Hot take: using a cheap multimeter vs a Fluke 87V on a weird fridge compressor issue

Had a call last Tuesday for a fridge in a rental unit that wouldn't cool. My old $40 meter showed the compressor windings were fine, but the unit still wouldn't start. I was ready to condemn it. My buddy loaned me his Fluke 87V to double-check, and it caught a tiny current leak to ground my cheap tool totally missed. That leak was tripping the internal overload. The Fluke's higher accuracy and better filtering for electrical noise made the difference. Fixed it with a new relay and saved the compressor. Now I'm debating if I should drop the cash on a pro-grade meter or stick with what I've got. For those of you who've made the jump, was the upgrade worth the cost for your daily work?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamief672mo ago

Cheap meters get the job done 99% of the time.

juliarodriguez2mo ago

Ugh, I have to disagree... that last 1% can really mess things up. I've seen cheap meters give readings that were just plain wrong, not even close. It's fine for a quick check, but you can't trust them for anything serious. Saving a few bucks isn't worth the headache of bad data.

ben_lewis2mo ago

Totally get that, my cheap meter lied about a live wire once and I almost got zapped lol. JamieF67 is right that they work most days, but that one bad reading can ruin your whole week.