MastechMS8268 Digital AC/DC Auto/Manual Range Digital Multimeter Meter

After doing a LOT of internet research I decided on this DMM since it had the most features for the best price, and the reviews were consistently good, except for a few very negative ones.First let me say that nearly every DMM on Amazon has at least some very negative reviews. It seems that no matter how well made a DMM is, there will always be some that are defective, or some users who don't know what they're doing and fly off the handle in rage in their review. Reading some of the negative reviews for this Mastech MS8268, it seems very likely to me that many of those reviewers didn't know how to properly use this particular DMM. Every DMM is slightly different, and even if you have experience with another brand and model, you may still have to read the directions for this one.Also because this one is so inexpensive many people may assume it is broken when actually they just aren't operating it correctly. If they spent $300 on an expensive model and it didn't work, they would be much more likely to read the manual better and assume they were doing something wrong. So there can be selection bias at work, especially if we've already read some negative reviews on the item.For instance, I initially thought the continuity function was broken because I'd read some reviews where others had that problem and mine wasn't giving the alert sound when I turned the dial to continuity and placed the leads together. Then I read the manual and found that I also had to press the select button to test for continuity. I did that and it worked perfectly.Also, the digital display will fluctuate wildly when the leads are not touching anything. This is normal.Also, when testing voltage be aware that this meter is auto-ranging, so it will automatically display a reading anywhere from volts to millivolts. In other words, you may test a 9v battery and get a reading of 300.21 You may wonder how a 9v battery could possibly have 300 volts! But if you look more closely you will notice that the volts has changed to millivolts. In other words the battery is so dead that there isn't even a single full volt left in it and the meter is only picking up 300 millivots left in the cell.Basically what I'm saying here is you may want to be careful and patient and educate yourself on using DMMs in general and this one in particular before you create and unnecessary hassle for yourself by returning this one as a piece of junk.There are lots of good video tutorials on Youtube for learning how to use a DMM. I recommend taking some time with them and also reading the manual for this one if you run into problems. If all of that fails, then maybe you truly do have a defective one. Mine however is working perfectly for testing continuity and voltage in both AC and DC. Build quality seems indistinguishable from other professional quality tools I have used.I'm very pleased with this purchase and recommend it to others.

If you're an electrician or in a trade that requires using a multimeter regularly THEN THIS REVIEW IS NOT FOR YOU! In fact, I'm very curious to know why you're even considering this multimeter in the first place!For the rest of you, I'm giving this multimeter FIVE stars since it meets all my requirements: well constructed and designed for units costing well under $100. If I was shopping for a diamond in rough (that is a unit around the $250 price range that cost under $100) and decided on this unit then yes I would be very disappointed... but I'm NOT, I'm looking for a unit under $100 and found this little gem!Did my research on multimeter pricing and found the MS8268 on Amazon to BE THE BEST DEAL on the web not just Amazon! I was shocked at the price and amazed how many features it had for a multimeter under $250... met all my requirements and more in what I was looking for. The only issue or concern I had now was does it really work!After receiving it I looked it over inside and out making sure nothing was missing, broken or just designed bad. Everything looked in place didn't find any issues what so ever. Ran several tests on the accuracy in all the settings and I'm happy to say this MS8268 multimeter performed like a $150 unit!Everything I threw at it worked without any problems. Large backlit display and feels strong for a multimeter for under $150 and in my humble opinion it's designed and built well! The test leads alone should be WORTH THE PRICE of the unit, they are well insulated and from the feel may infact be made of a high quality silicone, rubber combination that you'll only find in units costing well over $150.NOW it's not made in the US like the Fluke brands (I doubt they're still made in this country anyway) but it's designed and constructed well from the case to the electronics. If you plan on using this unit everyday then you'll want an industry proven multimeter like a Fluke model, BUT if you're like me who needs a reliable multimeter that offers so much (bang for your buck) testing around the house from AC to DC to automobile or motorcycle component testing AND only need it every now and then, then this multimeter is a STEAL! Infact, you should grab one as long as they are giving this unit away so cheap!Let me end by saying, I'm very happy and satisfied with my purchase... thank you again Amazon for such a low priced item, and thanks again for the free shipping too!