EEVblog 1574 - REVIEW: Is the $42 Fluke 101 Multimeter Any Good?

Is a $42 Fluke multimeter any good? The Fluke 101 reviewed.

00:00 - A $42 Fluke?
00:43 - Made in China, and the infamous Fluke 19
01:27 - Fluke 101 vs 106 vs 107
02:00 - Comaprison with ANENG AN8008
03:03 - The display vs the AvE Hammer
03:53 - The range switch
04:12 - The battery compartment and TL75 probe leads
06:09 - What are you buying here?
08:08 - Diode and capacitance test
09:33 - The biggest disappointment, no AutoHold
10:55 - 1200V overload test and accuracy testing
12:41 - Common mode conducted mode RFI test
13:10 - Drop testing
13:38 - Power on options
14:08 - Calibration seal and port
14:30 - Teardown
20:26 - A pocket multimeter?
21:51 - Battery life, power consumption measurements, and lithium battery test
42:09 - Conclusion

Or with crypto:
BTC: 33BsprBQNBtHuVzVwDmqWkpDjYnCouwASM
ETH: 0x68114e40ff4dcdd384750500501e20acf3875f8c
BCH: 35n9KBPw9T7M3NGzpS3t4nUYEf9HbRmkm4
USDC: 0x68114e40ff4dcdd384750500501e20acf3875f8c
LTC: MJfK57ujxy55su4XicVGQc9wcEJf6mAoXF

Other channels:

#ElectronicsCreators #Fluke #Multimeter

[Wayde-VANCA]

The colour scheme of that box has serious "Multimeters for Dummies" vibes

[jrdev]

I use this as an everyday carry in industrial automation. It fits my vest pocket with leads and the magnetic hanger and is very light. My bigger meters spend most of their time in the toolbox now. This has been a very reliable meter for basic troubleshooting work. Come to think of it, since owning it for about 4 years I have never changed the batteries!

[tomhillpot]

This replaced my 87-V for field use about 4 years ago. No it's not an 87 but it's Fluke quality and does what it does well. I went with the 107 for the current scale. I don't think I have replaced the original batteries. I think mine came with the magnetic strap. As handy as the magnet can be, I always found it swinging around. So I cut the magnet off and glued it to the back of the 107. Perfect. Nice review Dave!

A tip for all you Fluke fan boys.
I you use your flukes in the field you know how the soft rubber yellow holster gets real grimy. And they just don't clean up well with any soap I've tried.
Try this, spray it with clothes stain remover and throw it in the washer, with other clothes. Mine is cleaner than new. Wow!

[peterfox]

I have a few and have been quite happy with them as basic quick trouble shooting meter where absolute accuracy is not my primary concern. My best guess on the AC only mA range is they have have it for use with AC only current clamps. Which are just current transformers with a small load resistor to turn the output into a small AC voltage. I would make some sense given that these were originally intended as low cost electrician/field tech meters for the Asian market.

[laurihoefs]

I like the separate AC and DC voltage measurement modes right on the dial!

Some compact meters only have one mode on the dial, and they default to AC mode, so you always have to separately select the DC mode. This can be a nuisance if you mainly happen to need the meter for DC measurements, like quick car diagnostics.

Even worse if the meter has a short and non-adjustable auto-off time, and then always defaults back to AC at power on, like my current one does...

[turboslag]

I have several Flukes, including this, the 107, 115 and 117, plus the higher end types. For me though, the 101, 107 and the 115 and 117 have the best switch feel and action of any meter I've tried, regardless of price.

[informationwarlord]

I use this meter 5 days a week in a rough repair shop environment. Checking fuses, windings, bridge rectifiers, 120/240 v ac, 15 to 90 v dc and hertz. Works great, very durable.

[STHelton]

Bought this for my sons first tool kit. Great multimeter for learning basic home repairs.

[budi]

John Smith did high voltage transient test with F101 and it survived with flying colours to thousands of volts on every mode.

[fredcailloux]

I got a 107 in my garage toolbox, the backlight option is a "Must have" for a mechanic and those little Fluke are perfectly fit for this kind of work, I keep the 20K countdown unit for the lab were they belong! Nice review again mate! 👍

[FlakeSE]

I bought this thing when you first talked about it a decade or so ago Dave. Been in the toolbag ever since and is my go to in the field. Tough little nugget.

Edit: As for the battery life, I think I replaced them once but I am honestly not sure.

[TheGFS]

As a hobbyist (basicly learned everything i know about EE by watching your channel for the last 8 years or so, and couple of other channels) I bought the Aneng 8008 when it was new and it's still working great and does everything i need it to do, it's all low voltage, like 12v max as my main interests are microcontrollers like esp32, arduinos etc ... However even though my Aneng can measure mains voltage, Im usually not comfortable using it to measure high voltages (and i try to not fuck around with high voltage) but now Im thinking about ordering this one for the few times I need to measure higher voltages and stuff like that .. Then i have the Aneng for it's features and keep using it as I currently do, but then i can have this one for it's protection when I need to measure high voltage knowing it wont damage my meter since I have a bit more faith in Fluke than Aneng ;) And buying a 2-400$ meter does not make alot of sens for me .. Win win

[amc]

The mark on the back of the meter to the right of the CE mark is a CSA mark with C and US subscripts. This means it has been tested and is listed to Canadian and US (UL) standards. It has a similar meaning as a UL listed mark, but means it was tested and listed by CSA instead. Both are reputable and test to the same standards.

[s]

As a fire alarm technician I use this about every other day, and it’s perfectly accurate for the 12-24vdc market. I added a magnetic strap. Works for all the varied fire alarms /security systems / access control resistor values I see. I also have a 117 I use for automotive.

[hedgeearthridge]

I needed a multimeter that could A: measure capacitance incase my air conditioner takes a dump. B: accurately measure low voltage DC to calibrate my LiPo battery charger and drone radio. And C: do general purpose stuff whenever I need a meter, including building an FPV drone in the future. And this checks every box! Got it on the way. I never thought I'd ever own a Fluke brand meter

[gblargg]

This video is a good reminder of how useful it is to have various generators and test references. They let you probe new products to get a more reliable idea of their specs and robustness.

[daniilboyko]

Used this multimeter for a few years while working as a boat mechanic. I really like it. Packs small in a tool bag in a handy pouch (absolutely must get one with the meter). Works every time. Feels like a good quality meter.
One of the leads broke after about 1.5year of daily use, but still love it.

[rcflight]

Not having amps can be kinda nice sometimes, honestly. Used to work at a hobby electronics store and got a couple dozen meters back every week from people claiming "it blew up and smoke came out". Everytime it was because they tried to measure a car battery on amps and blew the fuse because they used the wrong port. Store policy was anything returned below $150 had to be hit with a hammer and into the dumpster. Such a waste.

[jrevillug]

Had mine for about 8 years. Used mainly for automotive electrics, and it's brilliant. Survives bouncing around in toolboxes, being dropped, keeps on trucking. Not great for sub-1-ohm measurements, but that's not the main goal.

[amok]

I have a working fluke 19 that I bought from the snap-on truck for about $130 in the mid to late nineties. It has served me very well and been used heaps.