Best Digital Multimeter for electronics student ??

[Mr Nice]

My nephew needs a Digital multimeter for school cause he is studying electronics.

Whats the best Digital Multimeter for a student ($100 - $150 price range). His birthday is coming up and I want to buy him a quality meter. Any suggestions ??

BK Percision, Fluke, Craftsman...etc, etc...

Thanks

 

[Dan4510]

Fluke is a good one. Can take the punishment and still keep working. Moderate cost but still does a good job.

Dan

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

Yup. Something like a Fluke 110 should work nicely. About $120 on ebay.

 

[Gurkha]

Fluke, Mitutoyo, even Rat Shack makes good ones usually sourced from Fluke.

 

[keith]

Whichever you go with, I recommend you get one with "true rms" measurement.

I'm old school - Simpson analog with a moving needle

 

[jsharp]

Whatever you can afford from Fluke is the right one to buy. We've tried the cheaper imported meters and they don't last long. The Flukes not only last, they hold calibration. We've had 10 year old Flukes checked and they still met specs for a brand new meter.

 

[Papa Bear]

The more expensive meters have a faster response time. I had a Beckman digital for many years when I worked as an electronics tech. It was very fast and accurate. Be sure to check the reaction time of the meter before buying it. I have a cheap DMM for working at home and it takes a second or two to display the reading. The reading is accurate but the wait time is annoying.

P.B.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

I have an old Rat Shack. ~14 years old. Cost abour $40.00 back then. It's tough, been dropped, stepped on, fell off the cowl at ~45MPH, too many other indignities to name. Still works fine. A little hard to read due to chem splash on disply screen. Pretty sure I got my moneys worth out of it by now.

 

[Bob Woods]

I used Fluke for years and swore by them, then I got a Goldstar dm311 and have had it for 5 or 6 years.

 

[1sttruck]

I have a Radio Shack digital meter that is about 20 years old, it was about $40, but needed an upgrade for reading lower resistance values. Found a rebranded Fluke at Sears for $50, it's basic, response time makes itself noticed sometimes, but it appears to be a decent meter. It's been on sale for $35 once in awhile.

 

[Mr Nice]

Thanks for the advice, I heard Fluke made quality Multimeters.

I forgot to mention, my nephew is going to a Community College studying Biomedical Electronics and will then pursue a 4 year degree in Engineering. He wants to work with medical equipment.

Thanks for the input.

 

[tom slick]

Fluke is the only meter to have. I also have an Ideal (brand of electrician's supplies) and it is not nearly as accurate when it really counts. the fluke has a quicker sample rate which is key when looking at AC voltages.

 

[Papa Bear]

The first accurate meter that I used, which was handed down to me by my father who was a ham radio operator, was a Heathkit VTVM.
Still have it in the basement.

P.B.

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

---

Originally posted by keith:
Whichever you go with, I recommend you get one with "true rms" measurement.

I'm old school - Simpson analog with a moving needle

---

Gotta love them Simpsons. I haven't seen one in a while.

I have a Fluke with the handy protective cover. Good solid meter. Beckman was the industrial/instrumentation digital meter of choice back when. I think Fluke did a better job of marketing. I've got thermal couples and air stream, submersion, and piercing probes ..rpm ..current clamp..etc..etc.

 

[Tosh]

I searched the pawn shops (before the internet) long and hard for my Fluke, and I love it.
However, if I were an electronics student looking for a meter, I think I would appreciate one of the lower priced DMMs with capacitance and transistor checks. Then later (when I could afford it) I would get a scope-type meter. Frankly, which meter might be something he should decide on his own, not receive as a gift from a well-meaning relative.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Papa Bear:
The first accurate meter that I used, which was handed down to me by my father who was a ham radio operator, was a Heathkit VTVM.
Still have it in the basement.

P.B.

---

I've got one of those. Still works. Takes about 5 minutes to warm up and stabilize. Also have a big Simpson with the 6" meter. Thing weighs 5lbs. Also 2 or 3 little hand held Simpsons.