Hi all. I ordered nice-ish probes for my multi-meter…turns out my old cheapie Sear’s multi-meter wont accept probes with full length sheathing over the plugs.
Is there a favorite sub $100 multi-meter? Or should I just purchase another $20-$40 slow response multi-meter until I’m ready to spend a few hundred bucks? Really just for household, hobby and auto use. Would not use it on HVAC or anything larger than shop tools and home appliances.
Thanks for the feedback…
Check out pawn shops for Fluke 87’s they can be had usually for less than a hundo.
Invest for the long term.
ELab has Fluke 115
They’re on sale TEquipment
https://www.tequipment.net/Fluke115.html?rrec=true
When a $160 Fluke was stolen from ELab, I suggested that Art replace it with twenty of the $8 Ebay ones like I use!
One a more serious note, for commercial or serious hobby use, the replies by Tim and Art are excellent.
I hope I’m ok using the word stolen. Maybe I should have used a more PC term like, “long term missing.”
I frequent several pawn shops looking for tools and often find Fluke 73, 87 and 117 meters for anywhere between $50 and $150. My first Fluke meter was a 87 mark III that had no yellow case and poor condition probes. For $65 off eBay I bought a Fluke kit that included a new set of probes, yellow case, LED backlight conversion kit and upgraded fuses to upgrade it to a 87 mark V. The best find was at the Salvation Army store off Josey and Valley View. Mixed with some random home electronics I found a non-working Fluke 73 without a case or probes for $5. Installed a new battery and picked up some probes at Fry’s and it has been a good cheap meter.
Clayton, you have a PM on a meter that most folks on list list would drool over. 
I have its big brother.
@Raymond Thank you. I’ll have a look.
I’m tempted to run over to the Salvation Army store but I would have to stand in line behind all the DMS Electronics folks.
The Extech EX330 is pretty solid and can be bought for $50-$70 online.
I also like the Fluke 100 series, but they are a little pricey for beginning hobbyists.
I have a Fluke 15B and like it alot. It skates in right under your price point at ~$95:
Would it be safe to say I should try to get a lower priced “True RMS” meter? No way I can justify dropping $600 on a meter, but I can justify $100.
