Need suggestions for voltage tester/meter

[Truck Fun]

Looking for suggestions on a new voltage tester/meter. Brands? Models?
Thanks.

 

[aszumilo]

I use a Fluke 77. Had it for years. Only have had to change the battery and the leads a few times over the last 30 years or so.

 

[Mb7640]

Any fluike meter is good. Have been using fluke meters for 30 years doing electrical work on aircraft

 

[mrack]

Harbor freights cheapest works like a charm

 

[NETim]

Fluke is hard to beat if you want to spend the $$$. I've purchased a few cheap Amazon meters that have served me well too. You don't need a real high end meter to work on automotive circuits.

 

[BossHogg]

Looking for suggestions on a new voltage tester/meter. Brands? Models?
Thanks.

Fluke meters are likely the best but for a reason. They are no more accurate than most meters on the market. Flukes are the standard in the industry because they can be certified as accurate. Every two years, my Fluke meters (at work) had to be recertified to meet our ISO compliance. That is what you are paying for in a Fluke.

I have a recommendation for two meters, both are clamp meters capable of DC and AC current measurements as well as voltage, resistance, frequency, and temperature and both are true RMS.

One is the Klein CL800, the other is the Ideal 61-747. Since both these meters measure current by clamp, their ability to measure small milliamp flow is challenged. The Ideal unit is great because it has a second display at the bottom of the meter when the main display is hard to see if the meter is positioned, for example, in a breaker box.

If you want a more traditional meter, I suggest the Owon HDS272S handheld meter. It is also a two-channel oscilloscope and contains a single-channel signal generator. The scope is handy for looking at pulse width signals (lighting circuits, trailer brake circuits) and this is my go-to meter for all things automotive. For home electrical work, the Ideal is my go-to.

One more suggestion comes to mind if you are strictly looking for an automotive meter, the Power Probe is an interesting device best used for tracing down an electric issue because the tip can be used as a ground, a power feed, or voltage meter. It also has additional features. I use it often and it is a champ when I want to prime my fuel filters instead of cycling the key to get the fuel pump to cycle.

There are many meters on the market and in recent years, the prices have come down and most seem to be of reasonable quality. The ones I suggested are the ones I currently own and use.

 

[zrock]

THe Power Probe is a good tool but its not for someone that is not familiar with electrical. You can do alot of damage really quick with one of those if you do not know what you are doing... I have a few different ones and they are all from our local Canadian Tire (similar to your harbor freight) I have the old school digital meter for anything 12v it can do all voltages but i keep these separate, I have a clamp meter with probes for anything 120v and higher, I have a contactless voltage probe (great for tracing hot wires, Then i have my probe for testing for hot and grounds this one can plug into 12v power point or direct to battery and will test positive and negative without changing your connection. Took me a while to find the last one as no one had it available other than the snap on truck..

If your just doing automotive testing anything from your harbor freight would be fine i would not just go for the cheapest.

You should provide more info on what you are doing, i would not be recommending harbor freight if you are using it for work.

 

[Truck Fun]

Recently picked up a Klein Tools 420. Have already used it and am satisfied. It fit much better in my justifiable price range.