Unpopular opinion: I thought those cheap multimeters from Harbor Freight were total junk.

But after my Fluke got stolen from a job in Tempe, I grabbed one for $8 and it's been surprisingly solid for basic continuity checks for 6 months now. Anyone else have a tool they were wrong about?

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_hunt1mo agoMost Upvoted

Brand names matter for safety and reliability, not just snobbery. A cheap meter can give a false reading, and that's dangerous around live circuits. You might not need lab grade, but you do need to trust your tools. That false sense of security is the real problem. Saving a few bucks isn't worth the risk when working with electricity.

tylerbutler1mo ago

Surprisingly solid for basic continuity checks" is all you really need most of the time. It's not like you're doing lab-grade work with it. People get too hung up on brand names for simple tasks.

riverwhite16d ago

Echoing @tylerbutler here. Cheap meters have been totally fine for every basic project I've ever done.