Just realized my $45 multimeter reads the same as the one I borrowed for $300

Anthony Fox · 2026-10-19T05:00:03.915219+00:00

Was poking around the fuse box in my garage last week trying to chase a dead outlet, and a buddy lent me his fancy meter that he paid around $300 for. I picked up my own cheap one for $45 at a tool sale in Fresno, and on the same circuit they both read 119.8 volts, dead on the same. So now I'm stuck on this: is the pricey meter worth it for the safety rating and true RMS, or are the rest of us just paying for a logo and a nicer case? I get that the cheap one might lie to me on odd waveforms or blow up someday, but for basic house wiring it seemed to hold its own. Anyone here run a cheap meter for years and live to tell about it, or did one let you down?

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Just realized my $45 multimeter reads the same as the one I borrowed for $300 | Broke But Building - HW Forums