New multimeter, suggestions?

[Zer0900]

Hi all. So my cheapo multimeter bit the dust and want to buy a decent one. Most lads I know have the T5-1000 Fluke one which seems fine to me

Fluke T5-1000 Open Jaw Electrical Tester with Continuity and Current Tester, 1000V: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

Fluke T5-1000 Open Jaw Electrical Tester with Continuity and Current Tester, 1000V: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

www.amazon.co.uk

. 105 quid on Amazon.

Is it worth the readies or should I be looking at something different, thanks

 

[telectrix]

had 1 of them. the resistance readings were way out. better with a separate multimeter and clamp meter. (esp. an earthleakage clamp meter.
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my multimeter>chinese, of course.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

The T5 isn’t a multimeter, it is a 2-pole tester for safe isolation, with some additional functionality. I agree with @telectrix here and prefer a 2-pole tester to just do the basics and a separate current clamp and multimeter, suited to your needs & budget.

 

[Zerax]

This guy seems to know what he's talking about...

I know it's a few years old now... but probably still of value. I bought the Brymen that he likes... it's a good bit of kit.

 

[telectrix]

ye can't beat one of these bad boys. i have 2. 1 same as pic. is in calibration. manufactured 1983.

 

[Zerax]

I saw a lovely leather AVO case in a trendy second hand shop a while ago... it was marked up as like a travel vanity case !... and they wanted silly money for it !!

 

[telectrix]

both mine still have the cases, albeit with some bits missing.

 

[WallaceP]

Then Fluke T5 is pretty good, i have had 2 in the last 15 years, the old one got caught damaged, completely my own fault. It depends what you are after, this had been great for most domestic work. As Tele said the resistance test is not great but if you are just belling out cables for identification its nice and loud. It also only has one voltage setting and detects AC and DC which is nice.
There is a new T6 but i wouldn't go near it i feel its more gimmicky than useful. i may be proven wrong in the future tho,
If you are after something for industrial or diagnosing faults/repairs its not the best but i think i could just use this meter 90% of the time and get by. I do have a few other meters but they are all fluke so i am definitely biased on brand.

 

[davesparks]

Start by making a list of the different measurements you need it to make, there's no point buying something which measures frequency and capacitance etc when all you will ever use it for is voltage, current and resistance.

Also consider whether you need a true RMS meter or other advanced features.

Do you need the ability to record min/max or range?

 

[Lou]

Have you tried our sponsors? @Test-Meter ?

 

[Nazir Quwatli]

Try electric-house dot com

 

[rs1987]

The Brymen BM869s is a truly great meter at an extremely good price. CAT IV / 600v CAT III / 1000v, 50,000 counts, 100Khz bandwidth. It's almost impossible to find another meter with similar specifications at even half again the price. This one actually betters a Fluke 87V on specs. Telonic is the distributor = £151 ex VAT. It's admittedly a bit more expensive than the Fluke you mentioned, but way more capable.
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Have you tried our sponsors? @Test-Meter ?

Our sponsors carry a Metrel MD9060 which is a re-branded Bryman BM869s, so you won't go wrong with that one either.

 

[pc1966]

I use a Fluke 179 as something of decent accuracy and good build quality, but it is expensive.

Whatever you chose take care it has some sort of safety rating if you, as pretty much everyone on this forum will, plan on using it on high power circuits (e.g. CAT IV to 300V or similar).

I had not heard of Metrel, but the MD9016 "Electrical Field Service Multimeter" seems a decent spec for around £70:

Metrel MD9016 Electrical Field Service Multimeter

Metrel MD9016 Digital Multimeter Combining its compact design, innovative functionality and built-in communication, the Metrel MD9016 Electrical Field Service Multimeter is capable of detecting and diagnosing most electrical and electrotechnical problems, making it the perfect tool for...

www.test-meter.co.uk

 

[Moley]

I used to have the Fluke 179 but had to give it back when I left my last job. Lovely bit of kit and did exactly what was asked of it. Currently got the Fluke 87. Again, a lovely bit of kit but can't see why it costs so much more than the 179. In either case try not to get them wet as they stop working until you stick them on a radiator overnight to dry out!

 

[R-fur]

Plus one for the fluke 179 great bit of kit, use mine all the time.

 

[pc1966]

Currently got the Fluke 87. Again, a lovely bit of kit but can't see why it costs so much more than the 179.

Had a quick look and the 87 is slightly higher spec, but not the ~£150 difference on RS!

 

[R-fur]

Good tip, buy a set of cheap plastic iPhone screen protectors, cut them to fit your meter, clean the screen and stick them on, works great for protecting the screen.

 

[Mike Johnson]

You guys really ought to test the Testo 710 series it's miles ahead of the game comparatively.

 

[pc1966]

Just to link to one of the sponsor's who are doing a good deal on it just now:

Testo 760-1 Digital Multimeter

Testo 760-1 Digital Multimeter The Testo 760-1 Digital Multimeter is a versatile multimeter that places great emphasis on usability in addition to measuring all regular electrical variables including AC/DC voltage, AC/DC current, resistance, capacitance, and frequency. Diode and continuity...

www.test-meter.co.uk

As discussed on another thread probably the bigger brother, the 760-2 model, is best overall value for money.

While I really like my Fluke 179 I can't say it would be a good recommendation for electrician's use (cost high, extra accuracy not important in this context). The IP67 model at even higher cost is attractive as a gadget, but again hard to justify given its in the MFT price range:

Fluke 28 II IP67 Industrial Multimeter

Fluke 28 II IP67 Industrial Multimeter: This IP67-rated multimeter measures voltage, current, resistance, frequency, and temperature.

www.test-meter.co.uk

Has anyone used IR imaging to look for hot connections before? I ask because FLIR do a multimeter with IR camera but I have no experience of thermal imaging to know if it is worth getting (beyond the "cool gadget" aspect):

FLIR DM166 Thermal Imaging Digital Multimeter

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www.test-meter.co.uk