DMM Recommendation Under $150

[Wytnucls]

There are safe workarounds to palliate some of its shortcomings.
Measuring 20mA with a 1 ohm shunt:

[antonioZth]

That is Brymen for sure..

Yap... I had 15min of trying them, I can tell they were made by brymens and its made in taiwan...

One thing I forgot to mention, don't dismiss the value of a warranty.   I was kinda shocked that your are even considering no warranty devices.   Like many of use a too expenditure like this is nontrivial and you want to make sure the manufacture will back it up if it has issues upon arrival.   Infant mortality is still a real issue with electronics and as such you want to have the ability to make a warranty claim if needed.    I'm not sure How I forgot that in my previous post.   

The meters I listed does come with warranty, but only If I send em back to China or Taiwan. I've ask local Fluke and UNI-T distros and dealer, they told me that they will not honor the warranty if a meter is bought outside Malaysia. This is usual practice here in Malaysia not only multimeters but also for computer parts like graphic cards and motherboard, mobile phones, cars and so on... Since the locally sold products is sometimes 50% more in terms of sticker price here, many people tends to import from outside or buy from China trading platforms such as Ali Express...

So that is why I just put No Warranty to indicate I be buying a grey import meter.
 

Loks like BM257s on the left and BM252s on the right.

Yap.. spot on

With limited funds and minor requirements for electronic work, I would recommend the Fluke 101.
It is well made, safe and well priced.

No current measurement or TrueRMS. And horrible leads.

But ... a Fluke 101 plus an Aneng is a good combination to own. Use the Fluke for poking at dangerous stuff and double-checking the Aneng, use the Aneng for everything else.

With $100 you can get Fluke101 + Aneng870 + a reasonable set of gold plated test leads.
[/quote]

Yap.. but I'm looking for a not only decent but a well built and accurate multimeter with the highest safety built into the meter that is within what I'm looking for.

And happily enough, I found one, a gem, a respectable brand of multimeter with a price that I just can't refuse...

[Fungus]

And happily enough, I found one, a gem, a respectable brand of multimeter with a price that I just can't refuse...

 


Now you can start thinking about your secondary meter. 

[bdunham7]

By the way is it just me or does this look like Brymen made?

What prices are those?

[rsjsouza]

I know you probably went ahead and got the Brymen rebrands, which are quite decent meters for their price.

If you are still on the lookout, I see you mentioned Amprobe. The 37XR is well praised around here, and their model AM570 is well featured and robust - I have an AM530 (same family as the 570) and it is well built but somewhat limited. 

For budget you wouldn't find better price/performance ratio than the AN870 or the Q10 mentioned by Fungus.

After my experience with two Fluke 101s that had quality issues, I would never recommend it. It is just not at the same level as the real Flukes.

[jonpaul]

Bonjour a tous,

For non-critical use,  Harbor Freight! "7 Functon Digital Multimeter" SKU 63759, 90899, 98025, 69096, 63604, 63758, 30756

https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-63759.html
https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63604.pdf

2 ACV 200, 250, batt test, diode, DCV 200 mv...250V ma 200 u ...200 ma HFE (transistor socket)
Ohms 200...2M

On sales at variuos prices like $5, BUT sometimes FREE.

2.75 x 4.75 "

For that cost I eventually got 5 plus a few to give as gifts when overseas.

Really a throwaway!

Enjoy,


Jon

[Fungus]

For that cost I eventually got 5 plus a few to give as gifts when overseas.

I'm sure the natives really appreciate them.

[antonioZth]

What prices are those?

RM450 but on offer at RM380... so in USD around 95

I know you probably went ahead and got the Brymen rebrands, which are quite decent meters for their price.

If you are still on the lookout, I see you mentioned Amprobe. The 37XR is well praised around here, and their model AM570 is well featured and robust - I have an AM530 (same family as the 570) and it is well built but somewhat limited. 

For budget you wouldn't find better price/performance ratio than the AN870 or the Q10 mentioned by Fungus.

After my experience with two Fluke 101s that had quality issues, I would never recommend it. It is just not at the same level as the real Flukes.

Here it listed as Beha Amprobe... I've browsed around a couple model but didn't really dive into it coz its priced similar or high ler than BK for lesser equipped or spec model...

Nope your guess is incorrect, didn't went for the rebadge Brymens... Even now I can't believe what I've done.. I managed to score a Fluke rival

And happily enough, I found one, a gem, a respectable brand of multimeter with a price that I just can't refuse...  

Now you can start thinking about your secondary meter. 

Owhh noooo... no for a looooong time.... 

[antonioZth]

Well thanks guys for all of the recommendations... I didn't get what I listed, but I think I did the close to perfect decision...

Here it is...A NOS BNIB Agilent U1272A .... they say YOLO

[antonioZth]

Hit the limit on attachments

[nightfire]

Well, thats the exact opposite of what you asked for...
But congrats, I have this DMM myself and I am quite happy with it ;-)

[2N3055]

Good meter....

You should check this, just in case, if applies to your meter..:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-933-keysight-u1272a-emc-issue/msg1046031/#msg1046031

[rsjsouza]

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

[AVGresponding]

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

Indeed, very good advice.

I'd add, find out if it works with NiMH or NiZn rechargeables, these almost never leak.

[rsjsouza]

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

Indeed, very good advice.

I'd add, find out if it works with NiMH or NiZn rechargeables, these almost never leak.

I don't know about the U1272A, but the 1273A allows selecting the battery as Primary (Alkaline, non rechargeable) or Secondary (rechargeable) to adjust the low batt indicator accordingly.

Due to the higher power consumption of the U1273A, I personally use Lithium non-rechargeables but its availability and price varies wildly across the world.

[antonioZth]

Well, thats the exact opposite of what you asked for...
But congrats, I have this DMM myself and I am quite happy with it ;-)

Yaaa I know right...maybe it paid off for waiting the right time as opposed to hastily click on the buy button...

I found this NOS at the same place I saw the rebadged Brymen... There was a demo unit alomg side the display shelf ... I asked how much and the shopkeeper mention something like an equivalent to USD190... he said there is 2 more stocks in the back he wants to clear...

Brought both out for me to see and test... he also told me once I made my decision of which unit, No warranty will be provided... as this is as is basis sale...

I checked both units along with the demo, and decided to ignore my brain and just forget about the additional coins I had to fork out.... Paid and left a happy bunny...

Good meter....

You should check this, just in case, if applies to your meter..:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-933-keysight-u1272a-emc-issue/msg1046031/#msg1046031

It probably has this problem but I can’t be certain for sure because I don’t really have any test equipment on my table...

By the time, I’ll encounter this problem, I certainly would already have another 2 or 3 meters from Fluke laying around on the table... At the time being, I think I’ll be fine with just measuring components... but if a problem arise, I just send em back to Keysight or is it Agilent for repair...

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

When I reached my house, I replaced those GP with Energizers and date em... now the GPs are in my TV remote control 

Congratulations! I have its brother U1273A and it is my favourite meter. You will not be disappointed

Just keep a close watch on those AAA batteries... GP-branded is usually fine, but just be on the lookout so you don't have a leak. It is a very precious piece of equipment you have there.

Indeed, very good advice.

I'd add, find out if it works with NiMH or NiZn rechargeables, these almost never leak.

Will do, I let these brand new Energizers finish firsts...

[antonioZth]

After a full day with learning to use and tinkering with the meter, I noticed that the Backlight/Setup button weren’t responsive same goes to the Null/Scale button....

Since there is no warranty, and am to lazy to go back to the shop to ask for another test run with the other stocks, I decided to take apart the meter, check and clean the contacts and the Rubber dome buttons with IPA, which I suspected was the culprit...

And after assembly, the buttons was perfectly fine and responsive....Everything is fine except the top part of the meter case above the LCD seems to not be able to close even after I screw everything back together...its like the top part was somehow joint together with adhesive or non residue glue of some sort... owh well, just a minor thing... If anyone knows how to close the gap of the top part between the lower part of the Case domlet me know yaa... for now I just leave it as it is... below are 2 pictures which show one without me squeezing the meter and one while squeezing...

[Doddy883]

I'm glad you're sorted, but just for future reference if this comes up on search - I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built. It's better than my Fluke 83V which would have cost £400 new

[Fungus]

I'm glad you're sorted, but just for future reference if this comes up on search - I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built. It's better than my Fluke 83V which would have cost £400 new

Welcome to the world of Brymen.

[wraper]

Everything is fine except the top part of the meter case above the LCD seems to not be able to close even after I screw everything back together.

Because you are trying to do it the other way around. You need to close the snaps on top of the case first, and only then screw things together.
Also you have broken one of the hooks which holds PCB. 

its like the top part was somehow joint together with adhesive or non residue glue of some sort

As if it's not apparent there are no screws on top and everything holds on snaps.

[antonioZth]

Because you are trying to do it the other way around. You need to close the snaps on top of the case first, and only then screw things together.
Also you have broken one of the hooks which holds PCB. 

As if it's not apparent there are no screws on top and everything holds on snaps.

I did close from top first then towards bottom but as soon as I release pressure, it gap itself again... after like 5 attempts i cam to the conclusion of the sticky method because I did notice when I opened it for the first time the top part had some resistance like a weak adhesive...

The broken hook is probably me or not me... When I trace my steps back via the photos that I took, it was already broken even before I took apart the PCB from the case... like the first opening, it was already bent  :-/Oor broken....plastic fatigue perhaps or factory assembling fault...

Owh well... can't do anything about it, if I want, I can just order a new bottom half portion of the case from keysight.. but ai probably lose the Agilent name.... nahhhh I'll skip it

[antonioZth]

I'm glad you're sorted, but just for future reference if this comes up on search - I've had a couple of days using the Brymen BM789 and it's unbelievable for the money. Cost me £134, and has so many features and is really well built. It's better than my Fluke 83V which would have cost £400 new

I'll definitely will get a Brymen for my next meter... Longgg before I get a Fluke...

But you'll never know, sometimes lucks just happens to pass by and voila... a 250 Brand new Fluke 87v 

Never in my head I thought of this U1272A... the most was its little brother the U1231... but the idea was scrapped because less value compared to my budget

[nightfire]

Well, as I was building up my little home lab over the course of the last months, I also was on the lookout for some Fluke, simply because they were available in some quantities on ebay and I use them at work, so I know about their abilities and shortcomings, and how well they can last...
Also CAT III/600V or better was my requirement, as I also work on live circuits, so the range of DMM I would trust to have good protection was automatically quite small- From the well-known brands I knew there were Fluke, Gossen (here in germany quite a big brand) and HP/Agilent/Keysight. Brymen is hard to get here, I really did get them to know from this Blog...

But, as I dove deeper in the stuff, my U1272A appeared on ebay, and after some thinking I got it for a very good price, that otherwise would only have bought me a Fluke 179- so I jumped the train and bought it.
After that, I managed to get as Bench DMM two old Fluke units, both also as lucky shot and both in very good condition- so I am happy now, and spend for all three a sum that otherwise would have bought me a well-used Agilent 34401 or so- in that way, I am more flexible now.

With the knowledge I have amassed all that way, I probably would decide different in case I have to build up a new home lab from scratch, but for the time being, I think that those DMMs will be more than enough for the stuff I am doing.

[J-R]

A few years ago when I jumped back in to electronics after about 25 years I discovered Dave's channel and this blog and was initially naïve to think that Dave and some prolific and long-term members of this forum always knew what they were talking about at all times.  So I bought quite a bit of equipment based on those recommendations.

Well, I've discovered for myself that some of the statements they've made about test equipment just simply aren't true or are biased and it takes research and internalization of the details to determine what might be best for you and your use case.

While it sounds like I'm "bashing" them, I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that: 1) nobody is perfect, and 2) your priorities might be different from the next person.

So it pays to do your homework.

[antonioZth]

The shop which I bought the U1272A is offering a Bench DMM from agilent 34401A

He says like my 1272, this is also a NOS he wants to clear... dangggg I wish i had more funds laying around... he was gonna give me 55% off the displayed price...