By 

M. Gozum (Eastern USA) –

  

  

The 87 has evolved little since 1989 yet it remains a preferred and widely used meter for professional electric and electronic work, over 20 years later. Its very rare to have any design in production for decades yet still command a top price despite competition from cheaper work a like multimeters. The 87 look, feel and functionality, remains often copied even today. While the 87 has changed backlighting, added 20,000 count precision, increased LCD annunciators, louder beeps, new button colors etc., it didn’t markedly improve overall accuracy, reliability, build quality, safety, and ease of maintenance that gave the whole 80 series its reputation. You can still find 1-4 80 series meters on eBay commanding top prices [often as much or more than similar functioned new non-Fluke DMMs ] and often need just cleaning, to look near new.

I own a 20+ year old 85I, a 10 year old 85III and a 3 year old 87V. None of these has been adjusted since its original calibration and a recent comparison against a calibrated 6.5 digit bench meter showed all 3 still in factory spec. I’m not the only owner to notice this reliability, other long time owners know it too. Further, the specs are often 3-10x better at room temperature than given in the manual.

I’ve used the meters is high heat of summer or cold of winter, left in cars or bags, yet it measures true. The rubber case helps endure drops and shocks, resists splashing, dirt, grease, and mud, yet is easily cleaned with soap [ I throw it into the diswasher ]. The case also adds grip to prevent falling off table tops, and makes the meter easier to hold with heavy gloves.

The rotary switch is slightly recessed from the lower end of the case, reducing the chance of accidental operation should the meter fall or rub against other tools in a box.

The buttons are widely spaced, making correct selection with gloves more accurate.

The beeps are loud, and engage clearly to warn you of settings and possible misplacement of leads in wrong modes.

The casing is made of a very durable plastic, essentially unchanged since 1989, it holds its look and strength for over 20 years.

The case, inputs, rotary switch, and buttons are O ring or gasket sealed, and while not made to be waterproof, is at least splash resistant. The entire meter, including the PCB, can easily be user disassembled and cleaned, if needed.

The parts count on the PCB have been substantially reduced, so the 87V is slightly lighter than the 85. The measurement speed is noticeably faster, but the accuracy remains similar to the specs of the original 87I, which is similar to an 85III and 85I. The 85I is adjusted using trim pots, while the the 85III and 87V are close case adjustments, using memory chips to store correction factors. However, I’ve not had to do any adjustment since the meters were purchased, so long ago.

What is most striking about Fluke 87s is the fast cycling of a measurement that is often devoid of drift, making one have high confidence in the measurement reading. By comparison, I also use a Radio Shack ruggedized pocket DMM, made by reputable maker Sanwa, that can take a while for the last digit to settle. In 5 years the accuracy drifted over 5% off scale, and while easy to adjust I had to suspect it was off, and must regularly calibrate it against a Fluke. A frebbie DMM I leave in a car would read DC as well as my Fluke, but unexpectedly one day, it died. I now had no meter to use, and it was intended to make field repairs. Many other DMMs specify their accuracy misleadingly, quoting a low % of reading, but with high last digit drift rates that increase the % of reading inaccuracy many fold. Drifts create skepticism with measurement, so when my intuition says something isn’t right it makes me reach for my Fluke to settle the issue, so in the end, why bother with the questionable readings and just get another Fluke, which I did.

So why ‘nearly’ perfect? Some gripes I have is that after 20 years, the meter still costs a lot. It has a small LCD screen compared to top DMMs brands, but its LCD remains very clear . No attempt was made to convert it easier to find AA batteries instead of less ubiquitous 9V batteries.

Conclusion:

Can one justify a DMM that cost 3x more than a competing meter of similar accuracy, at least by spec sheet? A lesser DMM will work most of the time but it can mislead or break when you least expect it, or not perform exactly as the spec sheet says. As a Fluke owner, I know 80 series meters performs over its spec sheet, require no special protective cases or care, will exceed 20 years, or more, of life working as good as when it was new. While Fluke states it requires annual calibration, in reality is hardly needs any. A new 87V has a “lifetime” warranty for original owners, and a used one on auction…

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