Reliable Affordable Multimeter

My B+K 2806 DMM lasted me 25 years, and I got it used. I replaced it this year with a 2705B for $60 on Amazon. I like it a lot.
 
Simpson 260, especially one with the mirrored back and the protection circuit, is a nice piece. The Series 6 with protection uses a goofy battery, the 7 and 8 use normal batteries but goofy test leads. A Triplett 630 is another king in the analog domain. VTVM's are nice, but you're plugged into the wall. Nice on the bench, not so useful if you need portable. All of those will be analog, and will not to capacitors or transistors. They're also all old gear. I like them, but understand that you may need to do some repair work on them before they are usable, VTVM's in particular will need some service work. Simpsons generally just need new battery contacts. I've never personally owned a Triplett, so I don't know their failings but I would presume dirty connections and such like most old gear are a safe bet.

My digital is a cheap Wavetek 10XL that I've had for almost 15 years now. Its basic, not auto-ranging, no transistor or capacitor testing, but it seems to be reasonably accurate whenever I've checked it against better gear.
 
MCM has the Tenma 72-7735 on sale now for $35. It's an auto ranging meter with specs very close to the Flukes. We have them at work, we've been using them for 3 years now with no problems, always come back from the calibration lab "received in specification" meaning they didn't have to adjust it because it didn't drift. $4 shipping this weekend.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/72-7735
 
dr*audio you have my attention :D I think I'm going to do that to get by and save up for a fluke
 
dr*audio said:
MCM has the Tenma 72-7735 on sale now for $35. It's an auto ranging meter with specs very close to the Flukes. We have them at work, we've been using them for 3 years now with no problems, always come back from the calibration lab "received in specification" meaning they didn't have to adjust it because it didn't drift. $4 shipping this weekend.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/72-7735
Click to expand...

Looks like the same unit as one of the Extech models.
 
I have a Triplett 9045. It is out of your original price range, but it is accurate and reliable. I've had mine for 7+ years without problems. It checks capacitors up to 4,000uf, Frequency to 4MHz and temperature with the included probe among the regular functions.
https://www.parts-express.com/triplett-9045-autorange-dmm--391-111

Flukes are nice for professionals who use their tools day in and day out, but for the hobbyist/amateur you can get a good meter for much less and put the saving elsewhere.
 
Personally, I won't buy anything but Fluke meters. I have an 87, and 87 V and an 88 V. I also have a ton of accessories to go with them. I've been using Fluke meters since 1991 without a single issue. I've dropped my 87 more times than I'd like to admit and it still works as good today as it did new.

Believe it or not Sears stores stock a small selection of Fluke meters. You can also purchase a really nice used Fluke off of Craigslist for a bargain. The 115 is an excellent entry level meter that has a really nice feature set.
 
I have a Fluke an Amprobe and a digital Simpson. the Simpson is probably the best but the Amprobe gets used the most and I think they are built by the same company as the Fluke meters?
 
gadget73 said:
Simpson 260, especially one with the mirrored back and the protection circuit, is a nice piece. The Series 6 with protection uses a goofy battery, the 7 and 8 use normal batteries but goofy test leads. A Triplett 630 is another king in the analog domain.
.....
Click to expand...

I have a Triplett 630A. While the Simpson analog meters are every bit as good, the ones I've seen don't measure down to 1 ohm or less resistance. The lowest range seems to be Rx10. The Triplett does get down to near zero. For sub 1 ohm measurements, the meter should be zeroed just before the measurement and checked just after.

Making adjustments for a peak reading, an analog meter is far easier to use than a digital.
 
I decided I have put off ordering one of the Tenma meters long enough. The sale price and the $4 shipping got to me. I just ordered one. If you do order, use the link at the bottom of the page for MCM Electronics. AK gets a kickback from them.
 
Will S. said:
If you like a retro vibe, a bakelite Simpson 260 is great. Otherwise, get a Fluke and never have to buy another one.
Click to expand...

Yep, and they're cheap when you see them at garage sales, etc.
I've never seen one that's exceeded $30.


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Great thread. I want to also purchase a multimeter to use mostly for speaker work. Have several older speakers I would like to test repair etc. I do not imagine getting into repairing amps etc but maybe some simple testing of them might be nice to be able to do.

Seems like capacitance testing is a key feature set? Is there a testing range capability I should be on the look-out for when comparing specifications on the various multimeter options out there?

That Tenma identified earlier is no longer available for that lower price but there seems to be plenty of other models they have at reduced prices. Or since I am only interested in speaker repair and some general other testing, can I get away with a lower cost version?
 
In the DIY forum you’ll find a thread (by me) called Mid-Priced Multimeters or some such. I evaluated about two dozen models in your price range for features, price etc. Ended up getting a Tenma, works great. Might even be the 7735 mentioned earlier in the thread.

It has capacitance, although it only goes up to about 20 uf. This is enough for most applications except higher value caps in crossovers and amp power supplies. Usually I'm replacing old caps anyway, so I mainly use it to match caps for crossovers or to check used recently manufactured film caps before using. None of these meters have ESR testing for caps, it's a nice feature but you need another meter for that.
 
Drugolf: Most multimeters lack a bit in ranges, especially in more special disciplines like capacity and inductance. So if you don't want to spend too much for decent quality, it can be wiser to go for a decent model that only covers the more basic disciplines and expand its capabilities by adding priceworthy dedicated C/LC/LCR meters. For example, a comparatively cheap C meter like the Mastech MS6013/MY6013A offers nine ranges from 200 pF up to 20 mF and thus already covers pretty much any capacity you might want to check in audio other than really huge buffer caps of very powerful amps.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
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