Fluke 116 or 87V

[wood]

Morning everyone, I know the 87v is a little more expensive than the 116 but is the price difference justifiable in terms of features and quality?
Unfortunately i do not know all the differences on the 2 devices but maybe someone could offer some insight? Has someone used both and reccomend one over the other?
Is the 87V more than i need or should i stick with the 116?
I only have my Gas tech certificate so i do not service Cooling systems.
Any advice would be great.

While i am on here the 322 or the 902? Should i just get the 116/322 combo and save a bundle?

[kah1010]

I haven't used the 116 at all, but I do own 87-V with i410 AC/DC clamp. Actually I still own my first generation 87 too, I do quite bit electronics troubleshooting, so wanted meter that does bit more.

I do love the meter and one really cannot go wrong with that, however it is bit big (with clamp) to carry around in a bag, however that large display is a big plus for "old" eyes. Anyway, for my needs it is a good buy (albeit bit expensive) ....

K

[Pascone10]

i just got the 179 i like it... umm ill look up the differences with the 3 and let you know. how much is the 87v?

the 902 is nice it does micro amps for flame sensors but the 179 does not...
umm the 179 will pick up ghost voltage the 902 wont....
the 179 has a higher ohm scale than 902 ( as beachtech has found out... i found out the hard way)
179 does milli volts (you use that for honeywell smart valves etc) 902 doesnt....
umm ill see if theres anything else. BTW let fluke work for you call
1800 44 FLUKE talk to one of the engineers. your buying their product ask away..

as far as 322.. very basic my buddy got one for excelling in vocational school and it sits in the truck. he bought the 902 lmao..

[Pascone10]

o yea basic questions here will help....

are you just coming out of school or entering the field?
whats your budget look like?
as far as gas what type of systems do you work on?
you said no a/c certification yet, does that mean you plan to acheive one?
if you can by the tool once that will help you in the long run, dont cheap out and buy another meter to take care of your ac/r needs is the future.

answer those and i will give you my opinion....:D

[beachtech]

niether! none!

quit wasting good money on a company that fails to observe what HVAC-R service technicians really need to do the job.

since you only service gas units, then you should already know that the puke i mean fluke amp clamps suck on OHM readings.

why carry two meters when you can purchase one that does it all from somebody else???

[Pascone10]

niether! none!

quit wasting good money on a company that fails to observe what HVAC-R service technicians really need to do the job.

since you only service gas units, then you should already know that the puke i mean fluke amp clamps suck on OHM readings.

why carry two meters when you can purchase one that does it all from somebody else???

i cant believe you didnt quote that one reply by me lol.... i told you guys beachy found out the hard way..... wait a min i was wrong now that i think about it you didnt buy it and then find out like i did. another h talk member told me you ordered one.. my bad but regardless. make sure its a good quality meter.. flukes quality is good, their good at selling more meter( which i dont agree with either) due to lack of features... but id rather have quality....

[wood]

why carry two meters when you can purchase one that does it all from somebody else???

Which one would that be?

[wood]

are you just coming out of school or entering the field?
whats your budget look like?
as far as gas what type of systems do you work on?
you said no a/c certification yet, does that mean you plan to acheive one?


I am entering the field and putting my tools together at this point.
Budget. . . i would like to spend $300 for both. or for one good one that covers all the bases.
I work on Forced Air Heating systems. all residential nothing commercial.
The A/C question is in debate. i may eventually go for it but not within the next 3 years at least.

Thanks again.

[Pascone10]

a DMM with an external clamp will be the best solution... it will do everything. how much is the 87?? the 179 like i have i paid 250 ish that has an electronic meter lead kit with it. you can get the meter alone cheaper. this was you have one hell of a meter and an amp clamp. youll be right at your price range maybe 20 bucks or so higher depending on what DMM you purchase.

i started with a UEI clamp and that kept me going for 2 years not other meters needed. than i made money so wanted something different. thus fluke...

they have their design issues wit their features but should last you years.....

if you go with a dmmm youll be set..

note i always had strictly an amp clamp and just recently picked up a DMM. i know of guys that use a DMM with the amp clamp and like it. i just picked up an ac/dc amp for my 179...

also note the 179 does NOT measure micro amps for flame current the 116 does...
the 116 does not measure milli volts....
didnt look up the 87 yet, working on it:cool:

[snewman24]

Here's an easy way to compare the Fluke 87V, 179 & 116. Just check-mark the meters you're interested in and click on "compare":

http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/prodSelection_Grouping?locale=usen&pid=0&product=DMN&category=HMA(FlukeProducts)

[Pascone10]

I haven't used the 116 at all, but I do own 87-V with i410 AC/DC clamp. Actually I still own my first generation 87 too, I do quite bit electronics troubleshooting, so wanted meter that does bit more.

I do love the meter and one really cannot go wrong with that, however it is bit big (with clamp) to carry around in a bag, however that large display is a big plus for "old" eyes. Anyway, for my needs it is a good buy (albeit bit expensive) ....

K
have you used all the features on that thing?? duty cycle, motor thingy tester lol. (i dnno what that is)

[kah1010]

have you used all the features on that thing?? duty cycle, motor thingy tester lol. (i dnno what that is)

For my needs for electronics troubleshooting so far I haven't needed duty cycle nor motor testing features. But I sure appreciate sensitivity of my meter while fixing radio receivers and transmitters etc., also I find the relative measurement handy sometimes. Personally I do like a separate "current clamp" instead of "fieldpiece approach" of the whole unit "hanging on the clamp" - just my personal preference.....:cool:

...tools are pretty personal thing, thus there is not a single answer to the question....:D

K

[beachtech]

i cant believe you didnt quote that one reply by me lol.... i told you guys beachy found out the hard way..... wait a min i was wrong now that i think about it you didnt buy it and then find out like i did. another h talk member told me you ordered one.. my bad but regardless. make sure its a good quality meter.. flukes quality is good, their good at selling more meter( which i dont agree with either) due to lack of features... but id rather have quality....

there are plenty of meter companies out there that have quality.

i haven't had a minutes trouble out of any of my fieldpiece meters. just not a big fan of the HS36 meter, when you put the amp clamp on it reads 3 tenths of an amp instead of zero.

ideal makes a quality meter. it's only lacking temp. so what, i can deal with that better than lacking OHM's

no, i didn't buy the fluke 902. i looked at the spec sheet and said, eff u!!! lol

[270wsm]

I love my Fluke 87-V. Has everything I need and more. Plus it has a Lifetime Warranty.

[Aiken Colon]

I saw a demo on this one, they were toting the fact that it is built for HVAC guys in mind. It has two thermocoupler inputs, one for hi and one for low.

http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=26&prodid=79

JJ

[Aiken Colon]

there are plenty of meter companies out there that have quality.

i haven't had a minutes trouble out of any of my fieldpiece meters. just not a big fan of the HS36 meter, when you put the amp clamp on it reads 3 tenths of an amp instead of zero.

ideal makes a quality meter. it's only lacking temp. so what, i can deal with that better than lacking OHM's

no, i didn't buy the fluke 902. i looked at the spec sheet and said, eff u!!! lol

The Ideal 61-342, 61-494, and 61-495 all have temperature. If ya need a clamp attachment they sell it seperate.

JJ

[beachtech]

yean and check this out, extech has got a better ohm's scale than puke :P


Resistance (Max Res.) 40.000MΩ (0.01Ω)

http://www.extech.com/instruments/resources/datasheets/EX612_EX613_EX622_EX623.pdf

[Pascone10]

im pretty sure my 179 does 50 m ohms...

[Pascone10]

http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/specifications.htm?cs_id=29983(FlukeProducts)&category=HMA(FlukeProducts)

yea it does.. but mine is a DMM not an amp clamp

[beachtech]

http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/specifications.htm?cs_id=29983(FlukeProducts)&category=HMA(FlukeProducts)

yea it does.. but mine is a DMM not an amp clamp

lmao like i said, amp clamp :)

[wood]

Thanks guys, i came across a deal for a brand new Fluke 87V and that is why i was debating it. It is a NIB item for about $200. Does that change things at all?

[Pascone10]

Thanks guys, i came across a deal for a brand new Fluke 87V and that is why i was debating it. It is a NIB item for about $200. Does that change things at all?

What is NIB lol.

and for that price cant beat it.....

[wood]

oops sorry NIB = New In Box.
You may know but for others. . .

[snewman24]

I love my Fluke 87-V. Has everything I need and more. Plus it has a Lifetime Warranty.

270WSM....just be aware that Fluke's limited lifetime warranty might not be what you assume a "lifetime warranty" to be. It's not based on YOUR lifetime, only the lifetime of the product line. See here:

http://us.fluke.com/usen/Service/Warranties/default.htm

"Industrial Products Limited Lifetime Warranty: Lifetime is defined as seven years after Fluke discontinues manufacturing the product, but the warranty period shall be at least ten years from date of purchase. *(Lifetime Warranty applies to products manufactured after October 1996)"

[bdivell]

Thanks guys, i came across a deal for a brand new Fluke 87V and that is why i was debating it. It is a NIB item for about $200. Does that change things at all?

Well..........what are you waiting for nib 200 can't beat that

[corny]

niether! none!

quit wasting good money on a company that fails to observe what HVAC-R service technicians really need to do the job.

since you only service gas units, then you should already know that the puke i mean fluke amp clamps suck on OHM readings.

why carry two meters when you can purchase one that does it all from somebody else???

You always should carry a back up.... Working with electricity you always need to be able to check for voltage.....

[Pascone10]

I haven't used the 116 at all, but I do own 87-V with i410 AC/DC clamp. Actually I still own my first generation 87 too, I do quite bit electronics troubleshooting, so wanted meter that does bit more.

I do love the meter and one really cannot go wrong with that, however it is bit big (with clamp) to carry around in a bag, however that large display is a big plus for "old" eyes. Anyway, for my needs it is a good buy (albeit bit expensive) ....

K

i just picked my i410 amp clamp up the other day. when reading ac amps on my 179 it is kinda slow to show the amps... obviously the reading on the meter is millivolts....
also it doesnt zero stays closer to 1 amp +- .5
is yours the same way? the zero function doesnt really zero it out in ac..
i just cant see how i could measure low amp draw on a component with this setup.

im kinda disappointed. my 902 does it quickly and this meter is supposed to be more accurate and is SLOW....

[270wsm]

270WSM....just be aware that Fluke's limited lifetime warranty might not be what you assume a "lifetime warranty" to be. It's not based on YOUR lifetime, only the lifetime of the product line. See here:

http://us.fluke.com/usen/Service/Warranties/default.htm

"Industrial Products Limited Lifetime Warranty: Lifetime is defined as seven years after Fluke discontinues manufacturing the product, but the warranty period shall be at least ten years from date of purchase. *(Lifetime Warranty applies to products manufactured after October 1996)"

Well, 10 years is better than than standard 3.

[beachtech]

You always should carry a back up.... Working with electricity you always need to be able to check for voltage.....

OH i have a back up lmao

i have three retired meters on the truck that worked perfectly fine, for a year. i retire a meter every year and buy a new one :)

[kah1010]

i just picked my i410 amp clamp up the other day. when reading ac amps on my 179 it is kinda slow to show the amps... obviously the reading on the meter is millivolts....
also it doesnt zero stays closer to 1 amp +- .5
is yours the same way? the zero function doesnt really zero it out in ac..
i just cant see how i could measure low amp draw on a component with this setup.

im kinda disappointed. my 902 does it quickly and this meter is supposed to be more accurate and is SLOW....

Yes, I have noticed the same. The zero function is only for DC and I find that bit "touchy". Normally, I do measure low current (<1A) by breaking the circuit, e.g. put the meter in series with circuit (both AC and DC) - most accurate way IMHO.

K

[wood]

Thanks a lot guys for your advice. I couldn't resist the deal on the 87v. Picked it up this morning and just playing around with it. now all i have to do is figure out what to do with it. :(:(:(
Still learning. . .

[270wsm]

Thanks a lot guys for your advice. I couldn't resist the deal on the 87v. Picked it up this morning and just playing around with it. now all i have to do is figure out what to do with it. :(:(:(
Still learning. . .

Did it come with a book? Its fairly easy to figure it out. You'll get the hang of it.

[toptech]

I just picked up the Fluke 87v/e2 and the 902 and the 177.
The 902 is great cause it can also read micro amps.Niceback up for the 87.
If your sticking your #@!$ beater in large panels, I wouldn't trust anything but Fluke.
My 2 small girl"s insist I use Fluke!!!
P.S. Not sure what Im gonna do with the 177?

[toptech]

Congrats Wood, your well on your way!!

[KLEINman]

a DMM with an external clamp will be the best solution... it will do everything. how much is the 87?? the 179 like i have i paid 250 ish that has an electronic meter lead kit with it. you can get the meter alone cheaper. this was you have one hell of a meter and an amp clamp. youll be right at your price range maybe 20 bucks or so higher depending on what DMM you purchase.

i started with a UEI clamp and that kept me going for 2 years not other meters needed. than i made money so wanted something different. thus fluke...

they have their design issues wit their features but should last you years.....

if you go with a dmmm youll be set..

note i always had strictly an amp clamp and just recently picked up a DMM. i know of guys that use a DMM with the amp clamp and like it. i just picked up an ac/dc amp for my 179...

also note the 179 does NOT measure micro amps for flame current the 116 does...
the 116 does not measure milli volts....
didnt look up the 87 yet, working on it:cool:

The 116 does do milli volts, i believe the 116 is your best bet. I will be purchasing one soon, as of now i have the 902, i love that meter lol. For an hvac technician, weather it be a gas heat, ac, or anything of that nature the 116 will bee just fine.


P.S. lol, just read through and saw you bought the 87v, nice purchase, for that price i would of also, good luck with it.