Fluke 17B MAX Review

This is a review of the Fluke 17B MAX multimeter for use in hobby electronics projects primarily related to amateur radio.
A pdf document of this review: github.com/Tom...
This review was produced to help you decide if the Fluke 17B MAX multimeter will fit your purpose and budget. This is part of a series of multimeters reviews.
A good multimeter for hobby electronic projects should be able to measure millivolts, volts, microamps, milliamps, amps, ohms, nanofarads and microfarads.
If you want to measure picofarads, nanohenry, microhenry or reactance you will need a LCR meters. I cover the two LCR meters I own in another review.
I am not a professional, I am a hobbyist. This review is not sponsored; I bought this multimeter with my own money. I only used and tested this multimeter in CAT I and CAT II environments. I do not have a way to review or test the safety of this meter. I leave the CAT III and CAT IV environments to trained and licensed professionals. It may seem like I am a Fluke fan boy, but I recognize their flaws along with their advantages. There may be unintended mistakes and/or errors in this review.

[@Skirmitch]

LOVE your videos dude, thanks for these reviews and tables, you usually have to pay for content like this

[@N8FDY]

Thanks

[@dylan.indonusa]

Excellent reviews 😊

[@user-xu6pt5ey4d]

great review

[@Kevin-mp5of]

No true RMS = instant fail. Typical overpriced Fluke garbage. Why anyone would buy a Fluke when there are far superior meters such as Brymen, is beyond me…

[@ianrosal1235]

brymen and UNI-T

[@dylan.indonusa]

You're shit, if you want the high specs, buy the ultimate one

[@scod3908]

Brymen equivalent with TRMS is significantly more expensive (~AUD150 shipped 17B+ vs AUD215 +shipping for eevblog Brymen, and the Brymen doesn't appear to come with the bag/case) I've used several Fluke meters in "remote" field work where I am several hours from the nearest town and they have all been excellent, unlike 2 other brands I won't name which had issues resulting in lost hours, rework and expenses. If you pull out a Fluke on site it simply looks more professional and inspires confidence. Notably, mains electrical work is illegal without a licence in Aus. I'm a mech eng/tech and an automotive hobbyist. My main use of VAC function is simply to check the power is off so I can work in the vicinity of mains wiring/equipment safely, I don't really need TRMS on my personal meter in the home workshop. Most importantly, the Fluke is correctly fused and overbuilt for 240V AC if I need to check, so I know it's safe and reliable unlike a $50 cheap meter from a hardware store. In summary, ~AUD150 is affordable for an overbuilt over-spec'd tool for basic users like me, and the Fluke name is a bonus. Sure, I could buy a "better" meter for the price, or a cheaper meter with similar functions, but it wouldn't do the job any better than the trusty Fluke does, so there's no point. I also had a $50 meter that lasted about 1yr before it broke, so the ~$150 Fluke over the past 5yrs has been far better value!

[@Kevin-mp5of]

@@scod3908 fluke is overrated

[@powershot9933]

@@scod3908I had a fluke failed on me and my trusty Uni-t is always with me. Stop sucking on fluke bro

[@KissAnalog]

Expensive meter that Fluke does not want sold in the USA. Unbelievable that it is not true RMS in todays times. This is truly an embarrassment for Fluke. It has terrible leads and is simply over priced and not even approved for sale in the US. It is listed for safety in the US but not to be sold here - what does that mean? I don’t know why you rate the price as a pro at under $150? There are so many meters that are far better at half the price! I can not support this meter. One of the worst on the market. At $75 it would be over priced. I know you are a Fluke fan, but why would you support this meter? I give you a thumbs up for your work - not the meter.

[@scod3908]

You recognise that Fluke removed true RMS from these meters to avoid them encroaching on their core market, so why are you upset about this meter not being suitable for your use? The 17B max is a new model, but they're currently on ebay for ~130USD delivered and I paid roughly half what he quoted for a Fluke 17B+ ~5yrs ago, so I think he overpaid There are millions of hobbyists who want a well built properly fused Fluke meter with this feature set who have absolutely no use for true RMS (eg, in many places DIY household AC electrical work is illegal). I use a 17B+ for automotive and hobby use, and have bought the cheaper 15B+ as a gift for a friend. They're well built, feature rich, affordable, and far better than the hardware store trash meters most hobbyists use for 12V Silicone lead sets with a variety of clips etc are not expensive, and IME none of the entry level meters come with decent leads except the EEVblog Brymen units which cost significantly more than what I paid for the Fluke (and the Brymen meters simply don't have the cachet of a Fluke meter, the average person here has never heard of Brymen) I have been thinking of getting another DMM, what meters would you recommend under 100USD?

[@scod3908]

I was tempted to get an EEVblog branded Brymen 786, but they're literally twice the price of the 17B+

[@mikeadler434]

👍👍

[@playstation2bigs]

F17B max made in china 😢 ?