I think Fluke does it knowing users will spend more to get the better leads. It's a bean-counter thing imo. I upgraded mine as well. Also, I ran into the same thing with trailer wires so I found some siliconized wiring and rewired my trailer (which were so stiff cracks formed in the insulation where they entered the plug). That was only a month ago, so not sure how they will hold up, but for now they are magnitudes better to deal with on my trailer I hook up almost every day.
I wire a lot of boat trailers and the best wire I have found is a good outdoor extension cord. Pretty flexible and has 3 insulated conductors wrapped in fibers plus the outer jacket. Much more protection than a standard trailer wiring. Run one cord down each side of the trailer. 16Ga is usually enough. Heat shrink all connections. Oh, and I never use the frame ground!
@@chiphill4856 That is an excellent idea that I believe I'll adopt. The only thing worse than printers is trailer wiring. What do you do for the ends though?
@@chiphill4856 I've tried two things. First I tried soldering and shrink wrap which worked, but long term, the wire gets brittle anyway, so the second thing I tried is housing the wire all the way. One of the other commenters did that with ext'n cord wiring which has insulation X3..it seems that would work good, but for me, I used a bunch of things and they all protected the actual wire nicely. They included repurposed garden hose (still in good shape, but had small holes so not good for garden hose). Also, repurposed air hose. I did try split-loom, but it got brittle too quickly so I tried liquid tape, which needed three or more applications, so prooved to be too expensive. Ultimately, the repurposed air hose worked the best in the long run (3 years so far in desert sun temps of 110+F. Only trouble with it, is it has to be stuffed with the wire before intall, or split then put over existing wire. I did both to test it and both work, but the split allows dirt in if not resealed. Keep in mind, this air hose is used in conjunction with soldering and shrink wrap as well as a sealed box at the lights to protect the joints and wires at the most abused points, the tongue and the lights.
I'm a huge fan of ProbeMaster leads. I've been using those for years. They are reasonably priced and perform really well. And they are made in the US if that's important to you.
I use a Fluke basic clamp meter and the original equipment leads were stiff and tangled all the time. I looked around the internet and discovered Probemaster. Probemaster is an American company that makes a wide variety of test leads, most with gold contacts. When I ordered, I was able to specify length, end types and supplemental clips, tip guards and more. The price is reasonable, I got an entire Probemaster kit for a lower price than a pair of Fluke leads. Highly recommended.
I have loads of Probemaster leads & whatnot with years of near daily use... great stuff, all of it. They even carry leads with those hard to find, goofy 'inverted' 4mm banana plugs like newer Simpson analog VOM's use! Anyone remember the old Simpson 260's? Snagged one in near new condition a couple of years ago... $30! Brings back memories from days of yore. Now all I need is a use for it. :)
Besides the flexibility of the leads, there can be a difference (sometimes significant) in the accuracy of the probes. The best I have found, in both departments, are test leads made by Probe Master.
Probemaster are my favorite leads hands down. The quality is unmatched, the customer service is amazing. I use them for all my test equipment needs and enjoy using them without worrying about the leads. If you have not tried them yet, you are missing out. I have no affiliation with them, but they are one of the few products out there that I support 100%. They cost a little more than the cheap stuff, but are worth every penny.
probemaster was discussed a lot in forums for some years ago (and probably still is), not sold around where I live, so I haven't picked those up yet. Which models are you on?, 8000 series?
@@Neslekkim I've got the 8000 and 9101 (plus some scope leads). I got them back in 2017 and have had no problems with them at all. It is a bummer that you can't them them in your location. I'm guessing you are outside the USA? Even if you can't get probemaster, upgrading to probes made with good silicone wires makes them much more fun to use.
Only downside with Probemasters is that you can't really store them underneath the multimeters because the finger guard is too bulky. For the rest they outshine ANY fluke testleads in every way.
That’s all I use is the TL175E, new meter new leads every time. They have good flexibility but there is a set I use from the power company that are pretty much exclusive to them from Fluke because I cannot find them anywhere, they are 6ft leads though and some type of super high quality rubber. I’ll find out the model but the top of the leads can be changed out with various tips.
When it comes to test leads Probe Master are hands down the best, I have Fluke leads, Pamona leads, I use test leads just about every day and nothing compares to the Probe master
This is a problem even down here in Florida, I get a cheap meter with quality cables, impossible to balance the meter and read it with the stiff cables.... but unless you need the extra features the cheap meters are perfect.
Give probe master a try next time you need leads. I have been more than happy with mine and whenever someone uses my meter, they look at the leads and comment on how nice they are.
@5:11, you needed to use an IR camera to get the temps, the only way to get temps on low-mass items (that are not thermally reflective) like pvc leads. I have the Fluke 279FC (that also has an IR camera built in), and it came standard with the leads that you just bought for nearly $40. Of course you’d expect that for a $1,000 plus meter! Also, if you are a professional like me, we tend to use the more costly Fluke 87s and such and those come with silicone leads.
Fluke leads stink. Probemaster leads are by far the best dmm leads I’ve ever used, silicon, gold tips that are very sharp and they’re not at all expensive. I bought sets for every meter I use, even bought one of their scope probes. Great stuff.
Fluke used to supply nice Silicone leads with new meters, then a few years ago, abruptly went econobudget. I'm pretty sure all their lead products/accessories come from Pomona.
@@shieldcracker Fluke also happens to own Pomona Electronics... who I'm 99.97% sure produces _all_ Fluke leads, & many accessories. Fluke now has Brymen latched on them like stink on you know what.... producing excellent professional grade test equipment. Many life long Fluke users, myself included, are cheerfully switching without even glancing back. Fluke would do well to pay close attention, & act accordingly. Just my .02¢ worth.
Within flexible PVC, the differences you're going to encounter come down to the choice of plasticizer (internal lubrication). The older and more expensive vinyl formulas used plasticizer oils that perform extremely well across temperature ranges, but were known to be toxic especially with prolonged exposure. You're not in any danger from a set of test leads, but repeated and prolonged exposure from various types of vinyl that all used that nasty plasticizer is cumulative and not great. The alternatives were cheaper but were generally crappier. As those were phased out, the newer (non-toxic) replacements compromised a lot in terms of cost versus performance. A lot of companies gave up on flexible PVC and switched to silicone for their applications
I use Southwire leads with silicone insulation on my Fluke 101. I have the same frustrations with all wires; I can't stand trying to negotiate the twist out of a cord that's been coiled up for a while. Whenever I use a tool more than a couple of times I replace the cord with a nice rubber one. Where did you get those two tiny multimeters with the leads attached? I've been looking for a small one like that for some time.
Silicone, not silicon. The latter is an element; the former is a polymer in which silicon atoms replace carbon atoms, and due to their higher ranking on the periodic table give the resulting material much better thermal and physical properties. Silicone. Good stuff. I need to get some of these upgraded leads.
Thanks for the correction. I’ve read that the cost of the rubber/silicone compound is going up due to low supply. I figured silicon was abundant but is there something to this?
Most of the time, the leads that come with most Fluke's are horrible. Even some of the cheapest silicon leads are better. But I use silicone TL224 leads paired with the TP175 probes. Best of both worlds. Because I often like to use alligator clips with the TL224's.
I do the separate leads/probes dance as well. Having them separate affords great flexibility. Only difference is I'm pretty much locked into Probemaster... but all said & done, 4mm banana is 4mm banana.
@@rwbishop Probemaster are excellent. They will definitely be my next set of leads and probes. But so far, the Fluke silicone ones have been holding up well.
TL75 leads arent cheap, they are not much cheaper than TL175 leads if you would buy them. On a bench or in the cold you want silicone leads otherwise in most cases PVC leads make more sense than silicone. I personally hate PVC leads but i keep my TL175 leads on my bench and use cheaper silicone Brymen leads for everything cause i dont care much if they break or get dirty/sticky cause they are only 10 bucks but i keep a pair of TL75's as a spare in my bag.
A set or two of cheap PVC leads with stainless probes are good for when it's necessary to dig through spooge like rust, paint etc... and don't be afraid to clean up & sharpen stainless probes with a file when necessary. Save the nice Gold plated probes for PCB's.
More... Brymen makes great meters! I've been using a BM869S almost exclusively for some time... prefer it even it over the almighty Fluke 87V... but really wish it had an auto hold feature like Flukes.
@@rwbishop Brymen meters offer much more than Fluke at far lower prices. Most people i know are switching from Fluke to Brymen. I switched to a BM257 and im still regretting ever spending over 300 bucks on a 117 even tho that was a long time ago. But Brymen leads are not the greatest, pretty thin cables but good enough to throw around in the bag without being worried of nicking it cause 10 bucks...
@@lastbesttool All my Fluke meters came with silicone leads. I hate to see that they are now shipping with cheap ones. On a separate note, do you live near Big Timber? I have had two oversize loads shut down in that area for 5 days due to bad weather. We travel a lot throughout there.
LOL… Fluke includes some really bad leads with their meters … your little Fluke seems to be a 107 which is about $100 now and the more basic 101 is about $ 45-50 now. The funny thing is that Fluke owns Pomona which is a manufacturer of quality test leads, among other things so Fluke could very easily supply their new meters with very good leads 🤷🏻. Probemaster are great, so are Pomona and EevBlog also has some great leads. IMHO 🤠
I think Fluke does it knowing users will spend more to get the better leads. It's a bean-counter thing imo. I upgraded mine as well.
Also, I ran into the same thing with trailer wires so I found some siliconized wiring and rewired my trailer (which were so stiff cracks formed in the insulation where they entered the plug). That was only a month ago, so not sure how they will hold up, but for now they are magnitudes better to deal with on my trailer I hook up almost every day.
I wire a lot of boat trailers and the best wire I have found is a good outdoor extension cord. Pretty flexible and has 3 insulated conductors wrapped in fibers plus the outer jacket. Much more protection than a standard trailer wiring. Run one cord down each side of the trailer. 16Ga is usually enough. Heat shrink all connections. Oh, and I never use the frame ground!
@@chiphill4856 That is an excellent idea that I believe I'll adopt. The only thing worse than printers is trailer wiring. What do you do for the ends though?
I work on boat trailers all the time I'm glad you mentioned that. The wiring all cracks just like you said.
@@chiphill4856 me too :) im so tired of dealing with the trailer wiring. Im gonna try that.
@@chiphill4856 I've tried two things. First I tried soldering and shrink wrap which worked, but long term, the wire gets brittle anyway, so the second thing I tried is housing the wire all the way. One of the other commenters did that with ext'n cord wiring which has insulation X3..it seems that would work good, but for me, I used a bunch of things and they all protected the actual wire nicely. They included repurposed garden hose (still in good shape, but had small holes so not good for garden hose). Also, repurposed air hose. I did try split-loom, but it got brittle too quickly so I tried liquid tape, which needed three or more applications, so prooved to be too expensive. Ultimately, the repurposed air hose worked the best in the long run (3 years so far in desert sun temps of 110+F. Only trouble with it, is it has to be stuffed with the wire before intall, or split then put over existing wire. I did both to test it and both work, but the split allows dirt in if not resealed.
Keep in mind, this air hose is used in conjunction with soldering and shrink wrap as well as a sealed box at the lights to protect the joints and wires at the most abused points, the tongue and the lights.
Probemaster on everything…. From my Fluke 233 down to the ideal 61-757 that I use daily and love.
I'm a huge fan of ProbeMaster leads. I've been using those for years. They are reasonably priced and perform really well. And they are made in the US if that's important to you.
Yep, ProbeMaster are beautiful to use, and very supple. (and although premium not as crazy expensive as fluke/pomona). I have probe set for SMD work.
I use a Fluke basic clamp meter and the original equipment leads were stiff and tangled all the time. I looked around the internet and discovered Probemaster. Probemaster is an American company that makes a wide variety of test leads, most with gold contacts. When I ordered, I was able to specify length, end types and supplemental clips, tip guards and more. The price is reasonable, I got an entire Probemaster kit for a lower price than a pair of Fluke leads. Highly recommended.
I have loads of Probemaster leads & whatnot with years of near daily use... great stuff, all of it. They even carry leads with those hard to find, goofy 'inverted' 4mm banana plugs like newer Simpson analog VOM's use! Anyone remember the old Simpson 260's? Snagged one in near new condition a couple of years ago... $30! Brings back memories from days of yore. Now all I need is a use for it. :)
Thanks I’ll try those out. I’ve been buying the Flukes but the price is too much. Good to see some made in USA.
Thanks for posting. This is exactly what I've been looking for.
Besides the flexibility of the leads, there can be a difference (sometimes significant) in the accuracy of the probes. The best I have found, in both departments, are test leads made by Probe Master.
Probemaster are my favorite leads hands down. The quality is unmatched, the customer service is amazing. I use them for all my test equipment needs and enjoy using them without worrying about the leads. If you have not tried them yet, you are missing out. I have no affiliation with them, but they are one of the few products out there that I support 100%. They cost a little more than the cheap stuff, but are worth every penny.
looking at probemaster now, these look super nice.. thanks for the heads up. I am definitely going to pick up a couple sets.
probemaster was discussed a lot in forums for some years ago (and probably still is), not sold around where I live, so I haven't picked those up yet. Which models are you on?, 8000 series?
@@Neslekkim I've got the 8000 and 9101 (plus some scope leads). I got them back in 2017 and have had no problems with them at all. It is a bummer that you can't them them in your location. I'm guessing you are outside the USA? Even if you can't get probemaster, upgrading to probes made with good silicone wires makes them much more fun to use.
ProbeMaster makes the best leads ever.
None of the other brands including Fluke can't even get closer to Probemaster ones. Huge fan of those!
Only downside with Probemasters is that you can't really store them underneath the multimeters because the finger guard is too bulky. For the rest they outshine ANY fluke testleads in every way.
Doc you got the best leads and the new leads 175 are superb!
I’m about to start my TH-cam channel your a inspiration-thank you.
I've been using my Fluke TL175 leads on my 87V for 10 years without a problem.
That’s all I use is the TL175E, new meter new leads every time. They have good flexibility but there is a set I use from the power company that are pretty much exclusive to them from Fluke because I cannot find them anywhere, they are 6ft leads though and some type of super high quality rubber. I’ll find out the model but the top of the leads can be changed out with various tips.
The high end Flukes come with tl175’s and the heavy silicone leads. My 378 fc clamp meter came with them. (For over $900 it should though.)
When it comes to test leads Probe Master are hands down the best, I have Fluke leads, Pamona leads, I use test leads just about every day and nothing compares to the Probe master
IMHO, the nicest best value leads are produced by Probemaster.
Scrolled through the comments fully expecting someone else already pointed this out. Probemaster++
Im gonna check them out. Thanks.
…and USA made.
This is a problem even down here in Florida, I get a cheap meter with quality cables, impossible to balance the meter and read it with the stiff cables.... but unless you need the extra features the cheap meters are perfect.
Give probe master a try next time you need leads. I have been more than happy with mine and whenever someone uses my meter, they look at the leads and comment on how nice they are.
I immediately thought "Mueller", but it has been a while, and I see many votes for ProbeMaster. Has anyone used both?
@5:11, you needed to use an IR camera to get the temps, the only way to get temps on low-mass items (that are not thermally reflective) like pvc leads. I have the Fluke 279FC (that also has an IR camera built in), and it came standard with the leads that you just bought for nearly $40. Of course you’d expect that for a $1,000 plus meter! Also, if you are a professional like me, we tend to use the more costly Fluke 87s and such and those come with silicone leads.
Fluke leads stink. Probemaster leads are by far the best dmm leads I’ve ever used, silicon, gold tips that are very sharp and they’re not at all expensive. I bought sets for every meter I use, even bought one of their scope probes. Great stuff.
What are the lantern silver tips on the TL175E for? Do they add a load for the testing of small batteries? Thanks.
Fluke used to supply nice Silicone leads with new meters, then a few years ago, abruptly went econobudget. I'm pretty sure all their lead products/accessories come from Pomona.
True and true. TL75 used to come with silicone leads and it was the standard option for all their HH DMMs.
@@shieldcracker Fluke also happens to own Pomona Electronics... who I'm 99.97% sure produces _all_ Fluke leads, & many accessories.
Fluke now has Brymen latched on them like stink on you know what.... producing excellent professional grade test equipment. Many life long Fluke users, myself included, are cheerfully switching without even glancing back. Fluke would do well to pay close attention, & act accordingly.
Just my .02¢ worth.
What about fluke TL-71?
I got fluke TL-910 for no particular reason other than it came with my fluke 179.
Within flexible PVC, the differences you're going to encounter come down to the choice of plasticizer (internal lubrication). The older and more expensive vinyl formulas used plasticizer oils that perform extremely well across temperature ranges, but were known to be toxic especially with prolonged exposure. You're not in any danger from a set of test leads, but repeated and prolonged exposure from various types of vinyl that all used that nasty plasticizer is cumulative and not great. The alternatives were cheaper but were generally crappier. As those were phased out, the newer (non-toxic) replacements compromised a lot in terms of cost versus performance. A lot of companies gave up on flexible PVC and switched to silicone for their applications
Is that a pair of bike chain master link pliers underneath that Klein meter?
Yes it is. Better than the shoelace trick.
I picked up the Bionso silicone lead 25 piece set.. great set... fairly inexpensive for the quality you get....
I use Southwire leads with silicone insulation on my Fluke 101. I have the same frustrations with all wires; I can't stand trying to negotiate the twist out of a cord that's been coiled up for a while. Whenever I use a tool more than a couple of times I replace the cord with a nice rubber one. Where did you get those two tiny multimeters with the leads attached? I've been looking for a small one like that for some time.
Dave Jones did a big video review of pocket meters on his EEV Blog channel.
amprobe do one. I,v had one for several years now.handy little thing
Silicone, not silicon. The latter is an element; the former is a polymer in which silicon atoms replace carbon atoms, and due to their higher ranking on the periodic table give the resulting material much better thermal and physical properties. Silicone. Good stuff. I need to get some of these upgraded leads.
Thanks for the correction. I’ve read that the cost of the rubber/silicone compound is going up due to low supply. I figured silicon was abundant but is there something to this?
Probemaster FTW!
Don't know about multimeters but the poor quality of many of the leads on power tools drives me nuts.
Probemaster gold plated leads and nothing else
ProbeMaster for me also.
Most of the time, the leads that come with most Fluke's are horrible. Even some of the cheapest silicon leads are better. But I use silicone TL224 leads paired with the TP175 probes. Best of both worlds. Because I often like to use alligator clips with the TL224's.
I do the separate leads/probes dance as well. Having them separate affords great flexibility. Only difference is I'm pretty much locked into Probemaster... but all said & done, 4mm banana is 4mm banana.
@@rwbishop Probemaster are excellent. They will definitely be my next set of leads and probes. But so far, the Fluke silicone ones have been holding up well.
TL75 leads arent cheap, they are not much cheaper than TL175 leads if you would buy them. On a bench or in the cold you want silicone leads otherwise in most cases PVC leads make more sense than silicone. I personally hate PVC leads but i keep my TL175 leads on my bench and use cheaper silicone Brymen leads for everything cause i dont care much if they break or get dirty/sticky cause they are only 10 bucks but i keep a pair of TL75's as a spare in my bag.
A set or two of cheap PVC leads with stainless probes are good for when it's necessary to dig through spooge like rust, paint etc... and don't be afraid to clean up & sharpen stainless probes with a file when necessary.
Save the nice Gold plated probes for PCB's.
More... Brymen makes great meters! I've been using a BM869S almost exclusively for some time... prefer it even it over the almighty Fluke 87V... but really wish it had an auto hold feature like Flukes.
@@rwbishop Brymen meters offer much more than Fluke at far lower prices. Most people i know are switching from Fluke to Brymen. I switched to a BM257 and im still regretting ever spending over 300 bucks on a 117 even tho that was a long time ago.
But Brymen leads are not the greatest, pretty thin cables but good enough to throw around in the bag without being worried of nicking it cause 10 bucks...
@@TheSir2005 With few exceptions, most folks I know have switched as well.
Fluke should discontinue the pvc leads , the silicone leads are not that much more expensive
Well that is the cheap Fluke meter you have there.
Might be, but they're the same Fluke TL75 leads that come with the more expensive meters. An on their own, the TL75 leads can cost $30 on their own.
@@lastbesttool All my Fluke meters came with silicone leads. I hate to see that they are now shipping with cheap ones. On a separate note, do you live near Big Timber? I have had two oversize loads shut down in that area for 5 days due to bad weather. We travel a lot throughout there.
try probemaster :)
Fluke is WAY too greedy.
LOL… Fluke includes some really bad leads with their meters … your little Fluke seems to be a 107 which is about $100 now and the more basic 101 is about $ 45-50 now. The funny thing is that Fluke owns Pomona which is a manufacturer of quality test leads, among other things so Fluke could very easily supply their new meters with very good leads 🤷🏻. Probemaster are great, so are Pomona and EevBlog also has some great leads. IMHO 🤠