Had to choose between a Fluke meter and a cheaper brand for my first tool kit

Started at a regional airline shop 3 years ago and the lead tech said get a Fluke 179 or go home. I almost grabbed a $40 Klein from Home Depot instead. Glad I listened to him because that meter has survived a drop down a cargo hatch and still reads spot on. Anyone else spend the extra cash early on and feel it paid off?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_carr5917d ago

Did the drop crack the case or just scuff it up? I'm curious because I've seen guys baby their Flukes like they're made of glass, but mine took a hit off a ladder onto concrete and the only damage was a busted holster. The internals held fine and it still passed calibration six months later. A cheaper meter would have probably started giving wonky readings after that. That kind of reliability is what you're really paying for, not just the name on the side.

linda_butler2817d ago

Oh come on, "that kind of reliability is what you're really paying for" is exactly what they want you to think. I had a Fluke that took a similar fall and the LCD started flickering a week later. Still passed calibration but the display was glitchy. Meanwhile my coworker's $100 Klein took worse hits and still works fine years later. You're paying for the name and the hype, not some magic invincibility.