Which multimeter?

[sbman]

If you need a basic, high quality meter that will last you for years, the Fluke 15B+ is a good choice for a good price, can be had on Amazon new for about $120. Keep it out of the water and it should last as long as you care to use it. If it's your first meter, it will do plenty for you while you learn to troubleshoot electrical. Electrical work is like no other in that you can neither see, feel, or detect what you are working with without instrumentation, and it pays to use a reliable one. Dealing with a cheap meter with poor quality probes and getting intermittent, slow readings doesn't help with anything.

OK, I guess you can feel it in some cases, but certainly not the way to troubleshoot things.

 

[pattormey]

Amprobe AC50

In a clamp ammeter, get one that does DC down to 10 ma. Properly used, you will debug boat DC systems many times faster than without it. Also smaller jaws are an asset, as you can get them into tight spots and wire bundles more easily. I have a Fluke and an Extech, like the Extech a little better because the jaws are smaller.

The Amprobe AC50 leakage detector is one of the best I have come across. Very sensitive for looking at dockside leakages and debugging. Critical testing if you are dockside at many places.

 

[Steve DAntonio]

Imo the 87 set the bar for meters. They're tried and true and are the standard many other MFG try to duplicate.

Still have my 87 after all these years, too bulky to travel with and no amp clamp, but I do love it, it stays in the shop.

I have a Fluke 336 now which I love and have beaten the daylights out of and it is still going strong, it's traveled hundreds of thousands of air and sea miles and never missed a beat. Not many DMM's you can drop onto concrete and not have it break.

No longer made but the replacement is 376. Replacement is Fluke 376. For personal use it's hard to justify the $450 cost, but if you want rugged, reliable and versatile this is it. A less expensive but still versatile replacement is a Fluke 325. $275.

Extech makes a decent meter, not a Fluke but Ok for occasional use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IB4N3Y...&pd_rd_r=a3508335-8bcd-11e9-b64c-d73dded6ffc7

I consider AC and DC clamp measurement a necessity, as well a simple rotary dial with auto-ranging, i.e. one setting for amps DC, one setting for volts AC etc, not four ranges for each. Be careful when selecting many clamp meters measure AC only.

Be sure to carry replacement internal fuses in case you inadvertently overload it using the leads.

 

[Benchmark]

Another Klein vote

I also have a Klein CL800....check it out....good quality pro-sumer tool, complete with temperature probe....handy for battery monitoring. Has the important continuity beep function too for efficient circuit tracing, as well as a light and backlight functions. Really happy with it's performance, build quality and features.

 

[GoneFarrell]

This...

by UNI-T

Uni-T B4Q094 UT210E True RMS AC/DC Current Mini Clamp M W Capacitance Tester
4.5 out of 5 stars 411 customer reviews

Price: $51.49 & FREE Shipping.

New (11) from $51.49 & FREE shipping.

Part Number B4Q094
Measurement System US

Display Type LCD

On the amazon-monster.

We have 2. I like it because the ammeter clamp is small enough to get into the tight spaces on my boat panelboard. The ammeter is good to milliamps, great for tracing down leaky circuits. My big Fluke stays at home now.

 

[Waywego]

Many times that you would reach for a meter on a boat, you are troubleshooting 12V DC circuits. A tool I find even more useful for this purpose is a PowerProbe. It can check continuity, DC voltage and also be used to ground or power a circuit. Very convenient when working on a boat or car. There are kits with extra probes and power cable, but the basic tool is also available at less cost.

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Probe-...s=power+probe&qid=1560220549&s=gateway&sr=8-4

 

[gsholz]

Speaking from experience, be aware that some of the cheaper clamps aren't very accurate for AC and especially DC currents. It needs a quality built-in Hall effect sensor to deal with DC current. If the specs don't specify accuracy (e.g. x %) it is a toy.

 

[ORIF]

Fluke meters with "Fluke Connect" allow you to link the meter to your cell phone. Saves you from needing a second person sometimes. I use this feature more than I thought I would.
I have the Fluke 374 FC and would get it again.

 

[FF]

Fluke 27

 

[drb1025]

“If it works, it’s a Fluke” used to be their slogan. It still applies but the company no longer has a sense of humor.

 

[diver dave]

Owned by the same company i work for. Including Keithley and Tektronix.
Keithley has small instruments that can measure picoAmps and TetraOhms.