Can't choose new dmm, Arrrgh!

[throbscottle]

Ok now my eyes are going round and round from looking at multimeter specs and I can't decide what to get. My budget is supposed to be under £100, but I can go up to £140 if something really special comes up.
So minimum what I want is:
> 2000 counts. I'm going on the principle more is better, except when it isn't.
bargraph, ideally one that responds more quickly than the main display.
10A range - though I've been considering some 8A ones too
better than 1% on DCV
>20M on the ohms range
A decent amount of grunt in the diode test
Low burden voltage in the A & mA ranges
Continuity test only a few 10's of ohms

The nice to have list includes:
They nearly all seem to have frequency, capacitance and temperature measurement these days, so I may as well get the best I can in those as well.
I've noticed a lot of the better meters are able show max and min values, which could be useful, so that goes on the list.
Some meters have duty cycle, which is also nice.
Some meters can do data logging. I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand, I'll probably never use it, on the other hand it might be good to be able to graph something or other over time.
True RMS
Backlight.

The likes of Fluke and Agilent I had to discount, purely on the basis of cost.
I don't need industrial/commercial grade build/safety category. I'd like it to have a case as sturdy as my knackered old Mastech though.
I discovered that a lot of Tenma are UNI-T inside, and a lot of Extech and Beha Amprobe are Brymen inside. Fascinating. I discounted them for various reasons.

I've got a list of meters I like (and can afford!) so far:
Kyoritsu KEW1011 - I had a Kyoritsu analogue meter in the 80's so guilty of brand loyalty!
Axiomet AX-176 - These meters look quite appealing but there isn't much info about them apart from what the mfr provides - can anyone provide insight?
UNI-T UT-61E - Looks a nice meter. Seems to be a bit of a standard.
UNI-T UT-70D - You get a lot of meter for the money, though I stopped looking at counts starting with 8 because of the high +digits on the accuracy spec they all seem to have, this one still appeals.
**broken link removed** - UT-71D I think got a very good review/teardown on YouTube. The reviewer didn't think the build quality was great and found the protection lacking. I'm guessing this goes for all UNI-T meters. Can anyone enlighten?
Brymen BM257S - All the Brymen meters are very appealing. EEVBlog Dave reviewed 3 of them and was suitably impressed, they're well built and have good protection. One thing that puts me off is that they all (?) have a pc link cable and software available but unlike the others, you have to buy it separately. I think I'd rather simply not have the option. OTOH they specify a fast sample rate for the bargraph - none of the others give a separate rate for it. Gotta love that yellow backlight!
Brymen BM817S - No picture, but it would look like the other BM81x meters
Brymen BM857S - The only thing against this meter is its insanely bad backlight - see Dave's review! Top end of my budget.
Brymen BM867S - This is more than I want to spend and with postage, just shy of the maximum I have available, but it has everything I could possibly want and is far better specc'd than I'm ever likely to need. I like it!
Axiomet AX-178 - A really pretty meter! I really wish there was a review of these! Again, a bit too expensive...
Looking forward to responses, especially anyone who knows about the Axiomet meters!

 

[jpanhalt]

My rule on tools is to buy the best I can afford. That does not rule out used tools, as "all good tools are used."

I have found that going through specifications in detail can be futile. What will you do if the cheaper import doesn't meet its claimed specifications? Specification inflation is as common as taxes.

John

 

[throbscottle]

Mmm, sound advice indeed John!
Also that's why I've been trying to find reviews - the specs just don't give the whole picture.

 

[jpanhalt]

Most of my instruments -- that is ones I haven't built -- are at least 10 years old. In those days, I depended on name and reputation, like Fluke. That is not to say current instruments of the same brand are the same quality or value.

I have no tolerance for an instrument that may work well for a few months and then go South -- like a tire gauge I bought at HF that now reads 10 psi high (I think the needle is loose).

John

 

[Ian Rogers]

IMHO..... I have a Benchtop fluke, cost around £380... This is one of the best DMM's I could ever hope to have ( can't recall the model, I'll see when I get back to work!!)

I have a general purpose Tenma.. cost around £35.. Does everything I need... I don't care if it gets dropped.. Always seems to work very well.... Out in the field these things get broken.. This Tenma has been with me for over 5 years now... Still going strong... I test it regularly against the Fluke....

My father gave me his old AVO 8.... Possibly the most expensive meter of Yesteryear. It even had a mirror so you could line up the pointer so you head angle didn't give false readings.... A £10 DMM will do more than it ever could....

Okay! The point..... What matters is the NEED for a £200~ £400 DMM's... Don't just buy an expensive meter because of want.... I bought a White Gold meter once for £48...... I wish I could find another one..... A friend ( I call a friend ) Tried to measure the current of a 12V 45Ah battery.... After extensive repairs, it never worked the same ( still got t though... Bluddy nostalgia )..

If you can afford a meter at around £100, then its going to do what you need.... Don't overthink it..

jpanhalt .... I've made a few instruments myself... They are always the best ones...

 

[crutschow]

I remember using a multimeter (a Fluke) that had a Conductance range as well as the usual resistance ranges. The conductance range is non-linear for resistance, like the resistance range on a mechanical ohmmeter, and was used for insulation or resistance checks well above the typical 20M ohm limit of the resistance ranges.
It had a nanoSiemen (nS) scale (1 nS corresponding to a resistance of 1000M ohms).

I would think that would be a handy function to have but I don't know how many other meters may have that.
Here's one with it I found on a Google search but know nothing about its quality.

 

[throbscottle]

One thing I've discovered in my researches, even cheap meters are remarkably reliable and keep within their specification, so I'm not terribly worried about anything going South. My Mastech cost about £20 I think, nearly 15 years ago - it was in a Sale because of being an old model I think. Only recently it has started reading 10% or more too high. Strangely the resistance ranges failed due to accidental application of voltage a few years ago, but still have the same (in)accuracy when everything else has gone.
Conductance - I've seen it on a couple of meters at the top end of my budget, along with dBm as well. Nice but I doubt I'd use it. I thought conductance was used for very low resistances, not insulators! Oh well...
I'd kind of forgotten about Vici, don't see them very often. We had AVO 8's at college. See them on eBay a lot.
Just been looking at the UNI-T171x. It's a better version of the 71x, has a funky white on black display.

 

[throbscottle]

Got me looking at Ali-express now. Oh god more choice!

 

[Ian Rogers]

Apparently... Tenma have UNI-T PCB's in them.... Must be their ( Cheaper ) range...

 

[crutschow]

....................
Conductance - I've seen it on a couple of meters at the top end of my budget, along with dBm as well. Nice but I doubt I'd use it. I thought conductance was used for very low resistances, not insulators! Oh well...
...................

Conductance is used for high resistance since the logarithmic relation of resistance to conductance means a single scale setting can cover a very large range of insulator resistance. For example the 40nS scale on a Fluke 87 can read from 40nS (25 MΩ) to 0.01nS (100,000 MΩ). This means it's capable of testing the resistance or leakage in many types of insulators, diodes, transistors, cables, connectors, printed circuit boards, transformers, motors, capacitors, etc.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

R=1/S ; R in ohms; S (conductance) in Siemens

 

[throbscottle]

I was supplied with a Tenma meter for work - one of the very low end ones. Seems very flimsy, but OTOH I did have a serious look at them - just found too many holes in the specs, put me off. Just watched Dave Jones $100 meter shootout - I like the UEI he reviewed in it but they are not easy to get in this country. Going for lower hanging fruit I think. The more multimeter review videos I watch the less I like UNI-T, so that shortens the list a bit.
I studied the manual for the Axiomet meters to look for protection info. All it says is (repeatedly) you must not connect it to more than 1000v. Rather suggests ovp is lacking. Shame. Brymen still looks like the best bet.
I also found the Kyoritsu KM1012 as another possible one from them. Looked briefly at the higher specc'd Mastech's too. Another review put me off.

 

[throbscottle]

I knew it as S=1/R, and I knew it was in Siemens. Just not what to use it for.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I went through this exercise for work meters MANY years ago, One was a handheld Fluke 8026b maybe with peak hold and another was a Tektronix DVM.
For home I have a Fluke 77 (again 1980 ish when selecting, About $120 in the day) and probably something like this https://www.circuitspecialists.com/digital-multimeter-csims8264.html one. (Nearly free) and something that costs about $5.00 https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-92020.html that I got free. hey, the $5.00 meter has a small battery tester, but don't leave the power switch on ---> dead battery.

I liked the peak hold feature. I liked the auto-turn off. The more complicated the meter was, the less likely it was borrowed.

I had a hard time finding the voltage burden for current measurements in the specs.

Don't forget to include the test leads. I something similar to these: https://www.fluke.com/Fluke/uken/Accessories/Test-Leads-Probes-and-Clips/TL175.htm?PID=70420 the tips extend like 3 inches and are insulated.

I have a few Keithley DMM's at home too.

 

[throbscottle]

I emailed Dave Jones direct. He reckons some Axiomet meters look like rebranded CEM ones (and the AXMS811 is definitely a CEM DT111). So I'm inclined to think they are not an OEM - so I'll forget them.
I wonder who makes the original of the AX178? It's sooooo pretty...

 

[audioguru]

I am glad that I bought my excellent Fluke multimeter about 25 years ago and it still works perfectly.

 

[chemelec]

Originally I had some B&K DMM meters, but they would get damaged when somewhat near the High Voltages I was using.
Not a Direct Connection, Just affected by an Electrostatic field through the air at about 2 feet away.
Due to Poor Shielding in the Case.

I have a Fluke 70, 73 and 87.
But I like the Fluke 73 best of all.
I Rarely use the other two now.
And I Could sell the Fluke 87 if anyone was interested.

 

[throbscottle]

I think postage from Canada might kill it for me. How much were you thinking of asking for it?
(edit) That said - I'm trying to avoid meters with 1/2 digit anyway. Ho Hum.

 

[chemelec]

I think postage from Canada might kill it for me. How much were you thinking of asking for it?
(edit) That said - I'm trying to avoid meters with 1/2 digit anyway. Ho Hum.

I don't really have a fixed price in mind and the post office is not open today to check for a shipping cost.

Do you have a Land based Phone.
If so I can call you for Free to talk.

 

[throbscottle]

I finally found some meters that look just like the Axiomet ones - they come from a company called ShowRange. The catalogue pages show meters with no branding on them, and in styles supplied by a number of brands. I wonder if they are the real OEM behind a lot of the cheaper names? Their "about us" suggests this may be the case.
I've realised I only have to pay a bit more to get a much better meter than the ones I've been looking at, so I might save my pennies until next pay-day and top-up the budget...