PSA: Spent $80 on a cheap multimeter and it gave me false readings for 6 months

Finally got a Fluke after my $80 meter told me a circuit was dead when it wasn't, almost caused a short on a King Air panel. Anyone else get burned by a bad budget meter?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_bell1mo ago

Used to roll my eyes at guys saying you gotta spend real money on a meter. But yeah this changed my mind after my cheap one lied to me about a battery voltage. Felt real dumb when I had to redo a whole days work.

emma_smith1mo ago

Did you check the leads on your cheap meter too? Sometimes it's the wires giving bad readings, not the tool itself. I always keep a known good battery around just to test my tester before I trust it.