best bang for buck dmm ?

[brian84corvette 10+ year member]

i currently have a yellow digital multi meter from walmart. i believe it was around $15 - 20$ ish and it served me ok for a while - but now its reading strangely on me.

checked my battery last night with it and was getting 12.02 volts from it. ( i was freaking out )

hooked up my schumacher charger to charge up and its led read out said 12.6 when hooked up before charging started.

today at work i tested again my meter noted my battery at 12.07 volts - and my co workers fluke meter said 12.7 volts ( only read to the 10th )

so i guess my meter is on the fritz. i dont have $200 to drop on a fluke meter id rather buy a high out put alternator or a battery with that kind of dough. my current under hood battery was manufactured 3/09 so its on its way out real soon i guess.

so whats the best bang for the buck dmm out there ? link me plz

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[basswiigee]

fluke is awesome, but my harbor freight cheap azz 4 dollar one has served me well over the past year or so...

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

have you tried changing the batt in your DMM?

 

[will3 10+ year member]

change the battery in it and then grab the dial on the front and apply moderate pressure down and spin the wheel rapidly several times and work it back and forth while applying pressure this should clean off any oxidation on the contacts and then recheck it with the fluke for accuarcy

 

[garychurch84 10+ year member]

Cheap green Lee from lowes

 

[brian84corvette 10+ year member]

i will try changing the batt inside it - i havent thought about that... cool hope it kicks it back to normal.

i was literly craping pants thinking my charge voltage with car running was 13.6 and resting battery voltage was 12.07

lol crappy meters

 

[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

if that doesnt work just go back to wally world and buy another.

 

[Roland 10+ year member]

UNI-T UT204 DC

Iv'e been using this one for 4 years now. I use it almost daily and it is almost as good as they get. I used flukes that cost 5-7 times more.

The clamp on amp meter is very good but not perfect (little fluxuations but acceptable to me) , and it's a true RMS meter. One of the best $45 ive spent on a tool.