Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:41:13 -0500
Reply-To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Multimeter recommendation
In-Reply-To: <4766E83E.28518.11EEA245@taring.taring.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I have a pretty nice one from Craftsman that has taken more beatings than i
should expect a product to take, and has performed entirely without flaws.
All i know is its a craftsman with a digital display, and it looks and feels
very strong. If i recall correctly, it was like $40 new from Sears.
I agree that you have to be skeptical about a $10-20 tool thats meant to be
precise, but then again i've seen plenty of cheap products that do what they
claim and do it well. I personally wouldnt be to scared of a product from
Walmart or Radioshack, and i wouldn't beat myself up if it gets destroyed
years from now. Wrenches go bad slowly, they get out of round and you keep
saying "well, it does still work" and will continually damage the heads of
bolts, so a good set of wrenches is a good investment. The only way i've
ever seen a multimeter break is wear (broken leads)- which will probably
happen to any of them, and leads are cheap, or crushed (hey, plastic case,
pretty thin, probably isnt meant to be run over by the car.....so it
breaks.) In that regard, a cheap multimeter will make the same cracking
sound as a good one. Either way, I like to stay away from the lowest priced
item worldly available because i realize they have to cut some corners to
make it that cheap, but I've had no problems with my current meter, and it
has been through alot (how many of you have actually dropped your digital
meters in a lake and they've survived to tell the tale!?).
-Craig
'85GL
On Dec 17, 2007 9:21 PM, tom ring <taring@taring.org> wrote:
> All I have to say is, you get what you pay for. A Fluke will last 10 to
> 1000
> times longer than a 10 or 20 dollar meter, and will give you an answer you
> can
> trust. And leads that don't break. And they aren't that expensive when
> looked
> at from that perspective.
>
> How many here would buy a cheap torque wrench because a good one is too
> expensive?
>
> I just now found a buy-it-now Fluke 77 model II for 59 bucks on ebay.
> That is
> a good meter. And it looks beat up, but it's only the protective surround
> cover that's beat up. Others that look nicer are more, and other models
> can be
> more. As I said before, you get what you pay for, but Flukes are NOT
> expensive. Thinking that an electrical tool is something you can go dirt
> cheap
> on is the same as going dirt cheap on wrenches and sockets. It may let
> you
> down when you need it most.
>
> tom
> K0TAR
>
>
> On 17 Dec 2007 at 21:38, Mike wrote:
>
> > Flukes are expensive. I use one for work. But for home/ automotive
> use, I
> > would have to second the opinion on HF. I recently bought this one on
> sale
> > for 20 bucks, works great;
> >
> > http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37772
> >
> > Mike B.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Paul Guzyk" <paullist@GUZYK.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:20 PM
> > Subject: Re: Multimeter recommendation
> >
> >
> > >A must have feature IMHO is an audible continuity tester.
> > >
> > > i.e. when you touch both ends of the same wire you here a
> > > beep...really handy for troubleshooting wiring issues and especially
> > > handy for building/repairing wiring harnesses.
> > >
> > > Hearing the beep is way easier than looking at the screen of the
> meter.
> > >
> > > $10 multimeters at Harbor Freight even have this feature and are fine
> > > for general automotive work.
> > >
> > > -
> > >
> > >
> > >>Sears sells some digital Fluke meters, as well as Craftsman branded.
> > >>
> > >>Honestly, for a car 90% of what you will ever do is checking
> > >>continuity or testing for 12V. You don't need an expensive precision
> > >>meter to do that. Look for one with long leads that can be handy.
> > >>
> > >>If you need a more general purpose meter, I agree Fluke has a very
> > >>good reputation.
> > >
> >
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------
> Tom Ring K0TAR, ex-WA2PHW EN34hx
> 85 Westphalia GL Albert
> 96 Jetta GL The Intimidator
> taring@taring.org
>
> What happens if a big asteroid hits the Earth? Judging from realistic
> simulations
> involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can assume it
> will
> be pretty bad.
> - Dave Barry
> -----------------------------------------
>
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