Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/02/19/this-multimeter-is-very-inexpe.html
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Is this better than the HF one you get for free with coupon?
This one seems to lack an auto range feature, which may or may not be desirable.
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Discount multi-meters are like discount prophylactics. Just don’t, especially if you’re using it on something you care about.
Save up your ducats and buy a true RMS meter from a reputable brand. You can get a Fluke for a little over $120 when they go on sale or an Extech for about $50.
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If it works its a fluke.
If its a fluke, it works.
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For whatever it’s worth, I have a Fluke and this cheap multimeter. I grab the cheap one almost every time since it’s smaller and lighter. And for what I use it for (which is 99% voltage, amperage and continuity) they produce absolutely identical results.
I’ve probably bought 10 of that multimeter over the years since they’re cheap enough that I can have one everywhere I might need one, and not one has failed yet. I go through them though, since when I see a friend with a Radio Shack or Harbor Freight style multimeter (or worse, those analog dial monstrosities) I just give them one of those, since it’s such a massive upgrade over super cheapie mutlimeters.
Them’s fighting words. I love my analog multimeter.
…and my slide rules
…and my manual shift car
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I wouldn’t touch anything over 50V with this thing, especially with those exposed probes.
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For simple every day bench stuff, a Fluke is overkill IMHO. But if you’re working on high voltage or jobs that need precision, then yes, get an RMS Fluke. That said, if you need a Fluke professionally, your employer probably provides one unless you’re an independent contractor. Also, my nephew is showing great interest in electronics, and a cheap simple-to-use multimeter will come in handy, but no way am I handing my Fluke to him.
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That Innova 3320 is a great cheapo multimeter. I can’t recommend their 3340 since, if you’re going to spend $75, you really might as well spend $120 to $150 and get an entry level Fluke.
That said, if you need something with a few more features but want to stay under $40 and keep it simple, this one is also good for basic tasks…
Why would you buy a half-dozen cheapo throw-away Made in China multimeters at $5-10 when you could simply buy a reliable one, made in the US or Europe, that will last a lifetime for the close to the same overall price?
They can have my Simpson 260 and Triplett 630 when they take them from my cold dead hands…
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Because some people just need a multimeter that’s simple to use with very basic functionality for occasional use on relatively low-voltage projects. I love my Fluke and an analog Simpson is also a thing of beauty (no experience with Triplett, but I’ll take your word on it). I just recognize that it isn’t necessary for everyone’s use case.
And I disagree with the implied regionalism. Made in China covers a broad range of products from terrible to reliable. If you do your research, you can get a good bargain on a low-end multimeter that stands a good chance of lasting decades with a few cheap fuse replacements. If one wants to buy American or European made to support local trade, then that’s great, but it’s not essential to get something well made.
Not everyone can justify dropping over a hundred bucks on something they may use less than ten times a year.
Let me ask you: if you wanted to buy a multimeter as a gift for an electronics-curious young person, are you going to invest in an expensive professional tool or a decent amateur multimeter?
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I can be 100% sure that products made in the US or Europe aren’t made with slave labor, in an manner that at least gives lip-service to environmental regulations . It’s not just regionalism.
I also don’t understand the mindset where people will spend $800 dollars for a phone that lasts 3 years, but not drop $100 on a quality tool that will last a lifetime. Priorities I suppose.
Worker protections in China are definitely fewer. That doesn’t mean everything made there is made with slave labor or that American/European made products are made without questionable production practices (see Tesla).
But again, if your concern is trade practices, then more power to you. I don’t see how that directly relates to quality control.
Look, I get you don’t like disposable culture. I don’t either. But not everyone buys the latest phone and most people use it constantly. Is the phone/computer industry messed up? Hell yes, but it’s not a direct comparison.
See, and this is why I feel like you’re being a little dismissive of people who don’t need or want to spend money on a professional quality tool.
Look, I need to get ready for work and I don’t want to argue about this anymore; I think we’ve said all we can on it. I generally enjoy your comments here and I think we should just agree to disagree on the priorities of people buying an under-$100 multimeter. The universe will survive. 
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I’m not sure how you expect a $5 multimeter to have ANY level of quality control. To be able to sell a functional multimeter at a $5 price point, you almost certainly have to either be cutting corners on materials or labor costs, if not both. Either way, relying on something that is shoddily made is just asking for trouble.
Tesla might be a questionable actor, but we can be relatively sure that they aren’t locking their intermittently paid workers in guarded dormitories and dumping raw chemical waste directly into rivers.
Yes, the universe will survive, but whatever piece of equipment that our hypothetical $5 multimeter user is working on, might not…
The one in the OP is $12.97. The Innova another commenter linked to is $19.99. The one I linked to is $35.98. Only the Harbor Freight is in the first comment is $5.99, and yes, I strongly discouraged buying that if it makes you feel better.
If you want to debate Chinese labor practices and the moral price of global trade, begin another thread. It’s off-topic in this one.
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And the true RMS Extech I mentioned is $50. The fact that a $5-10 multimeter is almost certainly garbage isn’t off-topic.
After the Discount, the OP’s multimeter is $7. How can you sell a multimeter for $7?
That’s not what I said and you know it.
Don’t know. Don’t care. Don’t buy it.
This is the most pointless conversation I’ve had in weeks. Have a nice day.
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I don’t know that this meter is any more simple to use than the comparable Fluke as some posts seem to argue but more importantly if my experience with el-cheapo multimeters is any guide you only find out too late if they are lying to you. This seems an excellent example of cheap tools hurt more than good ones.
I can’t help it, I have to say it: this was most likely typed on something made with said labor. Not saying hat means the comment is irrelevant, but still.
I also don’t understand the mindset where people will spend $800 dollars for a phone that lasts 3 years, but not drop $100 on a quality tool that will last a lifetime
I agree in principle but not in this case. For starters a cheap phone is functionally a lot worse than an expensive one, assuming you want a smart phone. A good cheap multimeter works just fine for measuring voltage (I live in America so my AC is only 110, which I’ve never had a problem with), amperage up to 10 amps, and continuity, which is what most people who aren’t electrical engineers use their multimeters for 99.99% of the time.
And for people who use multimeters really often, switching over to Flukes or comparable would cost a lot more than $100 since you’d need one everywhere you use them. For me that’s two in my house (one at my desk and one in my workshop), one at work, one in my RV, one at my girlfriend’s, etc. For $20 I can keep one everywhere I’d keep a screwdriver.
This is the most pointless conversation I’ve had in weeks. Have a nice day.
Oh come on, it’s kind of fun to have heated discussions about multimeters…
