DIYbanter - View Single Post - Advice Please: Cheap Meter Recommendations

wrote:
wrote:

By far the most reliable and durable meter I have ever used in the low
cost arena was the Fluke 8060 and its replacement the 189. The 8060s
all lasted well over 20 years before failure, so far none of the 189s
have had any problems.

I am not sure what you mean by cheap as the low end Fluke meters were
inexpensive at around $300 new.

No if you want one of those throw away Chinese made multi-meters of
questionable accuracy, no built in idiot user protection, then go for
it. After a few of those you will find out how reliable the Fluke
meters really are.

Well, I know a couple of guys who have been using cheap Radio Shack
meters for many years.

The first of the two 8060A meters I have began to work intermittantly
after the third time I used it.(I won it off of Ebay). And now doesn't
power up.

Because of Fluke's reputation I got another one(from a different
auction), and that one was only used one time. Now when I power it on
the display is very dim and doesn't do anything when I try to use the
buttons. This Fluke was definitely checked and recalibrated before I
received it, and the problem is defintely not the batteries.

So that's two (rarely used)Flukes that stopped working within about 2
or 3 years.

So now I'm ****ed because I have a project that is way over due and the
Flukes are just *too expensive* to get fixed.

At least with a cheap one, you can throw it in the garbage without
worrying about it being a big loss.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Well if you decide to dump those 8060's I'll gladly take one off your
hands, I just looked them up and they're true RMS, very nice meters.