The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Inexpensive multimeter

Who would be a good source for a simple, nothing fancy meter to use on a 6v, no electric options truck for under $50?

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=multi+meter

You could start with the $5.99 unit until you find you need more.

The meter that Tim linked to is just fine and dandy for
anything that you will do on your truck, around the house or
shop.
I have about a dozen digital meters ranging from expensive
Fluke and Simpson meters to those cheap $5 jobs and the cheap
ones are just as reliable and plenty accurate for any job you
might have in mind.
I keep one of those $5 HF meters in several locations in the
barn, one in the basement shop, got one in the garage tool
box and keep one in a drawer in the kitchen for use in the
house.

And those $24 HF meters are comparable in function, resolution
and accuracy to the ones that I've paid hundreds of dollars
for and I've got several of them in various places also.

This is not to say that they are laboratory grade meters
that one would want to use in sensitive work, but they're
just fine for the average hobbyist.
dg

I picked up that H.F. Meter for free with a coupon.
Like the others said, it works fine.


I also purchased ...this... meter. I like the big display.

Denny do they check ohms?

The only knock I have with the HF is that there is no sound function for continuity checks.

Comes in handy some times

Also look for auto shutoff

nothing more of a pain than to pickup meter and it is dead


( DADS50, I like the pic,I have been there ,but with a rental)

Dennis

You're expecting to much from a feebe Gus. The $25 dollar meter
does have a continuity tone, and it does time out and shut off.
I've left the five dollar meters on for weeks on end and as long
as you don't have the back light on, the LCD draws very little current.

dg

Thanks Denny, Gus, Tim and Hacker. Aw shucks, yous guys are so dependable. Steve in the Great NW

Just to add a comment. The more economical meters are ok for low and extra low voltage work. I have several of them. I would caution anyone using a cheaper meter on any voltage over 208 volts . Whenever I get into a need to measure and test at 600 Volts AC or high DC voltages I use my CAT 5 rated Fluke meters. I have heard horror stories of meters melting in peoples hands.

Mark

That's me Mark..low and extra low. 6v, nothin' fancy. Thanks for the comment though. Steve

Steve
I just got the Harbor frieght catalog today and it has a coupon for a free 7 function mulitester with any purchace.
Might be worth a try, if you can use another cheap item.
You can probably pick up a catalog as you walk in the store.

Don

I have one from Harbor. Works fine.

I also have a couple from Harbor Freight, they work fine as long as you remember to set it on voltage when you want to read voltage...POOF... LOL

I have a Fluke and a HF 5.00 dollar special. I miss the big bulky and fragile VTVM for noisy readings. But the 5.00 special is the one that gets put in the truck, tool box and used the most. I do miss the beep for continuity checks, but come on, 5.00 dollars, works for me.

Being an electrician, I'm going to trust my life with any testing equipment that is sold at HF.

With that being said, I've had a Fluke and Greenlee meter crap out on me withing the last couple years. I have a $25 Craftsmen meter that I've had for years that is still working just fine.

I'm sure the HF ones are good for the home hobbyist, but I'm not going to trust it in a 480 cabinet. I'll get something else.

In the topic preview (and out of context) I thought an electrician just endorsed Harbor Freight multimeters...

Meaning, I believe "not" is omitted from Whitedog's first sentence.

Brad

Picky, picky, picky! It was past Chris's bed time you know
Brad, you need to take that into consideration.

I'd be in agreement with him on that. If it was how I made my
living I'd use the best tool I could afford, whether it be a
multimeter, drill or hand tools.

That said, and since I'm incapable of earning a living anymore
at my age, those HF meters are just fine and dooky for home use.


dg

" . . those HF meters are just fine and dooky for home use."

What does dooky mean, Denny? I think my Internet search failed me in finding your meaning of the word (look it up - you'll understand my Sunday-morning confusion).

(dooky - maybe dokie, as in okie dokie?)

Nonetheless, your opinion is well-held regarding that cheap multi-meter being satisfactory for those of us who only work on a mostly-unadulterated electrical system on an old truck. One of those HF meters has served me well for 20+ years (and I can now afford to carry one in the glove box of each truck).

http://forums.devestechnet.com/foru...ip-of-the-week-7-for-november-15-21-2015

There is nothing wrong with EL. You just have to know how to read analog meters. That skill is going away. Great item to stick in the toolbox.

I was referring to an old cheapo LCD EL.

I think my early 70s cheapo analog EL is in my toolbox in my garage.

When a digital meter encounters the "dirty" signal produced by a set of vibrating points in generator regulator, they often read out unintelligible gibberish instead of something usable. An analog meter will average the signal and provide a better reference. There's such a thing as being too accurate. I can search Ebay just about any day and find good condition Simpson analog meters that work well with DC generators. Ditto for dwell meters- - - -an analog meter is usually more useful than a digital, if an OEM points/condenser ignition system is involved.
Jerry

That's right Denny & it was past my bedtime, too! I couldn't help myself when I saw such a dooky juxtaposition.

I've got a couple (2) free HF multimeters the past month with coupons. The only multimeter I've used lately is a hand me down (free) HF multimeter the original owner got for free and used 3 years before giving it to me in 2013. So, I can't say anything bad about them. Remember (on my truck anyway) I'm dealing with 12v...

None of these have EVER been near my breaker panel. I took a leak on an electric fence once so I've got mucho respect for electricity. (This wasn't on purpose- the fence line was down & covered with leaves & I didn't know it was there ) . Anybody ever think they might get cocky with electricity needs to find em an electric fence to t-t on...

Brad
Unintended pun there.

Simpson meter was what we used to fix aircraft wires. Only issue is in the Ohms function there is enough battery to mess with solid state items. Wires, nothing better. Analog read out was good and easy to read. Tough enough to take a bump or 2 so good choice. A bit big to shove into the glove box. Fits in the tool box just fine. New? http://www.alliedelec.com/simpson-2...pcrid=30980760979&gclid=Cj0KEQiA7rmz
Not cheap. Used? Whatever the market will bear.

The Simpson was the mainstay in the Air Force in the late 70s to early 90's. It was solid and took a beating. But unless it's for a special purpose like dwell or something, it IS a much nicer time for measuring with Digital. Especially measuring ohm values and amperage. Those WERE the days though! NRTS!

I have had good luck with my freebie HF multi-meter. My only complaint is that the leads that come with it are super cheap. The wires broke off at the connector that plugs into the meter within a week of limited usage. I picked up a set of heavier duty replacement leads at Radio Shack (cost me $8 to fix a free tool) that have worked great ever since.

The other helpful thing I did was to splice/solder a 6-7' piece of wire between the plug in and the probe on one of the leads. This helps out a lot when your trying to check continuity from under the dash to under the hood. The stock leads just aren't long enough. I also put some aligator clips on both ends of some long pieces of wire. Those also help with checking continuity.

Bottom line is I'm happy with it.