In this guide, we will take a look at 10 of the best multimeters for electricians. We have tested various multimeters from various brands and from various price ranges. Before we get into the full-on review of each meter individually, to save you time, here are our top 10 picks.
| Top 10 | Multimeter Link | Quick Features |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fluke 87-V Digital Multimeter | Resistance up to 50MΩ AC voltage to 1000V DC voltage to 1000V |
| #2 | Fluke 88-V 1000V Multimeter | Resistance 600Ω / 50MΩ AC voltage 600mV / 1000V DC voltage 6V / 1000V |
| #3 | Fluke 787 ProcessMeter | Resistance 400Ω / 40MΩ AC voltage 400mV / 1000V DC voltage 4V / 1000V |
| #4 | Fluke 179 ESFP True RMS Multimeter | Resistance up to 50MΩ AC voltage to 1000V DC voltage to 1000V |
| #5 | Fluke 117 Electricians True RMS Multimeter | Resistance 6MΩ / 40MΩ AC voltage to 600V DC voltage to 600V |
| #6 | Klein Tools MM6000 Electrician's Multimeter | Resistance 600Ω / 50MΩ AC voltage 600mV / 1000V DC voltage 600mV / 1000V |
| #7 | Fluke 115 Compact True-RMS Digital Multimeter | Resistance 40MΩ AC voltage 600V DC voltage 600V |
| #8 | Klein Tools MM700 Multimeter | Resistance 400Ω / 40MΩ AC voltage 4V / 1000V DC voltage 400mV / 1000V |
| #9 | Amprobe AM-570 Industrial Digital Multimeter | Resistance 600Ω / 60MΩ AC voltage 6V / 1000V DC voltage 6V / 1000V |
| #10 | Fluke 101 Basic Digital Multimeter | Resistance 40MΩ AC voltage 600V DC voltage 600V |
This is our short-list of the best multimeters for electricians. If you’re interested in learning more about each of these meters, their key features, pros and cons, then I highly recommend you keep reading or skip right to the meter you’re most interested in.
The Fluke 87-V is a top-of-the-line digital multimeter with a rich set of features and a highly durable build quality. It has a wide range of selectable functions to test temperatures, current, capacitance, voltage, frequency, and resistance.
Pros:
Cons:
The Fluke 87-V offers a temperature probe, a feature not offered by other meters in its class. An outstanding multimeter with 0.05% DC accuracy, CAT-III and CAT-IV safety ratings, and low-pass filtering to allow for better frequency measurements.
The high drop rating, long battery life and reliable build construction make the 87-V our #1 pick of the best multimeters for electricians.
The Fluke 88-V digital multimeter is a cream of the crop multimeter as well. Packed with almost every useful feature in a digital multimeter makes the 88-V one of our top picks of the best multimeters for electricians. Let’s take a look at some of its key features.
Pros:
Cons:
The Fluke 88-V is rated for 10A continuous measuring but can handle 20A surges for 30 seconds. Also, even with its plethora of features, the Fluke 88-V is very easy to use and intuitive.
0.1% DC accuracy—one of the most accurate available— with a maximum resistance of 50 Mohms, and CAT-IV safety rated. Great overall value, great performance, great build quality, and certainly one of the best multimeters for electricians.
The Fluke 787 ProcessMeter is a meter designed for electricians who also perform instrumentation type tasks. This meter is exceptional. The only reason it’s ranked #3 on the list is because it has many features the average electrician doesn’t need and it’s expensive.
However, if part of your job is performing industrial instrumentation, then this meter is a must have. It has a DMM and loop calibrator in one rugged, handheld tool. This allows you to measure and calibrate 0-20mA feedback loops, along with many other features.
Pros:
Cons:
A unique feature of the Fluke 787 is how it displays both milliamp, fine 25% manual step and % of scale readout simultaneously. There’s also the auto step/ramp display to monitor feedback loops.
The Fluke 787 is a true RMS multimeter up to 1 kHz. Meaning, you can more accurately measure AC voltage and current from variable sources compared to standard multimeters. Although the accuracy level is quite high, the voltage and current ranges are more limited.
A great, versatile all-in-one multimeter with the instrumentation electrician in mind. If you don’t need these additional features, the cost may be a little too much and more than you need.
The key highlight of the Fluke 179 Multimeter, especially when compared to the other Fluke meters we have discussed above, is its price tag. This is why the Fluke 179 remains one of the most popular Fluke DMMs every made and one of our best multimeters for electricians.
Pros:
Cons:
Despite its affordable price tag, the Fluke 179 is a pretty robust, reliable, and accurate digital multimeter with a wide variety of features.
A (minor) downside is that the Fluke 179 lacks micro-amps feature, but it’s arguably not an essential feature for many applications. Also, the screen is (understandably) not as good as the more expensive Fluke multimeters we’ve reviewed above.
Overall, it’s a very good choice if you are looking for an affordable Fluke DMM.
Another relatively affordable option, the Fluke 117 is a very good digital multimeter that can provide precise results. It is compact and easy to hold, suitable to work with for long hours. It has a nice grip and is very light at just 1.3 pounds, but is also quite versatile with its decent set of features.
Pros:
Cons:
The Fluke 117 is equipped with some cool features like the magnet hanger, and it is CAT-III safety rated. A safe meter to use in many environments and applications.
Affordable price, significant protection, versatile features, and decent accuracy makes the Fluke 117 a highly recommended multimeter. On top of that, there’s the 3-year warranty making it a very safe investment.
Our first entry from Klein Tools, the MM6000 Electrician’s Multimeter is a top performer and made our list of the best multimeters for electricians. The Klein MM6000 is a very sturdy and accurate meter that is quite affordable and is suitable for various applications and industries. Let’s take a look at its comprehensive feature set.
Cons:
The Klein MM6000 is a very versatile DMM and comes with various features like temperature measurement, micro-amps ranging, relative mode, low-impedance mode, and more. Also, you get an excellent screen in the MM6000.
It is, however, not a true RMS digital multimeter, so it’s not as accurate as other true RMS multimeters in this list. However, it is still a pretty decent multimeter especially considering its price tag. A great alternative for those with a limited budget but want a multimeter with top-end features.
Another one by Fluke, the Fluke 115 is a compact, portable, and relatively affordable digital multimeter that also features almost all standard testing functionalities. Fluke 115 not the cheapest multimeter from Fluke, but it is pretty accurate, durable, and versatile.
Pros:
Cons:
The Fluke 115 is a great all-around multimeter for beginners and those with a limited budget, but is also a decent supplemental multimeter if you want something portable.
It doesn’t feature a milliamp/micro-amp reading, and you need to press down the hold button or you’ll lose the current reading. However, it’s a top performer and made our list of the best multimeters for electricians.
The Klein Tools MM700 Multimeter is a fairly affordable meter especially if you consider the Klein brand and its reputation for quality. This makes the MM700 a solid choice for both amateurs and professionals, and is the reason it made our list of the best multimeters for electricians.
Pros:
Cons:
Even with its attractive price tag, the Klein MM700 is very versatile and can test anything from three-phase power circuits (CAT-IV) to solar units to temperatures.
The MM700 is very effective at measuring amperage, capacitance, temperature, with a low-impedance mode. The battery is very good and also easy to change. Also, considering its price, the display is bright and clear with a pretty good backlight.
Overall, the MM700 is a great value for money, although it’s not as fast/responsive as the more expensive options on this list. This makes the Klein MM700 one of the best multimeters for electricians.
The Amprobe AM-570 offers a great balance between usability and features. It is rated CAT-III (1,000V) and CAT-IV (600V) so considering its very attractive price tag, it’s rugged enough to be used in an industrial environment making it one of the best multimeters for electricians.
Pros:
Cons:
The AM-570 can measure 1000AC and DC voltage with 10 Amperes of AC and DC current. Also, a really great feature considering its price is the fact that the AM-570 can read micro-amps and milliamps, which is rare in multimeters in this price range. It has a very good resistance of up to 60 megohms, capacitance to 60mF, and frequency to 60MHz, all are very decent.
It’s not as accurate a meter as its Fluke counterparts (although it’s still really good) and it can’t stand really high current levels. If you are looking for an affordable multimeter that is also well-rounded, the Amprobe AM-570 might just be the thing you are looking for.
For the last one in this list, we get another one by Fluke: the Fluke 101 Basic Digital Multimeter. The Fluke 101 can be considered an entry-level Fluke multimeter, and at the moment, the Fluke 101 is Fluke’s most compact and lightest multimeter. The Fluke 101 rounds out our list of the best multimeters for electricians.
Pros:
Cons:
The Fluke 101 is also one of the most durable digital multimeters available on the market today. Functionality-wise, the Fluke 101 can measure most ranges quite accurately and can handle transient spikes pretty well (which is rare in portable multimeters). Overall, it has pretty decent usability and a good rugged build quality.
Some minor downsides, there is no back-light on the display and the response time isn’t the fastest. However, considering its very attractive price, a great pick if you are looking for a good quality, low-cost, portable multimeter.
The top 10 best multimeters for electricians that we have shared above are our top recommendations for your next multimeter purchase. While we’ve ranked them in a list 1 through 10, every mulitmeter in this list are ideally suited for electricians, engineers, electronics hobbyists, students, and other professionals in related fields.
Our number one pick here goes to the Fluke 87-V for its versatility, rich set of features, price, and excellent functionality. All models presented in our list are great multimeters with their own advantages and disadvantages.
We hope you’ve gathered enough information from this comprehensive buying guide, and can make a more informed purchasing decision with what we’ve shared.
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