Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/04/11/two-6-dollar-tools-you-should.html
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Just be careful with that DMM. More times than not they aren’t built to any safety specifications at all. They will lie about being fused (or just not be fused), have glass and not HRC fuses in them, and bad isolation inside.
This doesn’t mean that they are bad for low-voltage use, just don’t go using a cheapo meter on mains, they can literally explode.
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Did trying to read “$6 dollar” make anyone else’s head asplode?
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Dolla Dolla Bill Y’all
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Just for research purposes (hear that, BB?): Amazon customers seem to really like the DMM, and questions could be hurled at the seller. And here’s where you can download its manual.
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Like something that could have fitted nicely in ‘Full Metal Jacket’. “Just cost 6 dollar.”
PS: asplode, as in assplode?
I was expecting a lower fake spot grade.
Even so, after watching lots of teardowns on AvE and others, I’m pretty wary of connecting anything dirt cheap to the mains…
Cheap tools should only be used by people who don’t use their tools much.
A US Navy safety publication describes injuries incurred while doing don’t’s. One page described the fate of a sailor playing with a multimeter in an unauthorized manner. He was curious about the resistance level of the human body. He had a Simpson 260 multimeter, a small unit powered by a 9-volt battery. That may not seem powerful enough to be dangerous…
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Seriously. Do not trust a $6 multimeter for anything life or otherwise safety critical. Get a high quality one that will be well made and last forever. Just watch EEVblog or bigclivedotcom on YouTube for some teardowns and analysis on the cheap models and why they are so scary.
As for the toolkit, you may be better off getting a decent set from iFixIt that’s not made from Chineseium and will not bend or deform after a couple of uses. (Not saying this kit is, but for $6 it’s highly likely.)
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Code ORTBHA221 is no longer accepted.
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I agree on the first point - I’ve burned out more than a few multimeters doing dumb stuff or just plain not unhooking before twisting the knob; the high quality ones are built for abuse.
The toolkit, I ordered it, because for $6 and the amount of usage mine will see it’s the right price point. I mean seriously, how many three-point screws are you really going to encounter? For the serious repair man though, yeah, an investment in a decent set is probably the way to go.
iFixit sells tools made from whitepeoplium?
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Both coupon codes have expired.
AKA, Harbor Freight shoppers.
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Nah, because instead of deforming after one use, they would just stand there and blame the foreign made bits for taking their jerbs.
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$6 dollars, straight from the ATM machine.
Only 52$ in Canada…
I love the tips here but i have to say that every single time I try to get the price that is quoted it is never the price when I see it. Here we are a day later, gone.
Chinesium is a country-of-origin thing, not a race thing. Americum would be more appropriate as a rebuttal (because it explodes).
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