Best affordable DMM for integrators?

741C

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Join Date
Oct 2019
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CO
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15
Make me a recommendation. I was hoping the Fluke 787 would be a little more affordable. Sometimes I wonder if all the extra bells and whistles on these things are really necessary. I don't need a thermocouple, diode, capacitor testing capacbilities. I do want one that can source 4-20mA, and obviously good up to 600V cat4 preferably. I was hoping to only spend a couple hundred bucks if possible.

What have you had luck with?
 
I tried an economical (Extech) loop calibrator and hated it. I carry a Fluke 707 and a Fluke 179 now. My partner has a Fluke 789 and it does everything except source voltage and measure mA at the same time (my 707 can do that). His meter has come in handy testing high speed counting logic/wiring since it can source pulses. This process meter feature has been handy about twice in five years...how much is our time worth?

After I tried that cheaper loop calibrator, someone told me "no one ever got fired for buying a Fluke."
 
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I like my 725 for process calibration. I then buy a cheap clamp meter for ac measurement. 725 is nowhere near cheap though, but it does everything possibly needed.
 
If you work with a lot of analog every day, the 787 or 789 are worth every penny. If you are only doing it once or twice a year, it probably isn't.

However, you probably won't regret buying it when you do have those analog jobs come up and you need to test an instrument or input.
 
I carry a relatively inexpensive DMM "APPA 97". It has one really useful feature.
It beeps when the leads are inserted incorrectly for the chosen setting.
For example, I want to measure voltage, but the leads are inserted for current. That would normally blow the internal fuse, but with the beeping I am warned before it gets so far.
 
You can always get an analog simulator by itself. plccable.com got a few to pick from.

Thank you very much!

I would recommend this one, for under 120.00 its a great little tool https://www.plccable.com/new-updated-analog-simulator-and-generator-with-lcd-0-10vdc-0-22ma/

We use to sell a lot of Flukes, I dont think you can go wrong if you have the budget, I use 789 and 87v everyday, I also have a 289/FVF for the special projects but its a little on the large size

We stopped selling them because they were our number one item that people would try and rip off, life has been much better since we stopped, I think we have a 179 and 289 left but thats it...
 
Make me a recommendation. I was hoping the Fluke 787 would be a little more affordable. Sometimes I wonder if all the extra bells and whistles on these things are really necessary. I don't need a thermocouple, diode, capacitor testing capacbilities. I do want one that can source 4-20mA, and obviously good up to 600V cat4 preferably. I was hoping to only spend a couple hundred bucks if possible.

What have you had luck with?


The bold things make it hard I think. Thermocouple, diode and capacitor testing are in much higher demand than the analog sourcing. There are very good and reliable DMM's cheaper than a Fluke. Relatively few people need the analog sourcing capability though, so that and the UL rating make the selection narrow and thus pushes the price range up.



My meter is a Brymen BM257s. Very similar and even cheaper is the BM235. They are robust and precise, UL rated and known around the internets as a well made yet very affordable device. Mine is holding up very well indeed and a pleasure to use. It doesn't do the analog sourcing. I use a separate signal generator for that when needed. Doesn't happen too often for me so I don't want to carry an expensive Fluke for that reason alone. Also because it attracts the wrong kind of attention when working away from home - I cannot keep an eye on all my tools on those days. I prefer to carry a very good yet discrete and unsuspected meter rather than the typical yellow Fluke.
 
I would recommend Brymen as well. I have a DMM and a clamp meter and they are both very reliable and precise.
I also got a 10$ 4-20mA current loop generator from eBay that gets the job done but the analog signal generator from plccable.com would be much better solution.
 

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