EEVblog #60 - Fluke 117 Multimeter Review and Teardown

How does the made in China Fluke 117 Electricians Multimeter stack up?

[RedTopProductions]

Holy crap! 16:15 I've owned a 117 for years now, just watched this video in 2023 and learned what the Volt Alert does, had No idea this thing could do that! Thanks 13-years-ago Dave!

[MrPutrifyingEagor]

I Just love your enthusiasm, which is why I'm watching some of your older reviews. This may interest you, I have one of these for basic electrical measurements in the field, I have the 289 for my workshop. The 117 has been beaten to death, its been dropped, soaked in rain (Then dried out of course), its been frozen, thrown in my tool bag, thrown in the van, dropped down conveyors - it still works perfectly! This is truly outstanding. Thanks for all your great videos!

[allansmith]

I have six Fluke meters on my bench ranging from top of the line and out of all of them the 117 is the one I reach for 99% of the time. Why? Because 99% of the time it does everything I need it to do and its small and handy so its a no-brainer. Yes I do electronics both repairs and designs. I hear people yapping about it not being accurate "enough", makes me wonder just what these people need to measure that needs that much accuracy, about the only time I need more accuracy is when I am calibrating something but how many times do you have to do that? Again with Amps, I can get away with the 117 most of the time. If you must have only one Fluke multimeter for your electronics then a 87V might be a better choice (if you can afford it), other then that give the 117 a try, I'm sure you'll be pleased. Don't let the haters (who for the most part don't own one by the sounds of things) put you off.

[coffeeandcigars]

@6:13 I literally had the 117 in my Amazon cart and just by chance decided to look up some videos from users. I have just recently been inspired by some youtubers to dabble a little into electronics. Since I started I have been buying the tools of the trade as I run into situation where I need them. My current Harbor Freight multimeter was next to useless already but after it tried to kill me I finally decided I needed to burn it and purchase a decent one. I was 30 seconds away from buying it! By chance I saw that you had a review of it and because I have watched your videos before (You are one of the big people that inspired me to start learning more about the inner workings of electronic devices, thank you for that), I knew you wouldn't steer me wrong and at the least would enjoy the video. Thanks for SAVING my butt $144 and who knows how much frustration and wasted time. Thanks Man!

[marshallnmoonshine]

fwiw, i've had a 117 that was given to me in 2007, and i've worked as a ship's electrician aboard container ships since then and it's still going strong, with all the features still working perfectly. it's definitely been dropped, used in the rain (not heavy rain....), soaked in oil and covered in grease. i wish it had something for a k-probe for temperature, instead of carrying the TK-80 (or whatever it's called) around with me, but it's a small issue for me. i sometimes work with refrigeration so i need temperature, occasionally. it works fine for reading 4-20ma systems, although it doesn't source current, but i have a 787 that i also bring with me for that stuff, and any time i'm working deeply on any engine or steering controls, that's usually what i break out.
anyway, i hope nobody trips on the "made in china" thing. i usually hang up on that, and actually didn't know it was made in china until i saw this video. i'm still gonna check to verify, in case older ones are american. doesn't matter though.... this is a GREAT meter for a working electrician.

[rodrigodasilva]

It measures milliamps just not microamps.

[SIXSTRING]

Buy the Brymen EEV blog BM235. Has the non contact voltage feature, uA, Ma, VFD AC, better accuracy at a much better price. The protection on the input is as good if not better than the Fluke 117. I have the Fluke 115 I purchased quite a few years ago. While it’s been dependable it’s accuracy is a bit disappointing. Over 3 volts DC it runs about 10-12 mv lower than all my other meters running in parallel with it. I recently did this test just to see how close all my handheld meters were, Fluke 189, Brymen 869s, Brymen BM325, Uni-T UT61E and a cheap Kasuntest KT6000, all these meters were accurate with each other to 2-3mv while the 115 Fluke consistently was 10-12 mv low from 3vdc-30. +/- .5% +2 counts DC accuracy on the 115/117 while the Brymen BM235 is.3% at $50-$70 less money. Joe Smith’s tests show the Brymen meters to be every bit as robust as the Flukes. Those two brands have taken his most rigorous torture transient tests and are the top dogs. I love the Brymen meters and their features for the cost. My BM869s has all the same features as my Fluke 189 plus it has two temperature inputs that can be displayed simultaneously.

[jan.tichavsky]

We have these 117s at work. It measures up to 650V, accidentally it was put on about 1400V DC and works with no problems. After year and half the four meters have worst difference 1 count against each other and also 1 count max against some higher fluke model with one more digit (on DCV), so accuracy is great. Battery life is many months on everyday use.

The negative thing is the probes which lose contact after a while, so far 3 of 8 had to be replaced and 4th is nearly done too.

[autturret]

I use both of those meters at work.. the 87 was quite a bit faster in regards to auto-ranging, but the hole where you plug positive voltage became loose on the inside and eventually quit working. The 110's are slower but haven't broke yet. 8 hours a day I plug into a transmission circuit and test 33 connections to check for correct resistances using a rotary dial switch box. 1.5 seconds is wayy too long to wait for a reading to pop up when you have over 1k circuits to test a day.

[michaelwierhauser]

It doesn't have milliamp or micro amp capacity. You just saved me 200 dollars.

[Mrwheeledbike]

I am a industrial mechanic at a light manufacturing facility. Furthermore, i do NOT specialize in electrical. Appreciate the review, sold me on it. seems like it will do every thing i need.

[brandonhatley]

wow, even though these meters are low end made in china multimeters, they are STILL well build. I am impressed!. Well done Fluke!

[EEVblog]

@davidsfc9 Yes. They are both owner by the Danaher group who also own Tektronix and Keithley.

[STCC]

I've had one for about 6 years now and it's a great meter and is very durable, switch damage has never been an issue. Completely agree that OFF should be far left and good thing it's got a timeout and turns off after a while if it's doing nothing cause i've left it on so many times. Milli amp would be good, i don't think it's just for engineers, i would use it in industrial to trouble shoot 4-20 mA inputs to loss in weight feeders etc... Now i have to get a separate meter just for that one function.

[TheAustralianMade]

Thanks for the detailed review mate. I'm going to go and buy one tomorrow. I'm starting an Electrical Apprenticeship next week and I think this will be the perfect meter to get me started.

[decibellone]

prob my fav Fluke meter next to the 87v. The 117 is the everyday electrition or cable techs or DIYer workhorse. its a beautiful meter for the avrage Joe! Ive worked in telecommunication for 43 years. We have much better meters for testing copper cable however this meter is kind of the grab first meter for your everyday cable trouble shooting. you can get quickly the top 5, shorts, shorts to ground, balance, distance to short and, voltage across pair, and conductor to ground. Now that glass has taken over the industry. I don't get to break out my 117 very often but, when i do is weird (in a time machine way) how the younger techs dont understand the basic VOM.

[popopoop]

This meter is NOT garbage! This meter is the LOW COST for those people that can not spend much money in the high end range meters. but even though it is a low cost made in China meter...it still way better than those you buy at home depot, lowes etc.

[shinningraj]

Thank you Dave. Once again, a great review. I was looking for this comparison. You made it clear for my buying choice between pricy 87v and mid range 117. I'm an Electronics professional. Now, after having seen your review, I can confidently go with for helping me!

Long live!!

[DSegal]

This was an amazing review. If you do a quick Google search, the 117 is many people's #1 choice. But, you pointed out several reasons why I wouldn't buy this for electronics. I was ready to jump until this fantastic review. Now, I have to find out what you think is the #1 meter for electronics work. Thank you much for your view!

[CrownRider]

Just bought the 117 in November 2024. The unit was made in Malaysia in October 2024. The self tap screw for the battery compartment has been replaced with a metric thread metal insert and metric screw.