which multimeter to buy?

[kjoslin]

I know that prices range from $10 to hundreds. I was wondering which
brand / model would be a decent meter to buy and most useful and reliable for the tests that may need to be done on our bikes.

I'm looking at either...

Actron CP7677 Automotive TroubleShooter - Digital Multimeter and Engine Analyzer.

or

Craftsman Multimeter - Model 82139

or

open to suggestions.

Thanks,

Keith

[The Lorax]

Compare the features of each and buy the one that best suits your needs. @ work, I use a Fluke 73 series DMM, and a Fluke 60 series hand held oscilliscope. @ home, I have a craftsman model 82026. it's a decent all around meter, good for house, and car / bike. The ones I use work for me, find the one that works for you. by the way, you don't have to spend a pile of cash to get a good meter. as long as it performs the tasks you ask of it to your satisfaction, it's a good meter.

[kjoslin]

makes alot of sense Lorax. My concern was this. I was sold on the Craftsman, until I read a review from an "auto tech" who said it was not accurate for some tests...

"I am an automotive technician and voltage range from .2mV to V matters a whole lot. I compared this unit and the other expensive model craftsman meter to a $250 dollar PDI unit and wow was these meter way off, about .8v-1.1v.
I measured voltage from a circuit board that was 12v regulated. This unit and the other Craftsman unit measured 13.1v on a regulated 12v circuit so 1.1v is a lot. If I were to measure a battery and it was dead(12.3v) and it measured 13.1v then I will assume its fine, but in reality its a dead battery due to an inaccurate meter.
I give a major thumbs down for accuracy, but a thumbs up for features. Avoid these craftsman meter at all cost. If price is a factor I recommend the Actron units, they are more accurate than any Craftman at any price. I measured them against the PDI unit and they were ~ .01v off; not bad for low price units."

I know this is ONLY one review, but it's all I have to go by. I don't want to spend a lot, but wouldn't want to buy something that's not reliable. I am a "rookie" at using a meter, but want to get something that I can use to diagnose problems, check connections, etc.

any thoughts?

[HobbyMan]

I am a fan of the the analogue Simpson models. I prefer analogue over digital any day. There are some on eBay. As far as which type of multimeter, it depends on what you are using it for. The more expensive they are, the more versatile they are. Since you said that you were going to use it for your bike, you may just need a basic $10 meter that is mainly for DC. I don't really ever remember using an ammeter on my bike but I frequently use a voltmeter and check resistances. A cheap digital meter should do that fine. Plus, you can throw it in your bag to bring with you on trips. One thing I usually insist on is that the meter leads must not be attached to the meter. If your leads ever break, it is a pain to replace them. Don't expect the cheap ones to last forever. My dad has had his simpson for years now and it still works great.

[The Lorax]

Simpson is kind of the "gold Standard" for analog meters. I have used one (Years ago) and it does it's job quite well. I did have an old Weston analog meter I picked up in a surplus / Junk store for 5 bucks. it worked for a while (it was pretty beat up when I got it) but overall, was a pretty good meter. as to the accuracy issues of the craftsman meters, mine probably isn't the most accurate thing on earth, but I was able to diagnose a couple bad fuel injectors on my daughters car. I do a good bit of electronics work in my job and @ home, mostly troubleshooting, I already have a reasonable idea of what voltage I am looking for, so as long as its close, I figure its ok. most of the stuff I look at either is working or not at all. 1 volt may well make a difference, but I've yet to run into something automotive that my little craftsman wasn't able to find. I guess it's all in what you need, and what you want.

[somesuch]

Checking the AC ripple will give you a good indication if one of the phases is out....but you will need a meter able to show correctly in the 10-50 mv range. Simpson is good for continuity checks of the sec coil winding and the like, but I much prefer digital overall. Fluke used to have unbeatable service agreement with a flat rate repair schedule per model .....regardless of the the problem is...... I don't know if they still do it. I once had a totally fried Fluke 88 replaced for around $75 if i remember correctly.

Plus their customer service was the best!

--Nick

[DiverRay]

I just paid $20 for a DMM from Ace Hardware. It does what I need on the bike, and as long as the BATTERY IS GOOD, it's accurate. I've yet to find a DMM that is off by a volt that DIDN'T have a low battery!!
I also use the DMM's for work, but they are Flukes, as I'm looking at 1V, +- .01V.

[randy]

Unless you're doing other electronic work with the meter, don't spend a lot, get a low-price analog meter. I've found the digitals have a slower response than the good old D'Arsonval meter. Remember, we are dealing with late-70's technology, so unless you are goning to use the meter to do current-day emissions sensor testing, etc. stick with the analog.

[Dragon Tamer]

If it is a motorcycle it should say Yamaha on it, if it is scotch it should say Laphroaig on it, if it is whiskey it should say Jack on it, if it is a meter it should say Fluke on it. Every field of endeavor has one product that sets the standard for all of the rest of them.
See? I am easy to get along with, the best of anything will work for me.
I do own a couple of "dime store" meters, one of them was to be used as Hobbyman pointed out, just to have along. If you are going to do this (and I recomend it) DO NOT get an analog, go digital! If you need the meter, you are going to need it pretty bad on the road. With a digital the vibrations and bumps from the bike won't likely make the digits fall out of the display. The same cannot be said of the meter needle in an analog unit!!

[fredintoon]

Hi 'tamer,
motorcycles should say Scott or Vincent on 'em but who's got that kind of money? Not this impoverished pensioner. I would suppose the same is true of meters called Fluke. I prefer analog instruments because a digital (at least, the one I have) has trouble reading the nasty spikey DC from a bike's charging system. Just carry the meter in a bubblewrap envelope eh? Watch the scales on cheap meters. A 20V scale is essential for seeing the difference between the 11V of a tired battery & 13.4V of a working alternator.
And where 6 Ohms is a good alternator rotor winding resistance and 3 Ohms means the rotor will suck up more power than it's produces, a 0 to 10 Ohms scale is helpful while the 10,000 Ohm scale can't see the difference.

[webbcraft2150]

I use a $30 digital unit from Radio Shack. Accuracy is very good and unlike trbig, I can follow the numbers as they rise and fall. The RS unit is has auto ranging and manual settings, shuts itself off after 10 minutes. I have had two of em, the first one I had flunked the "wheel chock" test. Fluke would be the weapon of choice (use 'em at work all the time) but have yet to take the $$ plunge for one.

[prometheus578]

"Out terrorizing the populace..."

I was just at a pawn shop (pawn, not porn)...
No... not in dire straits... just perusing the obscure DVDs and such.
Anyway... loads of Fluke meters for sale.... many models.
Prices around $60

I have a fancy meter, but 99% of the time when I was working at the shop, I would just use the Harbor Freight $3.99 digital meter to troubleshoot bikes.

[trbig]

I hate to be the agreeable type... especially with Pro, but the Flukemeters I used in the military were pretty awesome, but the cheap Harbor Freight one works just fine too... and it won't hurt as bad if you accidently use it for a wheel scotch/chock like some people that rode the short bus I hear have done...


Tod

[The Lorax]

Much wisdom being thrown about. Fluke is the "STANDARD" and I agree, they are as good as you're going to get. I have a couple inexpensive meters floating around our shop (only because the ohm meter has a 2000M scale) and I have to occasionally measure resistors between 300M and 1G ohm, I use larger ones, but I can't find a meter to measure them. our cheap meters are not the most accurate things in the world, but if you have doubts about a high meg feedback resistor, it's close enough, I mean as long as its within 50M of being accurate at that scale, who cares? it works. in a long winded nutshell, Fluke is the big boy on the block, but the 10 or 20 dollar radio shack meter has its uses as well. as long as I see something reasonably close to what I'm looking for, I'm happy .

[Jerry]

Not a hobbyist, so 'close enough' voltage and resistance has worked for me so far...I use a $4.00 digital I bought from mcmelectronics.com on a sale. Regular price is $10.49. Specs at:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...me=MCMProducts
"General purpose multimeter is perfect for the toolbox, the work truck or the classroom. It includes all of the most commonly used DMM functions, for a great price. "

Bought a couple, keep one in my saddlebag when I travel, other on the workbench. Does have the fixed (non-detachable) leads, but you can't get everything for $4.00!

Definitly a throw-away item, good for general trouble-shooting but does not have the accuracy of a more expensive meter.