I used to think those cheap multimeters were fine until one gave me a shock last Tuesday

For years I swore by the $15 meters from Harbor Freight. Figured they got the job done for basic checks on dryers and ovens. Then I was testing a live circuit on a Whirlpool duet washer, and the meter gave me a reading that was way off. I touched the terminal and got a pretty good zap through my hand. That made me rethink everything. Now I use a Fluke 117 and the difference in accuracy and safety is night and day. But I still see guys online saying expensive meters are a waste. Has anyone else had a cheap tool fail on them in a scary way and change their mind?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_wells20h ago

Oh man, that's rough. A zap through the hand is no joke, I've had a cheap meter give me a false reading on a voltage tester before and it scared me pretty bad. It was a little free one from an auto parts store and it said a wire was dead when it was live, so I almost grabbed it barehanded. Now I just use the same meter for low-voltage stuff like batteries and leave the mains work to a Klein I picked up. You're not alone in that experience, it's a scary wake-up call for sure.

wadew5118h ago

Small correction there Betty, cheap meters can be dangerous but it's rarely a false reading that gets you. Those free ones often don't have the right safety ratings for mains voltage, so if you touch a live wire they can literally explode in your hand. That's what usually causes the real bad shocks, not the meter lying to you. Your Klein is a solid move though, at least you know it's rated for the voltage you're testing.