as test leads are in an industrial environment considered parts that undergo tear and wear, they eventually have to be replaced at certain intervals, so they could be exchanged with other brands that offer better bang for the buck. Bottom line: Fluke for sure (especially after being sold to Danaher/Fortive) really milks the cash out of his cow, but to be honest: If you need certain features in an industrial environment, there is some choice, but usually in the same league. If you do not need them, it is like driving some afforementioned Mercedes: It surely feels good to sit into one, but you could do equally well with some different brand and save some money... To be honest: As I was about to build my small bench at home, intended for some tinkering and repairing the usual stuff that breaks sometimes and/or get broken stuff for cheap and fix it and enjoy some cheap goods, I also asked myself the question "What do I need as devices?" and "Do I need to buy factory new?" Result: I got all of the mentioned multimeters I actually own, that are mentioned above, for about 500 € alltogether, the Fluke 45 even freshly calibrated. Some checks against this confirmed that all of my other gear was basically working within specs. If I would not have been able to get some good deals, I probably would have spend something in the price range of 150-200 € as a main multimeter and then some cheap stuff for additional use in case I would need a second reading. With my knowledge today after doing all this, I probably would go with my budget for some Brymen in the 7xx range, like the 786 (that was not available back then when I bought my first DMM).
I asked the same question some time ago. Then saw a video made by You Tuber Dave from EEV Blog. Fluke is meteorologically in the US. Uni-T, Samsung, Sumsing and Dum Fuk multimeters are not. Hence the price. And it doesn't mean to say that other meters are bad meters. The difference is, a measurement from a fluke multimemter can be used as evidence in a court of law. Dum Fuk unfortunately doesn't.
Thanks Paul -- I appreciate you! There are plenty of great buys that can be calibrated and put to use just as easy as any Fluke, so that's no reason for them to be so expensive. IMHO;) BTW, the defense contractors that I work for have everything calibrated every year - and non of it (as far as I know) goes back to Fluke. They have contracts with cal labs that do all the test equipment - regardless of make and model. There are exceptions with special one of a kind type of test gear.
@@KissAnalog I wouldn't me surprised if Cal Labs are an accredited calibration lab. I would feel very sorry for Fluke if everybody who owns a Fluke meter had to send it back to them for calibration. They would be overloaded having to calibrate all the thousands of meters sent back to them every day. I have also recently sent all my meters to Testo SA for calibration who are an accredited calibration lab in South Africa. They should be ready for me to pick up in January when I go back to work.
Thanks for sharing that!! Both great meters. I used both of those for awhile too, as a matter of fact, I might still have an 8000A;) If I do, I'll have to do a giveaway and make someone happy. Still a great meter. Today, i couldn't afford their bench top meters;)
Fluke is a very good and rugged meter I worked in a repair shop and shared one with the owner it got a lot of use every day for several years. It has good protection built into it.
No doubt about that - thanks for your feedback;) But there are others just as rugged that cost a lot less. I just started thinking how overpriced they are and so I had to let it out;) I have a Flir that is as accurate if not more so, has more features, and is more updated and rugged than a Fluke at twice the price.
Thanks Liam for the great questions! Any Fluke, ignoring the price is a nice product. The 101 and 107 are small and nice, but they are so expensive for what you get. The Amazon 90DM600 meter that I reviewed is a far better meter for less than the 107. Actually I reviewed a lower cost Amazon 90DM120 that is also much better than the 101. The Amazon meters are 3rd party tested, more rugged, and have more functions. Great example of Fluke overcharging. But they can. I guess this is why I did this video - to get people to consider the other options.
I came here after watching your review of the Amprobe AM-570. In that video, you mentioned that Amprobe is owned by the same parent company that owns Fluke and that they are tested by the same lab. Today, that Amprobe meter is around $160. I don’t know enough about any of this to talk shop, but it seems that Amprobe might offer meters are good as Fluke meters for a fraction of the price. And, yikes! That Fluke 189 is $350 USED! That’s too rich for my blood.
Yes the Amprobe is safety certified by a 3rd part amd comes with a better display and test leads, so is a far better option to a Fluke IMHO:) amzn.to/3xXkjDI
Great finally one who dare to be "blasphemic " :-) I think of the Bryman as a way better meter than the Fluke. 87 (6,000-20,000 count) vs Bryman BM839s (50,000-500,000 count) Also nearly every specification is better on the Bryman and the test leads should be top quality. Everything to half the price. Only thing that may be better on the Fluke, is how hard you can kick it. :-)
My old Fluke's gray case a few years ago started to loose it's foam cushion. For a while a black powder was all over the meter. Until it was all gone. It seems that Chinese copies of the Fluke cases may be made with somewhat more long-lasting padding material.
Wow - that's interesting! My gray cases, or some of them have done a similar thing. I think you have to keep them dry and away from any type of cleaner. They are very expensive and very cheep if you ask me;)
I enjoy watching your videos, although sometimes a little too long! haha (Only have so much time in the day don't you know). This one deserves a comment - I totally agree with Fluke being over priced, BUT I always end up using one ( Fluke ) of my many DMM's. (I don't have as many as you, but nine is more than anyone needs, and I'm not in the field as a professional). Klein, Sperry, Fluke, Kaiweets, Milwaukee, Snap-On, I have them all. My favorite being the 179 then the 87V. I even have the i1010 clamp which is awesome. I've just enjoyed collecting DMM's like women and shoes! Keep up the great videos! (Does that helicopter ever get flown??? haha)
That is actually a fantastic point!! I have grabbed a second meter just to verify that I'm getting a good measurement. Thank you! You can buy a Flir and an Amprobe for the cost of a single 87 and have more counts to begin with;) The 87 only has 6000 counts, but can do 20,000 at one sample per second (not so great).
The Amprobe hd 160c is the the most under rated, under the radar Industrial multimeter on the market. I would get that over the 87v max!!! Flir just isn't getting the respect! They are heavy hitters! UEi manufacturers klein meters which are the best bang for the buck. That klein insulation tester et600 at $150.00 is a force to reckon with! Great video and points!!!
I augmented my Simpson 360 with a Fluke 77 in 1983. It’s still with me and meets spec. The Simpson died in my dad’s house fire. Otherwise I’m certain it would still work too. Thirty-five to over forty years of service is a bargain. My advice, if you want a Fluke, buy a used one. My favorite meter is my used Fluke 189 with rechargeable batteries. I have newer more capable meters but I consistently grab the 189. That said, something on each of the newer meters is better than the 189. However, the older 189 has the optimal blend and the wonderful Fluke Auto-Hold which is literally a life-saver. I’m down to 4 Fluke meters and will likely sell my 87-IV but keep my 28ii.
Thanks Steven - that's really great feedback! My Simpson still works, but then so do my Radio Shack meters:) The 87 keeps getting small incremental improvements, I think to start the warranty over for those 'limited lifetime' warranties. Then they only have to worry about 7 or maybe 10 years. I love my 189 and is my best Fluke. I don't really care for my 289. But, I think I like my Amprobe better and I certainly like my Flir better. I also have an Amazon that I think I like better in many ways. Most of my jobs provide 87s by the droves. I think that is why Fluke hasn't changed that number - as they know many purchasing agents just keep buying it. I've never been asked which meter to buy - even as a senior engineer in the labs that I have worked. I do get asked which scope I want, but never which meter. It is like buying pencils and paper - it is a basic instrument. I remember seeing my first 189, by then they were not making it anymore so we only got a few... I think to a large degree they are living on the tax payer and the people buying for all the military defense contractors that don't take a second thought. I wish I knew about Flir years ago. I mean their multimeters, I knew and have used their cameras...
You called this one correctly in so many ways. I suspect I have a few years on you but it’s clear we’re both on the same page... After “The Great Thinning” I retained my 289 (my only new Fluke purchased since 1983), the 189, a 28ii purchased used but replaced by Fluke so new in July 2020, and a virtually new 87-IV. I also have a C.E.M. DT9989, Uni-T UT-181a, and Brymen BM869s. I gave my near-new C.E.M. DT9939 to my friend as a thank-you gift. I sold a 2nd Fluke 189 & 87-IV, as well as a Mastech MS8218. I may sell the remaining Fluke 87-IV since its purpose is covered by the 28ii. As a shameless plug, you can see my rather pathetic attempt at a RUclips posting as I review my hand-held meter collection. No pocket meters or bench meters. Search for Steven Jaynes
@@KissAnalog The Brymen BM869s is about as close to a Fluke 189 as you can get. I have both and like the the 869s display much better. I have a meter collection that might rival yours as far as DMM’s. I have 4 Triplett 630’s each a different variant from the 1950’s-80’s and a Simpson 260 series 7. 3 VTVM’s and one pristine BK FETM. 4 scopes..........test gear junkie.🤪🤪🤪
@@KissAnalog yepp, love my Bryman‘s, too. Have 4 of them and they´re great, precise, feature-packed and reliable. Big beasts, actually. They could have made the BM869s (and BM867s) a bit smaller, but I like it can measure two temperatures and show the difference. I love my BM235s, nice and small. Using them all with Probe Masters even though the original test leads are not bad either. But nothing compares to PMs 😜 I also have a Fluke 87v and a 117. The quality is also great and they are robust and reliable as well, but yes, really expensive.
Hey Eddie, You need to do a part 2 of the rant to complain about the cost of bench multimeters! Why should they cost 3 times the portable version? Because of a transformer and a plug? And they are usually only Cat 2 whilst the little one is usually Cat3 or 4! And try to find an LCR bench meter with ESR... Small aside: I dream and drool about a Keithley 2016 or 2015.... Cheers Mark
Informative video. I agree that the competition has caught up and in a sense clearly surpassed them. 2 questions. Your surname sounds like you have american indian ancestry. Plus, what are your views on the fluke 726. There is no meter that has the specs and range of sourcing that it has. It's incredibly expensive. Uni-T has one with like 80% of the specs with colour for like 50% the price. What do you think ? Thanks.
Thanks so much! Yes the 726 is over $1000 I believe. This meter is under $200 and maybe it will do what you want. If not, let me know what you are looking to calibrate. amzn.to/3qMwST6
Thanks for the recommendation. Interesting but it's a far cry from what the 726 can do. Was looking at use in processing plants like methanol, other crude oil downstream and or natural gas plants. RTD and hart enabled devices. Pressure calibration testing etc. They all will only recognize fluke though.
You're obviously a brave man! You've decided to bell the (yellow) cat here and that takes some fortitude. Perhaps the greatest influence in the buying process is that which is reviewed on Amazon, You tube etc. Take for example, a meter billed as 'heavy duty, industrial grade' by a known brand with good specs and seemingly rugged construction; Multiple posts about broken selector switches on that, would cause one to look at Fluke for comparison. Especially when even the lowest priced product will end up costing the buyer a small fortune. Flukes appear to be very durable and the used market is always awash with them. Not so other brands. Is it that lower cost meters are performing adequately and buyers decide to keep them, or is it lack of resale value? Thanks for the enjoyable reviews - particularly the Amprobe AM570 and the Amazon 90DM600 posts.
Thanks Jack - great feedback! Flukes are made rugged - no doubt, but there are cometitors with just as durable equipment, and at lower costs. Fluke is just given so much credit that people do not consider the price, they just choose Fluke. The resale is great because of the price is so high and they are rugged and respected that they many look for used instead of new. Lower cost meters people haven't put so much out to purchase so not as much concern in getting their money back if not used. You can also ask, if they are so great, why don't people keep them forever instead of either bailing out or wanting something better so putting them up for sale. Fluke is a great product, just over priced IMHO;)
@@KissAnalog I thought I told you I figured it out. It's your beloved tecktronics scope. Mr Carlson has a fluke one he told me he bought it used and fixed it. They cost 9899 here in canada plus 15 percent tax hahaha be cool to be able to buy one and have the skill to fix it. For me I'm saying, as I'm sure you could do it as well haha
I'm in need of a clamp meter that can measure DC current between 100mA-4 Amps. I really don't want to pay more than like 70€ since I probably will never use it again after my measurements are done. Any Amazon recommendations?
It looks like you picked one out. A lot of the clamp on meters are meant for high current, so I like to look for one that has a lower current range. Like 6 Amps instead of 60A.
Like you I have several fluke meters, however there are things our trusty analog meters can do that I have found digital meters just can’t compete. Try tracing an intermittent earth ground fault in a fire alarm system, I have watched a digital meter, 3 different model flukes fail to detect the ground. The cheapest analog picked it right up, I saw the flicker of the needle movement which led me to the fault and got the thing fixed. I love my fluke but I also love my trusty Simpson 360 as well.
That is awesome feedback - and another reason lower end Flukes just don't do the trick - but do you want to pay for their high end meters? There are other brands that do measure micro amps, which is what you need to compete with the nice analog meters. Great point! I always like the analog meters - and I still actually prefer them on power supplies for the same reason. Thank you!
Well , big companies buy large qty of them and they certainly get a discount that can go 40% less in price . Government departments have contracts with corporations buying expensive is good for national interest ,jobs, income tax returns and covering inflation.
Thanks for this feedback! The large defense contractor that I worked for last leased their equipment (or most of it), and they didn't get much of a discount. They get some services (supposedly), but I think leasing provides a write off so they don't really care what they spend on equipment (buy vs lease). There is typically a buy discount that you can get after a lease, but I don't know if I've ever seen that taken advantage of. They just extend the lease as long as someone like me says - yes I still need that scope. Multimeters are in the noise so no one really even thinks twice. I know when we saw the 189 appear in some labs, that we all wanted that meter, but then it was discontinued.
One of my flukes meter stopped functioning--77iii. I traced the problem to one of the two ics and called to get the part. They wanted me to send that one in and upgrade to the 77iv-- the cost for the upgrade was $200-$300. I also have the Fluke 233 that has a loose connection--if you hit it just right, it will work. It was determined that I dropped it; therefore, I'm responsible for the repair which is over two hundred. I have the 87 and the LCD has a problem--it is not the digits but the coating is flaking away. So, I have to ask--are these meters built to be as robust as they want us to believe? Are we brainwashed to believe that you must have HRC fuse, MOVs, PTCs and etc. How many spikes does it take to make those components useless? As I have stated several times--safety starts with the user. Input protection is like insurance, but insurance doesn't prevent accidents. My first multimeter was analog--RS. My first professional studies in electronic was with a Simpson Analog meter. At that time they were noted as the best. It seems that the modern companies or corporations reach a certain level and live off their previous successes--they become stagnated. The cheap meters have come along way. There are other brand named meter that have more features and cost about a quarter as much. And their safety and robustness approach the Fluke level. I think your rant touches on several key points. Thanks for the video.
Wow - you make many great points! I was actually on a call with Fluke today to see if I can get my 189 repaired. I have to mail it in and wait to see if it is out of warranty or if they will agree to fix it. I think it’s just a way to get me to buy the upgrade like they asked you to. I know the company I worked for that my lab had at least 30 model 87s. They chuck them when they don’t work - because it is cheaper to buy a new one then to pay for the repair and the calibration. They won’t even let an employee buy them. They don’t care about a $500 meter. Sad!
You could be right about the cost vs functionality ratio. Certainly the accessories are expensive and I feel ought to be included in the higher cost meters - things like a thermocouple are additional costs, the logging software is additional cost and only works if you buy an additional IR sensor to plug in. Those Fluke 287/289 ought to be programmable and come with the accessories needed to do that. They aren't good value for hobbyists - you could get a good bench meter for that sort of price. In some respect Fluke are a bit like Keysight: their tools aren't really 'hobbyist' focussed purely on a cost vs functionality basis either. I can't fault Fluke customer service though, that has been excellent in my experience. I guess with a $70 dollar meter you wouldn't care, just chuck it and get something else - you could get a lot of replacements for the same $600 Fluke! Shouldn't ignore specs either: some people will require a degree of accuracy offered by the more expensive meters but again, probably not many hobbyists. > 213 comments!! I think you've touched a nerve with this posting.
Thanks Andrew - you are always appreciated! I agree with you, but I'd take it a step further and not limit their need for hobbyist. I'd say that any professional should compare to such competitors like Klein, Flir, Amprobe, and Brymen, just to name a few. The accessories like magnetic strap holders, or their cheep cases are just too expensive as well and should be included in a meter costing $500 or $700 without having to pay even more for their packages.
Thanks Ian! I agree, when someone else is buying equipment, I like to have nice bench tops that I can stack, and have a few handhelds that I can move around. And my own lab I really like my Keithley benchtop;)
I agree with you Robert! I think some like to say - I have 'such and such brand'. I do like snap on - but I am happy with the ones that were given to me. I'll buy different brands - and I know I'll need to pay for quality, but not snap on prices;)
You might like the 117 it’s not meant for a bench tho, it’s about liability, if someone has an oopsy the question is always what we’re they doing, what were they thinking and what did they use..... if your a professional electrician the quality of the tool needs to be understood, most electricians I suppose don’t know or care about what a Mov is or what it does let alone how they should be stacked. If you buy anything but a fluke then I think it wise to take it apart and see what it is made out of, and I personally will never use a meter that comes standard with non blast resistant fuses Edit: at least not on higher voltages
Great comment. Thank you! But, even when it is about liability, there are better lower cost options. It is just a matter of selecting a meter with 3rd party testing that shows the safety cert. An inexpensive Amazon meter has that, and a much better IP rating, as well as better features. This is what I mean - Fluke is the default for so many without knowing that there are lower cost options - thus Fluke charges what they want and get it.
Ah, the venerable Simpson multimeter...there were no digitals when I was in school. I can't even consider a Fluke based upon my budget although I have considered getting an 8050a as they are now in my price range. Gotta love the marketing for Fluke though! (I don't think the Fluke money truck is going to stop at the Aho lab anymore LOL)
LOL you are right Tim! What am I thinking? Where am I going to get sponsors;) Oh well - I can't be a hypocrite. Since this RUclips channel started, I had to find meters that I thought were what I needed - and to my surprise and/or shock I could not see paying the price for Fluke. When did they get sooo expensive? They always were - but man - nowadays they cost more than oscilloscopes!
I think it is a great meter, and has lots of nice features. Is not as super robust in regards to the case I don’t think, but in the lab, I think it’s great!
I agree with your perception and Flukes value. For what the hand held multimeters are they cost wayyyy tooo much. Look at what a budget level smart phone can do. I do have more trust in the safety ratings Fluke labels on their meters. I don't trust nor am I confident in the safety ratings labelled on meters by manufactures located in a certain country known for poor quality products. I have no problem trusting other quality brands. I do a lot of work with 460v machinery and when I'm working on those machines I have my Fluke. I have confidence in it. ( Its been with me to every state in the US ) I also admit I'm simply not very familiar with other brands, but as I have watched your channel and Dave's at EEOV blog I see there are other high quality options in meters. Thanks for your effort in these videos.
Thanks Sam for this great feedback! I don't blame you with 460 V - you have to be safe! The Amprobe, also owned by the same company that owns Fluke now is also third party tested for safety and is a fraction of the cost with great test leads. Also check out Klein, Hioki, Amazon Commercial, and FLIR, as well as others. All have better features, displays, and lower cost - IMHO;)
I agree with you. Fluke doesn't seem to be doing any innovation. They seem to be relying on their name and reputation as selling points. To include TL75 leads with a $500 meter and just ridiculous. Other companies are starting to show real innovation with design and function and Fluke is only going to be able to rest on their name and reputation for so long before they start losing sales and market share.
I agree - every since they were bought out - the new owners have been getting by on all those who still believe they are the best... I'm afraid that the lights might come on and they will be too far behind to recover...
it depends of job you work, i work most repair on industrial electronics, i have two 179 Fluke and one 123, with these i resolve any problem, and for me are the best :)
Once you find your tool that works - why look elsewhere;) Thanks Marin for sharing your experience! I just want to say to those that are looking to buy - maybe Fluke is just over priced. So many say buy Fluke without knowing what other great options there are.
It does depend on who is buying;) Defaulting to Fluke I don't think is the answer - not these days - too many other lower cost and maybe better options.
For anyone thinking the Flukes are bullet proof, I got one of the early 87"s I will sell you cheap (parts only) no display at all and Fluke says they are obsolete so they don't repair them. No reason for it to die that I know of.
@@KissAnalog With the investment you have in this meter, you would be remiss to not try to repair it. The thing is that the problem seems to be the main chip and it's Fluke propriety, so it's not repairable. I have a Radio Shack meter, probably 30 years old that still works. I have a Southwire clamp meter that failed and they sent me a new one, no problem. I have a Fieldpiece, with removable clamp, and a place to attach the leads, and a magnet with a strap for hanging. IMHO Fluke is overpriced, even their cheap meters lack the performance and features of their competitors.
Yeah.... We don't know whether or not, cheaper brands would survive as long, because most of these brands and their products, do not exist for that long. So, not a good argument whatsoever.
Thanks for the feedback, but there really isn’t any reason that a Solid state piece of gear should die - unless it has aluminum electrolytic capacitor. I also have several of my radio shack meters that cost a fraction of the cost of the Fluke, and they all still work too. So does that Simpson which is much older. Also that is a manual ranging meter so I rarely use it.
Anton# great point! Thank you! I have friends who are hobbyist that can’t afford the more expensive meters and they’ve had them for years - there is no reason for them to die;)
@@KissAnalog Thanks. Well, I actually am in a similar position. I study electrical engineering and do not have money for an expensive meter. All my meters cost below 30$ and I do bench stuff, work on cars and do stuff around the house with them. And they are solid.
@@KissAnalog Cheap components is a high probability in cheap meter... But they cost so little it's not a big deal if they die after a few years. I would trust a cheap meter for anything high power. Mostly because I doubt their class ratings are accurate, and their leads are likely not up to the task either. But there are more brands than Fluke out there that are built well. A $400 87v is way more than most need. A $100 Fluke 107 is plenty for most people, and the 101 is $50... But if you need a bit more, their midrange options are good. Still, there are brands that give good bang for the buck in the $50-$125 price range. And I trust them to actually meet the specs they claim. Teardowns show them to be decently put together as well.
I was wondering if youve had a look at the Chinese (Fluke 17B+ meters)-? I bought one for a far more reasonable $120 and I was very surprised - it seems to be a very well made meter, and feels like real quality in the hand with great input protection and a quality PCB build using tantalum caps like you would expect to see in any fluke - though its not TRMS which I knew before hand and for my use that will never matter. Not a large cap range but I knew that before also. Again though as I outlined below I also own what I consider some pretty good value budget meters like the Habotest HT118A and no its not filled with killer input protection, but for many who just use a meter for DIY around the house or hobby repair bench use they can be just as accurate and useful if used properly and offer good functionality value for the money. Im also very impressed with some of then newest reggedized designs from UniT, I have their UT191T thats IP65 rated for around $65 or so and its one of the nicest meters for the money ive seen anywhere. In this same model lineup theres also a large UT195E in three different configs. thats around $135, and more recently they offer a direct competitor to Flukes 17B+ which is also called a 17B+ and its a very nice meter for around $60 with good input protection though it has no IP rating.
Thank you so much for this great information! I haven't had the 17B+ meter yet, but it does look like one of their better price/performace machines. I just think it is too bad that they didn't put TRMS in it - they could have for nothing much more, but they don't want to kill off their 87;) Fluke does make quality pieces, just over priced IMHO. I really like the Amprobe that I have and the Amazon Commercial meters that I have. As you say, the HT118A is nice, but maybe not the rugged feel of the Amprobe or Amazon meters.
@@KissAnalog - All good points, in view of that take a look at the UT191T, its IP65 rated, true rms and fully sealed. I have one of them also and one of the biggest pluses is its got three various certifications the 17B+ doesnt have. Take a look at Darren Walkers review on the UT191T I think youll see a lot more of what it sounds like youre looking for.
Boy, you let Fluke havit in this video! I also love to rant about stuff, but you are #1!!!! I'm looking for a reasonably priced Insulation Meter and I like 5KV. Can you do some comparison -and include Fluke....ha ha ha- ASAP please? I'm considering few, but Fluke is so much more, double or more and only goes to 1KV! But I like to have it to do more than just insulation testing, like many of the compatible to the more expensive IM. Thanks again!!! ---After I posted above, RUclips censorship me!!! Look what the heck??? Can I say something like include Fluke and not get censored? What is this, some socialist/communist system I've escaped from in 1981????? WOW!
Thanks Tony! I was trying to open peoples eyes - to make them think before they just buy. I didn’t mean to bust your chops or those other guys. But I guess it can’t be helped. Wow, so I see a line through part of your text above is that what you mean by the Cenzorship? I did get an email from our friends about my video - so I guess they’re watching. I’ll probably hear more next week.
@@KissAnalog I think it isn't censorship but they didn't think - grammarvise - that I needed that part - but they are wrong in this case! I know my English is funny, but that is all I can do with my brain! ha ha ha And I don't think you busted any "chops" on me or the other guys agreeing with you. I do have Fluke 289, because I wanted data logging and also option to connect it to my PC.... It is a nice meter and I don't need it too often, but it is accurate. Just purchased another tester to check how accurate my meters are. This one is inexpensive AD584 based from China - where else!? ha ha ha Tested my Fluke 289 and it is right on the money. What is interesting how the most inexpensive meter from Harbor Freight costing on sale $5.00 or so is also accurate! Not as many digits, but for that you must pay at least $50+. What do you think about review Insulation Meter upto 5KV? Thanks for your comments and videos!
I like that FLIR that I bought I think better than my 289:) Better display and lower cost;) I still haven't used the data logging feature - but I will;)
Fluke is all about the “upsell”. Fluke is a good meter but they always limit the features so that if you want all features (cap, temp, mA, hertz, etc.) you must buy multiple meters. Price aside, few Flukes are fully-features, where many competitors are.
I still have my Simpson 260. Yet, I adore my Fluke 8060A. Ya bout to slap me, ain't ya? :) But wait! My go-to multimeter, these days, is the Brymen 869s.
All great meters! I also love the 8060A, and it is a favorite even though I use my Hioki as my go to meter;) I might switch to Dave's meter though - we will see how the review goes;)
@@KissAnalog I've never used a Hioki, but I've seen your reviews. I look forward to hearing your experiences with Dave's 121. Love your work, Eddie. Cheers!
Great question! It is my opinion that it is just a well built Chinese meter, but that’s it! It is only a 4K count meter and not TRMS as I believe. It should be priced below $40. Bad choice for a meter, and I don’t even think Fluke shows it on their website. And it comes with terribly stiff leads. At a price just a little higher you can get a hugely better meter in a Testo amzn.to/3L2fHSn
That is my biggest fluke complaint is the small difference in each model in each series, take 116 , 115 and 117, why three models 5hat basically due 5he same whing with minor differences
Thanks - I agree! Same in the 70 and 80 series meters. It's just a way to show that there are some meters available at a lower cost, but then knowing that many people will rationalized stepping up and paying a little more for the next higher number in the series. I really don't know but the price is high and people will pay it just because of the name on the meter. Many don't even consider another brand as many are really just ignorant to the competition. I've found this to be true in the circles that I've been in. And, by many of the comments I see. I was a huge Fluke fan before I started this channel, but now I have several meters that I like better - and not just because they cost a fraction less.
Great question Mike. I have an MM700 that I plan to do a review on very soon;) From what I can tell now, it feels great in the hand and seems very rugged. I also has a nice display, and comes with very nice leads and a case. I'll try to get the video out maybe this weekend.
@@KissAnalog Wow, thanks. I really didn't expect a targeted response. Just thought I would throw it out there. I have been eyeballing it wondering if it was worth it. I do like my Klein hand tools and thought it might be a solid low cost alternative to Fluke, etc. Thanks for the personal response. I just want something reasonably accurate. It doesn't need to be industrial grade.
I have same meter. I purchased it over the fluke. I was a radar repairman for years, I used a simpson. Fluke is no better than anything else. Everything is operator error in the end.
I do like my old fluke 867b and my gossen mavo meter, but new price of theese two is around 1000usd, quite an eyeopener, never thought the commercial guys could get to me, hmm they did
Yep. Flukes are expensive. 87 series seems to be a default standard in industrial world and the 117 series in the electrical world, for better or worst. The high cost has to include the lifetime warranty, 10 years min, past the models end of life. Do not know of any other meter that has lifetime warranty. Agree with you on the 187 and 189 series, excellent meters, battery life could be better..
Thank you for your feedback - and this great point. You are right - the 87 has become the standard - we had stacks of them at my last job. But that leads to my question - are they not over priced? The cost of the warranty for the 87 would be wrapped into that meter's high cost (maybe 3 times the competitor). It is actually 10 years from purchase and 7 years after models end of life. That might account for the incremental updates to the meter to end of life models every couple years? But I'm also referring to the cost of all their meters being over priced for what you get - compared to the competitor's meter (which are also 3rd party tested and actually have better IP ratings). Except for the 87, the other meters warranty is 3 years from the date of purchase. Maybe the extraordinarily high priced 289 might have the limited lifetime as well. My Flir is also limited lifetime and is a more updated, higher quality meter in my estimation (better display and features), and cost near half of the 87.
I'm pretty new to the electrical field, and every time I look at buying a Fluke I just get turned away by the price of them. I've used Fluke meters of course, and they are generally about as good as it gets at what they do. However, plenty of other brands are nearly just as good while having more features and costing much less. For an everyday meter I see no reason to buy from Fluke. That said, for more precise or specialized meters Fluke may be worth the money. For example I can only think of a single direct alternative to Fluke's process meters, and it seems a little sketchy. I also don't know that I've seen any alternatives to their milliamp clamp meters. If you thought Fluke's normal meters were pricey then you may not even want to see what their specialized products cost, but sometimes it seems like there isn't a real alternative you can trust. I hate to imagine spending the money on their stuff myself, but if I wasn't concerned with buying it Fluke is usually what I would want to use.
Thanks for this feedback. For a high-end meter, I think this Hioki is the best that I have used: Hioki DT4282 vs Fluke 189 multimeter; Hi-Res version - box opening and teardown Hi-Res version For the other meters, Keithley, Extech, Hioki, and GW Instek are just a few of the great alternatives!
In my country Fluke meters are very expensive even the ones that came from China. I think Sanwa is a much better buy than Fluke in terms of price to performance ratio. Btw nice rant, very useful info.
Great feedback - thank you! I have thought about picking up a Sanwa so maybe I should. I don't see much about them and there's been a few other comments about them. Thanks!
I like the Fluke dial and glad it's on my 87v. Something about the click that I've just become accustom to. Other meters feel cheap to me. The standard leads are garbage tho
There is certainly the ‘what feels good to me’ aspect that is real and a personal choice that has value. I’ve used more Fluke 87s then any other meter, and I never really questioned it, until a 189 came into the lab;) That became my favorite! Now, my eyes have been opened and I have several that I like;) But there is nothing wrong with sticking with the one you like.
@@KissAnalog I'm an elevator contractor and had all my guys come to the shop where I laid out several components to test their knowledge and meter quality. We tested a full range of capacitors from the picofarad and up, measured forward voltage on diodes/ bridge rectifiers, took various voltage readings on both AC and DC circuits, and measured various coils and resistors for continuity. The Fluke 87v beat every meter in range and speed. The speed of the readings were actually the most impressive. The 87v is definitely a high quality product. Granted, some of the meters it tested against didn't have the resolution of the 87v, however, the speed of each reading was very impressive especially on a full range of capacitors. There's nothing I've seen that truly compairs. The above test would make a very interesting video. I do agree with the shitty leads and the crazy price of upgrading them. I replace my leads at least twice a year.
AvE did a review on a FRuke pickle fork in April 2018 , Didn't work right straight out the package.... I love my NeoTeck and my old Simpson like you have, although the batteries are very pricey....... I like a needle movement instrument on my bench...
One of the few videos I watched of theirs. Sadly what didn't work out of the package was the reviewer. Their inability to read some basic instructions led to making several mistakes. I was asked by several people to replicated their their findings. Feel free to look it up.
Check out the Snap on EEDM596F I do not understand why other meter makers haven't made something like that sooner in design and function. They don't wanna make the perfect meter because they would lose sales on other models, its a mob thing!
It is interesting that there are not more automotive specific meters. There is no doubt that Snap on is able to offer the best prices as they are also a high priced vendor. Great question - thank you! BTW, nice channel;)
I’ve owned a Fluke 78 and a Fluke 87. After years of drinking the koolaid I switched to Klein. There is zero reason they are overpriced. You can find a Klein meter for 1/4 the price. Not looking back to fluke.
Has anyone used the new Craftsman Multimeter (Cat III, True RMS) at Lowe's for $59.99? ...... . I researched it, it was actually manufactured by UEi (same company that makes multimeters for Mac Tools and Klein)
OK, you have had me eyeballing the BK meters;) I had one years ago, and it might be kicking around still. They were great meters back in the day - and I imagine that they still are. I might just have to get one. Thank you!
I'm biased to them vs the flukes because that's what we learned to use in college but I've used flukes as well in the lab and they are good. I tend to like more the BK's I recently bought the 393 a couple weeks back and I really love it. I just wish the backlight was a little better or designed slightly different but its still good. If you get one do a video review and tag me on it I would love to watch!
Thanks for the question. I think there are a number of great choices. If you want something with 3rd party safety ceritifications, there's still lots of options. The Amprobe AM570 is one of them;) I've done a review on this one: ruclips.net/video/eXpOGmTzqts/видео.html
Yes you are so right! When you compare the prices, sometimes $100 to $200+ less expensive for the exact same meter under Fluke brand. It is like Apple, they can't sell anything for cheaper price; or the Fluke stop selling them wholesale prices!
For my short life in the electrical world (14years) I have to say I believe Fluke to be more hype than they deserve. I do not see the build quality I'd expect for the price. I own 5 probably worth 4k. 28ii, 376FC, 117, 1587FC, 1630-2FC. Fluke connect is the only feature i feel innovative that i appreciate. Not one screen is impressive, they are slow, the switches dials feel cheap, the standard leads SUCK, the magnetic hook up is goofy. and all lack in features that companies like Klein make standard. I own a Klein cl900 that I think is a better meter than my fluke 376fc. The price difference is ridiculous. Someone sits in an office and figures out how to pair up features with meters to get you to buy more than one or an accessory like the i400 clamp (AC only) which costs more than the Klein cl900 meter (AC/DC). ITS NOT WORTH IT. My opinion is you are paying for count, resolution, and name. I bought a fluke 28ii (most people wouldnt buy because of price) before they came out with 87v max (same exact meter most people own an 87v) Naming it the 87 got them selling again. Id appreciate you comparing some Kleins like the mm700 and the cl900 to all the others. Klein leads are horrible but they have everything most Flukes lack at a 1/4 price. I respect you for saying FLUKE is sticking it to its customers with no innovation.
I really appreciate this great feedback from someone who owns Flukes and works with them. I too like Klein, I’m glad to hear a professional likes them as well. I have 2 that I’ll review very soon. I agree with what you have said here. I have used Flukes for years and have not been impressed with them for a long time, but then came the Fluke 189 which I thought finally! Now it is discontinued. I think because of the warranty on the high end meters...life time means 10 years as far as I can tell. At the price, they should be. After starting this channel I really opened my eyes and went from not impressed to totally dismayed that they had my loyalty for all those years;)
I did beta testing for Agilent handheld meters about 10 years ago when they were first developing their Bluetooth modules and receiver (they also work with phones and tablets). This was before Fluke was even hinting at coming out with anything that allowed remote readings. Since then a lot of other brands have incorporated Bluetooth into their testers either directly, or, like Agilent via a separate module. The one thing I thought was interesting about Fluke's implementation were the removable screens in their 1st gen wireless units which are great in facilities where you're not allowed to bring a phone or tablet in, or just for speed (rather than pulling out a phone, starting an app, pairing, etc.). But from what I understand it's morphed into the Fluke Connect cloud based service which you have to pay a subscription for to use. Nickels and dimes. Nickels and dimes.
sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a way to get back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid lost the login password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me.
@Ben Fabian instablaster ;)
@Briggs Major Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and im trying it out atm.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
I'd like to hear more of your rants, listening to someone with obviously a lot of experience in the field is really interesting for me. Keep it up!
That you Philip! I appreciate you and your feedback!
Fluke meters are expensive for many reasons, none of which has anything to do with protection:
1) Lifetime warranty
2) Build quality and proven measurement confidence. Those that don't understand the concept of measurement confidence have never work in a professional field that takes metrology seriously.
3) Longevity of production. What other maker still has the same model available after almost 30 years? For many clients, e.g. military, this is a BIG deal. Again, if you don't know why that's important then you've never worked on military stuff.
4) Made in the USA
5) They pioneered the field the field of digital meters and became the defacto standard. They don't *have* to make cheap meters, they have a massive professional client base that demand their meters.
6) They maintain world class calibration labs and standards.
Thanks so much for this great feedback! It’s funny that you and I just posted videos on this subject! I appreciate you!
I agree on your point regarding the price, but the main reason I stopped using my Fluke 289 meters is the very old style screen and the slow user interface. It takes forever and a day to plot readings compared to almost any other comparable meter. Every other graphing meter I used was waaaay faster and generally nicer to use. I picked up a CEM DT-9989 and 2 Uni-T 181A for the same price as ONE(!) of my flukes (+ fluke connect kit). I ended up liking the Uni-T meters so much they have pretty much replaced the flukes for almost all my daily usages. Safety was not a huge concern as I only work on mains rarely and even then nothing like the 2ohm sources that the cat ratings call for.
The Fluke eats batteries like crazy, its slow to start and slow to graph, and the bluetooth is very poorly integrated - it is clearly an after-the-fact hack rather than a capability built into the product from the beginning. The Uni-T also has a 100KHz bandwidth (and an optional low-pass filter, of course), and the battery lasts ages and the screen is the nicest I've seen on any meter, particularly when looking at AC, DC and AC+DC at the same time, or min, max, avg all at once etc.
Thank you! You make many great points here. I am so used to the Fluke 87, when I saw a 189 come to the lab - I was so happy to see some innovation! Wow, a two line screen! LOL, now that I do RUclips, I see there are many other better choices that actually cost less;)
Enjoyed the rant! I'm a hobbyist/homeowner and I felt the itch to get a Fluke for a long time, because "that's what the pros use." So I bought a 115. It was expensive for what it does, and the display is poor. It's definitely rugged though. I bought an Amprobe AM570 around the same time for the a similar cost and it's a beast! I love that meter. When I recently decided I need a clamp meter I got a Klein. I don't feel the Fluke itch anymore and it's nice to see someone more knowledgeable say what I saw too. It just doesn't seem to be worth it.
Thanks Scott for your feedback! I'm glad to see you got rid of that itch;) I did a some months back - but it was there for years;) The AM570 is a great meter.
Most well informed hobbyists nowadays know to get a Brymen. Preferably the BM869S or if budget is tight the BM867s (misses a few functions but is a third cheaper)
Very good build quality, well thought out design, high accuracy and less than half the price compared to similar flukes (in case of the bm869s, fluke doesnt even have anything similar spec/accuracy wise!)
BTW my Fluke 115 came with silicone leads with nickel plated probes with 4mm tips which is I think a good combination as it's more an electricians meter than an electronics meter.
Fluke is a good brand for large corporations. The higher end ones are easy to calibrate (ie iso17025/dakks) and that process can be virtually automated.
Ideal for corporations that buy 2000 289's and have their own calibration center.
Btw the brymen bm869s can also be calibrated (other models probably too), only the known method is not automated, so finding a lab to do so is less easy.
As far as safety goes the only potential dangerous situation a non pro can encounter is for example a VFD with running motor (on for instance a lathe or big drill/saw) that doesn't run right and then start troubleshooting. Inductive loads can pack a punch well above the feed voltage.
Thanks for the great feedback! I too like Brymen, but they are hard to find in the US, so I picked up a Greenlee which is a rebranded Brymen.
Great video!
The thing about Fluke is they don't make a mid-high end and reasonably priced general purpose ELECTRONICS multimeter anymore.
I was recently in the market for a mid-high end multimeter for bench electronics use. I thought about getting a 87V, but you only get max 20000 count on high res mode, which is even lower than the cheap uni-t 61e 22000 count, not to mention the defaulting to ac annoyance for quite a few ranges.
The 287 and 289 are better suited for electronics, but are expensive, chews through batteries, boot up takes a long time and the lcd response is slow.
Even though I don't work with high energy sources, I did kill two uni-t 61e with low energy high voltage transients before, which I've never managed to do with my fluke 17b+. So I wanted something what Joe Smith would describe as 'electrically robust' .
Watching reviews on the internet, esp Joe Smith's reviews, I went with a Brymen bm869s and could not be happier. Fast, accurate, precise, good UI and UX, dual display, cat iv 1000v etc.
If Fluke 87v was 50000 count by default, and remembered last used function on each range switch position, I'd get it in a heartbeat even if I'd pay a premium compared to the Brymen. I wish they did not stop producing the 187 and 189.
Great input! I agree with you. That is interesting about the transients. What were you testing?
I also like my Greenlee/Brymen, but I also like my Amprobe, Flir, and even the Amazon Commercial. The 87 needs a major update, better screen, and lower price to ever turn my head again.
About 15 or so years ago I had a Fluke T5-1000 (or whatever it was called back then). The meter has slots to put the probes in so you can hold one probe onto some ground point and hold the meter in the other hand to probe around. Anyway I was testing inside a control panel with 230vac to earth. Suddenly I got a huge shock through my hand as I gripped the meter. It wasn’t immediately obvious what had happened until I got out into the sunlight, and could see that the batteries had leaked and the liquid was sleeping out though the gaps around the battery cover. I don’t know if the battery liquid had tracked across the pcb to the red probe or if the battery terminals are always at the red probe potential.
Thanks for that story - crazy and scary! I think that is why many meters today keep the battery compartment separated from the PCB. Glad it turned out only to be a scary story - could have been worse!
When you just focus on safety and/or function range, you’re absolutely right. But in my time in MVS cal, I saw some very shitty meters which were cheaper yes, but in terms of accuracy, precision and stability, I never saw something comparable to a Fluke meter. Keysight does some kinda neat meters, GMC as well, others yes. But send them in for Cal, you will be surprised how far they have drifted from their factory cal. Especially in the AC range.
Most 87-5 Meters I did were bang on the value tested, even after years.
Sidenote to the Tek Meters: They were later sold under Fluke brand 😜.
Thanks so much for this great feedback! I'd think that in the last, say 10 years, with meter manufacturers including fluke using pretty much the same chips - I wonder if this has closed the gap? Also, did you test Flir or Amprobe meters?
Thanks for the verification of the Tek/Fluke meter - I had only heard ramblings of this before;) They are both owned by Danaher so I believed the stories;)
3:07 Fluke 289 has parallax error too. You cant see whats on the screen unless you look straight at it 😅
The display is definitely not on par with the cost;) IMHO
I absolutely loved this video, and I am not afraid to say I completely agree with you. There are many options out there that a far more affordable, have far greater functionality and are every bit as safe as a Fluke. I bought Flukes because of the hype and peer pressure. However my techies pointed out many of the same points you made here. So in recent years we've been buying Klein and Ideal meters. We now get so much more for much, much less. And we have better stands... 👍🏼
I appreciate you being real.
Thanks so much Geaoge! I appreciate you!
This was a nice change from the usual reviews. Thanks!
Thank you! I appreciate you!
Great video, I enjoyed your rant and agree with most of what you say. I've got three flukes an 87-3 a 116 and an old 23. The 23 is my go to meter because it's so reliable and easy to use. Still really accurate. I bought mine all second hand as I couldn't justify the new price. The 116 and 87-3 were like new and I got them really cheap. If you want a fluke buy a really good used one, there are bargains out there.
Thanks for sharing that! I agree, most of the time I buy usedFlukes, but I’ve been burned too many times now, so that’s not working for me. By the time I find out why the meter was up fir sale , it’s too late to complain:(0
I was a great Fluke fan for several decades but, at last, just a couple of months ago I purchased one from a reputable Chinese manufacturer for just a fraction from Fluke equivalent. For my surprise it is very precise, a par with my Flukes, and makes all it proposed. But the proof leads are very superior with lower resistance and way more flexible.
Thanks for your feedback! I found out the same when I started this channel:)
Super entertaining! There are so many options and choices now days, it amazing to be an electronics student or getting into the trade and engineering. Appreciate your time putting this video together.
Thank you! Are you in training? What country?
@@KissAnalog Am in my mid 40s from software background. Have started learning electrical and electronics in the last 3 years. Your videos are fun and helpful in my learning progress. Will be building more control systems with Arduino this year so your oscilloscope videos are wonderful.
The fact that Fluke sell models only available in China, for less than the equivalent international versions, says it all to me.
I'm too tight to buy a Fluke anyway.
Isn't that the truth! Great point! I caught myself almost buying a Fluke from China so that I could use it in my review - then I got sober;)
Abbbbsolutely, and not just “less” but *significantly less* ....
@@KissAnalog Dave from EEVBlog did that some years ago- the inside was actually quite nice, but a basic design, but no compromise on safety. Accuracy obviously not as good as the top models, but decent and usable for the most basic tasks.
@@KissAnalog Why is it, that we in the US must pay the highest price - look what the medical cost is. We can go to Canada and buy them at much lower price than if we buy them here! I wish Trump was re-elected, he would make even Fluke bend for us in the US!!!
Tony - you have asked the million dollar question! You would think with the US buying power that we would have the better lower priced options...
I agree with everything you have said here. My Fluke 87V which I bought back in 2016, was most probably manufactured in China for Fluke because nowhere on it does it say "made in USA" anymore. It might still be up to Fluke's standard, but the production cost must be way down, yet it's still priced way up there! It doesn't come with a carrying case, doesn't come with quality silicone leads but cheap ass, stiff PVC ones instead. Fluke have rested on their laurels for so many years now, that China has caught up and even surpassed them in many cases, with innovative high-quality products which offer a much, much better value for money ratio.
Well said! Better leads is a basic must! I’d say that better displays are way pat due, and reduction in pricing should be made. Thanks for your feedback!
This was a really interesting video! You covered a lot of the things that have been bothering me about this same topic. For me, it comes down to value. If it's low price but hasn't got the features I need, or is unreliable it is a bad value. If it has the features and reliability but costs 10x more than another meter that does too, it's also a bad value.
If I can get a full featured 20000 count meter with a case and multiple sets of leads (including tweezer leads) for $38 -including shipping-, then paying $380 for a 6000 count meter with one set of leads and no case seems... irrational? What is the other $342 paying for? The name? Some vague idea of "status"? Some "guru's" opinion that a transient spike is going to make it through my home's wiring with enough remaining energy to ignite my meter in a burst of plasma that will reduce me to ashes? How would just touching my toaster be any safer?
I agree with you Robin! You made some excellent points! Thank you!
Just don't forget to check the other specs... 20000 counts can quickly reveal that the accuracy does not match with the resolution... Also check the sampling or refresh rate.
But I totally agree. My 22000 count Uni-T UT61E seems very close to some Fluke meters, in terms of quality, build, and specs, but at fraction of the price.
I especially like the part about the cheap, PVC TL75 test leads that come with a $400 Fluke...inexcusable!
A decade (or so) ago even the $300 70 series meters shipped with TL175 leads, seems Fluke is not worried about competition from companies like Brymen/Greenlee, which will come back to bite them in lost reputation and market share.
Edit: I meant even the $300 170 series, (not 70)
You are right about the leads that they ship. It is hard to make a blanket statement because it seems that they change what they provide. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason. But, I know that most leads that I have been provided in the workplace are the TL72 type. We have a closet full of them. Most guys don't care. Not a lot of engineers that I work with even do work at home, so they probably don't own a meter unless they got a free one at Harbor Freight. So, I was one of the few that would grab up the prcbmaster if they ever wondered into the lab.
I agree that for the money Fluke wants for their Meters you should never ever get the cheap PVC leads and just on that issue alone I will never buy Fluke again.
What I know is the my Fluke 75 from the mid 80s still works perfectly in 2022. By comparison, my Uni-T 210E started getting flaky after 3 years. Looking at the innards of the 75, it's a thing of beauty. Seems that the Chinese meters offer a lot of features for the money, but are they accurate? Will they remain accurate? Will they still be working perfectly after 35 years? I don't think so.
I think it's great that in 2022 I can still buy an American made meter that is built by a company that makes safe, accurate, and durable stuff. I'm glad that Fluke isn't joining the race to the bottom.
Thanks Dan for the great feedback! Things have changed since the 80s, the meters today (good ones) are all made with integrated chips that will continue working for decades.
I'm afraid that the reputation will die with us and the new breed will not care or know what Fluke did 30 years ago. If you don't join the race then you will be left in last place. I like the idea of 'made in USA', but many of their new products (and most of their meters today) are not made in the USA. I feel like Tektronix as also taken a turn for the worst - as this was my favorite scope manufacturer.
Rubber stand with a metal plate inside on the old FLUKE meters (including mentioned 87) was way better than any rigid plastic one. That "soft" stand could be bent to the required shape and be used to hang a meter on equipment, some pipe, hook, nail or a screw.
Great point! I liked that flexible stand. Probably their best. How did they get so bad?
@@KissAnalog "Bin counters" could have taken over that company too.
I think you are right;)
I love you man, but Fluke have a very important place in my life for troubleshooting. I have used lesser meters for troubleshooting commercial and industrial buildings as an electrician. I have been a foreman and electrician since 1994, and can say, fluke are worth the money for this environment. It is a very big bite that is hard to swallow. EEV BLOG IS VERY good to watch for meter differences. Maybe now there are more competitive meters at a lesser cost, but in my opinion and research, paying 75% for an uknown meter does not make sense. For a bench meter building tube amps, I use several meters in all cost ranges. You may be absolutely right about bench meters. High voltage is 750 volts and above. What works me, and something that is not mentioned so far is, there are oscilloscopes for 400 dollars with technology that far surpasses multimeters in the same price range. That is something that is crazy. Fluke leads are durable. I am an epic ranter too!
Thanks Wayne! Great feedback and information from an expert in the field! What meter models do you use - clamp on type?
I think about the flatscreen TVs that I can buy now and how much the price has dropped - and then with the same technology advancements (micro chips that do most the work) in multimeters - but the price (at Fluke) just keeps going up. I do watch EEV BLOG, but he has become very biased as the years go by. He will review a lower level meter and point out everything wrong, but then ignore or gloss over the very same in the brand name meter. Same with the Scope reviews - or actually you can make this comment about all his equipment reviews. It is his biggest criticism I see on the comments.
@@KissAnalog Here is the summary... When troubleshooting a building infrastructure for low technical troubleshooting by bench standards, a reliable a quick and trustworthy meter that you know and will last for years is invaluable. This is because you may have to go from area to area and those junction boxes and equipment may be in very hard to reach areas. The pressure is on and energy is crucial to figuring out mysterious things. I had spent time on bigger job sites with less expensive meters that gave differing intermittent readings, as well as slow readings. I got fed up going around in circles and went and spent the real money on a fluke and have never looked back. Yes the majority of troubleshooting has been with a clamp on meter, but fire alarm and some building automation and controls were not able to be troubleshot by the clamp on. This is because until recently, the resistance was limited to about 5k, which of course was BS. Most electrician preferences lean to the clamp on as it serves as and nice hanger in ceilings and boxes etc. It was frustrating when the ohms was limited. I am not saying that the less expensive meters are not adequate, but I am saying the ones I was familiar with for 1/2 the price did not match up. Electricians would be comparing them to Greenlee, Ideal, Amprobe, and Klien etc. I can tell you contrary to popular opinion, more than half of electricians out there have no idea how to troubleshoot or use a meter. A top Foreman Supervisor as I am, has to figure out the issues as he often is on a desert island when it comes to theoretical and technical and troubleshooting electrical circuits. One other issue you could point out with Fluke, is lack of functions that are sometimes included on meters from Asia. It is really weird that Fluke is selling high premium priced meters, but they are limited in functions related to capacitors and inductors. Fluke is getting away with high prices as union workers, manufacturing, municipal, government, demand them in their industries and thier employers are forced to buy them for them. The EEV blog on the fluke 28II was monumental and impressive thou, when my previous Fluke 117 and 330 were stolen, I went right away and bit my lip hard an bought one.
@@KissAnalog Yes, Eddie, I feel that way too
I've done commercial and industrial electrical work for years. Never owned a Fluke. I've used everything in.VOM from a $10 Radio Shack analog meter to a $200 Greenlee. I currently use a Uni-T scopemeter that we got for $179. My ammeter is a Greenlee clamp that does AC & DC and have also used Sperry & Amprobes for years.
Thanks for your feedback from the field;) Wow, I forgot about Sperry;) I like my Amprobes! I just found one that I've had for many years - I'll have to show it in a video. I think the Greenlee is a rebranded Brymen, but not sure.
I dunno, ive been in the communication industry for 42 years. I use a Fluke 87v for the touchy things like balancing interface polarization in microwave networks so on and so forth and, I use a Fluke 117 for general purpose chasing copper cable problems general continuity and the like. Iv'e tried other meters but, i always waste time by checking theri reading with my Flukes. maybe it sounds like fan boy stuff. but if you want to not have to go back into the snow and re-fix a down dish...im going to stick with what i trust. even if it cost more.
Thanks for the great feedback. I'm like you, I have used the 87 for many years and was happy with it. Now that I've started this channel I have found better meters at lower cost. My favorite now is the Hioki meters:) ruclips.net/video/YvivwYCxrBo/видео.html
I bought a Fluke 75 with the rubber boot sometime around 86 or 87 when I was an electrical apprentice. Two days after I bought it I dropped it off the roof of a four storey building It survived and I still use it today.
Great story from the field! There is no question Fluke's are made well - especially with the rubber boot. There's a 2 meter drop test that most Flukes and other branded meters pass as part of the 3rd party testing cert. But, my point is that Fluke today costs twice the price of any of the others. I just think that they are very expensive, and today there are other options. I never really thought about it until starting this channel;)
I second that. I wanted a Simpson because all the old timers had one. But my trade school sold me a Fluke for half price. 20 years later its still going, its been very accurate and easy to use. I've bought half a dozen other brands since then because I thought they would be better. But every one was a waste of money when they started giving wrong readings and went in the trash.
This is a great video with many points I agree with that needed to be made. I know Flukes have earned a reputation for good input protection and so on, but I also feel they are way over priced. I did want to own one Fluke for the protection, but I bought one of the newer chinese 17B+ Flukes for a much more reasonable $120 & im very pleased with it and its more protection than ill ever need for my intended use. I also own various lower cost import meters simply because in some of these budget priced meters you get a much better deal far as functionality - the Habotest/Kaiweets HT118A is a good example, very little input protection but for bench DIY and hobby use they are a great value and has some nice features like lighted led indication for continuity and ncv but the feature I really like is the audible diode beep previously only seen on just a few much more expensive meters. Im waiting for the day when a feature similar to Flukes touch hold makes it to the budget meters. I figure you buy a meter for an intended use, and many of these import meters obviously use digital processors so the basic accuracy is usually on par with a Fluke for basic DVOM use. I think even Fluke knew the were pricing many buyers out of their market hence we now have the asian import Flukes, but the catch with them is theres no factory warranty support from Fluke and the only recourse you'll have is if it fails within a sellers defect return window, other than that its a bit of a gamble.
Great feedback! Many great points here. Thanks for sharing this;)
Exactly: Each tool should be used for what it is constructed- and if you know that that tool WILL only be used for some bench use and never will experience a live electric installation with 230V or more, then any lowend meter will do the job. But in case you know THAT the meter one day probably could be used to check things in a wall outlet, then you should invest in the right tools to do that...
And in industrial environments Fluke gear is big,because of proven stability over the years. In that league there are only a few other manufacturers with a proven long-time track record...
GMC, HP/Agilent/Keysight come to mind, Tek now is Danaher/Fluke, same for Beha and Amprobe- and some of those lower-end models are OEM stuff...
I have a Agilent U1272A for private use (got it as a deal on ebay), and when I look at the prices here in germany, GMC or Keysight are more expensive than Fluke for comparable use cases.
I own 2 flukes. one is a 789 the other is the fluke 16. The 789 was close to a 1000 bucks new. I needed something that could calibrate a 4-20ma signal. You can buy stuff off Amazon that works for 30 bucks now. I bought the 16 for temp and it’s great for testing caps. This is back when I worked in power plants. I don’t really regret buying them since they served me well for a decade. Nowadays I use a Fluke 17b+ at work. Pretty good basic meter. At home I use an el cheapo Astro AI. The expensive flukes sit in their cases collecting dust. Along the same line of thought is I have a nice Rigol oscilloscope but I still prefer my little handheld Hantek. It is so much easier to setup and use rather than trying to drag out an extension cord for the rigol. To answer your question yeah probably a little. They are good meters but the comp has caught up with them. You can get a Chinese competitor for 60 bucks what costs 300 from fluke. People are calling kaiweets top meter the fluke killer.
Thanks Tron - great feedback! I remember the days when 4-20ma was not so common in test equipment. Now I see it in many meters at a low cost;)
Until doing this channel - I just used Fluke by default. I guess that's why the rant;) I really like my Kaiweets meters! I'd say that they should kill off using Flukes at home or small shops. If you need calibration and such - then go with Flir or Amprobe who is owned by Fluke. You can buy 2 or 3 at the price of the Fluke and have better capabilities in your meter.
I think besides Fluke being high priced - they just don't innovate anymore.
Haven't watched but I'd say absolutely. The leads are quality, but there are comparable meters for about 1/4 if not less the price in each and every category they make. Industrial electrician, and don't have the scopes and all the rest to get down to the resolution of testing you do, however for what I do they've just cornered the market on safety yellow.
As far as features you're absolutely right. My kaiweets "cheapo" has better resolution, with far more types of readings for dirt cheap vs a comparable fluke.
Thanks Brett, I agree the yellow meter did corner the market, but I think they have fallen behind and now there are many safe certified meters to choose from.
I know you may not get this comment, Or able to reply. Just curious what you would think a good replacement for the FLUKE 88 Automotive meter. I want to get a good automotive meter but the FLUKE price is just so expensive. Ive been getting by with my chinese fluke 17b+. But looking for a good direct replacement for the 88. or should i just buy the 88.
Great Question! No, I think the 88 is way over priced and doesn't offer very many features. It is one of the most over priced meters there is IMHO. I am ordering a meter that I think is a good option and at a pretty good price. I'll review it soon but here is a link to it. amzn.to/3bEGTrY
@@KissAnalog thanks. I’ve subscribed. Cant wait to see the review. Have a good one
Great rant 👍🏻
Here’s a question:
what’s the best low cost meter that’s the smallest form factor, feature rich, and is accurate?
I was looking at getting a cheap Aneng AN8009 as reviews were great but doesn’t measure current in 10&100mA range. I like to measure lowish current projects in the mA & uA range and also some AC & DC voltages in the automotive area so no household voltages.
What would you recommend with the smallest size?
Was looking at the Aneng AN9002 and the SZ18, have you tested these?
Thanks.
Great questions Ian! I was looking to purchase something along these lines. I do have a bunch of meters that I need to start reviewing, so you will see some each week for awhile. I'm going to make catagories, and one will be a good lab bench meter that is capable of uA (which will be one of the criteria for a good bench meter). The Aneng meters that I've tested so far have been surprisingly good.
@@KissAnalog
Will look out for those! I was looking at the ZT303 meter too, is worth a test hopefully.
Well I saw a cheap meter blow up once. I was working live on the low voltage side (277/480V) of a small transformer (probably a 1000KVA). Had a cheap meter hooked up across two phases in a transfer switch being fed off this transformer. When I made the connection at the transformer the meter in the box exploded! I wasn’t injured but had I had that meter in my hand I’d probably only have one hand today! After seeing that happen and having to replace an expensive transfer switch that was completely melted from the resulting arcing. Low voltage most certainly can blow up a meter if something is wrong with the meter. I’m sure a fluke or other quality meter can blow up as well if it has a fault but if you got badly hurt at least you would get compensated. Good luck getting any money out of no name Chinese meter company.
Wow that’s crazy! Was it set to monitor voltage? Do you remember what meter it was? Was it rated for CAT III as it sounds like your work environment?
@@KissAnalog It was set to voltage, the leads were in the voltage position. I don’t remember the brand it happened a long time ago and the thing turned into shrapnel. It claimed to be cat 3 1000 volt cat 4 600v rated but anyone can print anything they want on something. Not sure what happened the I had used the meter a few times before with no issues maybe tin whiskers?
Thank you! If I were to work in a CAT IV area, I'd look for the 3rd party safety certification (UL or ETL).
I'm in the Industrial HVAC-R, Fluke meters are regarded as the most reliable meters. I have used a few different meters from Flir, Fieldpiece etc. I always go back to my Fluke 902fc and trust its readings the most.
Thanks for you feedback from the field;) I know in my work place everyone regards Fluke as the best, as did I. But now doing this channel I see so many other lower cost options. I have heard that Fieldpiece, also a US company, is a meter of choice for some. Amprobe (also owned by the same company as Fluke) made their name doing clamp on type meters and they are still the meter of choice for some. I have a Klein that I think is a better meter than my Fluke clamp on meters. Have you tried the Klein meters?
Nice Video. FLUKE DMM's enjoy momentum gained prior to respectable competition. Their reputation and price point, at times, give ME instant credibility with both clients and other contractors when I pull one out at a jobsite. Sorry to say, some clients see a generic meter and get fidgety (perhaps they think you are apprentice). Yes, the FLUKE leads are pathetic -- I usually replace them (I too noticed the similarity to POMONA years back). I love my FLUKE 189's, and my 289 on special occasions. I bundle a Uni-T clamp meter with each of my FLUKEs. And my Simpson 261's don't see much action these days. One Fluke feature that keeps me loyal is that I can set custom dBm ref Z -- other DMM's only have presets (e.g. I use 2 and 6 Ohm ref Z often, but not an option in other meters).
Thank you! This is great info - real world experience! Some years back I advised my friend to buy Fluke current clamps for all his guys (HVAC). I think it was the Fluke 32. Today I think I'd recommend the Klein. That looks like an impressive meter and has a good name recognition;)
@@KissAnalog: The Klein looks nice. TODAY, MANY meters truly rival FLUKE. As respectable guys like you, Joe Smith, etc. pull back the curtain, perception of "other than FLUKE" will change. FLUKE better stay on their toes because UNI-T and BRYMEN, besides gaining market share with their own labels, i think they are re-labelling for a BUNCH of other brands as well. And BRYMEN includes decent leads with their meters; silicone and gold 👍. I have purchased just the leads to try -- very nice, but a little short for me (they are 1 meter, and i prefer 1.5 meter).
I really like the Uni-T UT210E -- I bundle one with every DMM for the convenient 1 mA amp-clamp resolution in both AC & DC. And i keep a Uni-T UT216C handy for big current. The bundle allows me to view A & V simultaneously. BTW: Will the Klein display current and voltage simultaneously? Cheers
Great content as always.....locked on from the Trinidad in the Caribbean.
Thank you so much! That is awesome that I have a viewer from Trinidad! I have a good friend from Trinidad;)
Hi Eddie, never owned a Fluke meter. Being a electronic hobbyist guy and I am never going near cat III or cat IV equipment. For a few years now I have been curious about Brymen meters like the BM257 or the higher series like the BM857 with a crazy 500,000 count whatever that means. Shame you can't buy them in the USA, they are blocked for direct sale here for some reason (might be a deal with Klein). Do you have any experience or thoughts on the Brymen meters?
Thanks for the great feedback! Most engineers - I'll bet do not even understand the CAT ratings;) I do like the Brymen and they are hard to find - I don't know what the deal is. There are the Greenlee meters which are rebranded Byrmen meters;)
I'm with you man. look at the new eevblog meter. I don't think there's a meter on thr market that can beat the cost / value ratio. I am beginning to feel like I'll never own one of them even haha
There are a few meter safety points in favor of the Fluke 87-V that I didn't hear in your rant. The Fluke 87-V has high-energy fuses and overload protection (to the rated voltage) that protect against 2 potentially dangerous measurement mistakes: 1) setting the meter and leads to resistance measuring mode but then probing a voltage supply and 2) setting the meter and leads to measure current but then probing a voltage supply. In the resistance measurement mode, not all meters can withstand a voltage supply voltage like 480 Vac. The Fluke 87-V has overload protection to the rated voltage of the meter. With other meters, this scenario could harm both the meter and the user depending on how the leads and meter respond. In the current measurement mode, internal meter resistance is for most meters is nearly a short-circuit. So probing a voltage source while configured to make current measurements could bring disastrous results to the user and the meter. When using a Fluke 87-V in this scenario, its high-energy fuses reduce the severity of damage to meter and the user that could occur because they are designed to quickly clear the fault. And my last point: Don't use any meter (or leads too) that doesn't have an appropriate CAT rating for the power circuit you are measuring. To be safe, if there is no CAT rating for the meter, it should NOT be used on a power circuit.
Thanks for your feedback! There are lots of meters that are 3rd party Safety tested to CAT IV as many of the Flukes are, so that's not a good reason for the price to be 2x or more. Even the Amprobe AM570 is a terrific buy and is a feature rich meter safety certified to CAT IV. Also owned by the same company that owns Fluke (so there should be some trust there, even if a person doesn't know the great history of Amprobe).
@@KissAnalogOne should not assume that meters with similar CAT ratings to the Fluke 87-V offer protection from the dangerous measurement mistakes I outlined. You need to confirm what safety features are available in any given meter-including other Fluke meters. The CAT rating is directly related to the level of transient voltage withstand ability of the meter. Also, the Fluke meter is not only designed to meet the CAT rating specifications, but it has gone through testing by independent labs: UL, CSA, and TUV and displays the markings on the meter.
Fluke is spending more money in their marketing department then in the R&D department.
We can get both uni-t ut181A and a brymen 869s for the same price of a single fluke 289.
Fluke? no thanks... there is more then that out there.
Great points you make Eduardo! I agree;)
@@primordialsoftware9294 That is the point... if they do not have a strong advertising, imagine how low is the R&D's budget.
Irony.
@@primordialsoftware9294 the thing is, the fluke products is overpriced.
Every good piece of equipment is expensive, but not every expensive product is good.
The 287 and 289 is an example of it.
@@primordialsoftware9294 I still think that you can find better clamp meter at that prince range or less.
Check the brymen current clamp products.
Nice Rant! I appreciate your experience, and broad knowledge on the topic. I also agree, you see that in many product categories, the difference between consumer and business class is usually small with features, and huge with prices. I always tell people, you don't become a multi-billion dollar without having high margins, unless you have huge volumes like Walmart. Thank you!
You are so right Joe! If you can get the high dollars - than do it. I just think that with some info - maybe the rest of us can find a better place to put our dollars;)
@@KissAnalog Keep up the great reviews and comparisons!!!
I agree with you on how annoying it is that fluke always seems to have 3 or more meters in each line and you pay a good deal more to get that one aditional feature. I know that amprobe is now owned by fluke but amprobe seems to have much better value for features of their meters. I have had an amprobe 35xp-a since about 2008 and it has never let me down. I also like to see innovation and tools that do their intended job well like the extech prt200.
Great points you make! I also have an extech that is pretty darn nice. I’m a big fan of my Amprobe! Thanks for this great feedback;)
Ooohh, i sense these spicy takes will have excited some folks! 🤣 I have never touched a fluke meter. I'd always read the "don't mess around, buy the fluke" stuff, open a new tab, check the price 😦 and close the tab quickly. Maybe someday I'll be in a situation where I need that, but for now no thanks
LOL Elsif! I know I’m walking a thin line with the believers;) I like a practical man;) I suppose I was trying to make more of you:)
hopefully only slightly off topic, but i've been in tech since my early teens when i got a ham license and then at 17 joined the navy and became a radioman with satellite speciality (graduated the very first navy satellite class in 1971) so i've been tech-adjacent my entire working life as i went into computers and telecom when i got out of the navy.
i say all that to note that between 1970-1980 when i was in the navy, it was dammed near impossible to see a piece of high tech test equipment which wasn't hewlett-packard--i expect they had some near-exclusive government contract. oh, and the simpson 360 meters of course were ubiquitous and i own a simpson telecom analog meter to this day.
i got my start in computing around '74-75 with the hp55 calculator--the 35 and the 45 were out of my tiny navy salary range, but i saved up for the ?$400-500? the hp-55 cost and it was the first consumer handheld model with programming i believe. this led to building the altair 8800 from a kit, but that's off topic.
what i'm slowly getting at is that in the 1980s i think, hewlett packard started outsourcing overseas and got new management and went totally and absolutely to shit. maybe jobs and wozniak sensed that was coming and bailed out. no longer were they the near-exclusive test equipment supplier and they started making their calculators in malaysia and singapore and people wouldn't buy them--they'd hold onto their usa models. but those tables turned and today all the calculators are disposable junk and the outsourced hp models fetch near-astronomical prices on ebay. i have a dozen such calculators that are up to 50 years old and still working, albeit some displays have dimmed over the years--they are still better than the current sharp, casio, and ti and even hp models.
i got sucked into the fluke orbit when recently i needed a new meter. i bought several of the kaiweets models and i should have stopped there as those guys are turning out some amazing stuff dirt cheap. and they respond to the customers and replace stuff that has issues. i mean, you could buy 10 of the $40 km-601s for the price of one decent fluke and you'd have the most gorgeous display there is and the newest cutting edge features. and if you didn't like the smart phone operation of the 601, you could get the retro dial 118 which has tested slightly ahead of the 601 and has more ranges.
anyway, bottom line, i didn't feel like i had a 'real' meter until i ended up with a fluke and i got a very good deal on a like new 28-ii but when it came in i was gobsmacked at the size--i had no use for a meter that size around the house and it'd take up the whole workbench. so i threw good money after bad and have a 117 coming in, the chinese limited-warranty (if any) line i guess just so i could have a reasonably sized one.
many thanks for your videos. wish i could watch all of them, but i'm slogging my way through as many as possible. at least i feel good about the probe master leads you recommended in another video. i got the fluke tl-175s on sale for $35 thinking i'd settle on one pair of leads for all my meters and they weren't worth that--i dislike them.
/guy (73 de kg5gt | wqpz784)
Thanks for your great feedback! Great story and I'm happy that you settled on the meters that you like. This is a great test lead set that is so functional because of the great tips. amzn.to/3ZrJxrO
What mostly gets forgotten in reviews: The build quality and intended use of a tool- in this case, the Multimeter.
I use Fluke 179 at work, and my device just got out of calibration- 8 years old, still spot-on. When you work in industrial maintenance or other environments where you need rugged tools, go Fluke. They can be used and abused and still will function. And Fluke has a very good reputation from the past when it comes to Multimeters still working correctly after 20 years...
When you do not need this level of robustness, you can obviously choose another tool that lacks this feature. Brymen DMMs have a good reputation, but they have to prove their long-term-stability.
Also: When you KNOW that you can use your tool for about 10 or 20 years without problems, then it is possible that on the long run it is cheaper than if you buy a tool half the price that needs repairs or maintenance like adjustments more often- also the time put into this is also wasted...
Thanks for the great feedback! Fluke makes a great meter - there is no question! But, I think there are competitors that make just as rugged and better meters at a lower cost. I think Fluke should provide better leads and make better displays. But people buy Fluke automatically and so many people believe in some strong mystic about them. I never questioned it, I always used Fluke - but after starting this channel, I realize that there are better meters for half the cost. Today, solid-state electronics should work for years without drift. Other test equipment has advanced a lot to keep the price up and the technology we could get 10 years ago is much cheeper - but not Fluke.
@@KissAnalog Well, especially in the industry the decisionmaker often has no time to go extensively into detail what to purchase- and in lots of cases, when some minor mistake can lead to costly happenings, many people like to play safe.
And in regard of stability and security Fluke has build quite a reputation in the last 40 years, especially with their work (and some marketing) along the CAT ratings. For an amateur tinkerer that works on some battery circuits in his home lab, those are usually irrrelevant. But in the industry, where a power spike regularly WILL come along some big busbars, you really need equipemt that protects you.
And the decisionmaker in buying a new (possibly 10 or 20 Multimeter for the whole staff that they are uniformly equipped) multimeter weighs in the following facts:
- Does the multimeter has the appropriate features really needed for the job? (Maybe transistor check is nice, but not needed when measuring Voltages in a big machine)
- CAT ratings in order?
- Is a calibration certificate needed, and do we get one from the manufacturer or is it extra price?
- When the meter breaks down, how costly is the downtime for the worker?
- Does the multimeter has a good reputation to really hold up in a rugged environment? (Some sly people ask themselves, if that colorful prospect can be true...)
As Fluke has a good reputation of being rugged and protecting the user from transients etc., it is in lots of cases the default route.
Especially, when you can save maybe 200 $$$ or €€€ on a single device, but this is also the price for a repair if a multimeter is cracked due to a fall or some other accident. And on top of that the employee cannot work properly, so replacement has to be arranged. Altogether, this can be more costly than the price difference when buying...
And where are the differences? In the professional world, here in germany we have Gossen Metrawatt, that also build very nice meters, but they are more expensive than fluke. Then you can get HPAK (HP/Agilent/Keysight) here, still with a premium over Fluke as street price. Other manufacturers like Amprobe/Beha/Benning are not bad, but mostly regarded as somewhat inferior to Fluke.
Brymen and Hioki would be some candidates for good gear, that offers the same level of protection and ruggedness like Fluke does, but the premium models also come with their price tag attached...
And yes, if you don't need all the features that a fluke DMM has to offer, then it is no shame to go for another brand/model. A professional worker also uses a different drill on a construction site (Hilti is quite popular in Europe), whereas at home you use some cheaper brand from the hardware store next to you...
Great points and feedback! Thank you!
@@nightfiremovingpictures5632 You are the dream customer for fluke. They pump out ordinary gear with a stupid price tag, and people like yourself lap it all up, enabling their rip off business practice.
@@procrastinator1842 Well, the point I was trying to make is a bit more complex, regarding the targeted userbase of Fluke.
Thing is, as a private user which is tinkering at home (which I also do and repair stuff in my spare time) one does not need a rugged multimeter or the whole papertrail of conformity declarations. I own several Fluke multimeters- an old 8600A, a 45, and just recently acquired a 8020A from 1979- all of them Iot cheap in a very good condition. My main multimeter is nonetheless an Agilent U1272A for more sophisticated work.
And if I would not have gotten them in good condition (Even got the Fluke 45 freshly calibrated for slightly more than what a calibration alone would have costed me), I would have turned towards other brands and models.
So, for work in non-industrial environments you are probably better suited with some of the competitors devices. Same goes if you do not need reliable precision on a DMM that does not drift over the years. So, in this case you would not be the intended target audience of Fluke, simply because you do not need the features of this.
(It is like here in germany years ago, as Mercedes was really living up to the name, nearly every taxi (cab) was a mercedes diesel, because of the build quality, long-living engine (some 500.000 km (approx 310.000 miles)) were usual mileage for those cars- simply because the owners knew what would cause over the years low costs of ownership)
In industrial environments, you have to take care of a papertrail nowadays. This begins with work safety considerations, danger assessments of the areas you would like your people work into, overvoltage/transient protection etc. A branch of the company I work in does consulting for exactly this stuff, and regulations are going crazy nowadays. So you have as a company to be able to provide proof that the devices you are using to do your work will comply to several regulations. And some "CAT IV" sign printed on the Multimeter is not enough in case of trouble, you are required to provide certificates on paper proofing this.
For the ones interested: There is some longer thread in the EEVBlog Forum regarding the tests a guy named Joe Q Smith (Also has a youtube channel) does regarding transient robustness regularly conducts- and where real-world findings sometimes not match with the theoretical robustness of the tested devices. Regarding this, multimeters that I personally would trust in this regard besides Fluke are Brymen, Gossen Metrawatt, Hioki, Agilent/Keysight.
The pricing of those is not cheap either, when going for above CAT III/600Volts.
Some practical aspects: The rotating knob of my Fluke 179 at work (about 10 years old) feels better that that of my Agilent U1272A in terms of build quality. The only better rotating knob i personally felt was that of a Gossen Metrahit Extra (or Pro?) that we also have at work. But this is nearly double the price of the Fluke 179...
The magnetic hanger is some design I personally like, expecially after looking at the ideas of some of the competitors...
Yes, the test leads Fluke bundles do not have the best price/performance ratio, this is true. But as test leads are in an industrial environment considered parts that undergo tear and wear, they eventually have to be replaced at certain intervals, so they could be exchanged with other brands that offer better bang for the buck.
Bottom line: Fluke for sure (especially after being sold to Danaher/Fortive) really milks the cash out of his cow, but to be honest: If you need certain features in an industrial environment, there is some choice, but usually in the same league. If you do not need them, it is like driving some afforementioned Mercedes: It surely feels good to sit into one, but you could do equally well with some different brand and save some money...
To be honest: As I was about to build my small bench at home, intended for some tinkering and repairing the usual stuff that breaks sometimes and/or get broken stuff for cheap and fix it and enjoy some cheap goods, I also asked myself the question "What do I need as devices?" and "Do I need to buy factory new?"
Result: I got all of the mentioned multimeters I actually own, that are mentioned above, for about 500 € alltogether, the Fluke 45 even freshly calibrated. Some checks against this confirmed that all of my other gear was basically working within specs. If I would not have been able to get some good deals, I probably would have spend something in the price range of 150-200 € as a main multimeter and then some cheap stuff for additional use in case I would need a second reading.
With my knowledge today after doing all this, I probably would go with my budget for some Brymen in the 7xx range, like the 786 (that was not available back then when I bought my first DMM).
I asked the same question some time ago. Then saw a video made by You Tuber Dave from EEV Blog. Fluke is meteorologically in the US. Uni-T, Samsung, Sumsing and Dum Fuk multimeters are not. Hence the price. And it doesn't mean to say that other meters are bad meters. The difference is, a measurement from a fluke multimemter can be used as evidence in a court of law. Dum Fuk unfortunately doesn't.
Thanks Paul -- I appreciate you! There are plenty of great buys that can be calibrated and put to use just as easy as any Fluke, so that's no reason for them to be so expensive. IMHO;) BTW, the defense contractors that I work for have everything calibrated every year - and non of it (as far as I know) goes back to Fluke. They have contracts with cal labs that do all the test equipment - regardless of make and model. There are exceptions with special one of a kind type of test gear.
@@KissAnalog I wouldn't me surprised if Cal Labs are an accredited calibration lab. I would feel very sorry for Fluke if everybody who owns a Fluke meter had to send it back to them for calibration. They would be overloaded having to calibrate all the thousands of meters sent back to them every day. I have also recently sent all my meters to Testo SA for calibration who are an accredited calibration lab in South Africa. They should be ready for me to pick up in January when I go back to work.
I used a Simpson 260 and a Fluke 8000A while in the Air Force troubleshooting Minuteman II weapon system.
Thanks for sharing that!! Both great meters. I used both of those for awhile too, as a matter of fact, I might still have an 8000A;) If I do, I'll have to do a giveaway and make someone happy. Still a great meter. Today, i couldn't afford their bench top meters;)
Fluke is a very good and rugged meter I worked in a repair shop and shared one with the owner it got a lot of use every day for several years. It has good protection built into it.
No doubt about that - thanks for your feedback;) But there are others just as rugged that cost a lot less. I just started thinking how overpriced they are and so I had to let it out;) I have a Flir that is as accurate if not more so, has more features, and is more updated and rugged than a Fluke at twice the price.
@@KissAnalog I never bought a fluke so didn't know what they cost. My employers provided them.
Yep, I haven't had to buy one for awhile either - until starting this channel.
Thoughts on the fluke 101? I bought one for someone as a starter meter, I also have a 107 for my on the go kit I like them
Thanks Liam for the great questions! Any Fluke, ignoring the price is a nice product. The 101 and 107 are small and nice, but they are so expensive for what you get. The Amazon 90DM600 meter that I reviewed is a far better meter for less than the 107. Actually I reviewed a lower cost Amazon 90DM120 that is also much better than the 101. The Amazon meters are 3rd party tested, more rugged, and have more functions. Great example of Fluke overcharging. But they can. I guess this is why I did this video - to get people to consider the other options.
I think those are good meters tho for sure
I came here after watching your review of the Amprobe AM-570. In that video, you mentioned that Amprobe is owned by the same parent company that owns Fluke and that they are tested by the same lab. Today, that Amprobe meter is around $160.
I don’t know enough about any of this to talk shop, but it seems that Amprobe might offer meters are good as Fluke meters for a fraction of the price.
And, yikes! That Fluke 189 is $350 USED! That’s too rich for my blood.
Yes the Amprobe is safety certified by a 3rd part amd comes with a better display and test leads, so is a far better option to a Fluke IMHO:) amzn.to/3xXkjDI
Thank you again for nice reviews!
You bet - and thank you for your feedback!
Great finally one who dare to be "blasphemic " :-)
I think of the Bryman as a way better meter than the Fluke. 87 (6,000-20,000 count) vs Bryman BM839s (50,000-500,000 count) Also nearly every specification is better on the Bryman and the test leads should be top quality. Everything to half the price. Only thing that may be better on the Fluke, is how hard you can kick it. :-)
You mean the bm869s/bm867s 😉
@@mrpetit2 LOL oops yes! :-)
I think this is a great example of what my message is, and great comparison in the counts difference. I totally agree!
My old Fluke's gray case a few years ago started to loose it's foam cushion. For a while a black powder was all over the meter. Until it was all gone. It seems that Chinese copies of the Fluke cases may be made with somewhat more long-lasting padding material.
Wow - that's interesting! My gray cases, or some of them have done a similar thing. I think you have to keep them dry and away from any type of cleaner. They are very expensive and very cheep if you ask me;)
I enjoy watching your videos, although sometimes a little too long! haha (Only have so much time in the day don't you know). This one deserves a comment - I totally agree with Fluke being over priced, BUT I always end up using one ( Fluke ) of my many DMM's. (I don't have as many as you, but nine is more than anyone needs, and I'm not in the field as a professional). Klein, Sperry, Fluke, Kaiweets, Milwaukee, Snap-On, I have them all. My favorite being the 179 then the 87V. I even have the i1010 clamp which is awesome. I've just enjoyed collecting DMM's like women and shoes! Keep up the great videos! (Does that helicopter ever get flown??? haha)
buy 2 cheap meters that can do 6000 counts above, you will get an accurate measurement by cross-referencing the results..for common repairing...
That is actually a fantastic point!! I have grabbed a second meter just to verify that I'm getting a good measurement. Thank you! You can buy a Flir and an Amprobe for the cost of a single 87 and have more counts to begin with;) The 87 only has 6000 counts, but can do 20,000 at one sample per second (not so great).
The Amprobe hd 160c is the the most under rated, under the radar Industrial multimeter on the market. I would get that over the 87v max!!!
Flir just isn't getting the respect! They are heavy hitters!
UEi manufacturers klein meters which are the best bang for the buck.
That klein insulation tester et600 at $150.00 is a force to reckon with!
Great video and points!!!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you! Totally agree with you;)
I augmented my Simpson 360 with a Fluke 77 in 1983. It’s still with me and meets spec. The Simpson died in my dad’s house fire. Otherwise I’m certain it would still work too. Thirty-five to over forty years of service is a bargain.
My advice, if you want a Fluke, buy a used one. My favorite meter is my used Fluke 189 with rechargeable batteries. I have newer more capable meters but I consistently grab the 189. That said, something on each of the newer meters is better than the 189. However, the older 189 has the optimal blend and the wonderful Fluke Auto-Hold which is literally a life-saver. I’m down to 4 Fluke meters and will likely sell my 87-IV but keep my 28ii.
Thanks Steven - that's really great feedback! My Simpson still works, but then so do my Radio Shack meters:) The 87 keeps getting small incremental improvements, I think to start the warranty over for those 'limited lifetime' warranties. Then they only have to worry about 7 or maybe 10 years. I love my 189 and is my best Fluke. I don't really care for my 289. But, I think I like my Amprobe better and I certainly like my Flir better. I also have an Amazon that I think I like better in many ways.
Most of my jobs provide 87s by the droves. I think that is why Fluke hasn't changed that number - as they know many purchasing agents just keep buying it. I've never been asked which meter to buy - even as a senior engineer in the labs that I have worked. I do get asked which scope I want, but never which meter. It is like buying pencils and paper - it is a basic instrument. I remember seeing my first 189, by then they were not making it anymore so we only got a few... I think to a large degree they are living on the tax payer and the people buying for all the military defense contractors that don't take a second thought. I wish I knew about Flir years ago. I mean their multimeters, I knew and have used their cameras...
You called this one correctly in so many ways. I suspect I have a few years on you but it’s clear we’re both on the same page... After “The Great Thinning” I retained my 289 (my only new Fluke purchased since 1983), the 189, a 28ii purchased used but replaced by Fluke so new in July 2020, and a virtually new 87-IV. I also have a C.E.M. DT9989, Uni-T UT-181a, and Brymen BM869s. I gave my near-new C.E.M. DT9939 to my friend as a thank-you gift. I sold a 2nd Fluke 189 & 87-IV, as well as a Mastech MS8218. I may sell the remaining Fluke 87-IV since its purpose is covered by the 28ii. As a shameless plug, you can see my rather pathetic attempt at a RUclips posting as I review my hand-held meter collection. No pocket meters or bench meters. Search for Steven Jaynes
It's like spending $400+ on a mituyoto caliper. Good products but worthwhile for almost no one
I agree - it was great when my company bought us calipers, but when I bought my own - it was a lower cost brand;) Works great!
I know people that have used the same tools for over 20 years....so if you take of it worth it and they are precision instruments.
Interesting, I would go for a Bryman meter
Thanks - I think the Brymen is a much better buy;)
@@KissAnalog The Brymen BM869s is about as close to a Fluke 189 as you can get. I have both and like the the 869s display much better. I have a meter collection that might rival yours as far as DMM’s. I have 4 Triplett 630’s each a different variant from the 1950’s-80’s and a Simpson 260 series 7. 3 VTVM’s and one pristine BK FETM. 4 scopes..........test gear junkie.🤪🤪🤪
@@KissAnalog yepp, love my Bryman‘s, too. Have 4 of them and they´re great, precise, feature-packed and reliable. Big beasts, actually. They could have made the BM869s (and BM867s) a bit smaller, but I like it can measure two temperatures and show the difference.
I love my BM235s, nice and small. Using them all with Probe Masters even though the original test leads are not bad either. But nothing compares to PMs 😜 I also have a Fluke 87v and a 117. The quality is also great and they are robust and reliable as well, but yes, really expensive.
Hey Eddie,
You need to do a part 2 of the rant to complain about the cost of bench multimeters! Why should they cost 3 times the portable version? Because of a transformer and a plug? And they are usually only Cat 2 whilst the little one is usually Cat3 or 4!
And try to find an LCR bench meter with ESR...
Small aside: I dream and drool about a Keithley 2016 or 2015....
Cheers
Mark
Thanks Mark! You are so right! I've been holding back, but I think I'll start letting my rants go;)
Informative video. I agree that the competition has caught up and in a sense clearly surpassed them. 2 questions. Your surname sounds like you have american indian ancestry. Plus, what are your views on the fluke 726. There is no meter that has the specs and range of sourcing that it has. It's incredibly expensive. Uni-T has one with like 80% of the specs with colour for like 50% the price. What do you think ? Thanks.
Thanks so much! Yes the 726 is over $1000 I believe. This meter is under $200 and maybe it will do what you want. If not, let me know what you are looking to calibrate. amzn.to/3qMwST6
Thanks for the recommendation. Interesting but it's a far cry from what the 726 can do. Was looking at use in processing plants like methanol, other crude oil downstream and or natural gas plants. RTD and hart enabled devices. Pressure calibration testing etc. They all will only recognize fluke though.
You're obviously a brave man! You've decided to bell the (yellow) cat here and that takes some fortitude.
Perhaps the greatest influence in the buying process is that which is reviewed on Amazon, You tube etc.
Take for example, a meter billed as 'heavy duty, industrial grade' by a known brand with good specs and seemingly rugged construction;
Multiple posts about broken selector switches on that, would cause one to look at Fluke for comparison. Especially when even the lowest priced product will end up costing the buyer a small fortune.
Flukes appear to be very durable and the used market is always awash with them. Not so other brands. Is it that lower cost meters are performing adequately and buyers decide to keep them, or is it lack of resale value?
Thanks for the enjoyable reviews - particularly the Amprobe AM570 and the Amazon 90DM600 posts.
Thanks Jack - great feedback! Flukes are made rugged - no doubt, but there are cometitors with just as durable equipment, and at lower costs. Fluke is just given so much credit that people do not consider the price, they just choose Fluke. The resale is great because of the price is so high and they are rugged and respected that they many look for used instead of new. Lower cost meters people haven't put so much out to purchase so not as much concern in getting their money back if not used. You can also ask, if they are so great, why don't people keep them forever instead of either bailing out or wanting something better so putting them up for sale. Fluke is a great product, just over priced IMHO;)
what's that grey box on the top left(my left). that's alot of old digital meters. very cool.
Are you talking about the box on its side? It is a variable AC supply that I made;) I'll have to show it in a video one day;)
@@KissAnalog I thought I told you I figured it out. It's your beloved tecktronics scope. Mr Carlson has a fluke one he told me he bought it used and fixed it. They cost 9899 here in canada plus 15 percent tax hahaha be cool to be able to buy one and have the skill to fix it. For me I'm saying, as I'm sure you could do it as well haha
I'm in need of a clamp meter that can measure DC current between 100mA-4 Amps. I really don't want to pay more than like 70€ since I probably will never use it again after my measurements are done. Any Amazon recommendations?
It looks like you picked one out. A lot of the clamp on meters are meant for high current, so I like to look for one that has a lower current range. Like 6 Amps instead of 60A.
Like you I have several fluke meters, however there are things our trusty analog meters can do that I have found digital meters just can’t compete. Try tracing an intermittent earth ground fault in a fire alarm system, I have watched a digital meter, 3 different model flukes fail to detect the ground. The cheapest analog picked it right up, I saw the flicker of the needle movement which led me to the fault and got the thing fixed. I love my fluke but I also love my trusty Simpson 360 as well.
That is awesome feedback - and another reason lower end Flukes just don't do the trick - but do you want to pay for their high end meters? There are other brands that do measure micro amps, which is what you need to compete with the nice analog meters. Great point! I always like the analog meters - and I still actually prefer them on power supplies for the same reason. Thank you!
Well , big companies buy large qty of them and they certainly get a discount that can go 40% less in price . Government departments have contracts with corporations buying expensive is good for national interest ,jobs, income tax returns and covering inflation.
Thanks for this feedback! The large defense contractor that I worked for last leased their equipment (or most of it), and they didn't get much of a discount. They get some services (supposedly), but I think leasing provides a write off so they don't really care what they spend on equipment (buy vs lease). There is typically a buy discount that you can get after a lease, but I don't know if I've ever seen that taken advantage of. They just extend the lease as long as someone like me says - yes I still need that scope. Multimeters are in the noise so no one really even thinks twice. I know when we saw the 189 appear in some labs, that we all wanted that meter, but then it was discontinued.
One of my flukes meter stopped functioning--77iii. I traced the problem to one of the two ics and called to get the part. They wanted me to send that one in and upgrade to the 77iv-- the cost for the upgrade was $200-$300. I also have the Fluke 233 that has a loose connection--if you hit it just right, it will work. It was determined that I dropped it; therefore, I'm responsible for the repair which is over two hundred. I have the 87 and the LCD has a problem--it is not the digits but the coating is flaking away. So, I have to ask--are these meters built to be as robust as they want us to believe? Are we brainwashed to believe that you must have HRC fuse, MOVs, PTCs and etc. How many spikes does it take to make those components useless? As I have stated several times--safety starts with the user. Input protection is like insurance, but insurance doesn't prevent accidents. My first multimeter was analog--RS. My first professional studies in electronic was with a Simpson Analog meter. At that time they were noted as the best. It seems that the modern companies or corporations reach a certain level and live off their previous successes--they become stagnated. The cheap meters have come along way. There are other brand named meter that have more features and cost about a quarter as much. And their safety and robustness approach the Fluke level. I think your rant touches on several key points. Thanks for the video.
Wow - you make many great points! I was actually on a call with Fluke today to see if I can get my 189 repaired. I have to mail it in and wait to see if it is out of warranty or if they will agree to fix it. I think it’s just a way to get me to buy the upgrade like they asked you to. I know the company I worked for that my lab had at least 30 model 87s. They chuck them when they don’t work - because it is cheaper to buy a new one then to pay for the repair and the calibration. They won’t even let an employee buy them. They don’t care about a $500 meter. Sad!
Have you done a review of Klein Tool meters? They seem to be solid meters
Thanks Richard for the suggestion. I do think they look like solid meters. I have 2 that I'll review very soon;)
You could be right about the cost vs functionality ratio. Certainly the accessories are expensive and I feel ought to be included in the higher cost meters - things like a thermocouple are additional costs, the logging software is additional cost and only works if you buy an additional IR sensor to plug in. Those Fluke 287/289 ought to be programmable and come with the accessories needed to do that. They aren't good value for hobbyists - you could get a good bench meter for that sort of price. In some respect Fluke are a bit like Keysight: their tools aren't really 'hobbyist' focussed purely on a cost vs functionality basis either. I can't fault Fluke customer service though, that has been excellent in my experience. I guess with a $70 dollar meter you wouldn't care, just chuck it and get something else - you could get a lot of replacements for the same $600 Fluke! Shouldn't ignore specs either: some people will require a degree of accuracy offered by the more expensive meters but again, probably not many hobbyists.
> 213 comments!! I think you've touched a nerve with this posting.
Thanks Andrew - you are always appreciated! I agree with you, but I'd take it a step further and not limit their need for hobbyist. I'd say that any professional should compare to such competitors like Klein, Flir, Amprobe, and Brymen, just to name a few. The accessories like magnetic strap holders, or their cheep cases are just too expensive as well and should be included in a meter costing $500 or $700 without having to pay even more for their packages.
I love those cheap bags! I paid like 6 bux for mine. I got two of them and they work awesome. Mine are a fabric and not a plastic type.
Thanks for your feedback! I agree - nice bags at the right cost;)
What about a Chinese brand Kaiweets? Which has crazy many features? As a home use hobbyist is it ok to buy one?
Great question! Yes, I have a few of them and I think they work great;)
@@KissAnalog I've made up my mind, I got a Fluke 87V which is super great😃
I prefer Keithley or Keysight bench meters for lab work over the handheld ones. Handheld ones I only use if I need a portable one.
Thanks Ian! I agree, when someone else is buying equipment, I like to have nice bench tops that I can stack, and have a few handhelds that I can move around. And my own lab I really like my Keithley benchtop;)
Fluke leads and accessories are ridiculous, like snap-on, “snap” and “on” reasonable but the “-“ will put you in the poor house
I agree with you Robert! I think some like to say - I have 'such and such brand'. I do like snap on - but I am happy with the ones that were given to me. I'll buy different brands - and I know I'll need to pay for quality, but not snap on prices;)
You might like the 117 it’s not meant for a bench tho, it’s about liability, if someone has an oopsy the question is always what we’re they doing, what were they thinking and what did they use..... if your a professional electrician the quality of the tool needs to be understood, most electricians I suppose don’t know or care about what a Mov is or what it does let alone how they should be stacked. If you buy anything but a fluke then I think it wise to take it apart and see what it is made out of, and I personally will never use a meter that comes standard with non blast resistant fuses
Edit: at least not on higher voltages
Great comment. Thank you! But, even when it is about liability, there are better lower cost options. It is just a matter of selecting a meter with 3rd party testing that shows the safety cert. An inexpensive Amazon meter has that, and a much better IP rating, as well as better features. This is what I mean - Fluke is the default for so many without knowing that there are lower cost options - thus Fluke charges what they want and get it.
Ah, the venerable Simpson multimeter...there were no digitals when I was in school. I can't even consider a Fluke based upon my budget although I have considered getting an 8050a as they are now in my price range. Gotta love the marketing for Fluke though! (I don't think the Fluke money truck is going to stop at the Aho lab anymore LOL)
LOL you are right Tim! What am I thinking? Where am I going to get sponsors;) Oh well - I can't be a hypocrite. Since this RUclips channel started, I had to find meters that I thought were what I needed - and to my surprise and/or shock I could not see paying the price for Fluke. When did they get sooo expensive? They always were - but man - nowadays they cost more than oscilloscopes!
I love your rant, what you think about the WH5000A meters?
I think it is a great meter, and has lots of nice features. Is not as super robust in regards to the case I don’t think, but in the lab, I think it’s great!
I agree with your perception and Flukes value. For what the hand held multimeters are they cost wayyyy tooo much. Look at what a budget level smart phone can do. I do have more trust in the safety ratings Fluke labels on their meters. I don't trust nor am I confident in the safety ratings labelled on meters by manufactures located in a certain country known for poor quality products. I have no problem trusting other quality brands. I do a lot of work with 460v machinery and when I'm working on those machines I have my Fluke. I have confidence in it. ( Its been with me to every state in the US ) I also admit I'm simply not very familiar with other brands, but as I have watched your channel and Dave's at EEOV blog I see there are other high quality options in meters. Thanks for your effort in these videos.
Thanks Sam for this great feedback! I don't blame you with 460 V - you have to be safe! The Amprobe, also owned by the same company that owns Fluke now is also third party tested for safety and is a fraction of the cost with great test leads. Also check out Klein, Hioki, Amazon Commercial, and FLIR, as well as others. All have better features, displays, and lower cost - IMHO;)
Keep up the the good work.. I enjoyed your rant..
Thank you - I appreciate your support!
I agree with you. Fluke doesn't seem to be doing any innovation. They seem to be relying on their name and reputation as selling points. To include TL75 leads with a $500 meter and just ridiculous. Other companies are starting to show real innovation with design and function and Fluke is only going to be able to rest on their name and reputation for so long before they start losing sales and market share.
I agree - every since they were bought out - the new owners have been getting by on all those who still believe they are the best... I'm afraid that the lights might come on and they will be too far behind to recover...
it depends of job you work, i work most repair on industrial electronics, i have two 179 Fluke and one 123, with these i resolve any problem, and for me are the best :)
Once you find your tool that works - why look elsewhere;) Thanks Marin for sharing your experience! I just want to say to those that are looking to buy - maybe Fluke is just over priced. So many say buy Fluke without knowing what other great options there are.
It does depend on who is buying;) Defaulting to Fluke I don't think is the answer - not these days - too many other lower cost and maybe better options.
For anyone thinking the Flukes are bullet proof, I got one of the early 87"s I will sell you cheap (parts only) no display at all and Fluke says they are obsolete so they don't repair them. No reason for it to die that I know of.
Thanks for this reasonable feedback;) I had to repair my beloved 189 - they just don't last forever - but some are worth repairing;) IMHO
@@KissAnalog With the investment you have in this meter, you would be remiss to not try to repair it. The thing is that the problem seems to be the main chip and it's Fluke propriety, so it's not repairable. I have a Radio Shack meter, probably 30 years old that still works. I have a Southwire clamp meter that failed and they sent me a new one, no problem. I have a Fieldpiece, with removable clamp, and a place to attach the leads, and a magnet with a strap for hanging. IMHO Fluke is overpriced, even their cheap meters lack the performance and features of their competitors.
Dude! How old is that fluke 8060? And it still works (mine too). THAT is why fluke costs more.
Yeah....
We don't know whether or not, cheaper brands would survive as long, because most of these brands and their products, do not exist for that long.
So, not a good argument whatsoever.
Thanks for the feedback, but there really isn’t any reason that a Solid state piece of gear should die - unless it has aluminum electrolytic capacitor. I also have several of my radio shack meters that cost a fraction of the cost of the Fluke, and they all still work too. So does that Simpson which is much older. Also that is a manual ranging meter so I rarely use it.
Anton# great point! Thank you! I have friends who are hobbyist that can’t afford the more expensive meters and they’ve had them for years - there is no reason for them to die;)
@@KissAnalog Thanks.
Well, I actually am in a similar position. I study electrical engineering and do not have money for an expensive meter.
All my meters cost below 30$ and I do bench stuff, work on cars and do stuff around the house with them. And they are solid.
@@KissAnalog Cheap components is a high probability in cheap meter... But they cost so little it's not a big deal if they die after a few years.
I would trust a cheap meter for anything high power. Mostly because I doubt their class ratings are accurate, and their leads are likely not up to the task either. But there are more brands than Fluke out there that are built well. A $400 87v is way more than most need. A $100 Fluke 107 is plenty for most people, and the 101 is $50... But if you need a bit more, their midrange options are good.
Still, there are brands that give good bang for the buck in the $50-$125 price range. And I trust them to actually meet the specs they claim. Teardowns show them to be decently put together as well.
I was wondering if youve had a look at the Chinese (Fluke 17B+ meters)-? I bought one for a far more reasonable $120 and I was very surprised - it seems to be a very well made meter, and feels like real quality in the hand with great input protection and a quality PCB build using tantalum caps like you would expect to see in any fluke - though its not TRMS which I knew before hand and for my use that will never matter. Not a large cap range but I knew that before also. Again though as I outlined below I also own what I consider some pretty good value budget meters like the Habotest HT118A and no its not filled with killer input protection, but for many who just use a meter for DIY around the house or hobby repair bench use they can be just as accurate and useful if used properly and offer good functionality value for the money. Im also very impressed with some of then newest reggedized designs from UniT, I have their UT191T thats IP65 rated for around $65 or so and its one of the nicest meters for the money ive seen anywhere. In this same model lineup theres also a large UT195E in three different configs. thats around $135, and more recently they offer a direct competitor to Flukes 17B+ which is also called a 17B+ and its a very nice meter for around $60 with good input protection though it has no IP rating.
Thank you so much for this great information! I haven't had the 17B+ meter yet, but it does look like one of their better price/performace machines. I just think it is too bad that they didn't put TRMS in it - they could have for nothing much more, but they don't want to kill off their 87;) Fluke does make quality pieces, just over priced IMHO. I really like the Amprobe that I have and the Amazon Commercial meters that I have. As you say, the HT118A is nice, but maybe not the rugged feel of the Amprobe or Amazon meters.
@@KissAnalog - All good points, in view of that take a look at the UT191T, its IP65 rated, true rms and fully sealed. I have one of them also and one of the biggest pluses is its got three various certifications the 17B+ doesnt have. Take a look at Darren Walkers review on the UT191T I think youll see a lot more of what it sounds like youre looking for.
Boy, you let Fluke havit in this video! I also love to rant about stuff, but you are #1!!!! I'm looking for a reasonably priced Insulation Meter and I like 5KV. Can you do some comparison -and include Fluke....ha ha ha- ASAP please? I'm considering few, but Fluke is so much more, double or more and only goes to 1KV! But I like to have it to do more than just insulation testing, like many of the compatible to the more expensive IM. Thanks again!!! ---After I posted above, RUclips censorship me!!! Look what the heck??? Can I say something like include Fluke and not get censored? What is this, some socialist/communist system I've escaped from in 1981????? WOW!
Thanks Tony! I was trying to open peoples eyes - to make them think before they just buy. I didn’t mean to bust your chops or those other guys. But I guess it can’t be helped. Wow, so I see a line through part of your text above is that what you mean by the Cenzorship? I did get an email from our friends about my video - so I guess they’re watching. I’ll probably hear more next week.
@@KissAnalog I think it isn't censorship but they didn't think - grammarvise - that I needed that part - but they are wrong in this case! I know my English is funny, but that is all I can do with my brain! ha ha ha And I don't think you busted any "chops" on me or the other guys agreeing with you. I do have Fluke 289, because I wanted data logging and also option to connect it to my PC.... It is a nice meter and I don't need it too often, but it is accurate. Just purchased another tester to check how accurate my meters are. This one is inexpensive AD584 based from China - where else!? ha ha ha Tested my Fluke 289 and it is right on the money. What is interesting how the most inexpensive meter from Harbor Freight costing on sale $5.00 or so is also accurate! Not as many digits, but for that you must pay at least $50+. What do you think about review Insulation Meter upto 5KV? Thanks for your comments and videos!
I like that FLIR that I bought I think better than my 289:) Better display and lower cost;) I still haven't used the data logging feature - but I will;)
Fluke is all about the “upsell”. Fluke is a good meter but they always limit the features so that if you want all features (cap, temp, mA, hertz, etc.) you must buy multiple meters.
Price aside, few Flukes are fully-features, where many competitors are.
Thank you! I think you summed it up very nicely:)
I still have my Simpson 260. Yet, I adore my Fluke 8060A. Ya bout to slap me, ain't ya? :) But wait! My go-to multimeter, these days, is the Brymen 869s.
All great meters! I also love the 8060A, and it is a favorite even though I use my Hioki as my go to meter;) I might switch to Dave's meter though - we will see how the review goes;)
@@KissAnalog I've never used a Hioki, but I've seen your reviews. I look forward to hearing your experiences with Dave's 121. Love your work, Eddie. Cheers!
What do you think about the Fluke 12?
Great question! It is my opinion that it is just a well built Chinese meter, but that’s it! It is only a 4K count meter and not TRMS as I believe. It should be priced below $40. Bad choice for a meter, and I don’t even think Fluke shows it on their website. And it comes with terribly stiff leads. At a price just a little higher you can get a hugely better meter in a Testo amzn.to/3L2fHSn
That is my biggest fluke complaint is the small difference in each model in each series, take 116 , 115 and 117, why three models 5hat basically due 5he same whing with minor differences
Thanks - I agree! Same in the 70 and 80 series meters. It's just a way to show that there are some meters available at a lower cost, but then knowing that many people will rationalized stepping up and paying a little more for the next higher number in the series. I really don't know but the price is high and people will pay it just because of the name on the meter. Many don't even consider another brand as many are really just ignorant to the competition. I've found this to be true in the circles that I've been in. And, by many of the comments I see. I was a huge Fluke fan before I started this channel, but now I have several meters that I like better - and not just because they cost a fraction less.
What do you think about the Klein MM700?
Great question Mike. I have an MM700 that I plan to do a review on very soon;) From what I can tell now, it feels great in the hand and seems very rugged. I also has a nice display, and comes with very nice leads and a case. I'll try to get the video out maybe this weekend.
@@KissAnalog Wow, thanks. I really didn't expect a targeted response. Just thought I would throw it out there. I have been eyeballing it wondering if it was worth it. I do like my Klein hand tools and thought it might be a solid low cost alternative to Fluke, etc. Thanks for the personal response. I just want something reasonably accurate. It doesn't need to be industrial grade.
I have same meter. I purchased it over the fluke. I was a radar repairman for years, I used a simpson. Fluke is no better than anything else. Everything is operator error in the end.
I do like my old fluke 867b and my gossen mavo meter, but new price of theese two is around 1000usd, quite an eyeopener, never thought the commercial guys could get to me, hmm they did
I looked at a gossen thinking that I should have one - eeks! They are spendy;)
Agilent has some good meters with nice features that the Over price Fluke doesnt have'
That’s true! Great point Raj! They might also be spendy but they have some innovation too. Thank you for this!
Yep. Flukes are expensive. 87 series seems to be a default standard in industrial world and the 117 series in the electrical world, for better or worst. The high cost has to include the lifetime warranty, 10 years min, past the models end of life. Do not know of any other meter that has lifetime warranty. Agree with you on the 187 and 189 series, excellent meters, battery life could be better..
Thank you for your feedback - and this great point. You are right - the 87 has become the standard - we had stacks of them at my last job. But that leads to my question - are they not over priced?
The cost of the warranty for the 87 would be wrapped into that meter's high cost (maybe 3 times the competitor). It is actually 10 years from purchase and 7 years after models end of life. That might account for the incremental updates to the meter to end of life models every couple years?
But I'm also referring to the cost of all their meters being over priced for what you get - compared to the competitor's meter (which are also 3rd party tested and actually have better IP ratings). Except for the 87, the other meters warranty is 3 years from the date of purchase. Maybe the extraordinarily high priced 289 might have the limited lifetime as well.
My Flir is also limited lifetime and is a more updated, higher quality meter in my estimation (better display and features), and cost near half of the 87.
I'm pretty new to the electrical field, and every time I look at buying a Fluke I just get turned away by the price of them. I've used Fluke meters of course, and they are generally about as good as it gets at what they do. However, plenty of other brands are nearly just as good while having more features and costing much less. For an everyday meter I see no reason to buy from Fluke. That said, for more precise or specialized meters Fluke may be worth the money. For example I can only think of a single direct alternative to Fluke's process meters, and it seems a little sketchy. I also don't know that I've seen any alternatives to their milliamp clamp meters. If you thought Fluke's normal meters were pricey then you may not even want to see what their specialized products cost, but sometimes it seems like there isn't a real alternative you can trust. I hate to imagine spending the money on their stuff myself, but if I wasn't concerned with buying it Fluke is usually what I would want to use.
Thanks for this feedback. For a high-end meter, I think this Hioki is the best that I have used: Hioki DT4282 vs Fluke 189 multimeter; Hi-Res version - box opening and teardown Hi-Res version
For the other meters, Keithley, Extech, Hioki, and GW Instek are just a few of the great alternatives!
In my country Fluke meters are very expensive even the ones that came from China. I think Sanwa is a much better buy than Fluke in terms of price to performance ratio. Btw nice rant, very useful info.
Great feedback - thank you! I have thought about picking up a Sanwa so maybe I should. I don't see much about them and there's been a few other comments about them. Thanks!
I like the Fluke dial and glad it's on my 87v. Something about the click that I've just become accustom to. Other meters feel cheap to me. The standard leads are garbage tho
There is certainly the ‘what feels good to me’ aspect that is real and a personal choice that has value. I’ve used more Fluke 87s then any other meter, and I never really questioned it, until a 189 came into the lab;) That became my favorite! Now, my eyes have been opened and I have several that I like;) But there is nothing wrong with sticking with the one you like.
@@KissAnalog I'm an elevator contractor and had all my guys come to the shop where I laid out several components to test their knowledge and meter quality. We tested a full range of capacitors from the picofarad and up, measured forward voltage on diodes/ bridge rectifiers, took various voltage readings on both AC and DC circuits, and measured various coils and resistors for continuity. The Fluke 87v beat every meter in range and speed. The speed of the readings were actually the most impressive. The 87v is definitely a high quality product. Granted, some of the meters it tested against didn't have the resolution of the 87v, however, the speed of each reading was very impressive especially on a full range of capacitors. There's nothing I've seen that truly compairs. The above test would make a very interesting video. I do agree with the shitty leads and the crazy price of upgrading them. I replace my leads at least twice a year.
That would make a great video;) Thanks for this feedback!
AvE did a review on a FRuke pickle fork in April 2018 , Didn't work right straight out the package.... I love my NeoTeck and my old Simpson like you have, although the batteries are very pricey....... I like a needle movement instrument on my bench...
One of the few videos I watched of theirs. Sadly what didn't work out of the package was the reviewer. Their inability to read some basic instructions led to making several mistakes. I was asked by several people to replicated their their findings. Feel free to look it up.
@@joesmith-je3tq Will do ...... Thanks for the reply..
@@Budro4764 If links are allowed: ruclips.net/video/k8hhtTtWfVc/видео.html
@@joesmith-je3tq I was going to ask for a link to the video Thanks much....
Thanks for this and for Joe responding;)
Check out the Snap on EEDM596F I do not understand why other meter makers haven't made something like that sooner in design and function. They don't wanna make the perfect meter because they would lose sales on other models, its a mob thing!
It is interesting that there are not more automotive specific meters. There is no doubt that Snap on is able to offer the best prices as they are also a high priced vendor. Great question - thank you! BTW, nice channel;)
I’ve owned a Fluke 78 and a Fluke 87. After years of drinking the koolaid I switched to Klein. There is zero reason they are overpriced. You can find a Klein meter for 1/4 the price. Not looking back to fluke.
Thank you! I totally agree with you!!
Has anyone used the new Craftsman Multimeter (Cat III, True RMS) at Lowe's for $59.99? ...... . I researched it, it was actually manufactured by UEi (same company that makes multimeters for Mac Tools and Klein)
Wow thank you for the research and the information!! I think the latest multi meter from EEV blog is also made by UEI but I don’t know that.
How do you feel about bk precision meters? Check out the 393
OK, you have had me eyeballing the BK meters;) I had one years ago, and it might be kicking around still. They were great meters back in the day - and I imagine that they still are. I might just have to get one. Thank you!
I'm biased to them vs the flukes because that's what we learned to use in college but I've used flukes as well in the lab and they are good. I tend to like more the BK's I recently bought the 393 a couple weeks back and I really love it. I just wish the backlight was a little better or designed slightly different but its still good. If you get one do a video review and tag me on it I would love to watch!
Thanks Ruben! I appreciate you!
Which one is the best multimeter?
Thanks for the question. I think there are a number of great choices. If you want something with 3rd party safety ceritifications, there's still lots of options. The Amprobe AM570 is one of them;) I've done a review on this one: ruclips.net/video/eXpOGmTzqts/видео.html
Eeyyy. I like rants.
Thank you Anton! I appreciate you!
A product is only overpriced if the product stops selling. Perception plays into this.
Great Comment! You hit the nail on the head;) I guess I'm trying to change the perception or at least have people consider an option.
Yes you are so right! When you compare the prices, sometimes $100 to $200+ less expensive for the exact same meter under Fluke brand. It is like Apple, they can't sell anything for cheaper price; or the Fluke stop selling them wholesale prices!