Fluke 87-V Digital Multimeter

There is no accompanying manual. The Good: br>This meter is fantastic. It has all of the functions and features I need for amp builds, and the 87-watt output is more than enough. The V will satisfy the needs of both hobbyists and professionals; however, the overall build quality is not as good as the Fluke 117 I purchased several years ago. The 87- V appears to be durable enough for professional use, and I recommend the Casling Hard Case for storage and convenience. The 87-inch TV's dependability and durability will be determined over time. The Drawbacks: br>br> br>It's pricey, and it's missing some basic features that should have been included for the price, which is why it only gets three stars. br>br>The leads that come with the kit are incredibly stiff - At this price point, you wouldn't expect a meter to be made of soft silicone (see photo). Working with stiff, coiled leads, especially at lethal voltages, can be aggravating - I don't need this kind of annoyance. br>br>There is no manual with Fluke. Instead, they included a GO GREEN card in the box with a link to a manual that can be downloaded and printed. However, when I printed the manual, the text only took up about half of a page - That has nothing to do with the color green. Furthermore, instead of a nice small manual that I can keep in the carry case to double-check operation, functions, and safety, I have 52 pages of 8 1/2 by 11 paper that I'm unlikely to have on hand when I need it. (Please see the illustration). When I called to request a manual from Fluke, the customer service reps were patronizing and dismissive. Manuals are no longer printed by Fluke, which is another very basic item that you would expect at this price point.

Peyton Huff

| Nov 21, 2021

" It just feels like this thing is tough as nails. It feels like you're holding a brick in your hands, and it's about the same weight. Not for those who have the hands of a small carnival worker. To get ahold of it, you'll need manly hands. The temperature sensor, screw-on alligator clips, and collapsible TL175 leads are all included with the MAX.

Arianna Lee

| Jan 17, 2021

You can tell the difference in quality. I had to do some troubleshooting on the wife's van because the battery was constantly draining. In my toolbox/garage, I had three different cheapo meters, only one of which worked and didn't have the exact scale I needed, but it would suffice. (Not my best moment) until I put a lead in the wrong socket and it started smoking in my hand. I decided it was past time to invest in a decent meter. After reading consumer reports reviews, I decided to purchase this meter because it was listed as a consumer reports recommended best buy. This isn't a cheapo meter, as you can tell by the weight and feel. All of the controls are so simple to use that the meter will warn you before you make a mistake if you have the leads connected incorrectly for the function you've chosen. This is a fantastic meter that will not let you down. (Oh, and when I got there, I was able to isolate the problem with the van in less than 5 minutes, cigarette lighter usb phone charger. ) It didn't have a light, so I mistook it for a drain (despite the fact that the meter said otherwise).

Jade Albert

| Jun 02, 2021

They're high-quality and simple to use. After dropping my old Fluke meter, I bought a new Fluke 87 V meter. The meter slid off the hood of my son's truck onto the concrete parting lot while I was working on it in the winter. br>br>My old Fluke meter had been around for 30 years and was still in good working order. The case shattered, and because it was so old, I couldn't get replacement parts from Fluke. This new Fluke 87 V meter is a fantastic instrument. The meter's features, especially the backlit display, are fantastic. br>br>For me, it is the ideal meter because it has all of the features I require. It would have been nice if it came with the magnetic hanging strap. I went ahead and bought the strap, but I thought it was too expensive for what you get.

Miguel BUTCHER

| Jan 03, 2021

Since its introduction, the V, also known as "87 Five," has been "THE standard in multimeters. " It's an industry professional's tool that's jam-packed with useful and accurate measurements that appeal to both electricians and electronics professionals. Frankly, there's not much this meter doesn't have. It's a 6000 count meter with a push-button 20,000 ct hi-resolution display. the mode of resolution It can measure amps (up to ten), mA, and uA, as well as capacitance, V and mV, temperature, frequency, resistance, and conductance, and it includes a continuity buzzer and a diode check. There are several meters on the market with higher accuracy or at least higher resolution as of this update in August 2015, but none that I consider to be of higher quality than the 87-degree meter. That said, I believe it is past time for Fluke to create a successor. The 87- V's design is nearly 30 years old, and technology has progressed to the point where a newer design is required. br>br>What distinguishes the 87-year-old from the other 87-year-olds is that the 87-year-old V apart. . br>There's a 6000-count display with four updates per second, as well as a 33-segment bar graph with 40 updates per second. I find the bar graph to be very responsive and dependable. A two-stage backlight is also included. The screen is large and clear, and the range switch and mode selectors are thoughtfully placed. In low- and no-light situations, the light is effective. This is a True-Life Story. As you'd expect from Fluke (or any meter in this price range), this is an RMS meter. In the absence of true-to-life experiences, If you're taking measurements from a clean / pure AC sine wave source, RMS isn't a big deal; however, if you're measuring an AC source that's distorted or not a sine wave at all (example: a power supply), RMS becomes a big deal. Your measurement may be off by a significant amount if you use a modified sine wave inverter. The 87- CAT IV is assigned to V. At CAT IV, it has a maximum working voltage of 600V in both AC and DC, with a CAT III rating of 1000V AC and DC. The CAT ratings can be confusing, so I'll try to summarize CAT III and CAT IV as best I can. In general, the CAT III safety range allows you to work on most panel boards / switch gear, as well as anything downstream (i. e. feeders, outlets, hardwired equipment, and whatever else is plugged into them ) The highest rating is CAT IV, which includes service drops as well as underground installations. In other words, CAT III is the LOWEST rating you should have on your meter. DO NOT EXCEED ANY meter's CAT rating because, in a Murphy's Law scenario, this could result in the user receiving a potentially fatal shock or the meter failing catastrophically. The voltage that goes along with the CAT rating isn't difficult to understand. On that part of the electrical system, it's simply the meter's maximum "working voltage" or "max line voltage. " If the maximum surge and destructive voltages aren't listed in the literature, they can be difficult to find. The 87-year-old, on the other hand, I believe. V has an 8kV maximum transient voltage. The 87- V is made to withstand the elements. No, it's not a tank (the 28-pound limit comes into play). II enters the picture; )) but it's still a challenge. Fluke is a company that specializes in producing high-quality meters. The 87- V has a well-thought-out casing design that effectively protects the meter's two most vulnerable components: the screen and the range switch. It has a 5-sided rubber holster that feels good in the hand. If you're interested in learning more about the device's inner workings, there are some excellent teardown videos available online. The range switch is excellent, as it is both smooth to turn and clicks securely into place. It's recessed slightly to protect it from impacts from the front. Over current protection is excellent, as one would expect from a meter of this class and price. The majority of people are unaware of the tremendous force that 10A can generate. On both the A and mA/uA circuits, this meter uses high-quality ceramic HRC fuses, as well as all of the standard additional suppression devices, to provide the user with the best protection possible. In the event of a truly catastrophic failure, the case is also designed with a deep lip to prevent debris from being blown out the sides. I have to say that the accuracy of the AC Volts is quite good at 0. 7 2 counts at normal "mains voltages" and frequencies at normal "mains voltages" and frequency at normal "mains voltages" and The DC Volts' accuracy, on the other hand, is the stat to really focus on. +/- 1 ct 1 ct 1 ct 1 ct WOW! For a handheld device, this is quite impressive! The accuracy of the resistance is also quite good. +/- 4% 1 to 600k ohms and /- 7 1 up to 6M ohms, and finally /- 1% 3 to 50 M Then I have to say how much I adore AUTO Hold. Fluke's isn't the only company with this technology; in fact, they were the ones who first brought it to market. It's essentially a hold function that waits for the probes to complete a circuit before reading, storing, and displaying the data. This is useful for technicians, or anyone else, who has the unfortunate disadvantage of only having two hands and no suitable location to hang their meter. This meter has a full Amperage range (divided into three groups: A, mA, and uA), as previously stated. ) The maximum finite resolution is 0. 1uA with a /- 0% 2 (all AC Amps ranges) plus a /- This meter will show you (in greatest detail) what is going on in just about any circuit up to 10A. 2% 2 or 4 (all DC Amps ranges) this meter will show you (in This is an EXTREMELY POWERFUL tool for people who work with electronics and professionals who need to troubleshoot control circuitry. Let's talk about accuracy and resolution. . . . br>br> br>With a screen resolution of 6000 counts, this meter has a good numeric resolution. I'll try to explain the relationship between resolution, accuracy, and counts in as few words as possible. First, let's talk about resolution. . . A 6000 count display will show three digits after the MOST significant digit until that digit becomes a 6, at which point the meter will drop to two digits after the most significant digit. To put it another way, it will show 5. 999V, but the meter will display 6 as soon as the reading exceeds the 6V threshold. On the screen, there is a voltage of 01V. At any range, this holds true. As a result, for every factor of ten up to 600, a digit is dropped. 0 (i. e - 000, 60. 00, 600. After that, the 87-digit number starts at 0 and goes up to 1000 in whole numbers. There is a second mode on V. The meter will be set to "hi-vis" if the backlight button is held down. in the "resolution" mode This means that the display will show 20,000 counts while the update rate is reduced to two per second. So in hi- the 87-resolution mode V will show the number two. 0000, 20. 000, 200. 00 and up to a thousand dollars 0 in exchange for a slower numeric update on the screen Now, just because a meter is capable of displaying these extremely precise measurements does not mean it will, so accuracy comes next. counts. "Are you still perplexed?" We'll use the DC accuracy of this meter as an example, and we'll use the standard 6k count display mode. Essentially, you examine the display's reading; We'll use a precision voltage source of 1 to get a reading. 000V. After that, you add and subtract a zero. To get a range, multiply by 0. 05 percent (in our case, 0. 9995V is a number that represents the number of times Then you add and subtract one count (0005V). The least significant digit on the screen is referred to as a "count. " The "5's" in the previous range, on the other hand, will not be visible on screen, so the count will be applied to the next digit up (the least significant "viewable" digit). ) In our case, the furthest our meter display should be set is 0. 998V as well as 1. 002V. Let's take a look at the same test in high-resolution mode. res mode. The only disadvantage of this mode is that it reduces the update rate from four to two per second. The same test was performed in Hi-Def. A base value of 1 would be fed to the meter in Res mode. 0000V, with a stated precision range of 1. 0005 and 0 are two different numbers. The farthest out displayed readings would be pushed to 1 by multiplying 9995 by 1 count. 0006 and 0 are two numbers. 9994 That's a very high level of precision! It's worth noting that the actual measurement precision did not improve, only the display's. There is a ratio that is "supposed to be followed" for screen resolution versus meter accuracy, though it appears that many manufacturers no longer do so. Also, while the basic DC volts accuracy is traditionally the most accurate measurement mode, not all of the measurements on this instrument are nearly that precise, but it's still impressive for a handheld unit. Keep in mind that this is only the meter's quoted specification. Because this range can usually be plotted on a bell curve, the displayed reading will rarely deviate that far from the true value. I've seen the 87-second mark in a lot of "out of the box" videos. V is either dead on or a count or two out. Finally, the accuracy of the meter degrades with age. A meter that has been in service for ten years will not be as accurate as a brand new model from the same series. They can be re-calibrated, but it comes at a cost; just be aware that nothing lasts indefinitely. br>br>What else is the 87V packing for. . . br>I like the Relative / "Delta" button a lot. This enables the meter to "Zero" at a specific reading and display relative change. When taking precise resistance measurements and needing to factor in the resistance of the leads OR when using a plug-in device, this would be extremely useful. in the probe for amps This machine's continuity check is one of my favorites, and I'm sure you will enjoy it as well. It's a latched tonal system that provides accurate continuity readings even in electronics work and at high speeds for fast troubleshooting. The capacitance tester is a decent piece of equipment. It's not bad in terms of accuracy (/-). 1 2 cts in all ranges) and its measurement range goes all the way down to 0. 01 nF. That's a fantastic result. The diode check is also quite good. It has a range of 3V to 0V. 001V resolution and 1 accuracy However, I'm not an expert on electronics diagnostics, so a real electronics technician or designer might be able to help. The 87-page instruction manual that comes with the machine V is an outstanding individual. It's written in a variety of languages, but it's still simple and straightforward, providing the user with a comprehensive overview of the meter's key features and functions. A CD-ROM is included as well. More detailed information can be found on the ROM. The temperature measurement is a nice touch, and you should read this booklet from beginning to end before using your meter for the first time. The temperature probe that comes with the kit isn't the best, but it gets the job done. The fact that it's a rigid wire bothers me because it will eventually wear out and break, but I must say that I'm pleased to see both the feature and the probe included with the base model meter. The resistance test's inverse function, which measures "conductance," is one of my favorites. This meter includes a low pass filter for use on the AC Volts measurement, which I doubt I'll ever use, but it's nice to have. I'm not sure I'm qualified to talk about the principle, but I'll give it my best shot. Harmonics are a common problem in data centers and in the vicinity of large motor-driven industrial equipment. A physics principle states that when a 60Hz AC current is "changed" to a different frequency, a harmonic is produced, i. e. a frequency that is several times that of the original For example, if a technician is taking voltage readings from a VFD (a device that regulates voltage and frequency for large AC motors to give them variable speed), the low pass filter will help the meter yield an accurate RMS voltage measurement if there are mixed frequencies over 1kHz in the machine. It would also likely help in areas where large DC converters are being used by generating noise. Again, I may be omitting important details, but this is merely a summary. When it comes to frequency measurement, the 87-minute mark is a great place to start. V will record at a frequency of 50 kHz. There's one more thing the 87-year-old has to offer. The traditional min/max/avg buttons are included in V. When you press this button, you'll be able to see the minimum, maximum, and average values (as they've been recorded over time). After it starts recording, pressing the min/max button will cycle through the readings and display the values, as well as returning you to the current measurement. br>br>Areas in which progress can be made. br>On this unit, I would have liked to see a LoZ (low impedance) range. Personally, I find that to be extremely beneficial. However, I believe it is also very useful in industry, and if it were included, the unit would become an even more valuable asset. This range is used to test circuits with a small amount of induced current, such as parallel wire runs, which are referred to as "Ghost Voltages. " This ability is provided by a fluke adaptor that can be purchased. The SV225 Stray Voltage Eliminator is what you're looking for. This adaptor, on the other hand, costs between $50 and $75. 60 dollars seems excessive for a plug-in adaptor that essentially bridges a 3K ohm resistor between the leads. The battery compartment is the next item on the agenda. The 87- The 9V "flying lead" (a short length of wire soldered to the board with a battery connector at the end) is still used by V. I'd like to see a revision that includes board soldiered tabs and a proper battery-securing method. As it stands now, this is the 87-year-old's Achilles heel. What about a few extras? I just bought the base meter, but I think you should invest in one of Fluke's kits if the price difference isn't too great or unless you find a great deal on just the meter. That way, you won't have to piece together accessories that, in my opinion, should come standard with the meter. A case is the first of these. One of my biggest gripes with Fluke is that many of their instruments don't come with cases. To tell you the truth, how much does one cost? Instead, they expect us to pay an additional $10 to $20 for one. After that, there are the probes that are included. The TL75s are what you're looking for. There's nothing wrong with these probes; they're CAT IV 600V and CAT III 1000V rated, have a standard length, and are comfortable to use. However, for a meter that sells for $300-$400 online, I was hoping that the new TL175s (recent replacements for the TL71s) would have been included in the 400. ) These silicone rubber leads from Fluke are of the highest quality. And it's the price difference that irritates me the most. TL75's cost around $10-$15 on Amazon. The TL175 costs about $25 and the 20 costs around $20. In my opinion, Fluke is simply trying to save money. You could say I'm being picky, but I'd like to see them offer a bit more value for an instrument that is supposed to set the standard. You could say I'm just being picky, but I'd like to see them offer a bit more value for an instrument that is supposed to set the standard. The 87-volt meter is, by the way, what you get with the base meter. V, the TL75s, a pair of banana clips, and the instruction manuals Last but not least, I mentioned that this design debuted in the 1990s. It's a fantastic meter even now. However, they may decide to replace it at some point, and when that happens, I'd like to see a screen resolution of 60,000–100,000 counts. They'll have a market killer on their hands if they include this, as well as the features I've already mentioned. Nothing else in a DMM would make sense. In case you're curious, mine is a Rev 13 or 14 (I can't remember which) which shows they're constantly improving the 87-year-old model. So saying you're getting technology from the 1990s is a bit of a joke. So, assuming you've stuck with me and read this far, you're probably thinking, "That sounds like a good meter. " But $350? Really? WHY? They don't cut corners when it comes to this level of quality. The area of proofing and testing is one area where they don't cut corners. They send their meters to CE, CSA, and UL, as well as other major rating and standards bodies. Some may disagree, but most businesses build a meter to a price; they have a price in mind from the moment the team meets to begin putting ideas on paper, and they rarely stray from it. Fluke, on the other hand, relies on its reputation and the belief that if they build it for a "market" or a specific purpose and make it as safe, accurate, and dependable as possible, "they will come. " " Sure. I'm sure they have a price in mind, but it's not one that has to be met no matter what. To be honest, the Fluke 87 is a bit of a fluke. V is widely regarded as the industry standard, owing to its high quality and ease of use, rather than to Fluke aficionados or snobs. It has a high degree of accuracy, a large feature set, a high safety rating, and a long lifespan. This meter becomes the preferred option for a wide range of users in a wide range of industries. Although this meter may be a little overkill for the average DIYer, it is certainly appealing to users who require or demand high accuracy and are willing to pay for it. So, here's my last piece of advice: If you believe that $300-$400 is a lot of money, you're wrong If $400 is too much for a test instrument and the feature set is too advanced for you, then go ahead and take it. Quality, on the other hand, cannot be substituted. What if you require a product with this level of precision and functionality? Many less expensive meters claim to have similar specifications, but something is sacrificed in the process. Although accuracy may be good right out of the box, will it hold up over time? What is the expected lifespan of that instrument, and how secure is it? When it comes to electricity, if you buy on the cheap, you might not live long enough to buy again! If you only need to replace that "cheaper alternative" every couple of years, $400 is a good deal. In my opinion, there are a few meters that compete on a level playing field with the 87-meter. V, but it's still my favorite. I have a Gossen Metrawatt Metrahit Extra and an Ideal 61-Watt 61-Watt 61-Watt 61-Watt 61-Watt 61- 486, which shares a lot of the same characteristics as the 87- V, which has a higher resolution screen. But I can't seem to get away from the 87. It's my "go to" meter of choice. I like it a lot, and I still think it's the best meter in its class, from feel to interface, trust to dependability.

Alexandra Gilbert

| Jan 30, 2021