Fluke 8860A and 8060A-possible purchase-need opinions

[GreyWoolfe]

My local Surplus store has a couple of things that are interesting.  There is a Fluke 8060A, working for $35 USD, is this a good deal?  I have a Fluke 27/FM and a cheap Velleman meter that I want to stick in the company van for low volt DC and resistance measurements and maybe get the 8060A. 

The other meter is an 8860A for $10 with an error 16 which is a communications issue between the in guard and out guard processors.  Is this repairable?  If the processors are bad are they available or unobtainium?  I haven't dug too deep because my troubleshooting skills definitely need work and I am not sure this is one I can tackle.  I took a quick look at the troubleshooting guide but it said only the issue not the troubleshooting steps.  Thoughts are greatly appreciated.  I ask about this one because I do have an 8840 that has issues that I want to revisit with help from the crew here.  The Fluke yahoo group was very non helpful.  I posted my problem and not a single response.  In fact, I see very little from the group in my email period.

[radhaz]

For the cost of lunch money, I'd grab that 8860. The 8060 is a good meter, but pretty old (I have a stack of them at work, all "retired").

[nidlaX]

Try and negotiate a lower price on the 8060A and offer to buy both units, something like $30 for both would be where I would start.

[retiredcaps]

There is a Fluke 8060A, working for $35 USD, is this a good deal?

While working, it will likely require a complete recapping of the electrolytic capacitors inside as they are known to go bad in the 8060A.

The 8060A has an excellent user, service, schematics and troubleshooting section in the manual.  Some people really like the manual gang switches (me, not so much).

The 8060A is likely to be within it calibration spec despite being 30 years old.  It specs rivals some of the best handheld meters today.  Worth $35 USD?  Try negotiating as suggested.

One of the 8060A designers was on the amphour.

http://www.theamphour.com/180-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker/

[Tim F]

If non-crusty condition i'd buy the 8060A for that price. The only downside is the lack of autoranging.

The caps in my 8060A are original and perfectly fine . That said it's 1993 vintage, newer than most.

[SeanB]

Buy both, I would if I saw them come up, without even thinking at that price.

[crispy_tofu]

Buy both, I would if I saw them come up, without even thinking at that price.

Same, I would buy them, even if they're destined for resale on eBay. 

[retiredcaps]

The 8060A is discussed extensively in this thread

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/old-fluke-multimeters/

and has I found, it had a MSRP of $499 USD back in 2001.

[GreyWoolfe]

Well it seems everyone is a bit more excited by the 8060.  The meter is not crusty looking at all and it is marked tested.  I would trust them on it as I got my Metcal MX-500 and 2 22" HP monitors for ridiculous money from them and everything works perfectly.  I will try to get back there on Monday and see if the 8060 is available.  They also have a couple of untested 8810's for the same $10 price that I could probably test out with some 1% resistors and a wall wart.   Could be a fun with old Flukes day.

[SeanB]

Grab the $10 meters, they will definitely be fun to see.