Help choosing a DMM

[Immanence]

I ordered my Crack + Speedball kit, so I'm trying to assemble the tools, etc. I need before it arrives. Having trouble choosing a DMM though. Any recommendations on this front?

Friend recommended EX330, but also said their quality has been going down lately.

[Paul Birkeland]

The $23 meter at Harbor Freight is great, but the leads suck. 

https://www.amazon.com/KAIWEETS-Electrician-Alligator-Multimeter-Electronic/dp/B07SD3L9HR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=silicone+test+leads&qid=1607290942&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUzBYMlRISlo1MTMzJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzQ2MTg5MTE0SzNORVBPVVVPVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzkzODgwMkIzWkZBVDIwQlBKRCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

These leads are pretty nice.

Fluke leads have gone to crap, as have their meters.  If you can get an old one, they are nice.  EEVBlog's meter looks cool too.  The EX330 looks like it will do the job, but is maybe a little expensive.

[pechelman]

I really like the eevblog meter except for the mushy stiff selector dial but it does everything else great and comes with nice leads. If you want to pickup some extra leads I like the modular ones from pomona and the gold plated probe master softy the best.

[monsterdonkey]

I’ve got this one: https://www.amazon.com/AideTek-VC97-Multimeter-Capacitor-Frequency/dp/B008GTEZPI
It’s been fine for the few times I’ve needed it.

[mcandmar]

I’ve got this one: https://www.amazon.com/AideTek-VC97-Multimeter-Capacitor-Frequency/dp/B008GTEZPI
It’s been fine for the few times I’ve needed it.

Those are sold under the Vici brand over here for ~$25-30, perfectly fine for a basic multimeter and all you will ever need building a kit amplifier.

If you want something better, or if you plan on more diy building over the years i can highly recommend the UNI-T brand.  The UT61E is really good at ~$60-80, and honestly i prefer it over of the two Fluke meters i have that cost two or three times as much.  Its true RMS, fast response, accurate, and can reliably measure very low resistance below a few ohms. https://www.ebay.com/itm/114532399102

[Doc B.]

Just to add a datapoint, I have had a few well used Flukes that lived up to their name - lots of issues with bad contacts and it is always a fluke when they work right the first time. Be sure to run a used one through the paces before buying it.

[Thermioniclife]

I think I got lucky as I bought the Fluke 23 seen on the left in 1990 and as you can see that meter has followed me through hell and back with no issues, original silicone leads that are as supple as the day they were born. On the right a Fluke 87v5 that i bought about 5 years ago and has been very reliable EXCEPT in the fact that it comes with the worst test leads imaginable and it also eats up batteries at an alarming rate. I purchased a set silicone leads and used the TL 75 set that came with it as Plate and Grid leads on a couple of preamps i built. With the 23 i would change the batt once a year if it needed it or not, with the 87 it's a batt hog, having said that it is a good and accurate meter. I still use the 23 to measure the output voltage on my variac and sometimes other needs.

[mcandmar]

You got your moneys worth out of that one

The quality of the leads does vary from model to model.  My 175 has lovely soft flexible leads, but its an expensive meter.  The 17B are a more generic plastic insulated affair, but the meter is less than half the cost of the 175.  It was made for the Chinese market, bought it through AliExpress for $80 which is half of what local retailers list them for.  The UNI-T and Vici i mentioned above have pretty crappy leads, but what do you expect for that price point.  But at the end of the day they all do the same thing to a point.

My 175 comes out for measurements that matter, or when working with live mains. The 17B when i need more than one, but oddly the UNI-T is the first one i reach for in day to day use.  The Vici lives in the garage for working with cars, does my battery have 12 volts, continuity tests, that kind of stuff..