Looking for some recommendations for a new meter

[7CardBud]

My old Craftsman meter from the late 90's died. It wasn't too bad for $75 back then. It was pretty loaded with amp clamp, and most of secondary feature checks like diode, transistor, duty cycle, capacitance...etc.

My buddy said get a Fluke of course, but a Fluke with that lineup is $500+
If I was younger, I would buy it. Now I'm too old to make good use of a lifetime warranty.

So....whats good for a budget meter these days?

 

[1212ham]

Unless you need serious accuracy or toughness, I think $50-75 will buy a good meter with loads of features. I've had several, 4 in the last 20 years or so. The last was $30 something, bought it for the built in clamp which isn't the best, so I'd spend more on that. The other 3 were Radio Shack. One died..... but I may have killed it.

It's been a few years... I imagine many now have usb/bluetooth/wifi for data logging and more with a pc or phone. One of mine has a serial port, but the software wasn't very good.

BTW, I also have digital storage scope that's about the size of credit card.

 

[Bongoloid]

My old Craftsman meter from the late 90's died. It wasn't too bad for $75 back then. It was pretty loaded with amp clamp, and most of secondary feature checks like diode, transistor, duty cycle, capacitance...etc.

My buddy said get a Fluke of course, but a Fluke with that lineup is $500+
If I was younger, I would buy it. Now I'm too old to make good use of a lifetime warranty.

So....whats good for a budget meter these days?

Klein makes a good one for under $200 that is durable for the hobbyist.

 

[Bud man 43]

I recently got a Fluke 117 for under $200-
It has most if not all of those features

 

[calvin.m16]

Klein makes a good one for under $200 that is durable for the hobbyist.

I second Klein Tools if your on a budget but want something reliable.

 

[hotrodharley]

Don’t overlook pawnshops for your meter. I bought a Fluke IR thermometer for pennies on the dollar compared to new price. Most good shops provide a 30 day warranty.

 

[Bongoloid]

I recently got a Fluke 117 for under $200-
It has most if not all of those features

I bought a micron from radio shack 30 years ago and it still works,it even has continuity buzzer,glass fused protection for when your working underneath and need both hands. If you're not a pro or do it for a living a lot of the features will be irrelevant on some meters. I used mine mostly for 12 volt dc troubleshooting ,I let a pro do it if it's more than replacing wires,receptacles or breakers with ac,saves me getting electrocuted.

 

[Boatguy]

Extech makes high end meters.. They are often overlooked and are real cheap on the used market.

 

[Hook Daddy]

Greenlee also makes good meters, as well as fluke and Klein. The DM-45 is a good all around meter for under $100 and has a lifetime warranty as well.

 

[7CardBud]

Thanks for the input fellas, went with the Klein CL700. Should be fine for my hobby level shennanigans.