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multimeters

what are you looking for? Auto ranging? RPMs matter? Temp probe?

I personally really like the 590. I own it(from Matco). Popped the fuse once but beyond that no problems whatsoever. Love the large display and auto-ranging. And I think its pretty reasonably priced. I usually point customers towards that unless they are dead set another way.
 
BILTIT said:
You can find some cheap flukes on ebay from time to time.
Click to expand...

True but not new with warranty.

The 585 vs the 590. The 585 will do everything I need to do and have room left to grow into I think. The rpm and temp is cool but not required. I use an amp clamp to check current flow for glow plugs. Using the meter allows me to run the ignition with the key and see the readout as opposed to using a clamp meter.

I do this check on powerstrokes about twice a week. Learned the hard way that the ECM doesn't really know if the glowplugs are really working.
 
Every Electrician I've worked with will only buy a Fluke. There has to be a reason for that. The sparky on my shift told me that straight out, buy a Fluke and don't bother with anything else.

Take it for what you want. but thats the only word I've heard for that past few years from the J-man electricians I'm around.
 
you mean they make multimeters that cost more than $9.99?
 
Here's what my dad (40 years as an electronic engineer) taught me when I was a kid...

Fluke. Hands down. If you want to go cheaper, and plan on using this for things besides your vehicle(s), make sure its True RMS (a must for measuring AC). From there you can normally find a decent meter that fits your needs.

When they make true RMS meters, companies are normally competing with the better meters (ie: Fluke) - so the overall quality goes up. True RMS is the first thing I look for, then start eliminating other meters from the list.
 
I can tell you, that as an electrician, I will only use Fluke. I have used several other models.

The other guys at work have meters that aren't Fluke. There is a huge difference.

Iwould rathe walk accross the plant and get mine, than use thiers. Not being a snob, but I trust my meters.

Bruiser
 
I use a fluke 789 everyday at work, i would not trust anything else for what i do. At home you can get away with crappy tire cheapy as long as you dont want anything too accurate.
 
See everything I do is DC, so the true RMS thing is a nonissue. But if I was doing AC then its Fluke hands down. And if I remember this correctly I think both the meters I listed are traceable to a standard, just like a Fluke
 
I use a meterman HD110C. The only reason I use it is because I need to measure above 1000 volts DC. Unfortunately fluke doesn't make a multimeter that measures above 1000v DC. My meterman works just fine and I can have it sent to be re calibrated just like my fluke.
 
I have a nice Fluke that Uncle Sam decided he wanted to contribute to me! It has the temp prob, RPM's and everything else you could imagine. I used it when i worked on aircraft as I need accuracy when adjusting the magnetic transducers that measured the torque of the mast.
 
Don't get me wrong - I'd love to have a Fluke, but the price difference isn't worth it to me for the amount that I use it. I could get some fancy new truck parts for the price difference.
 
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