Jenny Pryde Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 What to look for? Where to buy? What to avoid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 This will be all you need for basic home and bike stuff. http://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-83001r-s-digital-multimeter-with-battery-test-function/80537 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Pryde Posted November 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Looking for something basic, easy to use, durable and reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanWinkle Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 I use a Gunson's, Had mine for over 4 years now and only thing ive had to do is renew the battery once..Bit pricey from Gunson http://www.gunson.co.uk/item.aspx?item=1842&cat=663 but you can knock a tenner off their price by buying from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gunson-G4143-Pocketmeter-2/dp/B0034Y3MPO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollygiant Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 I bought one from Aldi for about £8 3 yrs ago and it does everything I want and more... Job jobbed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahatma Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 This ones pretty good,and cheap:) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIGITAL-LCD-MULTIMETER-VOLTMETER-AMMETER-VOLT-OHM-METER-/180930087246?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item2a2046094e PS:Don't know him,just bought one off him and am satisfied... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackdaybob Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Get an ex MOD Fluke 25 off ebay. Usually around £30-£35. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy sie Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Get an ex MOD Fluke 25 off ebay. Usually around £30-£35. iv got two fluke one the small in the walet type and the digital small one,both very good the small phone size one is ideal for bike use as i has all you need on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Pryde Posted November 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Anyone used the Equus Innova 3320? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter187 Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 I got a Fluke 115. I'm not sure what they cost because my boss bought it for me when I started my apprenticeship but it's a pretty good multi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Pryde Posted November 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Will look on ebay for a Fluke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blur1 Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 Yep another user of fluke here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dab33 Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 +1 for the fuke, but it was bought by the company so it even gets calibrated each year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregtrx Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 I've got an old fluke that was knackered from work which I almost fixed, and a couple of £5 ones. For bike use the cheap ones are fine, you'll mostly be looking at whether there's volts there on not, resistance to be able to tell the difference between a few ohms and a few hundred or thousand and to tell 12.something voltage battery engine off and increasing to 14 or 15 with it on but no more. Auto power off is a feature worth having as I'm always running the batteries down in mine and they always need a fucking screwdriver to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeystew0 Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 I've got a Fluke, inherited from my father in law, and a cheap Maplin one. The Fluke is more accurate but lacks features like a continuity buzzer for checking breaks in circuits. It will depend a great deal on what you want to check. I find the continuity check most useful and even basic cheap meters feature that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blur1 Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 I've got a Fluke, inherited from my father in law, and a cheap Maplin one. The Fluke is more accurate but lacks features like a continuity buzzer for checking breaks in circuits. It will depend a great deal on what you want to check. I find the continuity check most useful and even basic cheap meters feature that. ohms checks continuity. what multimeter doesn't read ohms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeystew0 Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 What I meant was, One has an audible buzzer to check continuity, the other doesn't. When your grovelling around trying to get to inaccessible wiring connectors a buzzer is sometimes easier than having to check the display....personal preference I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banoffee Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Continuity buzzer is a useful however not essential feature. Do use it quite a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damnthistinleg Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 Yet another vote for the Fluke. I've used them in a professional (read abusive) capacity for around 20 years and they are by far the most reliable and easy to use. If I remember rightly, I'm sure a lot of the Flukes I've used have a beep on the diode tester, which can be used for an audible continuity test. I tend to just watch the ohms as it tells you more about the circuit, beyond simply whether or not it has a connection. I still love AVO model 8s but they are a bit too bulky away from a test bench and for DIY use, overkill. Excellent for watching a fluctuating supply though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outkast Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 There are some Fluke bargains on the bay, just missed out on one the other day. being tight as a ducks arse I was outbid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougW Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 My expensive Fluke died a few years ago and is "beyond economic repair" Since then I have been using a £10 ish multimeter from Farnell. It doesn't have much protection on the Amps range, and if I lend it out to anyone on site it often gets the fuse blown ( User problem, not the meters fault ), but as unlike many Fluke/AVO`s it uses a cheap fuse so I have a few in my bag. Been using it for 4 years or so with no problems, other than colleagues turning there noses up at it and making snotty comments. I view it as a disposable item. Based on 28 years experience of industrial control systems. I think Machine Mart do a range of cheap meters, as long as you avoid the real cheap stuff from Hong Kong / China and buy from a reputable supplier such as RS/Farnell/Machine Mart you wont have any problems other than snobby comments from Fluke users Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Smoke Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 I have a friend, with an old fireblade. He was having trouble with the charging system on the old beastie, and having renewed 2 reg/recs, rewound the stator, gone through the entire wiring loom, replacing allsorts of connectors, spending hours trying to suss the problem. He came to me for some advice. I went through the usual, checking the resistance of the windings, condition of cables, reg/rec mounting points, all the obvious stuff. He reconed it was chucking 20v into the battery, until he let out this gem: "It's weird, it must be pumping a lot of power into the battery, as even with the battery off the bike, it's showing 18v" So I ask what his multimeter is like... "Oh, it's a cheap one, cost me £2. works really well" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbc0 Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Rapitest DM25 Cost me £15 from B&Q 15 years ago. Its never let me down & has auto power off. I've also got the Fluke's for work but in fairness the Rapitest has been just as good and has stood up to some abuse over the years. Its also the same as the meter that Ferret uses of bike mags fame (Practical Sportsbike, Classic Bike Etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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