This is a great little unit. Just a disclaimer up-front: I'm a home owner and DIYer, not an electronics technician. My multimeters use is for troubleshooting automotive electrical problems, small electronics "breadboard" projects, home alarm wiring, and general electrical testing around the house. I've suffered with a poor quality Radio Shack multimeter for too many years (decades, perhaps?), and have had Greenlee's "true RMS" multimeter on my Amazon shopping list for nearly 2 years. However, Milwaukee emailed me their current promotion (valid through Sept. 30, 2011) for a free jobsite radio with the purchase of this item (details on Milwaukee's website). So although this Milwaukee unit offers a few more features than the Greenlee, more than I may ultimately need, and cost a bit more than the Greenlee unit I was planning to buy, the radio (which I need for the garage) sealed the deal.
About the meter: This is a beefy piece of equipment, approximately 6 inches tall but with a generous and well lit display. The rubberized grips don't go completely around the unit, but nevertheless it's thicker than I'd call "comfortable to grip" though the advantage is the selector knob is large and easy to turn/read, and the rubberized buttons are large and easy to press, even with gloved hands. The backlight is truly useful in dark spaces with even, though not overly bright lighting.
Auto ranging? Oh, what a blessing! After blowing countless fuses in previous meters, and having to select the correct AC/DC port as well as meter range setting, this one is a no-brainer. Lead ports for Volts/Ohms or Current -- that's my choice! Beautiful.
I'm impressed with the sturdy leads with 90° plugs that don't overly protrude from the unit. The leads are over 4 feet in length. As another reviewer mentioned, the built-in lead holders on the back of the meter make is possible to "leave attached" one (or both) leads to the meter for easy two-handed operation in measurement situations when three hands are required. The test leads have sharp, inch-long polished tips with decent end caps and the grip portion of the leads have good thickness and exaggerated finger grips with flat spots.
I wish I could comment on the tested accuracy of this unit, but alas, I'm not equipped with the test bench (nor the desire) to do so. However, I've observed steady and seemingly accurate readings for the work I'm doing (particularly when testing resistance across long leads of Cat 5 wire and testing output voltages of batteries. The Min/Max function is a nice feature that allows me to "lock in" floating readings, and the "Hold" function has come in handy in a tricky alarm board situation where I couldn't look at the unit while testing.
The audible signal, when selected, is adequately loud, high pitched to hear in a noisy environment, and steady, not at all warbley like with the Radio Shack model this is replacing.
Now one additional feature (that I fear may be a big gimmicky, but that I like) is the "bar graph" across the top of the unit. It attempts to approximate a needle on an analog meter, which is quite a bit more responsive to fluctuating readings and definitely more responsive than a digital readout. The graph auto-ranges based on the conditions I'm measuring, and does in fact move quickly to respond to changes in input on a number of functions.
In summary, this is quite a nice unit that I'm happy to own, though it may be overkill for many (and certainly priced at a premium compared to a basic TRMS Greenlee unit). Alternatively, you could pay just a bit more and get a Fluke with nearly the same function list. Regardless, Milwaukee has proven to be a trusted name and most certainly backs up their products, and I have no hesitation in recommending this meter if it meets your requirements and fits your price point. And the free job site radio certainly makes this all the more attractive.
| Brand | Milwaukee |
|---|---|
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Style | Digital |
| Color | White |
| Item Weight | 1.3 Pounds |
| Min. Operating Voltage | 0.01 Volts |
| Specification Met | Catiii 600v |
| Measurement Type | Multimeter |
| UPC | 045242236923 |
| Manufacturer | Milwaukee |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00045242236923 |
| Part Number | 2216-20 |
| Item Weight | 1.3 pounds |
| Item model number | 2216-20 |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Material | Reinforced Rugged plastic |
| Thickness | 1 Inches |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Display Style | LCD |
| Switch Style | Dial |
| Included Components | Unit^Instruction Guide |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Alkaline |
| Warranty Description | 5 years |
