Craftsman Professional True RMS Auto-Ranging Multimeter $39.99

[Cheeky]

add to cart for discount

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03481079000P?keyword=multi+meter

[LCHIEN]

add to cart for discount

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...rd=multi+meter

EE's take on it:

no picture, but the description says it has a laser-pointer aimed non-contact Infrared Thermometer which alone is worth $40 bucks and in my opinion very useful around the house.

Your average Joe won't have much use for true-RMS reading vs. average reading but it sounds really cool.

good deal if you want a nice voltmeter.

[Uncle Cracker]

Got my son one of these the last time it was on for $80 (he kept frying the cheap HF meters he was using). He has had good luck with it (only blew the fuse once so far) and at $40 it is a great deal.

Note: The initial $20 discount (that gets it to $80) is only on till the 1st of December. Don't know if the additional $40 discount lasts longer, but you will definitely have to pull the trigger in the next 2 days if you want the entire $60 discount. Note that many of the stores have them for pickup, but you have to order online and then pick up to get the special price.

[davidtu]

When is the temperature function utilized?

[GrantV]

I had a Craftsman Professioal meter for a few days short of a year when it just quit. It was not the fuse.

They have a year warranty. Took it back, got total refund, and got a Fluke.

But that warranty was good for me. Just don't say you use it professionally, I did and they said you cannot return it if used professionally. I just went back later different guy and said just for home use....

[Uncle Cracker]

I had a Craftsman Professioal meter for a few days short of a year when it just quit. It was not the fuse.

They have a year warranty. Took it back, got total refund, and got a Fluke.

But that warranty was good for me. Just don't say you use it professionally, I did and they said you cannot return it if used professionally. I just went back later different guy and said just for home use....

Wait a minute... They call it a "professional" meter, and then tell you there's no warranty if you use it professionally??? They're gonna hafta explain that one to me... Those are not "professional" volts, amps, ohms and degrees you're measuring... The meter doesn't know the difference.

[Hellrazor]

Wait a minute... They call it a "professional" meter, and then tell you there's no warranty if you use it professionally???

That is normal. A lot of equipment is not warranted for professional use. Since this is Sears, is labeled Sears and you expect to use it like a pro... go buy a Fluke. I need to have a meter that I can count on at work and you will not see me using any rebranded meter. Nor will you see me using Greenlee products, the one SOB I had at work would show 220v phantom voltage while working on 208 & 440 3phase.

Long live the Fluke 322

[Uncle Cracker]

I know. I have a Fluke for my own use. But it makes no sense to advertise your product as professional grade if you are unwilling to warrant it as such. Seems very hypocritical. Maybe they should think about how much they gain doing it another way.

[MBG]

Great find! Picked one up tonight.

I already have a Craftsman multimeter and it's worked great for the 3-years I have had it. Guess my son will be getting a new used one now.

My other hobby is home brewing and the infrared thermometer will come in handy for checking my mash water, sparge water, wort, and fermenter temperatures.


Mike

[Tom Slick]

You can't beat a Fluke, but for basic homeowner/tinkerer use that is a good meter.

I had a craftsman meter for a several years then all of a sudden it stopped reading AC. that gets really dangerous when you are tracing circuits to circuit breakers that you think you have shut off.

[Tom Slick]

Great find! Picked one up tonight.

I already have a Craftsman multimeter and it's worked great for the 3-years I have had it. Guess my son will be getting a new used one now.

My other hobby is home brewing and the infrared thermometer will come in handy for checking my mash water, sparge water, wort, and fermenter temperatures.


Mike

infared thermometers don't read water temps very well, they need flat black solid surfaces to read correctly.

[MBG]

infared thermometers don't read water temps very well, they need flat black solid surfaces to read correctly.

Thanks. I'll be reading the metal surface temp. of a vessel. (from experience with the instruments that cost thousands of dollars the surface reflectiveness or emissivity also affects the temp read).

[iceman61]

Fluke here too. But this meter would make an excellent christmas gift for the son, son-in-law, or brother-in-law that likes to borrow your top of the line Fluke meter when you know they don't know how to set the meter between amps, resistance, and voltage in the first place before the hook it up.

Seriously, it would make a great home meter as a gift.

[LinuxRandal]

My first multimeter for home use, was a Radio shack, pawn shop special. After getting my fathers help (long LONG time ago), tracking down an emissions problem, in a vehicle (TFI selenoid, in the distributer of an 85 escort, just under warranty), I figured automotive would be where I would get the most use. (an unfortunate prediction)
I bought an OTC 3545, and would love to get a labscope. I know I could have bought a Fluke, but heard and read some recommendations for the OTC.

[LCHIEN]

When is the temperature function utilized?

I use my separate hand-held non-contact meter a lot
in the kitchen, I can measure the surface temperature of items, containers holding liquid etc. Measuring water directly is problematic but I measure the outside of the cup/glass/container and the value i get agrees with a stick thermometer in the liquid just fine.
Also check the temperature of refrigerated items and freezer items.
I check the A/c vents to make sure my air conditioning is cooling properly (about 8-10 degrees cooler than the room temperature which I can also measure just pointing at the walls and ceiling) -
looks for insulation leaks checking the temp near doors and moldings and large wall areas. You could probably use it outdoors and measure the roof temperature without climbing up there.
Stick it out the window and measure outside temperature of a shaded object to see the outside temperature.
Measure the temperature of anything you cannot reach.
Open your mouth and take your internal temperature - usually about 92 degrees.

As I said before, I find it pretty handy - you just point the laser doat at the object you want to measure. The acceptance angle of measurement is a cone about 8 degrees. That's probably about an inch or two circle at a foots distance. Or 1-2 foott circle at 12 feet distance.