Fluke 117 Electricians True RMS Multimeter & TL175E TwistGuard Double Insulated Silicone Test Lead Set with Removable 4mm Lantern Tips, 2mm Diameter Probe Tips

Fluke has a reputation for being the best of the best, and I won't argue with that. I've been using this meter for going on two years now and have never had a single issue with it. I haven't even had to change the battery yet. And so I fully expect that this meter will serve me well for many, many years. Until recently, in fact, I thought there was no point in even writing a review: It's a Fluke, and everyone knows you can't go wrong with Fluke. But as time passes and I gain more experience with this meter and more exposure to the broader market, I find that I do have more thoughts about this product than I thought I would.First and foremost, while I don't disagree with labeling this an "electrician's multimeter," I do think it can be a little misleading or confusing and requires further explanation. I am not an electrician, but my impression is that real electricians tend to reach for something more like the Fluke T6-600 (or the T5-600, which is probably a better value for the money) as their daily go-to device. It's more nimble for moving around with and shoving in your pocket or tool bag. That product is technically marketed as a "tester" and not a "multimeter", so it wasn't even on my radar when I was meter shopping. I suppose the difference in labeling is to say that it's not the same precision instrument that the "real" multimeters are. You're only going to be measuring voltage in 1-volt increments, for example, and it has a relatively limited set of capabilities that cover just the essentials for an electrician. But that tester is less expensive and I want to note here that it includes one capability not found on the 117: a set of sensing jaws that can measure current up to 200 amps (100 amps on the T5) without breaking the circuit. The 117 is disappointing by comparison when it comes to current measurement. Sure, if you can rig it up so the current flows through the device (which you're not likely to want to do while troubleshooting household circuits), then you can measure up to the basic 10 amps. But the meter doesn't have a milliamp range, which means not only that you can’t make really fine current measurements (which I can’t say I’ve ever needed to do) but also that you can't buy the basic i400 current clamp if you want to add a T5/T6-like no-touch high-current sensing capability. You would have to get the much more expensive i410 if you're trying to add that capability -- at which point you're probably going to seriously consider just buying a separate meter that has a built-in clamp. So the complete inability to provide even a halfway economical option for a current clamp is fairly frustrating for an “electrician’s meter” and I feel the need to deduct one star. But for any other function, the 117 is a far superior device to the T5 or T6. The 117 will give you more precise readings over a larger range for the things that both meters can measure, and adds capabilities like capacitance (great for troubleshooting a heat pump or other motor with a run capacitor) and low-impedance voltage measurement, which has actually proven a lot more useful than I'd expected (although, to be fair, while the T5 and T6 don’t offer the ability to switch between two different input impedances, for electrical work they do strike a pretty good balance of low-but-not-too-low on the one input impedance that they do give you). It's just a little frustrating when you compare to something like the Klein CL800, which has a current sensing clamp and a temperature probe. Klein admittedly isn’t quite as highly regarded in the multimeter game as Fluke, and if it came down to it I’m sure the Fluke is a safer and more reliable instrument, but Klein is a respected brand. And the CL800 (or the cheaper CL700, if you’re not concerned with DC current) strikes me as a fuller “electrician’s meter” in that you’re not terribly likely to need to buy a second meter after it to round out the set with some missing capability (although it does still lack microamp and milliamp ranges). The Ames CM200A (which is not True RMS and has an AC-only amp fork but does provide in-line DC microamp measurement) also merits honorable mention here as a budget candidate for a person’s sole electrical/HVAC meter, but of course it’s not in the same class of products as these other meters that cost three times as much.In all, I think the 117 did turn out to be the best Fluke I could have gotten for my varied purposes as a homeowner — testing everything from a AA battery to a household receptacle to a heat pump run capacitor, and who knows what will come next. I do have two other cheapie meters in my arsenal, which I use for milliamps, microamps, and a current clamp. So I don’t want to give you the impression that this Fluke does everything for me. But I think it’s a pretty good compromise. Display contrast is okay but not brilliant. The probes are kind of cheap and tangle easily, but most people who really care probably have their preferred probes that they’d buy separately anyway. If you’re looking for something on a budget, I’ve been pretty satisfied with Kaiweets probes.If you're just starting out in the electrical trade, I'd urge you to take a good look at the T5-600 or T6-600 if you don’t already have something like that. But if you're looking for a more high-precision instrument or something more general-purpose that happens to also be suitable for use on mains electricity then the 117 is a great meter. Now, if your needs are more modest you might take a look at the Fluke 101. Adam Savage made a video gushing over that device, and if you just need to make basic voltage, resistance, and capacitance measurements (no current measurement capability) then that looks like a great way to get your hands on a Fluke without breaking the bank. And from a safety standpoint I'd feel a lot better about sticking that meter in a 120V mains socket than I would about some competitor's $50 meter with more features. If you’re willing to spend $100 or more, though, take a look at the Klein CL700 and CL800, which are feature-packed enough to go a long way toward solving the buying-two-meters problem that plagues the Fluke lineup. The Greenlee DM-510a (which lacks an amp clamp) would also be a fairly direct competitor to this Fluke and is a bit broader in its capabilities. Within the Fluke lineup, if you need a clamp meter instead of or in addition to the 117, the Fluke 323 might merit a look (or the 324 if you need one that measures capacitance too), but it doesn't have a low-impedance voltage mode, which again I'm a big fan of. (Fluke does sell the SV225 stray voltage eliminator as plug-in accessory for meters that don’t have LoZ built in, but it’s pretty pricey.) LoZ is really useful when troubleshooting to be able to determine whether a voltage is a "ghost voltage" or a real one. And I find that it works pretty well as a makeshift GFCI tester, although the current is probably a little lower than a proper GFCI tester (I estimate about 3.6 kOhm DC resistance). If you end up buying a multimeter that doesn’t have a LoZ function, you might consider supplementing it with something like a Klein ET60 tester, which is inherently low-impedance.I also have to mention the Brymen BM-235, Brymen BM-257, and Greenlee DM-510A (which is evidently a rebadged BM-257 intended for sale in the United States, and so perhaps likely to have a better warranty experience for US customers). These are not really electrician’s multimeters so much as they are general purpose, but they look like they do one heck of a job of being general purpose. I haven’t got my hands on any of these, but they appear at first glance to do everything that this Fluke 117 does and then some. You still don’t get an amp clamp, which is largely why I have to still tip my hat to the Klein CL800 as the best solution I can find for a full featured electrician’s meter, but you get temperature, microamps, milliamps, and a Cat IV 300V rating. And if you can tear yourself away from the Fluke name that (quite rightly) gives people a warm fuzzy feeling that their meter will be accurate and last forever, it’s pretty cool to see all that in one meter. And Brymen seems to be known for making very good quality meters.Whatever meter you decide on, be careful. Don’t attempt anything unless you’re confident you understand the risks. Turn off the power to anything you’re working on if at all possible, and call an electrician if you can’t do it safely yourself. If you’re working on an appliance with a big capacitor (which usually looks like a large cylinder), assume that component is holding enough charge to shock you even if the equipment isn’t plugged in.

product details were misleading as the product is from china and does NOT come with manufacture seal, nor does it even come with a manual.the back-light on the display is terrible and seems very cheap, you cannot read even at the slightest angle.

I've been putting off buying this for quite a while and now that I did buy one, I'm glad I did.The reviews here and in most other places really are not kidding about this meter having great build quality, There's a very close attention to detail and this is a very well made and very durable meter.Mine had a small defect, the backlight is not really very even. I'm not sure if it's this batch but I have seen other reviews bring that up. I have seen one of these without this issue. There's also an issue with the display contrast, It looks good at a straight on angle, and it looks great at an angle looking slightly up at the display. The problem is, looking down on the meter. There's very little contrast so it's more faded and it even becomes more difficult to read then it should be. That is the reason for one star off. I would say that it was the battery being bad or slightly dead but I tested it and it was at 9.4V and I put a brand new battery in and found the same issue.More good things, theres a lot.The meter has a pretty intelligent design for the battery. It's literally impossible to install backwards WHILE not having a little 9v battery clip on a wire that can get damaged. The terminals are literally metal strips poking off the motherboard through the back casing into the battery compartment and the battery "door" itself is what actually houses the battery and the battery terminal end is shaped in such a way that you cannot put the battery in backwards. Overall that is a very clever and good design feature. Quite a few people also mentioned the dial being in a bad location and they do not like how it sticks out but, I mean, how many of these reviews state that they dropped the meter and the dial actually came off or otherwise broke. The dial seems in a bad location but it's also very well made. On top of that in the durability topic, I got sand/dust/dirt all over the meter, to the point where the dial was grinding.I was like, Hey, this is a Fluke and it has a water resistance rating (IP54), So I simply washed it off under a sink from all angles (Yes, even the banana plug sockets). A day later the dial was perfectly fine and not grinding as well as the meter was completely functional and showed absolutely no care about having been washed a bunch.Yes that was a bad idea, I knew it, I knew if I had been damaged then I would not have been able to send it back I would have been either stuck trying to fix it or out a meter/200$, No need to leave negative comments, I understood. But there is also absolutely no mention of anyone else on the internet treating their meter in such a way, So I did and I am here to say that it seems like it's not too shabby even in something it isn't officially advertised as being able to take. I do have to say though that if you do this and damage your meter I am in no way responsible or encouraging you, I am just sharing my experience with my own meter.

Il est en remplacement d'un ancien modèle du même constructeur FLUKE, qui vient de me lâcher, après une trentaine d'années de bons & loyaux services.A juger dans le temps.Précisions: contrairement à l'ancien qui possédait 2 fusibles, dont 1 de 8x37 et 1 en verre plus petit, pour protéger les 2 calibres d'ampèremètre.Celui-là n'en a qu'un seul de 1000V / 11 ampères de type DMM-11AR ultra rapide de dimensions 8x37mm. Pas de rechange livré.La fonction alerte tension, permet de signaler une présence tension secteur, lorsqu'on l'approche d'un conducteur ou d'un appareil sous tension secteur (240 / 380Volts), sans même raccorder aucun cordon.Pas encore d'expérience en ce qui concerne sa précision dans ces différentes mesures.L'écran qui peut être rétroéclairé est clair & bien lisible.Une house en plastique moulé le protège bien des chocs & manipulations diverses & possède une jambe escamotable au dos, lui permettant de rester debout sur une surface plane, afin de faciliter la lecture.Il possède aussi une fonction fréquences-mètre.La pile de 9volts n'est pas fournie.Certes, le prix est significatif, mais il fait l'objet d'un certificat de conformité de précision de mesures que seuls les appareil qualitatifs possèdent. Certificat visible sur le site de Fluke et dispo sur demande.

Buying a fluke is a conflicting decision. On the one hand they go missing. (Get stolen). And have useful features available on the actual chip, not designed into the product, (like milliamps, micro amps and a real hold feature). And it's about 75$ more than a meter that does those things. However it does read individual milliamps, and will tell you if 99% of things are working in some way, or not working at all.Most products fail where the rubber hits The road. For this its the selector and case.The molding is the best. So the dust inserting the product will be the least, and from that metric, it should last the longest.That's the only reason I bought this over the brymen (Greenlee). I've never worked in very dirty environments, but my first week with this was at a steel shop. Coated in iron dust, it did well and I trusted the readings.If you're working in clean environments, or testing thermal couples and don't have a meter with Microamps, I'd look elsewhere.(brand wise)If you're an electrician, or new to the fire alarm or security game, this will do you a very very long time.

Un vrai multimètre numérique, étant artisan électricien il me fallait ce modèle pour complémenter mon vieux Chauvin Arnoult à aiguille qui fonctionne toujours mais manque de précision suite à la vis de tare qui est cassée, bref les Fluke sont de bons produits, seul bémol, pour le prix ils auraient pu inclure un accu rechargeable de 9V au lieu de la pile alcaline livrée...Respectons la planète en évitant les déchets !

Can't go wrong with a Fluke. Delivery time was great. None of the past reviews talk about the continuity audio level of any meters. I have poor hearing and this has great audio. Tested it at around 74 decibels. Most others are under 60 and very hard to hear if at all. Hope this helps.

Like the product, very good for the money spent. Can’t compare to the 289 i already have , but great addition when you need voltmeters in different locations.Do your research for what you exactly need it and go from there.