bertsmobile1
Lawn Royalty
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2014
- Threads
- 65
- Messages
- 24,995
My multimeters, I have 4 of them + 2 clamp meters usually sit unused for so long the batteries go flat.
They don't like bouncing around in the back of the service van.
Auto ranging meters are a PIA particularly when trying to measure resistance because you see a number and think there is a significant resistance failing to notice it is reading µΩ and not KΩ or MΩ,
Same story for voltages .
Even worse, is people get confused by the numbers when all that is needed is works or don't work and for that a high load test lamp works better and you don't need to keep on trying to read screen
I got a carbon pile load tester & though it was bees knees, good for impressing customers but a known good battery & some boosters is actually better , faster & cna be used to jump start other vehicles as well
For diagnostics, again jumpers will always be better than a meter
Meters are good for working on TV's & computers but for a mower, an orange spark tester ( so you can see it in the daylight ) and 1/2 dozen pieces of old wire with either bullets on both ends or spaded on both ends are worth their weight in gold
Could not count the number of times some one has posted their alternator is putting out 36.72 V as if the .72 actually was important or 238.7Ω or a clutch is showing 4.179 Ω and the book says it should be 3 to 4 so they decide the perfectly good clutch must be faulty .
About the only regular check I do with a meter is to check the battery voltage, engine running to confirm the alternator is charging .
They don't like bouncing around in the back of the service van.
Auto ranging meters are a PIA particularly when trying to measure resistance because you see a number and think there is a significant resistance failing to notice it is reading µΩ and not KΩ or MΩ,
Same story for voltages .
Even worse, is people get confused by the numbers when all that is needed is works or don't work and for that a high load test lamp works better and you don't need to keep on trying to read screen
I got a carbon pile load tester & though it was bees knees, good for impressing customers but a known good battery & some boosters is actually better , faster & cna be used to jump start other vehicles as well
For diagnostics, again jumpers will always be better than a meter
Meters are good for working on TV's & computers but for a mower, an orange spark tester ( so you can see it in the daylight ) and 1/2 dozen pieces of old wire with either bullets on both ends or spaded on both ends are worth their weight in gold
Could not count the number of times some one has posted their alternator is putting out 36.72 V as if the .72 actually was important or 238.7Ω or a clutch is showing 4.179 Ω and the book says it should be 3 to 4 so they decide the perfectly good clutch must be faulty .
About the only regular check I do with a meter is to check the battery voltage, engine running to confirm the alternator is charging .