"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Theo Markettos wrote:
Caecilius wrote:
As ohers have said, can't go wrong with Fluke.

Buy two, a Fluke and a cheapo one. Use the cheapo one when you just
need to buzz out lightbulbs, check batteries, whatever, and use the
Fluke when it actually matters.

Good advice.

Nope, I much prefer using the Fluke because is a much
better designed meter and don’t ****up and blow the
fuse at all, because after I measure current, I put the probes
back where they go for normal ops so I don’t **** up.

The cost of a fuse for a Fluke can be as much as a whole cheap
multimeter, so you live to regret testing the voltage of a D cell but
the probes plugged in for current mode. And the cheapo one comes in
handy when you pick up the Fluke and discover the battery is flat
*again* (I know it's a problem in the Fluke 83, not sure about others).

Quite. Of course there will be smartarses who
say they've never blown a fuse in a DVM.

Taint smartarses, just those with enough to a clue to
put the probes back in the normal holes when you
have finished measuring current.

I'm certainly more careful after having
to buy a new one for my Fluke. ;-)

I was more careful without blowing one.

In fact, buy several cheapo ones and leave one in the shed, one
in the car, etc. Then there's always one about when you need it.

I bought a 'proper' automotive one off Ebay
from China direct to keep in the old car.

I don’t find I do stuff on the car away from home enough
to matter and I did run the previous car for 35+ years.

Does RPM,

My car does that on the dash

Dwell and Temperature, as well as the usual

I have an OBDII adapter that leaves any meter for dead on that stuff.

and has a 20 amp range. Actually seems
rather a nice meter at about 30 quid.

The OBDII adapter didn’t cost anything like that and does
a hell of a lot more fault finding wise if you have a problem.

My Fluke is a delight to use

Yeah, that’s the main reason I don’t use cheapos for anything
even tho I have a few left over from before I got the Fluke.

- but doubt it is decent value for money,

The Fluke 17 wasn’t all that expensive
and I got it at a decent discount too.

and probably not worth it for general DIY.

Not at the current Fluke prices.

Snag is knowing which of the many from China are.