is there an accurate and affordable multimeter that you would recommend?
don't want to spend for the high dollar Fluke.
thanks

 

It depends on what type of usage the meter is expected to have. Light hobby use recommendations will differ from industrial job related recommendations. I personally think a long term investment in a quality multi-meter is a wise choice if you will be in the this field for a life-time. I still use 30 yo Fluke meters daily, so a good used Fluke is something to consider.

 

As they say, if it works, it’s a Fluke.

 

is there an accurate and affordable multimeter that you would recommend?
don't want to spend for the high dollar Fluke.

Are you doing things where you require high accuracy? I've done electronics since the 1970's and for my personal circuits, 5% accuracy is sufficient.

I have HP, Fluke, and Simpson DVM's for my bench and a Fluke 27 and numerous Centech for portable use. I use one of my Centech's most often. And I don't bother with calibrating the "better" ones.

I use something like this most often:


The one I bought about 15 years ago cost about $40. It's replacement, still in the package and shown above, is selling for $20.

 

My Fluke multimeter is 30 years old ands still works perfectly today. That is 23 cents per day.
A friend bought a Radio Shack multimeter for 1/3rd of the cost of the Fluke and it lasted for only 3 years. 77 cents per day.

 

Not only do I have the obligatory 30+ year old Fluke DVM but since I had some power power supply projects about 10 years ago I have 5 Uni-T digital voltmeters. The Uni-T meters all work well, are inexpensive and so far never given a problem. As @dl324 said 5% accuracy is plenty for most day-to-day work.

 

My Fluke multimeter is 30 years old ands still works perfectly today. That is 23 cents per day.
A friend bought a Radio Shack multimeter for 1/3rd of the cost of the Fluke and it lasted for only 3 years. 77 cents per day.

The meter I use as my first option is the first meter I ever owned -- a Radio Shack (Micronta) that I bought in 1983. So 40 years and going strong -- and it owes me nothing because it has been seriously abused.

I also have a couple of Flukes -- nothing wrong with them, they are good meters. But, for a reason I can't articulate, I just like the feel of Micronta quite a bit more. Any time I've checked them against each other, they are in very close agreement.

 

is there an accurate and affordable multimeter that you would recommend?
don't want to spend for the high dollar Fluke.
thanks

Depends on what your needs are. For a lot of hobbyist-level stuff, a real cheap meter is likely going to be good enough. Harbor Freight used to give meters away or charge $5 for them at other times. I like to monitor many voltages at the same time, so I picked up a bunch of them many years ago. They look and feel like the cheap meters that they are, but have proven to be more than adequate and reliable, somewhat to my surprise.

I do recommend you get one "decent" meter ("decent" is a very ambivalent term), but that can be a basic MasTech (or any of the many other brands that are exactly the same meter). Last time I checked, $30 got you a good baseline meter. Down the road, try to pick up a "good" meter like a Fluke, but there's no hurry. Keep an eye out for used equipment or going out of business sales.