PSA: Test your used multimeter before you trust it

I bought a Fluke 87 off Craigslist last week for $40 and almost used it to check a 240v outlet. Something felt off so I tested it against a known voltage source. Turns out the reading was off by almost 15 volts. I found a YouTube video from a guy who tests used meters and he says about 1 in 3 old meters have drifted or broken internals. Has anyone else had a meter give them a bad reading?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_kim1mo ago

Oh man, that's a classic "almost got zapped by a bad deal" story. Finding out your $40 Fluke is basically a fancy paperweight after you already trusted it? That's the kind of disappointment that hits harder than a dead battery (or, you know, a live 240v wire). I had a used meter once that was so far off it thought my car battery was a AAA cell. Real confidence booster when you're poking at live stuff, right? Honestly, that YouTube guy's 1 in 3 stat tracks with my luck buying used tools.

rose_grant781mo ago

I just went through the same thing with a used Klein meter I got off Facebook. Brought it home and compared it to my buddy's known good meter on a few different batteries and outlets. The voltage was close but the resistance readings were all over the place. Ended up getting a cheap new one from the hardware store for 30 bucks. That old Klein now sits in a drawer as a reminder to always double check before trusting anything used with electricity.

joelp8121d ago

Man, that's scary. I picked up a used Craftsman meter at a garage sale for five bucks and it read 120 volts on a dead 9 volt battery. Thank god I tested it on a known good outlet first or I would've been chasing ghosts in my wiring for hours. That Youtube guy's stat sounds right, I wouldn't trust any used meter that hasn't been verified against something you know works.