Great review! Thanks for sharing. As a aircraft mechanic for the airlines. I have used this meter for a couple years. This meter has been great for basic aviation work.
thanks. i do hvac work and i own the 115 and 116 as "beater meters". my peers say im buring money for what these meters cost, but i have no prob with them. thank again.
I'm very impressed with how thorough you are in these reviews. And for someone who only uses a meter occasionally for home hobby stuff, this is the nicest meter I've ever owned. I've never spent more than $30 on a meter before, so for me, this is a Cadillac. Fluke - being generally accepted as the "Cisco" of test equipment, builds a solid product as you pointed out, but what about the quality of the company itself in terms of dealing with the customer, solving or fixing problems that may happen with their equipment, and of course warranty. You mentioned that for the price, you were disappointed in the lack of milli and micro amp capability, and of course the darker display (and no, it wasn't age, mine is new and the display is the same as yours). So I'm curious; does owning a product like this from a company like Fluke make up for any of that? In other words, spending $140 on this meter might be worth over looking those flaws, if you knew for a fact, that as long as you use the meter properly, you will always have a working and reliable meter for many many years to come because the company backs the product that well, where as these other brands might not have the guarantee of longevity that Fluke offers. Solid construction, precision, and brand reputation were the main reasons I chose a Fluke meter over any other brand. It is the same reason I like Weller when it comes to soldering irons, although there are some amazing China off brand irons out there that can perform as well as a $200 Weller station for a mere $80, so it's getting harder to remain brand loyal these days. But Id like to know your opinion on how relevant product backing, guarantee and customer service is in contrast with the disappointments of the product.
Thanks Martin. I just found one in a box of junk recently that has issues and I'm guessing the Fluke flat rate repair price will be the same as just getting a new one. The interesting this is that the model without the "electricity sensor" is apparently the same and they shave off all the pins on the little IC up at the top near those two capacitors. Don't forget also that that meter was designed for electricians, not an electronics bench meter so you really can't compare on those grounds. Fo
Did you try to put the F115 in LoZ mode? I tried on my side to no avail. Cannot lit the "LoZ" indication on the screen. What about you? Thanks in advance! :-)
ONLY for the Ac Mv setting...do try the following... seems you can get wide frequency range only for mv ac setting... stick in a sine wave signal, down to 5 mvac seems ok... and vary frequency from 10 Hz upto and over 15KHz.. IF you have DC offset also , you might need to make a DC block filter.... for us, this overly expensive basic meter is now, semi - worthwhile.
Consider that a more vibrant display comes at a cost of more power consumption. Perhaps they tuned it to give you just enough visibility to be useful without chewing up batteries
It's not that, its the polarization. Poor viewing angles when looking at the meter from a downward angle. I have got used to it and just position the meter at a different angle, and I don't even notice anymore. It is still something that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.
very informative video! I'm trying to decide on which fluke to buy, one that would be good for general household use. Such as checking components on water heaters, clothes dryers, car battery levels etc. do you think this meter would accomplish what i want to do? thanks again for the great video, youre very precise and that's appreciated. I live in the States.
Good review! I just bought one today to replace my old trustworthy Fluke 23 which finally failed after many, many years in service. It definitely isn't the cheapest one in the market considering the features it provides but it suits my needs perfectly. Nice to see that it's built to last. I'm a field service tech and the meter needs to be able to survive some unavoidable "bumps in the road" as I go. :) EDIT/P.S.: Having now tried out my new 115 I really don't see any issues with the display described in the video (aside from the bright spots from the backlight). Could it be that they've changed the display in newer versions?
Hi I'm AV technician, I have plan for buying True RMS Meters plz suggest me which one is good N best . Fluke 17B Max , can U compare . I'm from Bangalore City.
Hi, somebody suggests me, I am going to start a computer, laptop motherboard services and LCD, LED TV services, should I buy this one or a cheaper China made DMM?
Not much has changed in 8 years. I was looking around for first multimeter and pretty much settled on the 17B+ as well. Though it's not a TrueRMS meter. Anything with TRMS that also includes mA/µA is part of their most expensive line-up. At least in this part of the world. >:(
Good Review Martin! - you should became a Teacher in next Life ^^ I think from the measurement point of view the minor issues on the display is not comparable to the build quality which looks in my Eyes very reliable for the specified target group. In general I would highly recommend to avoid too much bending the PCB especially while populated with SMT parts. MLCC's and also the high precision SMT resistors are very sensitive devices you can easily damage or pre-damage.
5:33 "I see something that I assume has something to do with calibration. So I wonder if I should....... , no I won't, I won't on this one." made me laugh so hard! you go an tinker on in your videos very interesting to see. By the way are you going to show how you recalibrated the Amprobe 160-A?
Isn't it funny how much this little piece of board costs? Low volume and market I guess, For the same money you can buy a graphics card or budget smartphone which has way more technology and components in it.
+Bulgdoom True. I thought of the same thing. Too expensive I thought of making my own. Who am I kidding. I bought a UNI-T instead. Much more realistic price range for raw mats.
I do not understand what you said. I'm planning on using it just on an electric board level. Something not greater than 12V hopefully. I don't even know how to test for Voltage and Ampere yet.
Great review! Thanks for sharing. As a aircraft mechanic for the airlines. I have used this meter for a couple years. This meter has been great for basic aviation work.
9:43 that rotary job is very reliable and durable to many thousands of rotations. I saw Hioki has the same.
thanks.
i do hvac work and i own the 115 and 116 as "beater meters". my peers say im buring money for what these meters cost, but i have no prob with them.
thank again.
:-) ...Mr Tinker! Yes, the Amprobe calibration will happen...just a fair amount of prep to do it...so I need some undivided attention...
I'm very impressed with how thorough you are in these reviews. And for someone who only uses a meter occasionally for home hobby stuff, this is the nicest meter I've ever owned. I've never spent more than $30 on a meter before, so for me, this is a Cadillac.
Fluke - being generally accepted as the "Cisco" of test equipment, builds a solid product as you pointed out, but what about the quality of the company itself in terms of dealing with the customer, solving or fixing problems that may happen with their equipment, and of course warranty.
You mentioned that for the price, you were disappointed in the lack of milli and micro amp capability, and of course the darker display (and no, it wasn't age, mine is new and the display is the same as yours). So I'm curious; does owning a product like this from a company like Fluke make up for any of that? In other words, spending $140 on this meter might be worth over looking those flaws, if you knew for a fact, that as long as you use the meter properly, you will always have a working and reliable meter for many many years to come because the company backs the product that well, where as these other brands might not have the guarantee of longevity that Fluke offers.
Solid construction, precision, and brand reputation were the main reasons I chose a Fluke meter over any other brand. It is the same reason I like Weller when it comes to soldering irons, although there are some amazing China off brand irons out there that can perform as well as a $200 Weller station for a mere $80, so it's getting harder to remain brand loyal these days.
But Id like to know your opinion on how relevant product backing, guarantee and customer service is in contrast with the disappointments of the product.
Final brand comparison video should make interesting viewing! Good work Martin.
Yup...coming soon.
Thanks Martin. I just found one in a box of junk recently that has issues and I'm guessing the Fluke flat rate repair price will be the same as just getting a new one. The interesting this is that the model without the "electricity sensor" is apparently the same and they shave off all the pins on the little IC up at the top near those two capacitors.
Don't forget also that that meter was designed for electricians, not an electronics bench meter so you really can't compare on those grounds. Fo
Yup...the 1587 is on my list to do...
Thanks...input noted.
Did you try to put the F115 in LoZ mode? I tried on my side to no avail. Cannot lit the "LoZ" indication on the screen. What about you? Thanks in advance! :-)
Отличный обзор, отличная работа.
ONLY for the Ac Mv setting...do try the following...
seems you can get wide frequency range only for
mv ac setting...
stick in a sine wave signal, down to 5 mvac seems ok...
and vary frequency from 10 Hz upto and over 15KHz..
IF you have DC offset also , you might need to make
a DC block filter....
for us, this overly expensive basic meter is now, semi - worthwhile.
Consider that a more vibrant display comes at a cost of more power consumption. Perhaps they tuned it to give you just enough visibility to be useful without chewing up batteries
It's not that, its the polarization. Poor viewing angles when looking at the meter from a downward angle. I have got used to it and just position the meter at a different angle, and I don't even notice anymore. It is still something that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.
Are the grey color multimeter more expensive?
What does "count" represent when determining quality/accuracy test instruments? For example, 5000 count vs. 6000 count.
Hi marton my 115 have sema issue with the display, have you fixed some how? Maybe open and clean fixed it?
Great job!, thank you for doing this review.
very informative video! I'm trying to decide on which fluke to buy, one that would be good for general household use. Such as checking components on water heaters, clothes dryers, car battery levels etc. do you think this meter would accomplish what i want to do? thanks again for the great video, youre very precise and that's appreciated. I live in the States.
Good review! I just bought one today to replace my old trustworthy Fluke 23 which finally failed after many, many years in service. It definitely isn't the cheapest one in the market considering the features it provides but it suits my needs perfectly. Nice to see that it's built to last. I'm a field service tech and the meter needs to be able to survive some unavoidable "bumps in the road" as I go. :)
EDIT/P.S.: Having now tried out my new 115 I really don't see any issues with the display described in the video (aside from the bright spots from the backlight). Could it be that they've changed the display in newer versions?
Hi I love the way you review MMs, could please consider the Fluke 1587 for review?
hello mj, just wanna ask,, what type of fluke can you recommend as a electronic technician?
thank you
Fluke 115 is my friend in the rain for 12 years. And he never betrayed me. Just FLUKE.
Thank you Martin 115 the best.Like!
Thanks!
Why not explain the calibration of the fluke 115 dmm.
Hi I'm AV technician, I have plan for buying True RMS Meters plz suggest me which one is good N best . Fluke 17B Max , can U compare . I'm from Bangalore City.
I guess once you break the blue threadlocker that the screw is no longer locked in place when you put it back. It would need new threadlocker applied.
Hi, somebody suggests me, I am going to start a computer, laptop motherboard services and LCD, LED TV services, should I buy this one or a cheaper China made DMM?
High Quality video and very nice DMM's..
Not much has changed in 8 years. I was looking around for first multimeter and pretty much settled on the 17B+ as well. Though it's not a TrueRMS meter. Anything with TRMS that also includes mA/µA is part of their most expensive line-up. At least in this part of the world. >:(
Good Review Martin! - you should became a Teacher in next Life ^^
I think from the measurement point of view the minor issues on the display is not comparable to the build quality which looks in my Eyes very reliable for the specified target group.
In general I would highly recommend to avoid too much bending the PCB especially while populated with SMT parts.
MLCC's and also the high precision SMT resistors are very sensitive devices you can easily damage or pre-damage.
Which best for mobile phone mechanic??
Why display board show F115 only.
maybe a video for DMM, "best bang for bucks" somekind of advice what to buy...
absolutely! Solder on some pots and lets' get them turning LOL...
5:33 "I see something that I assume has something to do with calibration. So I wonder if I should....... , no I won't, I won't on this one."
made me laugh so hard! you go an tinker on in your videos very interesting to see.
By the way are you going to show how you recalibrated the Amprobe 160-A?
Attach that switch and turn the pots “variable capacitor's” lol
and why is it not a good Idea?
I don't see any problem.
10000 рублей.... за что?
Isn't it funny how much this little piece of board costs? Low volume and market I guess, For the same money you can buy a graphics card or budget smartphone which has way more technology and components in it.
+Bulgdoom True. I thought of the same thing. Too expensive I thought of making my own. Who am I kidding. I bought a UNI-T instead. Much more realistic price range for raw mats.
I do not understand what you said. I'm planning on using it just on an electric board level. Something not greater than 12V hopefully. I don't even know how to test for Voltage and Ampere yet.