To all having Vichy VC99. Does hFE test work in yours? In mine it doesn't. There is always 0000 no matter what. I definitelly do the measurements correctly checking first in datasheet transistor specification (npn, pnp and where E,B,C are).
@dopplerable I found under another video about vc99 this comment:
"hello. Can you please try to measure frequency more than 20Mhz with this multimeter. I have same multimeter but it is not measuring more than 20Mhz. Description says upper limit is 60Mhz. Is it a fraud?"
So it is a shame that Dave did not test hFE and frequency in vc99, because actually people think that vc99 is good after seeing this test, despite Dave's opinion.
Thanks for a great video, very helpful. Loved my Extech EX330.... till continuity stopped working. I'm getting a fluke 87v next. Pretty much done with cheap meters.
I've also got a Precision Gold N56FU - I was worried about the last two letters in the model code, thinking the Chinese were having a joke on me, but it's a good meter. It's a Cat III, great selector switch & display really accurate on all ranges when compared to an expensive Fluke from work, has temperature thermocouple probes, Hz, hFE. I've had it 2 years and it has served me well. Best upgrade is a good set of gold plated probes IMHO. Uni-T also good budget brand.
It does feel like you have a "you get what you pay for" mentality, and so show bias towards the more expensive meters. However, unlike some things, that is usually a fair position to take with respect to electronics equipment. Unfortunately there is no replacement for a quality meter, and if you can't afford a new fluke or agilent, check pawn shops or other second hand sources. If you won't use it much and don't need a lot of features, get a walmart or harbor freight special.
Excellent video! Interesting and fun to watch. I'm going for the AM220 (actually the AM240 with temperature sensor) - Amprobe is much cheaper in the UK than the Extech. Thanks Dave for this awesome shootout - very helpful for us hobbyists who don't use a multimeter enough to justify buying an expensive Fluke.
I think amprobe won it. Yeah, it doesn't have a varistor protection, BUT. It doesn't overshoot, it has (in my opinion) much nicer display and design than any other. It's slow auto-arranging, because it doesn't want to display shit values like extech, but eventually it settles while extech is still juggling the numbers, and if you watch 37:30 where PS is being switched on/off it's practically the same as fluke!! And the value it gives you is in almost all cases almost as good as fluke!
Nice review with added humour. I learnt a lot from it including the fact my cheap 6 year old multimeter is not fused. I have been thinking about changing it and this video has helped me decide which one. I went for the Amprobe AM220. The Extech EX330 looks good but I don't need a temp sensor and the Amprobe is a fair bit cheaper and more readily available in the UK.
Great video! I laughed at all the stuff you said about the Vichy. I've had one for 18 months and used it a lot - and I find it GREAT. The build quality might feel cheap (feels light for its huge size, and the rubber is ugly), but it still goes, and it's always been accurate for me. The only problem for me is the time that the autorange takes (up to a few seconds), but I think it comes with the territory of cheap multimeters. Overall a good meter though.
@hwillis741 I agree, i own one to. Its build is cheap but it works fine. Autorange is slow indeed. But like you can see in the vids it accuratie is good.
pretty thorough review and I agree with most of the conclusions but one main thing I think you get wrong Dave is the Vichy. where it really counts, the measurement accuracy, it does really well yet you dismiss it totally.
at first it was just my impression that the vichy did ok on the values but after reviewing the measurement section of the video the vichy actually seems to be the most accurate of them all. far better than the extech. maybe it deserves a brief revisit at one point. if it was your product would you want a revisit..
do onto others as you would want them to do to you. I read that somewhere : )
@EEVblog and it goes for 21$ on ebay with 10$ shipping to my country Denmark. one might go so far as to suggest that where it really counts, accuracy and price, it is the clear winner of the 5. at times it has an extra digit over the others. it's nice if you can hammer in a nail with a meter but it's not its primary function.
total and biased dismission of cheaper multimeteres...
watched whole video and i tried but didn't see clear win of extech (except compactness), in everything other was only average
you review 50$ multimeters targeted to home hobbyists with price/features and price/accuracy at a top priorty as the meter would be used rarely so ruggedness is not important, i just cannot see why extech is the CLEAR winner, except to market it over youtube
Dave the Vichy specs say the capacitance range goes up to 2000uF, whereas the others are all 100/200.. does this mean it will test larger caps? Are you able to confirm this?
Hi Dave, First of all, I love your videos! since I've discovered them about a month ago I've been learning so much about the side of electronics that isn't tutorialized all over the web like locating parts, interpreting spec sheets and I really love an in depth, non biased equipment review like this one. As a beginner I really appreciate these things and I hope this vlog keeps going for a long time!
Wow I can't get over how hilariously blatant the Vichy is trying to look like a Fluke. The rotary dial, front face style, and cover are all styled exactly like a Fluke meter.
@Ibringthetruth1 I think my reviews are balanced. The best one is the one that won. There is a very good reason why physical build and design quality is important. If you don't know why, then you will eventually learn. If you simply don't care, then so be it, your choice.
I'm just starting on my EE degree, and got a CEN-TECH P98674 DMM from Harbor Freight Tools. Only $40 USD, but it is very stable on my bench, easy bettery access, fully rated cables, nice screen, and a ton of features! Compared to the ones you reviewed here I'd say it ranks amongst the top of the list considering all the features it has!
@astrowanabe For a first meter I'd say the CEN-TECH is probably OK but I would expect you to get into something better as you progress. A quality meter like a Fluke 87-5 that is cat 3/4 rated is what your going to need. Those CEN-TECH meters are crap really, I've seen many of them fail. A guy I use to work with had two of them and they both randomly failed and he was always asking me if he could use my Fluke. I told him to piss off.
Hey Dave, what do you think of the Extech EX411? I saw it at Fry's for $54.99 and it seemed like a pretty great deal over the EX330 given that it's true RMS.
@MyRedneckLife Fine if you like a manual range meter without a cap test function. I don't like manual range meters, I find them annoying for most general uses.
I am just a newbie into multimeter and couldn't understand half of those electrical terms, but really enjoy your presentation. You have the enthusiasm like late Steve Erwin :D
Hey everyone, I thought I'd just let you know. I got my Amprobe AM-220 today and compared to the unit you received, the quality of mine was quite a bit better. You had some dodgy resistors that were kind of laying down on their side and it looked liked they might come loose. All of the discrete components on my meter are perfectly soldered in. They stand up perfectly straight and I am quite impressed with it. The continuity test still sucks and its not the quickest but it is good quality.
This review really helped me to pick one, the EX330 is very tempting however the Amprobe has a much higher range for capacitance (200uF vs 4000uF) which I will settle on. thanks again this was very useful.
At first I thought he was kind of over the top but as I saw it farther in, its not only entertaining and hilarious, he really does touch all the bases of reviewing meters and hes not too biased for either one, not afraid to say what function sucks on what.
hey dave.....according to what i saw on this review, the vichy was pretty accurate....i totally love the design and look, makes me want to take out the internals from the extech and put it in the vichy.....maybe the feel is cheap....then i feel like taking the feel of the ideal and onto the vichy. I know it sounds crazy....but it looks like how a manly DMM should look.....
That Vichy is a pile of crap you have to remove the PCB to get at the fuses really? In any case any glass fuses in the meter should at least be replaced by Ceramic.
Cleaning up shattered glass in the meter case doesn't sound like much fun.
Even if you don't agree with dave, he provides plenty of info for you to make up your own mind. One problem here though is that the Extech is really more like twice the price of the cheaper ones (Vichy) so you really need to take that into consideration. From what I saw the Vichy is the clear winner overall including price, features and performance. As I'm going to be buying a Fluke meter anyway I want the best bang for the dollar for my cheap second meter.
have bought a EXCEL DT9205A multimeter for equivalent of 6 pounds, ! its not bad for cheap meter, has cap, hfe, data hold,& auto power off ! check it out
Thanks for the great review Dave but from watching, my choice is the vinchy maybe the cheap feeling might turn me off but for everything else I like it.
Well the results of this review are discouraging; I didn’t find a single millimeter that I liked.
It’s a shame that you couldn’t get your hands on something like the MASTECH MS8217. It’s priced at around 50$ and in specs it looks promising... but now I am worried that it might be just as bad as the other 50$ multimeters you review.
Dave, low battery icon coming on at 2.4 volts bad, why? I consider a low battery icon a caution, like a low fuel light in a car, how far can you go, Haha. It's just a caution, they still work. A test would be min volts to function well -OR- hours usable after Low Bat icon. 1.2 V/cell is low on 1.5 volt AA or AAA Alk. Voltage drops fast below 1.2V @ rated current, usable life is shot for most devices. I use NiMh rechargables which don't work well below 1.2 volts. 2 cells is a design compramise.
To the A.D.D. whiners, Dave could go faster, leave things out, BUT it's interesting to see how a professional EE evaluates a design, what criteria he uses, how he goes about quantifying it. It's MORE than DMM shoot out, it is about design analysis, BUT that goes past most YT trolls, who don't know what end of a soldering iron to hold. Dave rambles, that's his charm. ha ha. Make your own brilliant video and shut up. Pictures or your cars dash while you are speeding? boring, dangerous, fail!
I have some nice Flukes and other meters, but for cheap I have a $7 Harbor Freight meter I got on sale for $3! I have another Harbor Fright one that is super compact for about $4 on sale. I love them. It is great to have some spare small DMM's around. They work fine and are good enough for volts and ohms for most work, even current, diode test and transistor on one of them. So $50! Ha ha try $3!
First NO! 2nd I did my own evaluation. They're great, more than accurate enough for around the house, car, even electronics. 40 yrs ago most everyone used VTVM's and VOM's. My Fluke stays safe on the bench.
.
Dave might say bloody hell, garbage, thumbs down, but for $5.00 a small 4 digit DMM, thumbs up! I bought two, mounted em with a variac showing V & Amps. Nice when powering up old tube gear. They run off a AC to 9VDC power supply I made.
Yes, always expect your meter to blow up at some point! Something like the 240/110 Mains has a lot of energy behind it, it can blow a meter apart if you say have the meter plugging into amps while measuring voltage. It's also all about overload surges as well, that is why CAT ratings exist. See my recent video were I blow some meters up. On the good quality ones the bast does not escape.
@EEVblog I once did that dumb thing by not changing the leads back to Volt range. Plugged the leads into 240V mains. There were fuses in the main line to protect me and my multimeter. Lucky me.
@EEVblog It is possible, but, circuit breakers and fuses are there for a reason. It's probable, but very unlikely. I once plugged in mu DMM with it's probe lugged in to AMP range, the fuse blew in my mains circuit.
Dang you, Dave!!! If it weren't for you, I would never spend $400 dollar on a multimeter. I'll probably spend like $90 max and I probably couldn't tell the difference between all those Flukes. And if I accidentally bought an IDEAL multimeter, I would probably thought all meters had problem standing. Thanks, Dave. Your video blogs sure help us amateurs out. Just bought my Fluke today, and loving it. I'll make sure my next meter is Fluke too. Too bad you don't get money for pushing flukes...
I can leave out the 9/10th's of the info and make it 5 minutes. But then I get complaints that there is no content. It's impossible to please everyone, sorry.
I don't mind you doing even 2 hour blogs. I've watched every episode, in one sitting!. I hardly had time to get something to eat. That's crazy! I have no life... :-D
How about you stop whining and shut up. Don't like it? Flip the channel. I put it on while I am working at my bench and soldering up some boards. What makes you think any one cares what you think. That is true arrogance.
@gmcjetpilot thanks mate.. i bet you really felt good writing that.. it is what it is.. its my opinion.. i just think that a 55min video is just too long for a review.. especially when i enjoy sitting here watching his reviews.
Great video Dave, only one thing, one serious contender is not there: Uni-trend. I've said it before, IMHO, their meters are very good choice in this price range.
The internal temperature sensor working without a probe makes some sense. Thermocouples are differential temperature sensors (the union at the tip vs. the union at the plug), so you need an internal thermistor to provide the zero offset. It makes sense that with no thermocouple attached (0V = 0° differential) it'll just read ambient depending on the design.
Incredible comparison. Wow, that must have taken a lot of work to put together, but it will serve as a very valuable resource for viewers everywhere who are on a budget but need something that will last. Glad to see my favorite came out ahead!
What went wrong with the GS Pro-50, are you sure it wasn't broken on arrival? Seems pretty crap if it doesn't work on diode test, continuity or cap mode...
hahah u can see the broken multimeter on the shelf that u guys broke in one of the earlier videos...lol..i still cant believe that its in one piece..how much was that?
Wow, fantastic effort Dave! I picked the Vichy at around 30 mins although I was rooting (USA word version :-) for the Extech, am now wearing my 'dickhead' hat.
I really do appreciate the time & effort you've put in to do this, and Dave, please try to ignore the dumb comments. Some people are smartasses in their own little universe, one where they are apparently experts, but have actually done SFA.
The Vichy was actually better than I thought, but it just can't compete with the higher quality brand name meters. You get what you pay for usually holds true. The $100 shootout will be much more interesting I think, they all give off good initial vibes, I have no idea which one will come out tops. The $50 ones was different, a minute of playing with each one and you knew it was going to be either the Amprobe or the Extech, unless something went horribly wrong.
Very good to see them all in action, adding four adhesive pads to the bottom would give more friction when on the bench, to stop sliding...for a few $'s
he opens the stands ten times in five seconds and says at the same time they are horrible to get open. This has to be one of his worst videos. I like most of them, so it ain't personal. lol
To all having Vichy VC99. Does hFE test work in yours? In mine it doesn't. There is always 0000 no matter what. I definitelly do the measurements correctly checking first in datasheet transistor specification (npn, pnp and where E,B,C are).
dopplerable 23 hours ago
@dopplerable I found under another video about vc99 this comment:
"hello. Can you please try to measure frequency more than 20Mhz with this multimeter. I have same multimeter but it is not measuring more than 20Mhz. Description says upper limit is 60Mhz. Is it a fraud?"
So it is a shame that Dave did not test hFE and frequency in vc99, because actually people think that vc99 is good after seeing this test, despite Dave's opinion.
dopplerable 21 hours ago
Awesome Dave, you're too cool for helping us poor newbs out!
sonicfuker 5 days ago
Thanks for a great video, very helpful. Loved my Extech EX330.... till continuity stopped working. I'm getting a fluke 87v next. Pretty much done with cheap meters.
dentalrepairs 3 weeks ago
@dentalrepairs
Get harbor freight version. I would never have bought extech. Check Amazon for mastech too.
Ibringthetruth1 3 weeks ago
@dentalrepairs vichy has a youtube video. guy says it's ok. $30 bucks not bad.
Ibringthetruth1 3 weeks ago
We can play spin the bottle with an Amprobe or Extech, LOL
ralphisok1 1 month ago
I've also got a Precision Gold N56FU - I was worried about the last two letters in the model code, thinking the Chinese were having a joke on me, but it's a good meter. It's a Cat III, great selector switch & display really accurate on all ranges when compared to an expensive Fluke from work, has temperature thermocouple probes, Hz, hFE. I've had it 2 years and it has served me well. Best upgrade is a good set of gold plated probes IMHO. Uni-T also good budget brand.
ForViewingOnly 1 month ago
It does feel like you have a "you get what you pay for" mentality, and so show bias towards the more expensive meters. However, unlike some things, that is usually a fair position to take with respect to electronics equipment. Unfortunately there is no replacement for a quality meter, and if you can't afford a new fluke or agilent, check pawn shops or other second hand sources. If you won't use it much and don't need a lot of features, get a walmart or harbor freight special.
ixamraxi 1 month ago
48:09 - 48:35 multimeter dance
playfsx 1 month ago
Excellent video! Interesting and fun to watch. I'm going for the AM220 (actually the AM240 with temperature sensor) - Amprobe is much cheaper in the UK than the Extech. Thanks Dave for this awesome shootout - very helpful for us hobbyists who don't use a multimeter enough to justify buying an expensive Fluke.
ForViewingOnly 1 month ago
I think amprobe won it. Yeah, it doesn't have a varistor protection, BUT. It doesn't overshoot, it has (in my opinion) much nicer display and design than any other. It's slow auto-arranging, because it doesn't want to display shit values like extech, but eventually it settles while extech is still juggling the numbers, and if you watch 37:30 where PS is being switched on/off it's practically the same as fluke!! And the value it gives you is in almost all cases almost as good as fluke!
pisnahuj10 1 month ago
damn i liked this video.
you really got a great voice for doing reviews.
crap this, shit that :P
borgqueenx 2 months ago
I don't even know that much about electronics and I ended up watching both the $50 and $100 multimeter reviews lol. Very thorough and well done.
lotusdarkrose 2 months ago
LOL 48:08 elenco is a winner for me accuracy-wise. and vichy is second
hytlerson 2 months ago
The only reason I got Vichy is because it has Inductance as low as 200 uH. Not many can do that!
vze4p6c2 3 months ago
Nice review with added humour. I learnt a lot from it including the fact my cheap 6 year old multimeter is not fused. I have been thinking about changing it and this video has helped me decide which one. I went for the Amprobe AM220. The Extech EX330 looks good but I don't need a temp sensor and the Amprobe is a fair bit cheaper and more readily available in the UK.
Jerrysimonsimon 3 months ago
I bought the Amprobe AM220 because of this review, and I dig it! Thanks Dave.
dylanpalmediy 3 months ago
Hello Dave, for electronic hobbyist (sound guy @ church), soldering, cables, etc, which work better of these five?
what about $35, Sinometer AC/DC Auto/Manual Range Digital Multimeter, MS8268
it's works for sound purpose?
jnmastorga 3 months ago in playlist EEVblog playlist
Vichy $28 on flebay , Extech EX330 $73 , . $50 shootout is rubbish
ozzycriss 4 months ago
I was actually laughing on the floor when you dropped the "global xxxx" once and once again on the desk
shallpion 4 months ago
Man, You Rock!!
ZeroFX32 5 months ago
Can't find the ex330 for 55 anywhere. Australian retailers sell it for 75-80. US retailers are 50 - 55 but you have to pay 20-30 for shipping.
antonc81 5 months ago
gotta love the GS :)
cheesybro1 5 months ago
Great video! I laughed at all the stuff you said about the Vichy. I've had one for 18 months and used it a lot - and I find it GREAT. The build quality might feel cheap (feels light for its huge size, and the rubber is ugly), but it still goes, and it's always been accurate for me. The only problem for me is the time that the autorange takes (up to a few seconds), but I think it comes with the territory of cheap multimeters. Overall a good meter though.
hwillis741 6 months ago
@hwillis741 I agree, i own one to. Its build is cheap but it works fine. Autorange is slow indeed. But like you can see in the vids it accuratie is good.
Intosia 3 months ago
Man laughed my ass of with the Global Specialties thing, it kept crapping out, priceless reaction! Classic Dave :D
Intosia 7 months ago
pretty thorough review and I agree with most of the conclusions but one main thing I think you get wrong Dave is the Vichy. where it really counts, the measurement accuracy, it does really well yet you dismiss it totally.
seems it's better than the extech for accuracy.
DanFrederiksen 7 months ago 2
@DanFrederiksen Because it's just one sample point, with no time or temp drift thrown in. So it means nothing really...
EEVblog 7 months ago
@EEVblog you're saying the accuracy of the Vichy can't be trusted because it might change later? that seems a little biased don't you think : )
DanFrederiksen 7 months ago
at first it was just my impression that the vichy did ok on the values but after reviewing the measurement section of the video the vichy actually seems to be the most accurate of them all. far better than the extech. maybe it deserves a brief revisit at one point. if it was your product would you want a revisit..
do onto others as you would want them to do to you. I read that somewhere : )
DanFrederiksen 7 months ago
@EEVblog and it goes for 21$ on ebay with 10$ shipping to my country Denmark. one might go so far as to suggest that where it really counts, accuracy and price, it is the clear winner of the 5. at times it has an extra digit over the others. it's nice if you can hammer in a nail with a meter but it's not its primary function.
DanFrederiksen 7 months ago
@EEVblog
total and biased dismission of cheaper multimeteres...
watched whole video and i tried but didn't see clear win of extech (except compactness), in everything other was only average
you review 50$ multimeters targeted to home hobbyists with price/features and price/accuracy at a top priorty as the meter would be used rarely so ruggedness is not important, i just cannot see why extech is the CLEAR winner, except to market it over youtube
markoknez 1 month ago
@DanFrederiksen Yes i agree the Vichy is very accurate! I always buy Vichy ! Vichy are better than Fluke!
kontis77 2 months ago
@kontis77 I just bought a UNI-T UT61E for 65$ including shipping. that's also supposed to be a high precision meter. 22000 counts
DanFrederiksen 2 months ago
The most low version of Fluke 15B cost only 54USD :) - In China ;)
hisense999 7 months ago
You are insane. Good stuff anyway, i know now what i want: a FLUKE! ;)
VictorButny 8 months ago
Dave the Vichy specs say the capacitance range goes up to 2000uF, whereas the others are all 100/200.. does this mean it will test larger caps? Are you able to confirm this?
discord2000 8 months ago
Haha, you do make me laugh, and very informative, thank you!
DaemonPanda 8 months ago
Fluke is boss
Ltb0b 8 months ago
Hi Dave, First of all, I love your videos! since I've discovered them about a month ago I've been learning so much about the side of electronics that isn't tutorialized all over the web like locating parts, interpreting spec sheets and I really love an in depth, non biased equipment review like this one. As a beginner I really appreciate these things and I hope this vlog keeps going for a long time!
DIYGuitarMods 8 months ago
wow max! review... i love the ways u tested multimeter
i hope u didn't test your wife like this before marriage...
Thanks!
menushadesanayaka255 8 months ago
@menushadesanayaka255 haha, dinners on the table. Awgh! This is shit! and throws it across the floor
DIYGuitarMods 8 months ago
Wow I can't get over how hilariously blatant the Vichy is trying to look like a Fluke. The rotary dial, front face style, and cover are all styled exactly like a Fluke meter.
Looks sure can be deceiving :P
PabloEdvardo 8 months ago
you are just an uneducated asshole.. testing speeds !! IDIOT
predatorishi 8 months ago
LOL funny guy
assyriankings777 8 months ago
What do you think about Mastech MS8264?
MrMalecko1 9 months ago
Nice comparison.. cheers.
harindam 9 months ago
I think taller numbers maybe OK for looking at is layed falt and seen from an angle
Films4You 10 months ago
Comment removed
Ibringthetruth1 11 months ago
dave any chance on a review of a Extech EX430?
I might want a true RMS meter as a back up for my Fluke...
great shootout!
jjlwis 11 months ago
@jjlwis Not really, sorry. I have done the EX505
EEVblog 11 months ago
He breathes thru his ears! Breathes Theu His Ears!!! Excellent reviewand very imformative,,,me likey!
skspara 11 months ago
Vichy is the best. cheap and has good features. Autoranging.
Sold on Ebay. ebay . com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120639454613&hlp=false&rvr_id=219077886368&crlp=1_263602_304652&UA=WXI6&GUID=b27582bb12d0a03661755b35ffd6e600&itemid=120639454613&ff4=263602_304652
Ibringthetruth1 11 months ago
This guys reviews are biased to physical build. who cares.
Whats the best multimeter damn it.
Ibringthetruth1 11 months ago
@Ibringthetruth1 I think my reviews are balanced. The best one is the one that won. There is a very good reason why physical build and design quality is important. If you don't know why, then you will eventually learn. If you simply don't care, then so be it, your choice.
EEVblog 11 months ago 19
@EEVblog
I love your videos and your right for the most part.
The Vichy is very accurate for the cost and is better than Craftsman and other meters made in China.
Ibringthetruth1 11 months ago
@Ibringthetruth1
I do care. Thanks Dave!
magnus264 3 weeks ago
@magnus264
harbor freight and amazon sell the same model. mastech or something. not bad. good reviews. $40
Ibringthetruth1 3 weeks ago
ogsm 61 diyorum arkadaşlar
elektrobey 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This guys reviews are a bit of a joke. He talks form over function. Battery life =yawn.
The Vichy is 20-30 dollars. Thats good enough for me dave.
The Vichy VC99 got good reviews for accuracy on another website.
The Vichy VC99 is sold on Ebay for the cheapest price.
google 'multimeter reviews'. some robotic expert. It outperformed over 100$ meters.
He also didn't review Craftsman models that most cheapies love to buy.
Ibringthetruth1 11 months ago
@Ibringthetruth1 Horses for courses. Buy whatever you want, your choice. My review is my review. If you disagree, do your own.
EEVblog 11 months ago
Comment removed
Ibringthetruth1 11 months ago
Dude....dont be so rough and quick....Just take your time XD
Dont try and kill them :D
TheOneToxic 1 year ago
That's not any old HRC fuse in the Elenco, thats a British Standard 1363 10A plug fuse! That shouldn't be in there!
Minifig666 1 year ago
Have you used the Velleman brand? They have a DVM850BL I'm starting with and a higher priced DVM890 unit. The 850 cost me $20, 890 is $45.
TuNuCedeMalis 1 year ago
I bought one for 4 dollars
manutube8080 1 year ago
I'm just starting on my EE degree, and got a CEN-TECH P98674 DMM from Harbor Freight Tools. Only $40 USD, but it is very stable on my bench, easy bettery access, fully rated cables, nice screen, and a ton of features! Compared to the ones you reviewed here I'd say it ranks amongst the top of the list considering all the features it has!
astrowanabe 1 year ago
@astrowanabe For a first meter I'd say the CEN-TECH is probably OK but I would expect you to get into something better as you progress. A quality meter like a Fluke 87-5 that is cat 3/4 rated is what your going to need. Those CEN-TECH meters are crap really, I've seen many of them fail. A guy I use to work with had two of them and they both randomly failed and he was always asking me if he could use my Fluke. I told him to piss off.
eurokid83 1 year ago
@astrowanabe
"got a CEN-TECH P98674 DMM from Harbor Freight Tools"
For the record, that one seems identical to the Mastech MS8229.
criscros7 10 months ago
Hey Dave, what do you think of the Extech EX411? I saw it at Fry's for $54.99 and it seemed like a pretty great deal over the EX330 given that it's true RMS.
MyRedneckLife 1 year ago
@MyRedneckLife Fine if you like a manual range meter without a cap test function. I don't like manual range meters, I find them annoying for most general uses.
EEVblog 1 year ago 6
I am just a newbie into multimeter and couldn't understand half of those electrical terms, but really enjoy your presentation. You have the enthusiasm like late Steve Erwin :D
noodlefoo 1 year ago
i was expecting an actual shootout with a gun :( none the less good reveiw.
williefleete 1 year ago
Hey everyone, I thought I'd just let you know. I got my Amprobe AM-220 today and compared to the unit you received, the quality of mine was quite a bit better. You had some dodgy resistors that were kind of laying down on their side and it looked liked they might come loose. All of the discrete components on my meter are perfectly soldered in. They stand up perfectly straight and I am quite impressed with it. The continuity test still sucks and its not the quickest but it is good quality.
LauxHawk 1 year ago
i have the craftsman industial one ever see that one dave?
leroyj333 1 year ago
I like the Elenco for some reason.
LauxHawk 1 year ago
nice detaled reviews , but was a little more on the rude side
TheBarathbushan 1 year ago
You have a very interesting way of presenting your tutorial, I really enjoy it :), thanks.
fabmkk 1 year ago
Good video Dave!
Ryantron9000 1 year ago
What, no reviews of $20 Radioshack meters? :)
Urza9814 1 year ago
informative yet funny review.... nice one sir !!!
dexcide 1 year ago
This review really helped me to pick one, the EX330 is very tempting however the Amprobe has a much higher range for capacitance (200uF vs 4000uF) which I will settle on. thanks again this was very useful.
xxvodanhxx 1 year ago
At first I thought he was kind of over the top but as I saw it farther in, its not only entertaining and hilarious, he really does touch all the bases of reviewing meters and hes not too biased for either one, not afraid to say what function sucks on what.
xxvodanhxx 1 year ago
hey dave.....according to what i saw on this review, the vichy was pretty accurate....i totally love the design and look, makes me want to take out the internals from the extech and put it in the vichy.....maybe the feel is cheap....then i feel like taking the feel of the ideal and onto the vichy. I know it sounds crazy....but it looks like how a manly DMM should look.....
0000mastermind 1 year ago
Comment removed
LauxHawk 1 year ago
nice review, cheers mate, subscribed to ur channel
oleksiypilyugin 1 year ago
funny shit.
daafies2 1 year ago
@outatime1955 The 8060A is a classic model and still quite popular today. Very stable and high performance.
EEVblog 1 year ago
That Vichy is a pile of crap you have to remove the PCB to get at the fuses really? In any case any glass fuses in the meter should at least be replaced by Ceramic.
Cleaning up shattered glass in the meter case doesn't sound like much fun.
Bushougoma 1 year ago
Even if you don't agree with dave, he provides plenty of info for you to make up your own mind. One problem here though is that the Extech is really more like twice the price of the cheaper ones (Vichy) so you really need to take that into consideration. From what I saw the Vichy is the clear winner overall including price, features and performance. As I'm going to be buying a Fluke meter anyway I want the best bang for the dollar for my cheap second meter.
fknrdcls 1 year ago
Dave Jones Rocks!!!
raysolomon 1 year ago
How did the Vichy not win?
what a joke. you didn't like the feel? lol. aussy sob.
Thetruthishere11 1 year ago
have bought a EXCEL DT9205A multimeter for equivalent of 6 pounds, ! its not bad for cheap meter, has cap, hfe, data hold,& auto power off ! check it out
LyndonSoulGroove 1 year ago
Thanks for the great review Dave but from watching, my choice is the vinchy maybe the cheap feeling might turn me off but for everything else I like it.
dickhead here
jomatecc 1 year ago
I like that you talk about the products in detail. Even if the episode have to be long.
If I don`t have the time there and then , I watch the long episodes while I eat. For example.
Flapjackbatter 1 year ago
You have a very high pitched voice
chesterfield44 1 year ago
Well the results of this review are discouraging; I didn’t find a single millimeter that I liked.
It’s a shame that you couldn’t get your hands on something like the MASTECH MS8217. It’s priced at around 50$ and in specs it looks promising... but now I am worried that it might be just as bad as the other 50$ multimeters you review.
kaynd 1 year ago
Dave, low battery icon coming on at 2.4 volts bad, why? I consider a low battery icon a caution, like a low fuel light in a car, how far can you go, Haha. It's just a caution, they still work. A test would be min volts to function well -OR- hours usable after Low Bat icon. 1.2 V/cell is low on 1.5 volt AA or AAA Alk. Voltage drops fast below 1.2V @ rated current, usable life is shot for most devices. I use NiMh rechargables which don't work well below 1.2 volts. 2 cells is a design compramise.
gmcjetpilot 1 year ago
To the A.D.D. whiners, Dave could go faster, leave things out, BUT it's interesting to see how a professional EE evaluates a design, what criteria he uses, how he goes about quantifying it. It's MORE than DMM shoot out, it is about design analysis, BUT that goes past most YT trolls, who don't know what end of a soldering iron to hold. Dave rambles, that's his charm. ha ha. Make your own brilliant video and shut up. Pictures or your cars dash while you are speeding? boring, dangerous, fail!
gmcjetpilot 1 year ago
Dave, maybe you should have a guess the number contest and give away those multimeters as prizes. The worse guess wins the global brand POS meter.
altradude 1 year ago 6
@altradude , Dave lives in australia. The shipping would end up costing more than the meter.
slappyd1ck 1 year ago
@slappyd1ck I guess being way down there shipping would through a wrench in the works unless Dave is a multimillionair 8-)
altradude 1 year ago
Globas Specialties LOL it wasent even a multimeter, it was a FAILmeter! :P:D
TheElectricnoob 1 year ago
I have some nice Flukes and other meters, but for cheap I have a $7 Harbor Freight meter I got on sale for $3! I have another Harbor Fright one that is super compact for about $4 on sale. I love them. It is great to have some spare small DMM's around. They work fine and are good enough for volts and ohms for most work, even current, diode test and transistor on one of them. So $50! Ha ha try $3!
gmcjetpilot 1 year ago
@gmcjetpilot Send some to Dave and let him test em.
altradude 1 year ago
@altradude
"Send some to Dave let him test em."
.
First NO! 2nd I did my own evaluation. They're great, more than accurate enough for around the house, car, even electronics. 40 yrs ago most everyone used VTVM's and VOM's. My Fluke stays safe on the bench.
.
Dave might say bloody hell, garbage, thumbs down, but for $5.00 a small 4 digit DMM, thumbs up! I bought two, mounted em with a variac showing V & Amps. Nice when powering up old tube gear. They run off a AC to 9VDC power supply I made.
gmcjetpilot 1 year ago
Great video! Thumb up for you mate.
Dilekz 1 year ago
hehe you can work yourself into a whining frenzy Dave : )
what do you mean by blast protection? you expect them to blow up?
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
@DanFrederiksen
Yes, always expect your meter to blow up at some point! Something like the 240/110 Mains has a lot of energy behind it, it can blow a meter apart if you say have the meter plugging into amps while measuring voltage. It's also all about overload surges as well, that is why CAT ratings exist. See my recent video were I blow some meters up. On the good quality ones the bast does not escape.
EEVblog 1 year ago 2
@EEVblog I once did that dumb thing by not changing the leads back to Volt range. Plugged the leads into 240V mains. There were fuses in the main line to protect me and my multimeter. Lucky me.
exnol 1 year ago
@EEVblog It is possible, but, circuit breakers and fuses are there for a reason. It's probable, but very unlikely. I once plugged in mu DMM with it's probe lugged in to AMP range, the fuse blew in my mains circuit.
exnol 1 year ago
Dang you, Dave!!! If it weren't for you, I would never spend $400 dollar on a multimeter. I'll probably spend like $90 max and I probably couldn't tell the difference between all those Flukes. And if I accidentally bought an IDEAL multimeter, I would probably thought all meters had problem standing. Thanks, Dave. Your video blogs sure help us amateurs out. Just bought my Fluke today, and loving it. I'll make sure my next meter is Fluke too. Too bad you don't get money for pushing flukes...
slappyd1ck 1 year ago
nice video Dave cant wait for the 100 dollar shootout
yoyomin 1 year ago
dude whats with the 55min videos! i have trouble sitting here watching you for that period of time!
joeles69 1 year ago 3
@joeles69
I can leave out the 9/10th's of the info and make it 5 minutes. But then I get complaints that there is no content. It's impossible to please everyone, sorry.
EEVblog 1 year ago
@EEVblog You could of compressed some of the review, the spinning bench bit could of been a part of the dial score
27dec1983 1 year ago
@EEVblog
I don't mind you doing even 2 hour blogs. I've watched every episode, in one sitting!. I hardly had time to get something to eat. That's crazy! I have no life... :-D
madmodders 1 year ago
@joeles69 They do have medication for attention deficit disorder. Then you may enjoy the entire video with the rest of us.
altradude 1 year ago
@joeles69
How about you stop whining and shut up. Don't like it? Flip the channel. I put it on while I am working at my bench and soldering up some boards. What makes you think any one cares what you think. That is true arrogance.
gmcjetpilot 1 year ago
@gmcjetpilot thanks mate.. i bet you really felt good writing that.. it is what it is.. its my opinion.. i just think that a 55min video is just too long for a review.. especially when i enjoy sitting here watching his reviews.
joeles69 1 year ago
@joeles69
Good on you mate. You are entitled to your opinion..... I must have been cranky when I wrote that. Cheers.
gmcjetpilot 1 year ago
Also, i like your mandals lol
zker666 1 year ago
I Like the vichty because it's capability to read those high voltages but i love the extech for its size, quality, and accuracy. Do you agree?
zker666 1 year ago
How about you donate one of those to me? :P
amando96 1 year ago
What currency is the $50 in? I have search just on the EX330 and I cannot find it for under $100AU in the wild. Farnell for example has it at $230AU.
waynevict 1 year ago
@waynevict
US$ as that's where the vast majority of my audience are based. Yes, we get screwed here in Australia.
EEVblog 1 year ago
Comment removed
waynevict 1 year ago
pm me if you want a fluke 17b for a good price
mafiouso 1 year ago
Apprentice = tool allowance = $400 Fluke at the end of the year :D
DagGirl 1 year ago
How much did those white star LEDs on those snap boards cost you?
FoamPackingPeanuts 1 year ago
@FoamPackingPeanuts
About AU$6ea from Cutter Electronics. Cree XPG's
EEVblog 1 year ago
Wow, fast and solid review, five stars! I have a Vichy VC99, works fine.
Keep vlogging!
akira2891 1 year ago
@akira2891 I have one, too. It's awesome for the price!
Am I a dickhead? ;)
Kankki1 1 year ago
1999 subscribers. You're almost there!
killerman4ever 1 year ago
@killerman4ever
Thanks, I got there, awesome! Next milestone is 1,000,000 views!
EEVblog 1 year ago
Great video Dave, only one thing, one serious contender is not there: Uni-trend. I've said it before, IMHO, their meters are very good choice in this price range.
Nermash 1 year ago
The internal temperature sensor working without a probe makes some sense. Thermocouples are differential temperature sensors (the union at the tip vs. the union at the plug), so you need an internal thermistor to provide the zero offset. It makes sense that with no thermocouple attached (0V = 0° differential) it'll just read ambient depending on the design.
marcan42 1 year ago
"you could fly to the moon on half a mA" :)
EchelonForce 1 year ago
Incredible comparison. Wow, that must have taken a lot of work to put together, but it will serve as a very valuable resource for viewers everywhere who are on a budget but need something that will last. Glad to see my favorite came out ahead!
aardvarkjazz 1 year ago
What went wrong with the GS Pro-50, are you sure it wasn't broken on arrival? Seems pretty crap if it doesn't work on diode test, continuity or cap mode...
ubuntututorials 1 year ago
hahah u can see the broken multimeter on the shelf that u guys broke in one of the earlier videos...lol..i still cant believe that its in one piece..how much was that?
farhan260590 1 year ago
Sorry i only use fluke...
I found a good video the other day its in my fav,s on how to build your own flux capacitor...ill have to build that
TrueBlueAustralian 1 year ago
@justthistime1000
Of course, no substitute for a good LCR or dedicated cap meter. But handy to identify caps before you solder in place for example.
EEVblog 1 year ago
Brilliant, you reading my mind. I just wanna buy one. Great blog anyway!!!!
mniec1 1 year ago
Wow, fantastic effort Dave! I picked the Vichy at around 30 mins although I was rooting (USA word version :-) for the Extech, am now wearing my 'dickhead' hat.
I really do appreciate the time & effort you've put in to do this, and Dave, please try to ignore the dumb comments. Some people are smartasses in their own little universe, one where they are apparently experts, but have actually done SFA.
I think this review was solid as a 'brick dunny'!
philbx1 1 year ago 11
@philbx1
The Vichy was actually better than I thought, but it just can't compete with the higher quality brand name meters. You get what you pay for usually holds true. The $100 shootout will be much more interesting I think, they all give off good initial vibes, I have no idea which one will come out tops. The $50 ones was different, a minute of playing with each one and you knew it was going to be either the Amprobe or the Extech, unless something went horribly wrong.
EEVblog 1 year ago
Very good to see them all in action, adding four adhesive pads to the bottom would give more friction when on the bench, to stop sliding...for a few $'s
LyndonSoulGroove 1 year ago
Smaller dose of Meth next time mate, lol.
kd5gua 1 year ago
he opens the stands ten times in five seconds and says at the same time they are horrible to get open. This has to be one of his worst videos. I like most of them, so it ain't personal. lol
kd5gua 1 year ago
Really just not sure what I took away from this video that would ever help me. Maybe the hyperspeed of it all was at fault.
kd5gua 1 year ago
Hooray lets get myself a multimeter!
killerman4ever 1 year ago