Why does nobody talk about how much time you waste on cheap multimeter probes?

I spent $45 on a set of Fluke test leads last month after fighting with those $8 knockoff ones from Amazon for like 2 years. The cheap ones kept popping off in tight spots and giving me intermittent readings. After the third time I chased a phantom ground fault for an hour only to realize it was just a bad probe connection, I bit the bullet. The fluke ones have this silicone coating that bends way easier and the tips are slimmer so I can actually get into those crowded terminal strips on the 737s. I do mostly line maintenance at a small regional carrier near Denver. Anyone else have a tool upgrade that just made your day to day way less frustrating?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellac971d ago

Wait until you try the Pomona ones for even less than Fluke? I grabbed a set of those silicone leads for around $25 and they have that same flexible coating but the tips are actually a bit sturdier. The cheap Amazon probes drove me nuts too with the intermittent readings, especially when you're trying to check something simple like a thermostat. A bad probe can waste an entire day if you're not careful.

emmasmith1d ago

My $30 Amazon specials lasted all of two months before the wires cracked. I see people rave about Pomona but I've had mixed luck with their banana plugs. The silicone jackets feel great but the strain relief is still cheap plastic. A Fluke set costs more but I've had mine for four years now with zero issues. Sometimes you just have to pay for the quality control. Bad leads waste time but so does saving $50 on probes that fail on a Tuesday afternoon.