TIL spending $475 on a Fluke multimeter was totally worth it after my cheap $40 one gave me a false reading on a 737's generator relay.

That false reading almost made me swap a perfectly good generator control unit on a Friday afternoon, has anyone else had a budget meter burn them on a simple continuity check?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese12423d ago

Man I used to be one of those guys who swore cheap meters were fine for everything. I thought spending over a hundred bucks on a multimeter was just throwing money away. But after a cheap meter gave me a false voltage reading on a critical circuit last year, I completely changed my tune. Ended up chasing a problem for hours that wasn't even there. That experience convinced me that when your work can cost thousands in repairs or downtime, a cheap meter is just a liability. Have you thought about getting a mid-range one from a brand like Klein or Amprobe instead of going straight to the Fluke price?

verawhite23d ago

I had the exact same thing happen with a cheap meter that showed continuity on a wire that was totally broken inside the insulation. Chased a no-start issue on a diesel generator for three hours before I finally figured out it was the meter lying to me. After that I went straight for a Fluke 179 and never looked back. The peace of mind alone is worth the extra cost when you're troubleshooting something that could leave people stranded or cost a bunch in unnecessary parts. Sometimes you just have to pay for quality to save your sanity later on.

wesley38519d ago

Dude that's brutal. Three hours of your life you're never getting back because a meter decided to gaslight you. I'd be out there talking to the generator like "please just give me a sign, anything." Honestly the cheap meters are fine for checking if a light bulb works but when lives or money are on the line they'll throw you under the bus every time. At least now you can bond with your Fluke over the shared trauma of that generator lol. Sounds like an expensive lesson but at least it only hit your wallet once.