worried after reading the "meters that don't live up" thread....summit probes??

[gooseEL34]

Hey all.
Got a Fluke 29 series II at a local pawn for $14.  The probes are stamped Summit and have the cat III info on them.   After reading the warning thread, I guess I am a bit gun shy about off-brand items.

Should I splurge for some Fluke probes?

[Lightages]

Nice buy on the Fluke! I will give you $28 and double your investment right now! 

The probes? Never heard of them. Probably some junk from some automotive store. You don't need to buy Fluke probes but you can of course.

A coupe of good alternatives at reasonable prices:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brymen-Silicone-Gold-Plated-Test-Leads-Probes-for-Multimeters-CAT-IV-1000V-/171162377470
they are really nice and I can recommend them without reservation.

Or if you don't want to pay more for your leads than the meter  :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digitek-Gold-Plated-Test-Leads-Probes-for-Multimeters-CAT-III-1000V-/171120395118
not as good but still great leads.

[VK5RC]

I think fluke make great meters but Agilents leads are softer more pliant and not crazy money eg http://www.triotest.com.au/shop/en/multimeter-leads/3276-agilent-34138a-test-lead-set.html

[PedroDaGr8]

Hey all.
Got a Fluke 29 series II at a local pawn for $14.  The probes are stamped Summit and have the cat III info on them.   After reading the warning thread, I guess I am a bit gun shy about off-brand items.

Should I splurge for some Fluke probes?

If you are in the USA these are one of the best deals on probes you can get. The Pomona 5519A, they are identical to the Fluke TL71 leads (Fluke owns Pomona). They run around $14-18 for a pair and come with a 1 meter soft silicone cable. If you have a Frys nearby, they are $13.99 in store. A heck of a deal. Here is my review on them, with some close-ups of the tips etc. After those, I think the Brymen leads that Lightages linked to are your next best option.

[nanofrog]

If you're interested in a small kit lead wise, you might want to consider Probemaster (i.e. 8043S). Granted, they seem a tad expensive on the surface (~$30 shipped), but keep in mind that either the Pomona or Brymen set run $17 just for the leads shipped. That extra $13 gets you 6x top quality connector ends to go with it, which typically run ~$5 - 7 per, if not more from Fluke/Pomona for example.

Quality wise, Probemaster is right up there with Fluke/Pomona (arguably better vs. current production), but offer a better value IME, at least for those in the US (not sure they even have overseas distributors). Oldaker is another (harder to find, but also very good stuff), along with Mueller and Hirschmann. Again, not cheap, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Agilent isn't as nice (16AWG wire that has memory vs. 18AWG used on Probemaster, Fluke, or Pomona that doesn't have any memory at all; think fresh spaghetti noodle kind of flexible), nor are their connector ends as nice IME (small details, but that's what it comes to at this level).

Franky is another alternative for value priced quality connectors and leads, but I don't recall any sets offered thus far. He might be willing to offer some if there's enough interest, so could be worth inquiring. 

[BillWojo]

I'll second Frankys test leads. I ordered a custom set of extension leads for my Fluke 179 meter, right angle ends at the Fluke end and straight shrouded connectors that my standard Fluke leads plug into on the other end. Needed to have a long set of extensions when working on machine tools. I bought 3 sets, sold one to a friend and kept the other two. They are 2 meters long and are as good a quality as any Fluke leads that I have. He is a member of the forum and goes by the name Iloveelectronics. Has an ebay store also.
Just a very satisfied customer.

BillWojo