Best Capacitance & Resistance Meters
It is easy to operate and features many different functions for measuring current, voltage, and resistance, as well as continuity, transistor, and diode testing. Other features include a low battery indicator, continuity buzzer, and overload protection. Power: 1 x 9V 6F22 Battery Included (Low Battery Indication). Continuity Test: Yes. 1 x Etekcity MSR-R500 Digital Multimeter. EASE OF USE: data hold and backlit LCD with large digits for visibility in dimly lit areas.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And for really low voltage, like 0.1, 0.2, ... 0.5 DC voltage the inaccuracy could be up to 150% but that's only a concern if you'd like to test small electronics like Arduino boards or something of the sort."
"First one the sent didn't work on resistance setting and continuity check just constantly beeps."
"I have thought about purchasing a multi meter for years, and finally had a real reason -testing of a suspect battery charging device, along with the battery itself for a DR Power Grader."
"Have only used it a couple of times so far but it appears to be well constructed and certainly covers all functions that I will be using it for."
"This multimeter doesn't feel cheap at all."
"I bought the meter to cover home issues as they come up."
"I've bought other Multimeters in the past at this price or a bit more and they have never come close to the quality of this mulitmeter."
"It completely destroys the Amazon rating system, and I can't trust the reviews of any product that is sold by one of these companies."
AC Voltage: - Range and Accuracy: 2/20/200V ± (1.2%+5), 600V± (1.5%+5). - Input Impedance: 10 MΩ<100pF. - Overload Protection: 600V rms. DC Voltage: - Range and Accuracy: 200mV ± (0.8%+3); 2/20/200V± (0.8%+1); 600V± (1%+3). - Input Impedance: 10 MΩ. - Overload Protection: 600V rms. Resistance: - Range and Accuracy: 200Ω ± (1.2%+2); 2/20/200KΩ ± (1%+2); 2MΩ ± (1.2%+2), 20MΩ ± (1.5%+2). - Input Impedance: 10 MΩ. - Overload Protection: 600Vp. Autoranging clamp multimeter with AC current, AC/DC voltage, resistance, diode and continuity test.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased this clamp meter primarily to measure current/amps on 120 volt appliances, heaters, etc. To do this with ANY clamp meter, you MUST separate the hot and neutral conductors or they will cancel each other out and give a zero amp reading. The reason I stress the importance of splitting the line is that in reading many reviews of many meters, it is obvious that many people don't understand the necessity."
"I received my UT201 yesterday so this is an initial "impression" review with some limited testing of the features. The UT201 had, for the most part, very positive reviews on Amazon and the price could not be beat for its feature set. The 400A max is adequate for the vast majority of time I would need to check bigger wire. The thickness of, and insulation on, the leads, though not up to the level of the Fluke or other more expensive testers/meters I have used, seems quite good for the price point. Some reviews I read stated the meter other purchasers had received did NOT include a case. I tested the current (amps) draw of my Shop-Vac, a quartz halogen light and hairdryer (on high heat). If during the course of time and usage I have any significantly negative experiences with the unit I will try to update this review."
"The clamp is handy and it does work well as long as you make sure that you're measuring ONE WIRE, not both. Do not try to measure both wires at the same time."
"I've been having an electrical issue lately with lights/switches not working properly - they go off for no apparent reason (no switch, no breaker popped, etc.)."
"I also bought a line splitter and it shows pretty accurate amps on a high/low space heater."
"I checked the amperage on several lines at my breaker box and it appears to be accurate."
"Checked out all features except the clamp on part."
"The reason for only three stars is the ohms tester has no beeper and the meter is a bit hard to see in sunlight.The beeper started working on second use."
Save both time and money with Automatic calculation of Polarization Index and Dielectric Absorption Ratio. Fluke corporation is the world leader in the manufacture, distribution and service of electronic test tools and software. Since its founding in 1948, fluke has helped define and grow a unique technology market, providing testing and troubleshooting capabilities that have grown to mission critical status in manufacturing and service industries. The 1507 features a large, backlit display, and accepts optional fluke tpak magnetic hanging system (not included) to free your hands for other work. The tester can perform at least 1000 insulation tests, or at least 2500 earth bond resistance measurements with fresh alkaline batteries at room temperature. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Over the years, it has proven beneficial to perform Polarization Index (PI) and Dielectric Absorption Ratio (DAR) testing to ensure the insulation is in good condition."
"And fluke is too cheap to give you a case."
"This Fluke isolation tester helped me alot in identifying issues related to loss of isolation on the electronic modules i tested."
"Very please with every Fluke meter I've ever purchased."
"great instrument great price great everything."
"No case for that price you gotta be kidding me pretty sad."
Best Capacitance Meters
Capacitance Range: 0.1pF +/-0.5%+5 820Hz 200pF 1pF +/-0.5%+5 820Hz 2000pF 10pF +/-0.5%+5 820Hz 20nF 100pF +/-0.5%+5 820Hz 200nF 1nF +/-0.5%+5 820Hz 2uF 10nF +/-0.5%+5 82Hz 20uF 100nF +/-0.5%+5 8.2Hz 200uF 1uF +/-2%+10 8.2Hz 2000uF 10uF +/-4%+10 8.2Hz 20mF 9 measuring ranges from 200pF to 20mF, LCD display with Black Light, Auto discharge for capacitors below 1000V, LSI-circuit provides high reliability and durability, ZERO adjustment for compensation of measuring, data-hold function, Over-range indication, Low battery indaction, Compact structure & pocket size, with protection holster. Compact structure & pocket size. Package Contents : *1 X 6013 capacitor meter. *2X probes. with Original Factory Protective Styrofoam Package. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I would have given it another star, but it did not come with a battery (it needs a 9 volt battery) and the battery compartment is closed with tiny screws."
"Dont want to leave the impression it can do everything, but has definately worked for me on all capacitors ive tested, great bang for your buck."
"Tried it on another 35/5 uF and another single cap and the meter correctly indicated they were out of tolerance."
"Saved myself I don't know how much by finding the bad capacitor in my 3 yr old Samsung smart (and I use the term loosely) tv."
"It does the job, and it's super cheap."
"It has a hold function, very bright blue/white led, and massive range (measuring down to an accuracy of 0.1pF all the way up to 20mF)."
"Compared measurements to brand new caps and it works just fine."
"This is an excellent little cap checker for the money."
Best Ground Resistance Meters
It is easy to operate and features many different functions for measuring current, voltage, and resistance, as well as continuity, transistor, and diode testing. Other features include a low battery indicator, continuity buzzer, and overload protection. Power: 1 x 9V 6F22 Battery Included (Low Battery Indication). Continuity Test: Yes. 1 x Etekcity MSR-R500 Digital Multimeter. EASE OF USE: data hold and backlit LCD with large digits for visibility in dimly lit areas.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If the back is taken off (remove the plastic band around the sides of the case, then remove the two phillips screws at the bottom) there is a single calibration adjustment labeled VR1."
"I've used several high dollar multimeters throughout the years, and although this one doesn't quite have the precision that some of the more expensive ones do, it is good enough for at home projects, diagnostics, and repairs if that's what you want it for."
"This multimeter doesn't feel cheap at all."
"I've bought other Multimeters in the past at this price or a bit more and they have never come close to the quality of this mulitmeter."
"Like it for that - no need for higher cost precision measurements."
"The multimeter is decent for the price."
"This, is a really nice Multimeter."
"It completely destroys the Amazon rating system, and I can't trust the reviews of any product that is sold by one of these companies."
Best Insulation Resistance Meters
AC Voltage: - Range and Accuracy: 2/20/200V ± (1.2%+5), 600V± (1.5%+5). - Input Impedance: 10 MΩ<100pF. - Overload Protection: 600V rms. DC Voltage: - Range and Accuracy: 200mV ± (0.8%+3); 2/20/200V± (0.8%+1); 600V± (1%+3). - Input Impedance: 10 MΩ. - Overload Protection: 600V rms. Resistance: - Range and Accuracy: 200Ω ± (1.2%+2); 2/20/200KΩ ± (1%+2); 2MΩ ± (1.2%+2), 20MΩ ± (1.5%+2). - Input Impedance: 10 MΩ. - Overload Protection: 600Vp. Autoranging clamp multimeter with AC current, AC/DC voltage, resistance, diode and continuity test.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased this clamp meter primarily to measure current/amps on 120 volt appliances, heaters, etc. To do this with ANY clamp meter, you MUST separate the hot and neutral conductors or they will cancel each other out and give a zero amp reading. The reason I stress the importance of splitting the line is that in reading many reviews of many meters, it is obvious that many people don't understand the necessity."
"I received my UT201 yesterday so this is an initial "impression" review with some limited testing of the features. The UT201 had, for the most part, very positive reviews on Amazon and the price could not be beat for its feature set. The 400A max is adequate for the vast majority of time I would need to check bigger wire. The thickness of, and insulation on, the leads, though not up to the level of the Fluke or other more expensive testers/meters I have used, seems quite good for the price point. Some reviews I read stated the meter other purchasers had received did NOT include a case. I tested the current (amps) draw of my Shop-Vac, a quartz halogen light and hairdryer (on high heat). If during the course of time and usage I have any significantly negative experiences with the unit I will try to update this review."
"The features it has could easily command many times more. I have been using meters for 45 years since the days of the analog Simpson 260 and I have never seen such a feature packed meter at such a bargain."
"The clamp is handy and it does work well as long as you make sure that you're measuring ONE WIRE, not both. Do not try to measure both wires at the same time."
"I am only a home owner, not a contractor, so I do not use this a lot but when I do it is dependable."
Best LCR Meters
Ls / Lp / Cs / Cp / Rs / Rp / dissipation factor (D) / quality factor (Q) /phase angle/ ESR LCR auto selection. 5.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The accesories are the same and the user manuals are word for word the same."
"Made in japan or design there , Quality product , all my coils from Jantzen are closed to specifications , a 18MH coil , measure that 18.1 mh , and all is near of what I bought . I love this product , I only bought to check my capacitor and coils to finish my speakers crossover , I need to check if it the close value and this LCR meter are just perfect ."
"Hopefully there is some type of reverse current protection, but the other user reviews that talked about burning out their meters suggest that there might not be."
"quality meter, i bought mostly because i needed milliohm meter and this for a little more money does much more, only thing i don't like was the short kelvin leads, i bought some longer kelvins and got into the box and unsoldered the short ones and replaced with longer ones, i did loose the auto ohm selection as it thinks i have a capacitor connected and loads up the cap scale, so i just select ohm scale first and all is good."
"I'm really pleased with this meter."
"Great value for money."
"I remeasured the same caps with the DE-5000, and they were very close to the values reported by the HP tool (within ~0.2% if I recall correctly) I recommend replacing the alligator clips with four point clips, as shown on YouTube, keeping the leads short at ~0.5m."
"Still trying to learn how to use all these features."
Best EMF Meters
Therefore, the Trifield Meter can be scanned rapidly across an area without having to stop at each point to search for the orientation that gives a maximum reading. Can locate wiring in walls (using the 100XE version) and major RF/microwave sources such as leakage from microwave ovens, or the field near cell towers. The TriField Meter will accurately measure EMF pollution from these "hot spots" in your home, office, or work environment so you can take steps for "prudent avoidance": poorly grounded wiring, microwave oven doors, dimmer switches, strong analog RF transmitters, automobiles, TV's & computers, and other electronic equipment. Omni-directional electric and magnetic sensitivity.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The service and integrity of both companies are superb, and so are the products. And I have determined where in our Dodge van the magnetic fields are the lowest so she can sit in relative safety. Some of the cardio machines emit almost no fields, some produce medium magnetic fields, and one an astoundingly strong magnetic field (the Fit Stride 95xi by Life Fitness). The earlier versions of this elliptical cross trainer are fine (the 9500 HR) for her to use, but she dares not get on the newer version. The magnetic field in the rear is astoundingly strong, especially when you are actually on the machine. She thought the hit was from the TVs or the elliptical machine, and so did I; but measurements yesterday determined that the TVs and the elliptical trainer were fine and that the problem was a set of three dimmer switches on the back side of the wall where she was leaning to stretch. So far, the dimmer switches have been the most dangerous thing we have yet encountered. One thing I have learned in measuring various fields is that, even for an engineer (biomedical engineering with a bunch of EE courses), much of this field strength measurement and detection is somewhat counter-intuitive. First, as the description of this product mentions, it is capable of measuring magnetic fields in any plane because it has three separate antennae inside. Thus, it is much simpler to use than one requiring a particular orientation to be effective."
"I avoided the EMF issue for a while, but after reading/listenting to books, lectures and websites on the topic, now was the time to assimilate and mitigate. Every 8-10 seconds, rapid spiking to the top of the meter for 2-3 seconds. Initiate or receive call, spiking for a LONG time. OMG, cell phones are out of control dangerous if this meter means anything."
"I've been told this meter has issues with accuracy for certain frequency."
"This meter seems very accurate, but I returned it because it was too bulky to easily carry with me."
"The two main problems: (1) in most places in my house, it reads twice as high for EMF versus a higher-end digital EMF meter owned by my power company, thus making it look like my house's EMF problem is much worse than it is and (2) it doesn't seem to discriminate between different frequencies of EMF so it registers high EMF both for 60 Hz hum and for higher frequency electrical hash that doesn't seem to bother me. I suppose if I were take this meter's readings at face value, I could rewire my house, install EMF shields, apply EMF paint, and install plug-in EMF filters in an effort to resolve an EMF problem that really isn't a problem, so I'm glad I had the chance to see another EMF meter in action as a sanity check. (The meter does read high EMF in those areas, but it also reads high EMF most everywhere else too.). Just this: the meter's poor accuracy for detecting EMF fields prevented it from showing a stronger EMF field in the vicinity of the miswired light fixture versus other areas of the house. Some time ago, when I had a rep from my electrical utility do an EMF scan using a higher-end meter, he DID detect a higher EMF reading in the vicinity of the light fixture, whereas the Trifield meter showed no difference in reading whether it was near the light fixture or in an entirely different room. UPDATE # 2: I've learned that the Trifield EMF meter sold at this page reads high for EMF because of a feature called "frequency weighting." Since writing the original review and update #1, I've obtained a flat EMF meter (EMI Magnetic field gauss Meter detector MG-2000T Triple Axis Professional use Magnetic Interference from MRI Machines Industrial and Medical Equipment Power Lines Appliances EMF inspections) so I've been comparing it with the Trifield in many areas of my house. Even in the evening, when I get somewhat higher EMF readings than in the daytime, the flat meter reads 1.5 - 2.0 mG which looks a lot better than the 3-4 mG presented by the Trifield. My advice: if you're going to get an EMF meter, steer clear of the frequency-weighted Trifield and invest in a flat EMF meter instead."
Best Circuit Testers
Power Supply to Activate Electronic Components, Power and Ground Feed Tester, High Impedance Circuit Tester with Digital Volt Meter and Diagnostic Tester Modes with Complete Lead Set and Adapters to Fit, to Extend and to Reach for Unsurpassed Connectivity. Cigarette lighter adapter | 3 feet probe tip. The red cables are found under the printed manual sheet.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm just a casual home mechanic with 4 or 5 old cars that I keep to work on."
"Awesome product and a must have for anyone wanting to troubleshoot automotive electric bugs...Or any 12v system really."
"Great product...A must have for anyone working on cars,truck,bikes,trailers,tractors."
"Always handy to have the best in your tool arsenal to scare away the buggers."
"My favorite feature of this power probe is testing fuses quickly."
"This is a great package."
"I love this product."
"Once you get the modes figured out the PP3 makes troubleshooting much easier than a light pen and meter."
Best Voltage Testers
Automatically measures volts ac and volts dc with precise digital resolution.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The little AC tester is a quick way to verify if something is hot -- I've given out dozens of these things to customers who end up carrying them in their pockets because they are so useful."
"Works perfect!"
"Got this for the husband."
"I'm very happy with this product."
"I have taken the voltage tester the amprobe and the multimeter out of my tool bag and replaced them with this one tool."
"Brilliant, can't understand why I waited so long and kept buying those garbage multi meters from the big box."
"This is the perfect meter for me."
"Good tester a true alternative to using a Duspol which is a great two handed tester ,this has many more functions great meter ,the handiest I have ever owned."
Best Electrical Battery Testers
Watch in wonder as this battery tester works without batteries! That’s right – it uses voltage from the battery it’s testing to work, and even tests rechargeable batteries. The best thing about this battery organizer might be that it makes it easy to see, sort and select your batteries; no more rooting through that battery drawer. USE THE DETACHABLE BATTERY TESTER: Test your batteries (even rechargeable ones) w/ a tester that never needs a battery – it charges off the batteries you test. The Detachable Battery tester does not require a battery, its powered by the battery that is tested.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I would highly recommend to anyone who keeps their batteries in a kitchen junk drawer--you know who you are--or simply don't have the patience to open the ungodly impossible battery packaging when you're already frustrated by needing a replacement battery in the first place, always at an inopportune time."
"First and foremost it seems this unit has fixed a lot of the issues the older unit had with vertical wall mounting. Overall it seems this unit is intended more for vertical mounting whereas the other unit had flaws in that area."
"The included, simple to use battery charge tester works perfectly and eliminates the guesswork so you won't throw away a good battery."
"I could not love this battery organizer more!"
"Edit: Turns out there is one AA battery slot that won't accept a battery without forcing it, so I dropped it one star."
"If the odd battery turns up, we just use the tester to see where it belongs: trash or it's special place."
"The battery tester works fine but I prefer the "Amprobe BAT-200 Battery Tester" or the "Amprobe BAT-250 Battery Tester" for testing the batteries."
Best Multi Testers
Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"(Note: as of 2015 there are two cheaper lines made by Fluke but I know little about them aside from the fact that they are stripped down a bit.). Basically, you can work on most panel boards / switch gear and anything down stream of them (i.e. - feeders, outlets, hard wired equipment, and anything plugged into them.). CATIV is the only rating higher and it adds service drops to the list as well as underground installations. So basically CATIII is the MINIMUM rating you want on your meter and you can't probe the main drop from the power company. I love the sturdiness of this meter, it a Fluke, so it's the brick crap house of DMMs. The rubber holster offers excellent 5 side protection and it feels good in the hand. Most people fail to realize just how much force 10A can carry; this meter uses a single high quality ceramic HRC fuse and all of the standard additional suppression devices to give the user maximum protection. The case is designed with a deep lip / blast shield as well to protect against debris being blown out the sides in the event of truly catastrophic failure. This is a low impedance voltage test that operates on something close to a 3,ooo Ohm resistance. Flipping to the low impedance mode allows this ghost voltage to “dissipate” and read what's really on the line (which should be less than half a volt on a circuit that’s de-energized.). The resistance on a PCB in electronics circuit can often be much higher than 3,000 Ohms...you could short out that segment of your board by allowing current to flow through the meter as apposed in parallel to it. This is why traditional meters use mega ohm class resistors to test voltage, and most of the time that's fine. So always start out in "normal" volts AC or DC then if ghost voltages are suspect, then switch to the LoZ range. It's a latched system which means you get a positive tone every time a circuit is completed. The "Volt Alert" is a non-contact voltage detector that functions the same as those pen style testers that have been on the market for years. It's nice to test walls for live electrical lines prior to drilling or nailing into them. It features high and low sensitivity modes for different wall thicknesses. However in my opinion the amperage range is quite useful for a general purpose meter and perfectly geared for electricians or homeowners. It's written in 9 languages but it's still simple and easy to understand while at the same time giving the user all the information and data that they could possibly need about this meter. So it drops a digit every factor of 10 up to 600.0 (i.e - 6.000, 60.00, 600.0) Now having said all of that, the accuracy isn't reflected in the screen's numeric resolution. Basically, you look at the reading on the display (we'll imagine measuring against a precision voltage reference of 1.000V) The first step is to add AND subtract half of a percent to get a range (in our example 0.995V & 1.005V) then you add and subtract 2 counts. Honestly for precision testing that could be quite a bit, which is why high accuracy bench top meters costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars, however for general purpose measurments, this is actually is really good accuracy. This would leave my other hand free to hold the meter and push the button. Just mark the price up another 2 bucks and give us a pouch for our meters here Fluke! A set of alligator clips would've been nice, but alas nope... Sold separately. Honestly, I have a few Fluke products and a disappointing lack of accessories is actually a common problem. If you find a Fluke Kit for the meter you're interested in at a reasonable price...GET IT! Sure Fluke has a "market" and therefore a "price" in mind, but they build their units to a "standard" first. At the end of the day, they know that these units have been tested rigorously and "proven" so that when they need quality and survivability, as well as maximum personal protection these meters will perform."
"Best meter I have!"
"It does what it is meant to do."
"Awesome Voltage meter at a really good price."
"You can't go wrong with Fluke."
"The NCV checker is a great little extra just to quickly check if a panel is really dead."
"I use it to trouble shoot access control and alarm security systems."
"Just an awesome meter if you want to step up from the basic $20-$25 ones."