Fluke 289 Review
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2023
- This is a review of the Fluke 289 multimeter for use in hobby electronics projects primarily related to amateur radio.
A pdf document of this review: 1drv.ms/b/s!ArY0uP2JPdTZhppYT...
This review was produced to help you decide if the Fluke 289 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. - Věda a technologie
Thanks for the review Tom. Unfortunately I have to 100% agree with you. I have both this meter and the UT181a and for the amount Fluke charge for this dinosaur, it’s been really disappointing. The graphing function on the Fluke is ridiculously slow compared to the UT181a and the screen is very dim compared to other meters on the market. You would think they would improve this meter with better revisions over the years but they haven’t, except for a few minor changes like the supercapacitor leaking issue. I’m gobsmacked that they still haven’t fixed the issue of the kickstand falling out. The UT181a has its flaws, but for the price and accessories that it comes with, it is way better than the 289, especially since Fluke charge extra for the USB adapter and software. The only problem I have with the UT181a is that the refresh rate is too slow at around 2 readings a second and the battery pack may be hard to find if needing a replacement.
Maybe it's also important to talk price....
Where I live (europe), this 289 package with bluetooth interface etc (excl the additional tl175 leads) costs €1.496 incl. sales tax (which is quite high in europe, so that might account for part of the difference with US prices).
This is more(!) expensive than your Keithley DMM6500 bench multimeter, which can be had for € 1.459 (incl sales tax) over here.
Not to mention that a BM869S (same meter as the Greenlee DM860A) with USB interface, carrying bag, gold plated silicone leads and USB interface can be had for € 268,35.
That is over 550% cheaper! (so over 5 and a half times cheaper). That is an insane difference imho.
It's also over 3 and a half times more expensive than the Uni-T UT-181A (€422 (incl sales tax) incl bluetooth interface etc)
So to me the price of the Fluke 289 would only be justified if it would outclass those two meters in every aspect (like your Keithley probably does).
BTW I want to point out that Fluke's famous 'limited lifetime warranty' only applies to the original buyer/owner and is not transferrable. So buying a 2nd hand Fluke is always outside warranty.
As a professional in the industries I like this meter a lot. Especially the logging function and low impedance are great when you work a lot with frequency converters and motors.
I have almost all type's of Fluke's here but this is my meter to go to. It has some features that the uni-t don't have (for a while I was thinking about getting one, the 181) so I stayed with this one.
You said the meter exists for 10 years now, I believe it is a much older design, because I bought it I think in 2003 along with a Current clamp 1000A AC and DC.
There are a few annoying things, as the worst one being the flap on the backside, if you use the standard it will tip over one day or break down on you. Nowadays I mostly use the
magnetic clip to hang it somewhere.
Another annoying thing is, if it tips over and fall down for about 1 meter (3 ft) the photo-transistor for detecting a lead in the Amp mode will come loose.
Not only I had this experience, and be careful when you open it up, because it is a very tiny thing that easily can be lost and is difficult to solder in again.
The short battery life is a bit annoying to, but in the industries they are everywhere in big supplies, so that don't bother me.
Excuse me for my bad English by the way, I'm Dutch, so that explains a lot...
Many thanks for this honest and comparable review. It is much appreciated!
Great review Tom, I own the Fluke 187 (great meter) I found the attachment (new old stock) BP189 that will upgrade the unit from AA to C batteries that promises at least 400 hours. The Fluke fails miserably on battery power, and the fact it is software driven, shows it's true nature on bootup, leaving it vulnerable to bugs and other issues.
i have both the 289 and 287 and although they both perform well they also devour batteries like there's no tomorrow which is a downside. Of all the meters I have, which are plenty, my favourites are the Fluke 187 and 189, prefer these actually also over my 87V.
Me too! I’ll take a 189 any day of the week.
Hi Tom. I have this meter and I share your opinion. I prefer to use the 181A. The 289 is like.. A little bit awkward.
I also love Fluke gear and have meters including an 8024A, a couple of 27s, a 179, 73III and 87IV. I was considering getting a 289 but may pass after this.
Where did you get those test leads & alligator clips, or what are they called/who are they made by?
Over all of the meters in the series what 2 would you recommend most for capability’s without concerning cost?
The test leads with the retractable CAT 4 sheath are Fluke TL175 and I got them from Amazon.com for $40.55. The matching Alligator clips are Fluke AC175 and I got them from TEquipment.com for $35.52.
If by capability you mean the most features and functions then the Uni-T UT-181A but its biggest drawback is the proprietary rechargeable battery that could limit the useful life of this meter and secondly would be the Fluke 289/FVF/IR3000. If by capability you mean the best accuracy specification then the Greenlee DM-860A but it missed some of it accuracy specifications, so I am currently testing the Bryman BM869s (almost the same, the AC+DC spec is lower then the Greenlee) and looks like it meets all its specifications I tried so far, If all goes well I will have a review up in a few weeks. Secondly for accuracy it would be the Fluke 289/FVF/IR3000.
I have not found the perfect meter yet and I don't think I will. If only someone could combine the best part of the Fluke, Uni-T and Brymen into one.
How did the test sheet readings compare to your test readings Tom?
The test sheet only shows low and high value per broad range: 1drv.ms/b/s!ArY0uP2JPdTZhppsDir569L6ZxPPrw?e=FfS2v2
Wish I did a little more research before purchasing the 289, it’s good but old a bulky mines stays in office until clean electronics jobs are needed
Hi Tom. I am interested in purchasing a USB multi meter for testing voltage, amperage and load on USB ports. I have USB 5 v ports in my Motorhome. Some do not seem to provide enough current to run devices or charge my phones. Any recommendations? KE4YUB Randy
In 2018 I bought the DROK USB Tester, USB-A 2.0 Digital Multimeter (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J3JSEG6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) from Amazon.com. I have never tested it for accuracy, that might make a good video, thanks for the idea.
Good to hear from you, I have not been on the radio much because I am spending a lot of time testing and making videos and time just flies by.
👍👍
I would add... While the '289 is the "best" of a half dozen meters i own, it chews through batteries, takes ages to boot up (very annoying, since i get into the habit of switching off after every reading, to save batteries), and the display contrast is poor. It's not the meter i reach for, if i want a quick reading. I am pretty sure it CAN display ac and dc simultaneously, however.
It can display the AC and DC component simultaneously but not AC+DC, and AC and DC at once.
Hello Tom. It's possible for you to review a Hioki DT4282 ? Best regards.
I wish I could, but I do not have a Hioki DT4282, and I don't know anyone who's has one to loan me. The Hioki DT4282 is $574.00 in the US. My major concern is the meter is not third part safety tested and the accuracy specifications don't seem much better then the Uni-T UT181A or the Fluke 289, so I can't convince myself to buy one to test.
I have the same problem with Keysight U1242C $459 and U1282A $766 meters, they look nice but the accuracy specifications are not much different than the meters I have tested already and I just can't convince myself to buy them for testing.
Sir I have are you gonna do a giveaway I just thinking because you have alot of multimeters hahaha
The THIEVES beat me to it. Fourth-of-July weekend, professional thieves broke into my “professional, interior, climate-controlled storage. The losses was a LOT of money. I’m down to one ea. Fluke 189 & Fluke 289. At least they didn’t get any of my bench-top kit. You may ask WHY do I need multiples of those and work-a-likes of those models. I use the recording meters in characterizing and sizing stand-alone solar power systems.
I feel for your loss shame we don't punish like the Saudis they don't get many repeat offenders 😇@@Tool-Meister
Hmmm. Uni-T UT181a Is really super but is unable to use while charging. Same for the C.E.M. DT9989. BRYMEN/Greenlee 20:57 requires an Windows computer to log data, and so on…. Moral: No free lunch & low demand doesn’t stimulate an updated replacement. Too bad the 289 is a bit of an orphan. Soooo, give me a good old Fluke 189 , and yes, I’ve owned all the above meters , and many others since soon after they were introduced.
Fluke 189 has the leaky supercap problem. No free lunch 😉 (but otherwise a very good multimeter 😉)
BTW any multimeter that requires charging must be unuseable during charging if it was to pass any real safety standard. Otherwise a high voltage spike could exit the meter over the charging system. Same goes for a data cable, which is why they are opto isolated.
Also there is I think non windows software out there to log with the Brymen multimeter. The protocol is documented.
That's PRECISELY why the "safe" charging adapters occupy ALL the meter inputs. I do not use rechargeable instruments in the field, unless they will also SAFELY run off the mains too. As for for the leaky Super Caps, I've learned to change them with the same rapidity as changing my socks...😜 I've repaired well over a dozen 189s. I change out the SuperCaps and batteries, as a matter of course. I don't even bother to test them. ALL, new-to-me, 189s get the SuperCap replaced immediately. On another point, I'm ASTONISHED how the price for well-kept used 189s has risen! 😲! BTW, I've been using Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries in my meters and such. SO FAR, excellent user life, certainly meeting the "$s/hours-per-used" criteria AND no leaks so far. Care to weigh in on the topic? @@mrpetit2
287/289 has the same supercap-leak issue (the earlier models at least)
@@ssalient I hadn’t experienced Super Cap failures on any of my three 289s. The oldest of my trio was purchased new in 2012. I’ll keep a watch over it. The other two were purchased used and have higher serial numbers. Any idea what year or serial number range, if any, the Super Cap failure problem was corrected on the 287 & 289? I think they were introduced in 2007.