Gents, I wanted to pass along a point that was reinforced in a big way to me this very day. Before we go further there is no horror story here. Only an attempt to make the weekend warriors and DIY'ers understand something.
Digital multimeters are one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. That is no exaggeration. It really isn't. Digital display diagnostic and test equipment revolutionised the service industry. What used to involve nearly hand made and very EXPENSIVE array of various analogue test equipment is now accomplished in a handheld package costing from $100-500. Much more for more specialised equipment but the latter figure will buy you a Fluke 87-V and a couple of extra test clips. I use one daily at my work and it is WELL worth the money. I also use a lighter weight stick meter type Fluke. The T-5 1000. A handier service tool you won't find.
I was troubleshooting the trigger group of a power mitre saw today when the junky meter I use for this lost its connection to one of the test probes. I am off work this week and don't have my Flukes to hand. So off to the Home Depot I go to secure another cheap, junk drawer meter. I got it home, inserted batteries, and turned the dial to continuity. Nothing. I removed and replaced the leads and fiddled around and finally got a good 'beep' when the leads were shorted together. And it worked for all of five minutes. When I started to prove the switch I was not getting any continuity between any terminals. What the...? Hmmm. Some of these newer tools have micro sized circuit boards in them with limiter capacitors and/or high limit fuse/switch devises. When they fail, many times they will not let the saw operate at all. The only recourse is a new switch. This one did not appear to be of that variety. The meter was displaying the continuity symbol on the screen. So I shorted the leads together and...nothing. What a piece of junk. And it is clearly marked CAT III 600v on the front. It has to be alright, yeah?
Here's the long and short of it. These cheap meters are nothing short of dangerous. As you may have noted, I was using this for continuity testing. I never use this junk for mains voltage testing or troubleshooting. If it cannot manage a 3 volt circuit to make an electronic beeper sound do you feel comfortable testing 240 or 480 volts with it? Just.Don't.Do.It. They most certainly can explode in your hands if they are not assembled correctly. I worked with a gent who had exactly such a thing happen when he stuck his leads on 480v street lighting circuit. The meter exploded in his hands. It's a small miracle he was not badly burned.
I understand a four or five hundred dollar Fluke is not always the answer(oh the hell it's not. most just cannot honestly justify the expense) but there are plenty of good, serviceable meters out there for well under $200. Fluke, Greenlee, and Brymen all make meters in that range. The latter is hard to get in the USA but many Greenlees are rebadged versions but with significantly higher pricing. You are most certainly paying for insurance and warranty with a major name like Greenlee on it. Ideal also has some meters out there but I do not know who they source them from. Klein has made a big push in the electrical test instrument market but I know nothing of their supplier or reputation in the field. I am speaking only to the meters with that last comment. Europeans are probably looking at Brymen or Gossen-Metrawatt. I have not handled the latter but they have a superb reputation. I don't know about pricing though. I think they tend more toward high end.
The piece of you know what is going back to HD tomorrow. And I am now plotting my indignant retort to the wife when she asks me why I am spending a few hundred dollars on a multimeter.
Digital multimeters are one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. That is no exaggeration. It really isn't. Digital display diagnostic and test equipment revolutionised the service industry. What used to involve nearly hand made and very EXPENSIVE array of various analogue test equipment is now accomplished in a handheld package costing from $100-500. Much more for more specialised equipment but the latter figure will buy you a Fluke 87-V and a couple of extra test clips. I use one daily at my work and it is WELL worth the money. I also use a lighter weight stick meter type Fluke. The T-5 1000. A handier service tool you won't find.
I was troubleshooting the trigger group of a power mitre saw today when the junky meter I use for this lost its connection to one of the test probes. I am off work this week and don't have my Flukes to hand. So off to the Home Depot I go to secure another cheap, junk drawer meter. I got it home, inserted batteries, and turned the dial to continuity. Nothing. I removed and replaced the leads and fiddled around and finally got a good 'beep' when the leads were shorted together. And it worked for all of five minutes. When I started to prove the switch I was not getting any continuity between any terminals. What the...? Hmmm. Some of these newer tools have micro sized circuit boards in them with limiter capacitors and/or high limit fuse/switch devises. When they fail, many times they will not let the saw operate at all. The only recourse is a new switch. This one did not appear to be of that variety. The meter was displaying the continuity symbol on the screen. So I shorted the leads together and...nothing. What a piece of junk. And it is clearly marked CAT III 600v on the front. It has to be alright, yeah?
Here's the long and short of it. These cheap meters are nothing short of dangerous. As you may have noted, I was using this for continuity testing. I never use this junk for mains voltage testing or troubleshooting. If it cannot manage a 3 volt circuit to make an electronic beeper sound do you feel comfortable testing 240 or 480 volts with it? Just.Don't.Do.It. They most certainly can explode in your hands if they are not assembled correctly. I worked with a gent who had exactly such a thing happen when he stuck his leads on 480v street lighting circuit. The meter exploded in his hands. It's a small miracle he was not badly burned.
I understand a four or five hundred dollar Fluke is not always the answer(oh the hell it's not. most just cannot honestly justify the expense) but there are plenty of good, serviceable meters out there for well under $200. Fluke, Greenlee, and Brymen all make meters in that range. The latter is hard to get in the USA but many Greenlees are rebadged versions but with significantly higher pricing. You are most certainly paying for insurance and warranty with a major name like Greenlee on it. Ideal also has some meters out there but I do not know who they source them from. Klein has made a big push in the electrical test instrument market but I know nothing of their supplier or reputation in the field. I am speaking only to the meters with that last comment. Europeans are probably looking at Brymen or Gossen-Metrawatt. I have not handled the latter but they have a superb reputation. I don't know about pricing though. I think they tend more toward high end.
The piece of you know what is going back to HD tomorrow. And I am now plotting my indignant retort to the wife when she asks me why I am spending a few hundred dollars on a multimeter.
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