And now every Chinese multimeter is yellow, and not just any random shade of yellow!

Fluke aggressively polices imports to this country and has customs seize shipments of yellow meters. If happened to SparkFun, and was mostly a nasty PR blow in the maker community for Fluke.

https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1428

 

Fluke did reimburse Sparkfun with genuine Flukes, Sparkfun has white multimeters now.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...e-30000-worth-of-multimeters-to-be-destroyed/

 

I once worked in a factory that required those authorized to only use Fluke. The reason simply being because of the fuse and protections. They just didn't want someone blowing up their hand by mistake. I wasn't one of the authorized people... I wasn't even allowed to open a cabinet, but seeing their reasoning sent me down a road of research into things I never considered before. Although the reasons he gave in the video really don't mean much to me for the most part I can see where it would to the right people and I have no problem paying the premium for them.

For my hobbies I have a Fluke 115. Once in a while just for kicks I'll measure a resistor to use for shunt, measure the drop, and compare it to a current measurement from the meter. It has only worked out perfect a couple times, but always within the listed margin of error for all three measurements. It also does strange things when the battery gets low and before letting me know the battery is low. After the last time it happened I learned what to look for.

I don't have experience with any other professional grade meters, but I do have an old Radio Shack meter that is always real close to the Fluke. The readings always work out to be within the margin of error for both meters.

 

Modern DMMs are amazingly accurate, even inexpensive ones. Where they can fall down, is in input protection (as you mentioned) and also in more subtle aspects of measurement including precision (as opposed to accuracy) and AC measurements that are affected by frequency and waveform. Meters can also vary in their calibration stability over time.

 

ADC with a bandgap source and ratiometeric measurements can be extremely effective. There are some less expensive multimeters that have very good input protection, most do not.

The less expensive meters used for low current and low voltage are safe. Sometimes the cost cuts like the cheap input connections and slow continuity checks are just annoying.

You can’t use them where certifications are required. Many don’t have calibration procedures. Can you even get them calibrated?

Professional tools are for professionals who have a need for reliable certified performance that are designed to protect you and itself.

What irks me is that all the iterations of R&D that went into making Fluke so awesome is copied by the imports and people believe that the Flukes are overpriced because they look similar.

 

Beckman had some robust yellow DMMs, like the HD110; that's what I'd aspired to before I'd had a chance to use a Fluke 77 . They modestly advertised them as "THE TOUGHEST MULTIMETERS ON EARTH" back in 1983, long before Fluke had any yellow meters.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/File:Im1983EP-Beckman.jpg

 

Fluke 101 Multimeter

 

Fluke is a dependable brand no doubt. They are doing justice to the prices.