$3 DMM

ErikMiller · November 23, 2003, 08:40:39 PM

Harbor Freight's most recent sale flier has their CenTech 30756-4YZA digital multimeter priced at $2.99.

The thing even does transistor hFe.

http://www.harborfreight.com

They have their catalog sales, but they also have local stores around the country.

Rick · November 23, 2003, 11:06:32 PM

Just remember - ya gets what ya pays for. I'd spring a few more bucks and get something more accurate and in the long run dependable.
Try a Fluke12 meter (~$100 bucks) but well worth it for accuracy and it will last you a long time. You can also often get a discounted R-Shack meter for $20-30 but that's as low as I'd go - $2.99 won't get you much.

petemoore · November 23, 2003, 11:15:51 PM

Alot of technology, sorting, manufacturing and assembly for 2.99...whew some stuff is SO inexpensive it makes me shudder...who could or would want to put something as complex as this for 2.99...where could they even get the parts for something like this for 2.95?
One heck of a deal any way I look at it...don't know if I could use it for much but wow, the cost of some stuff just makes me wonder...why aren't these guys trying to sell Fuzz boxes for 9.99??

drew · November 23, 2003, 11:21:08 PM

Oh crap, I just browsed Harbor Freight for a little while and they have so much stuff for cheap. Liquid electrical tape? A set of ball-peen hammers for five bucks? A set of metal punches with letters and numbers? OH HELL YES.

drew
toothpastefordinner.com

drew · November 23, 2003, 11:22:08 PM

An anvil. You can buy an anvil there for eighty bucks and they will ship it for free unless I misread their shipping policies.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=46707

ExpAnonColin · November 23, 2003, 11:25:50 PM

Well, circuit specialists is still offering free DMMs with orders over 30 or 50 or something. And then on ebay they have a lot of cheap ones, too.

At the moment, I can skimp by with this little passive voltmeter I have.

-Colin

stylus · November 23, 2003, 11:27:41 PM

i have that same multimeter, hasnt given me any trouble. did pay the $9.99 retail tho, its a good machine.

Tim Escobedo · November 23, 2003, 11:50:19 PM

I bought the same one several years ago. I think it was about $5 at the time. Definitely a cheapo. But it has lasted quite a while. It's easy on batteries. I use different probes, don't remember what happened to the originals.

Harbor Freight also has a set of step drill bits on sale. And all the usual crappy goodies.

drew · November 23, 2003, 11:54:39 PM

Discovering a new cheap vendor that sells exactly what I want, plus things I didn't know I needed, is always a minor miracle. Like the first time I walked into Utrecht (art supply store) after years of suburban art store shopping...

...or the first time I bought components in bulk for pennies apiece...

...or the first time I went to Ikea and replaced all my crappy garage sale furniture with amazing primary-color Bauhaus-influenced tables and chairs for a couple hundred bucks

drew
toothpastefordinner.com

Rick · November 24, 2003, 12:36:07 AM

Go for it if that's all you need. $2.99 is nearly a giveaway anyway.
But oneday you will upgrade - depends what you need.

Jered · November 24, 2003, 07:13:46 AM

Just don't buy any impact or tension/stress tools (ie. hammers, wrenches, drill bits, etc) from H. F. Every single tool I've bought there has broke or stopped working within a week, and half of those were no good after one day.
They sucker you in there with the low prices, then once your there you buy a lot (I did) because the prices are rock bottom. All those crappy tools di was piss me off, I've never gone back. It's gotta be coming from China.
Jered

Paul Perry (Frostwave) · November 24, 2003, 07:43:19 AM

It doesn't hurt to have a few cheapo meters, so you can measure volts and current at the same time!
and, if you ever see any cheapo analog meters.. great for hanging off stuff, because if you are troubleshooting & something is burning up, maybe you will see the needle flicker or sag.. sometimes analog is good in a meter!

casey · November 24, 2003, 02:42:18 PM

for 3 bucks, what do you have to lose....? even if it lasts for a couple
of months, you've got your 3 bucks worth. it might be handy to rig it
with a wall wart input so that you can keep it in one spot and use it
all day just on one function..... while you use a better meter for
all of your sensitive work.

afranks · November 24, 2003, 03:43:25 PM

As far as accuracy goes, I've checked one of those cheap meters against a Fluke 179, and it was almost as accurate. Make no bones about it... it's a cheap meter, but it's just fine. The plastic the case is made from is kinda cheap, and the probes aren't the best, but it's $3!!!!!!! If you don't like it, buy something else... at least you have a spare...
-alan

Paul Marossy · November 24, 2003, 03:57:17 PM

Don't forget to factor in the $6-7 for shipping it to you...

ErikMiller · December 01, 2003, 12:40:20 AM

If it were always true that "you get what you pay for," Dunlop reissues would be really great. :-)

I'm not one for being cheap about my tools, but I also believe that inexpensive, starter tools have their place. I bought a $130 table saw before I got my $500 Jet; I started with a $15 Craftsman sabre saw and graduated to a Bosch. When I started, I didn't know how much I'd be using these tools. I often find that I don't realize how much I can do with a tool until it's been with me for several months. As soon as I figured out how useful a table saw was, I bought a pro quality unit.

You have to shop carefully at Harbor Freight, especially when it comes to power tools.

For the rest, it comes down to how much one is going to use a tool and how much disposable income one has to spend on it. If you don't need a really good hammer, one of theirs for $5 will do the job admirably.

I have one of their step drills, and while it doesn't cut as smoothly as my Unibit, it gets the job done well for half the price.

News:

$3 DMM

afranks