Reccomendations for DMM probes

My multimeter probes and attachments are beat to hell. Currently using two red probes, one with the tip snapped of.

Anyone got recommendations for a reasonably priced replacement? I have a Fluke 87III. I'd like something that allows screw on attachments. Also am looking for new attachments, as a number of mine have broken.

Sam

According to the Test Equipment gurus over at EEVblog.com the Probemaster Probes are the class leader.  I've been meaning to buy some but hadn't gotten around to it.  There are lots of options if you look around the site.

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/

I so desperately needed new probes so I just ordered these. My current ones are all melted and charred 

Hi Sam and Ruairi,
I guess it all depends on what your working with , I personally avoid having to probe with both hands  when  Im dealing with tube Ht voltages , I use a crock clip on the neg then probe  one handed with a retractable Bulgin hook ,so long out of production I cant even find a pic of it ,it looks like a syringe for dosing farmyard animals though.

I see Dave over in EEV is up the walls with the new meter firmware , I was thinking of getting one but instead I opted for a Uni_T171 B, bout 155 euros or 200 $ ,sure Id like a fluke but at 3 times the price for similar features to the Uni-T I cant justify it .
Its at the DHL depot as we speak under customs bond until they figure out the cost and what there going to ponce off me in tax .

melted and charred  ;D
Are you using them as roach clips as well or what ?

I cant say Ive ever suffered callouses as a result of using test leads  , the probe tip I use has sideways exiting wire ,the back end of it sits  in the palm and allows firm steady preasure to be applied to the test point ,again with high voltage I dont like having to use my finger tips to apply preasure to the probe in case of a slip which could be terminal, with the Bulgin my fingers are at least four  inches back from the test point ,where normal probes your hand is about an inch away from high voltage rock n roll .Knackered test leads you might get away with on low voltages alright but for the sake of jesus and all the saints be sensible when it comes to anything over 40 volts and dont take chances .

Actually I'm serious. They really are melted and charred. Once from a slip where the 1" metal tip slid down and touched the chassis turning it into a welding rod. I got a nice blue flame, sparks and instantly blew off about 0.2" of the tip. Another time I used the springy hooks to clip onto a load resistor while testing a power supply. I didn't realize after a while it got hot enough that it just melted the plastic sleeve and mangled the end as the spring retracted.

Now that I think about it, I should have bought two sets of probes  :-[

I repair mostly old tube circuits and clip in Hirschmann 1000V probes where needed. It keeps your hands well away and free. But it is not a screw in type as asked for in the OP.

Here is the full teutonic intermess search blurb:
SKS Hirschmann Sicherheits-Abgreifklemme Steckanschluss 4mm CAT III 1000V Rot KLEPS 2600.

It is a very well thought out system in 4mm or 2mm that will work with other brands too. The leads are really good quality. You can piggy back more leads to these probes. No cruelty to probes please!

Check out Pomona test leads.

I had some 'standard' ones on a meter that was stolen and I really liked them.

I have a Fluke 87VI now with Fluke leads and I preferred the Pomonas on my old meter

Peter

two ways to go, nice silicone leads that cost money to replace but may not need replacing often,

or China for uber cheap leads and free shipping which you can stock up on and replace as needed,

the work load will dictate which road to take,  if using 9-5  seven  days a week then cheap is the way to go as whatever you use is gonna get tore up anyway, 

weekend warrior  DIY?  get some nice ones and they will be around longer than the user.

CJ said:

two ways to go, nice silicone leads that cost money to replace but may not need replacing often,

or China for uber cheap leads and free shipping which you can stock up on and replace as needed,

the work load will dictate which road to take,  if using 9-5  seven  days a week then cheap is the way to go as whatever you use is gonna get tore up anyway, 

weekend warrior  DIY?  get some nice ones and they will be around longer than the user.

Click to expand...

I'm every day. But can I trust the readings from cheapo probes?

Tubetec said:

Hi Sam and Ruairi,
I guess it all depends on what your working with , I personally avoid having to probe with both hands  when  Im dealing with tube Ht voltages , I use a crock clip on the neg then probe  one handed with a retractable Bulgin hook ,so long out of production I cant even find a pic of it ,it looks like a syringe for dosing farmyard animals though.

I see Dave over in EEV is up the walls with the new meter firmware , I was thinking of getting one but instead I opted for a Uni_T171 B, bout 155 euros or 200 $ ,sure Id like a fluke but at 3 times the price for similar features to the Uni-T I cant justify it .
Its at the DHL depot as we speak under customs bond until they figure out the cost and what there going to ponce off me in tax .

Click to expand...

Yes I always try to use a spring clip or croc clip for ground, maybe for positive too if I'm checking the same point over and over.

tony hunt said:

I repair mostly old tube circuits and clip in Hirschmann 1000V probes where needed. It keeps your hands well away and free. But it is not a screw in type as asked for in the OP.

Here is the full teutonic intermess search blurb:
SKS Hirschmann Sicherheits-Abgreifklemme Steckanschluss 4mm CAT III 1000V Rot KLEPS 2600.

It is a very well thought out system in 4mm or 2mm that will work with other brands too. The leads are really good quality. You can piggy back more leads to these probes. No cruelty to probes please!

Click to expand...

These seem cool but I'm in the US

ruairioflaherty said:

According to the Test Equipment gurus over at EEVblog.com the Probemaster Probes are the class leader.  I've been meaning to buy some but hadn't gotten around to it.  There are lots of options if you look around the site.

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/

Click to expand...

Not sure about those soft probes but I like the look of the 9100s

peterc said:

Check out Pomona test leads.

I had some 'standard' ones on a meter that was stolen and I really liked them.

I have a Fluke 87VI now with Fluke leads and I preferred the Pomonas on my old meter

Peter

Click to expand...

thanks

> But can I trust the readings from cheapo probes?

It's a wire.

Or 99% of a wire after your accidents.

It is not smart enough to turn 1.234V into 0.789V. It will either read right, or not at all.

Do not use good probes on power resistors! Think! _I_ would use cheap gator-clips to bring the hot voltage out to a nice probe. 10/$2, and a half-vaporized clip-lead will still hold a roach. Alternatively take the time to bring-out the power resistor ends away from the heat/fire where good probes are less endangered.

Fire extinguisher in sight? Assistant who will notice you've gone quiet and knows CPR? I admit I have sometimes gone without precautions, but I have not burned quite as many probes as you are claiming.

I actually haven't damaged probes from testing. I've snapped tips from them getting stepped on, or a chassis falling on them. I've melted cables from brushing against my iron. I've worn out spring tips.

I ask because I got some cheapo probes, and going back in forth with some other randos I had about, I got exactly that: differences in my low ohm readings and low volt readings.

Pomona to me make the best probes and ancillary connections for test equipment. While they are certainly not the least expensive,  they are worth the money.

Official "fluke" branded probes are not cheap... Chinese fluke-like probes are a fraction of the price.

JR

I like Probemaster 8000 the best. I like them better than Fluke or Pamona branded probes. I like the shape, how they feel in the hand and screw on rather than slip on attachments.

Gold said:

I like Probemaster 8000 the best.

and screw on

Click to expand...

Price seems good, do you know what the threads are? There are both 4mm and #8-32 here, not quite interchangable.

Gene