Greenlee DM-820A Digital Multimeter - Trms, Ac/Dc,Cap,Temp

Love this 820A meter except for two things 1) 30 seconds is too short for the backlight. It should be 2-3 minutes or better yet, user adjustable. 2) You need 3 hands to operate the hold function. It should be automatic.

This offers great capabilities and has credible, high safety ratings, all at a good price. But there are two limitations you should be aware of. 1. When the battery gets low, it will start showing false readings. The voltage numbers just start creeping up. There is a low-battery indicator, and I don't think it shows false readings before the low-bat symbol shows up, but it's a tiny indicator on a giant screen. Some better meters will stop showing readings at all, but this goes ahead and shows you bad readings. And this will happen fairly soon after you start using it, because it ships with a low-grade battery, not alkaline. So watch for that indicator! 2. From the picture, it looks like the bottom is slimmed down to make it easy to hold. But the bottom is already the size of a meter that's too big to be convenient as a handheld, and the top is even bigger. It's a meter to haul out when you need the accuracy or features, or when you are working in a fixed location for a while, not a meter to carry around doing routine electrical work. If you are OK with those limitations, you get a lot for the money. Dual display, great accuracy specs, full feature set, and, my favorite, a lightning fast continuity tester. I also like that it beeps a warning if you have the leads in the wrong sockets.