Test Probes for the Harbor Freight Meter

[Larry-NC]

Most of us are familiar with the famous Harbor Freight multimeter. HFT used to give them away with every purchase if you remembered to bring in one of the ubiquitous coupons (or found one on your phone). HFT stopped the promotion, but the meter is still available for under $7.

The meter is robust and reasonably accurate. There are only two concerns with it.

• The battery it's shipped lasts less than a year. This is easily remedied--the battery is the standard 9-volt battery with two snap-fasteners on top. A good alkaline battery will last six or seven years.
• The test probes are not very robust. At the meter end, the molded strain-relief is fake; it's a molded part of the plug, not the wire, and the wire breaks off at this point. And at the probe end, the tip is not well supported in the handle.

But there's hope. Here is an exact-fit replacement set for under $2 if you get a couple. I received a set last week and was pleased with its better construction. I just ordered two more sets (got a lot of meters).

Here's the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/16429117153....c100227.m3827

[SeaDog]

I have these in my tool chests and tool bags in the trucks as a backup to my way more expensive multimeters. They work great for most general uses and are not a big loss when the cowboys drop them where they are working and run over them with the tractor LOL

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Most of us are familiar with the famous Harbor Freight multimeter. HFT used to give them away with every purchase if you remembered to bring in one of the ubiquitous coupons (or found one on your phone). HFT stopped the promotion, but the meter is still available for under $7.

The meter is robust and reasonably accurate. There are only two concerns with it.

• The battery it's shipped lasts less than a year. This is easily remedied--the battery is the standard 9-volt battery with two snap-fasteners on top. A good alkaline battery will last six or seven years.
• The test probes are not very robust. At the meter end, the molded strain-relief is fake; it's a molded part of the plug, not the wire, and the wire breaks off at this point. And at the probe end, the tip is not well supported in the handle.

But there's hope. Here is an exact-fit replacement set for under $2 if you get a couple. I received a set last week and was pleased with its better construction. I just ordered two more sets (got a lot of meters).

Here's the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/16429117153....c100227.m3827

Thanks Larry, I will pick one up as a spare to leave in the TT while traveling.