finley_harris5•29d agoProlific Poster

Lost $150 on a fancy multimeter that couldn't take a drop from 4 feet

I bought this high end Fluke knockoff from a guy on Craigslist last summer. Felt like a steal at the time. First day on the ramp I clipped it to my belt and it fell on the tarmac. Screen went dead and now it just shows a line of pixels. Shoulda just bought the real thing new. Anyone else got burned by a tool that seemed too good to be true?

2 comments

2 Comments

piperf4029d ago

48 volts AC will kill you just as dead as 480 if the current hits your chest right. That's the thing nobody talks about with cheap meters. You don't know if the protection circuitry is faked or just missing entirely. Seen a guy blow one up testing a simple 240 outlet. The whole housing cracked and he got a nice burn on his hand. Save up and get a proper Cat III rated meter. Your life's worth more than that money you saved.

the_emma29d agoTop Commenter

Got a buddy who picked up a "military surplus" meter from a pawn shop for forty bucks. Felt like a win until he tested a live panel and the leads literally melted in his hands, plastic dripping everywhere. He still ducks every time he sees a breaker box, says it felt like the meter was trying to kill him.