I finally chose between a Fluke and a generic DMM for my kit

Went with the Fluke 87V after a coworker in Tampa said his cheap one gave a bad reading on a 28V bus. Anyone have a solid backup brand they trust for less?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.reese2mo ago

Totally get going with the Fluke after a scare like that. Hearing about a bad reading on a 28V bus would make me sweat. I've been burned by a generic meter reading low on a simple outlet check, and it just kills your trust. For a backup, I keep an old Extech in my bag that's never let me down, but it's definitely my second choice.

nathanbennett2mo ago

Yeah, that loss of trust is the real killer. I had a cheap meter show 120V on a 240V dryer outlet once, and I mean, that was it for me. I get why you keep that Extech around, @craig.reese, a known backup is smart. My move was to just bite the bullet and get a Fluke 87V for the main kit. It's overkill for a lot of stuff, but after a bad reading you just need that rock-solid feel in your hand, you know? I don't even question it now.

west.alice1mo ago

Your coworker's 28V bus issue is exactly why I keep a zero-reset screwdriver in my bag alongside my actual meters. Nobody talks about having a non-meter sanity check. Before I grab a backup DMM, I'll touch a contact with a basic neon test light or wiggy just to see if the thing's even alive. A cheap meter can be dead wrong, but a solenoid tester gives you that instant physical kick letting you know power is there. It's not a precision tool by any means, but it catches the big lies that cheap meters tell you. Pairing a solid Fluke with a dumb, brutalist tool like a wiggy covers more ground than any backup meter alone.