Multimeter recommendations: auto-ranging?

[Daniel Hansen]

I'm in the market for a new multimeter, and I'm curious to hear opinions on whether or why to go auto ranging. The one I have now is not auto ranging, and I kind of like the idea of having granular control over what range I'm measuring in, but I've never tried auto ranging before.

What say you??

 

[Stephen]

I'm in the market for a new multimeter, and I'm curious to hear opinions on whether or why to go auto ranging. The one I have now is not auto ranging, and I kind of like the idea of having granular control over what range I'm measuring in, but I've never tried auto ranging before.

What say you??

Auto-ranging is a must have for me. I grew up without it and left those days behind!

I’ve been using the Fluke 101 and feel it’s a nice option.

 

[davidg5678]

Auto-ranging is a must have for me. I grew up without it and left those days behind!

I’ve been using the Fluke 101 and feel it’s a nice option.

I also use the Fluke 101 multimeter. I think it is a very nice tool, but I probably wouldn't buy it again. I have since learned that it is missing features I would like to have, and it is really a bit pricy for what it offers. It doesn't take measurements of amperage for some reason, and it doesn't beep when taking readings in diode mode. At the time I bought it, I had no idea that these would be useful features to me, but as I've learned more about electronics troubleshooting over the last few years, I now wish I had the functionality.

I think that an auto-ranging multimeter is just more convenient. I like that I don't need to worry about picking voltage ranges and that I can just set it to DC mode and start probing right away. I can't think of any reason I wouldn't get an auto-ranging meter aside from the slightly higher price. I have compared the auto measurements against my manual meter, and they are almost always the same.

What I didn't think of at the time I was purchasing multimeters was to check electronics-specific stores with a more curated selection. I was browsing Amazon and getting overwhelmed, and having trouble finding any good reviews online. For some reason, I had convinced myself that the only suitable multimeter would be a Fluke, but in hindsight, I'm sure I would have gotten a better deal/product had I purchased from another brand, rather than buying the absolute cheapest of Fluke's offerings. I think I'm happy overall with my current multimeter, but I could have spent less money for one with similar functionality, or the same amount of money for a model with more features.

Here are some places I would look at if I were buying a multimeter today:

SUNSHINE DT-17N Auto Range True RMS Multimeter – NorthridgeFix

15.17US $ 18% OFF|Digital Multimeter An8008 9999 Counts Transistor True Rms Tester Auto Electrical Testers Voltage Capacitor Power Meters Test - Multimeters - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Extech EX330 12-function autoranging multimeter

Discontinued - you can grab this Digital Multimeter - Model 9205B+ instead!If you're looking for one of the best multimeters, we're proud to now offer our personal ...

www.adafruit.com

Of course, I haven't personally used any of these products, but I think that the EEVBlog is a good place to seek out recommendations for multimeters, and I have been impressed by the Northridgefix repair videos on YouTube for the last year or so, and they only sell what the repair tech actually uses.

I'm curious what other multimeters people use -does anyone have experience with these models and have opinions about them?

 

[Androda]

I've had very good luck with the "Aneng" brand multimeters. Models 8008 and 9002.

The 8008 was even reviewed by the EEVBlog, decent little meter.

Note that I don't think they're trustworthy for high voltages due to lack of protection that you see in nicer meters. But for low voltage hobbyist work they do fine.

To improve measurement speed you can do a little mod and add some ceramic caps to the main power rail of the measurement IC, it measures much faster after that. They must be using a noisy converter chip.

 

[Elemenoh]

I've used a Fluke 110 for many years and have been quite happy with it.

@davidg5678 fwiw, this model does beep when testing diodes. The 112/112 include AC/DC current tests.

 

[This Does Not Compute]

Several years ago I bought a Hioki DT4252 and haven't regretted it. It's made in Japan (with build quality to match) and has a solid feature set. Hioki isn't a big name outside of Asia, but from what I've seen they have a very solid reputation. The price has gone up a bit over the years; it seems to go for around $180 now, but I think I paid closer to $120 back then. That might be too much for some to spend on a meter that will only see casual use, but I think of it more along the lines of it likely being the last meter I'll ever have to buy.

 

[Branchus]

I'm in the market for a new multimeter, and I'm curious to hear opinions on whether or why to go auto ranging. The one I have now is not auto ranging, and I kind of like the idea of having granular control over what range I'm measuring in, but I've never tried auto ranging before.

What say you??

Your budget will play a big part in making a suitable recommendation. If you're after a cheap unit, here's my review on the Kaiweets KM601: