Updated October 2026
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A digital multimeter is a handheld meter with test leads. Voltage, current, resistance, continuity. It is not a clamp-meter jaw and it is not an analog needle. We match manufacturer CAT ratings and box contents to the Amazon listings we link. We print a street price only where we checked it on a stated date; otherwise check current price and seller on Amazon.
This is not a shop test. True RMS vs average-responding, CAT III vs CAT II, auto-ranging vs manual, and DMM vs clamp are not the same buy. Shop the circuit before you shop the brand.
Milwaukee 2217-20 is a real current DMM on milwaukeetool.com and Home Depot. It is not an Amazon first-party SKU we will affiliate. We do not send you to an Amazon third-party “Milwaukee multimeter” listing.
Quick verdict
Best overall electrician DMM: Fluke 117 — CAT III 600 V, True RMS, AutoVolt, LoZ, built-in NCV. Fluke lists $305. Check current price and seller on Amazon. Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
Best Klein / CAT IV: Klein MM720 — CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V, True RMS, auto-ranging, LoZ, 1000 V. The Klein that replaces discontinued MM700. Check price on Amazon
For CAT IV work at the service panel, the Klein MM720 multimeter adds LoZ mode and a CAT IV 600V rating, while the Fluke 117 covers CAT III jobs with AutoVolt and non-contact voltage and the Innova 3320 handles household checks.
Best budget named-brand: Klein MM325 — CAT III 600 V, manual ranging, not True RMS, DC amps only. The budget Klein if you will not pay TRMS money. Check price on Amazon
Comparison
| Model | Best for | CAT / RMS | Range | Notes | Check price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluke 117 | Best overall electrician | CAT III 600 V; True RMS | 600 V; 10 A | AutoVolt + LoZ + NCV; mfr $305 | Check availability on Amazon (often third-party) |
| Klein MM720 | Best Klein / CAT IV | CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V; True RMS | 1000 V; 10 A | LoZ; Check price | Check price on Amazon |
| Klein MM420 | Mid-price TRMS | CAT III 600 V; True RMS | 600 V; 10 A | Auto-ranging; no LoZ | Check price on Amazon |
| Klein MM325 | Budget Klein | CAT III 600 V; average | 600 V; 10 A DC | Manual ranging; no AC amps | Check price on Amazon |
| Innova 3320 | Cheap auto household / auto | CAT II / 600 V overload; average | 600 V; 10 A DC | Auto-ranging; UL listed | Check price on Amazon |
| AstroAI DM6000AR | Budget TRMS | Mfr CAT claim; True RMS claimed | AC 750 / DC 1000 V | 6000 counts; mfr $43; flag cert | Check availability on Amazon (often third-party) |
| Fluke 87V | Industrial stretch | CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V; True RMS | 1000 V; 10 A | VFD low-pass | Check price on Amazon |
| Milwaukee 2217-20 | Already Milwaukee (HD) | CAT III 600 V; True RMS | 600 V | Lo-Z; no Amazon CTA | Check price at Home Depot |
Klein MM700 / MM400 from older roundups are discontinued — current Klein DMM line is MM720 / MM420 / MM325. The bare Fluke 179 has no standalone Amazon listing that we link (combo B007S43594 is a 179 + clamp kit). Clamp meters are a different aisle.
Fluke 117 — best overall electrician DMM
Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
If you want one electrician meter and you will probe branch circuits, this is the Fluke we can still match to the manufacturer page. CAT III 600 V, True RMS, AutoVolt automatic AC/DC, selectable LoZ for ghost voltage, built-in VoltAlert non-contact detection, 600 V, 10 A, 6,000 counts, frequency, capacitance, Min/Max/Average. Carton: meter, 4 mm silicone leads, holster, quick reference. Official fluke.com copy — not a test from us.
Fluke.com manufacturer $305. Check current price and seller on Amazon; this listing is often third-party. Parallel listing B00CBM7C8I is the same 117 — one pick.
Who it’s for. Electricians and anyone probing CAT III 600 V work who wants True RMS, LoZ, and NCV in one compact 110-series body.
Who it’s not for. CAT IV service-entrance / 1000 V work — that is the Klein MM720 or the Fluke 87V. A budget first meter — that is the MM325 or the Innova 3320. Field tech who does not need NCV / LoZ — that is the Fluke 115 (B000OCFFMW; Fluke lists $280).
Specs that matter. CAT III 600 V. True RMS. AutoVolt. LoZ. NCV. 600 V. 10 A. 6,000 counts. Model Fluke 117 / part 2538815. Amazon listing B000O3LUEI.
Caveats. Confirm the live title is still 117 — not 115 and not a 117/323 clamp kit or TPAK bundle (B08W4L19Z1 / B08DY3VZBW). No dedicated mA / µA range. 3-year Fluke warranty.
Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
Klein MM720 — best Klein, CAT IV / 1000 V
This is the current Klein that replaced MM700. CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V, True RMS, auto-ranging, LoZ, 1000 V AC/DC, 10 A, 60 MΩ, temperature, 6000 µF capacitance, frequency / duty cycle. Reverse-contrast display, IP42, 6.6-foot drop. Official kleintools.com numbers.
MSRP $146. Also at Home Depot (internet #320822838). Check current price and seller on Amazon.
Who it’s for. Anyone who wanted Klein orange and a CAT IV / 1000 V TRMS with LoZ — without Fluke 87V money.
Who it’s not for. A mid-price 600 V TRMS — that is the MM420. A budget first Klein — that is the MM325, and it is not TRMS. Anyone shopping discontinued MM700 leftover stock.
Specs that matter. CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V. True RMS. Auto-ranging. LoZ. 1000 V. 10 A. Model MM720. Amazon listing B0B57PDQJC.
Caveats. Confirm MM720, not MM420 / MM450. Carton includes pouch, CAT-capped leads, thermocouple, 2× AAA.
Klein MM420 — mid-price 600 V TRMS
Auto-ranging True RMS at CAT III 600 V. 600 V AC/DC, 10 A AC/DC, 50 MΩ, temperature, 400 µF, frequency / duty cycle, Lead-Alert, 4000-count backlight. No LoZ. Official Klein. Replaces discontinued MM400.
Check current price and seller on Amazon.
Who it’s for. A named-brand TRMS auto-ranger under Fluke / MM720 money.
Who it’s not for. Ghost-voltage / 1000 V work — that is the MM720 or the Fluke 117. Manual-ranging on a budget — that is the MM325.
Specs that matter. CAT III 600 V. True RMS. Auto-ranging. 600 V. 10 A. Model MM420. Amazon listing B0B57PFFYX.
Caveats. Confirm MM420, not MM325. No LoZ.
Klein MM325 — budget Klein, not True RMS
Manual-ranging CAT III 600 V Klein. 600 V AC/DC, 10 A DC only, 2 MΩ, battery test, diode, continuity, Lead-Alert, backlight. Not True RMS. Not auto-ranging. No AC current. Official Klein. Check current price and seller on Amazon. Use standalone B0B57L9FNL — not the MM325 + stripper bundle B0CW2XD1Y3.
Who it’s for. A first named-brand meter for batteries, outlets, and DC current on a budget.
Who it’s not for. Non-sinusoidal AC (VFDs, many LED drivers) — buy TRMS. Anyone who did not want to pick ranges by hand — that is the MM420 or the Innova 3320.
Specs that matter. CAT III 600 V. Average-responding. Manual ranging. 10 A DC. Model MM325. Amazon listing B0B57L9FNL.
Caveats. Flag: not TRMS, not auto, no AC amps. Confirm standalone, not the bundle.
INNOVA 3320 — cheap auto-ranging household / auto
This is the budget auto-ranger we can match to a current Amazon listing. Auto-ranging ACV / DCV / Ohm / mA. 10 MΩ input (Innova: safer for automotive ECU than a cheap 1 MΩ toy). Color LED household-battery check. UL listed. Manual: measuring circuit category II, 600 V overload on volts. Not True RMS. 10 A DC is unfused — 15 seconds on, 15 minutes off (Innova).
Innova.com manufacturer $41. Check current price and seller on Amazon.
Who it’s for. Car battery / fuse / household-outlet checks and anyone who wanted auto-ranging without Klein / Fluke money.
Who it’s not for. CAT III panel work — that is Klein or Fluke. Distorted AC — buy True RMS. Anyone who needed a declared CAT III rating printed as CAT III.
Specs that matter. Auto-ranging. Average-responding. CAT II / 600 V overload. 10 MΩ. Model 3320. Amazon listing B000EVYGZA.
Caveats. Flag: not TRMS; not CAT III. Confirm 3320, not 3340.
AstroAI DM6000AR — budget 6000-count TRMS
Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
A real AstroAI model, not a random no-name listing. Manufacturer: True RMS, auto-ranging, 6000 counts, AC 750 V / DC 1000 V, current, capacitance, frequency, duty cycle, temperature. AstroAI.com manufacturer $43. Check current price and seller on Amazon; this listing is often third-party.
Who it’s for. Feature-dense budget TRMS if you accept a house-brand certification story.
Who it’s not for. Anyone who needed a UL / CSA / Klein / Fluke CAT rating we can point at. We did not find an independent UL / CSA / TÜV listing for DM6000AR. The CAT on the body is a manufacturer claim — flag it.
Specs that matter. 6000 counts. True RMS claimed. Auto-ranging. Model DM6000AR. Amazon listing B0D921GV75.
Caveats. Flag certification. Confirm DM6000AR, not the 2000-count sibling.
Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
Fluke 87V — industrial stretch
The industrial 80-series. CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V, True RMS, 1000 V, 10 A (20 A / 30 s), VFD low-pass filter, Peak Min/Max, temperature, analog bar graph, lifetime warranty. Official Fluke. Built in the US (Fluke).
Check current price and seller on Amazon. A stretch over the 117.
Who it’s for. Motor drives, plant automation, and anyone who was told they needed the 87V low-pass filter. That VFD claim is Fluke’s published reason, not a test from us.
Who it’s not for. Everyday branch-circuit work — that is the 117. Anyone on a budget.
Specs that matter. CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V. True RMS. VFD low-pass. Model 87V. Amazon listing B0002YFD1K.
Caveats. Stretch. Confirm 87V, not 87V MAX and not a kit.
Milwaukee 2217-20 — already Milwaukee, Home Depot only
Current Milwaukee handheld DMM we can match to milwaukeetool.com. CAT III 600 V, TRMS, Lo-Z, 600 V AC/DC, contact temperature, 600 µA DC flame-rectification range, white-on-black display, 2× AA, 5-year warranty.
No Amazon affiliate link. Milwaukee is Home Depot / authorized-dealer exclusive on this SKU. We are not sending you to a third-party Amazon “Milwaukee multimeter.”
Milwaukee.com marketing also prints “Measures up to 600A AC.” That conflicts with a lead-input DMM. HD / typical 2217-20 current is a 10 A class. Treat the 600 A line as copy error, not a clamp.
Who it’s for. Already on red Milwaukee and shopping Home Depot.
Who it’s not for. Anyone who needed an Amazon 1P CTA. CAT IV / 1000 V — that is the MM720 or the 87V.
Specs that matter. CAT III 600 V. TRMS. Lo-Z. 600 V. Model 2217-20. Home Depot internet #202360064.
Caveats. Home Depot only. Confirm the price at Home Depot. Confirm 2217-20, not a Milwaukee clamp.
Stretch / adjacent — Fluke 179, 115, clamps
The Fluke 179 is a real CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V True RMS with temperature. Fluke.com manufacturer $525. The Amazon listing we can open (B007S43594) is a 179 + 323 clamp combo, not the bare 179. No bare-179 link.
Fluke 115 (B000OCFFMW) is the 117 without NCV and LoZ. Fluke lists $280. The electrician pick is the 117.
A clamp meter is a jaw, not this page. Klein CL390, Fluke 323, and Milwaukee clamps measure current without opening the circuit. Do not buy a clamp thinking it is a DMM, or a DMM thinking it will clamp a feeder.
Klein MM450 is a real slim 600 V TRMS on kleintools.com. Mid-tier pick is MM420.
Buying guide
CAT rating. CAT II is appliances and household receptacles on the load side. CAT III is distribution — panels, feeders, motors, hardwired loads. CAT IV is the service entrance and utility side. Match the meter to the circuit, not the brand. A CAT II Innova is the wrong tool on a panel. Those are IEC 61010 categories, not a shop test.
True RMS vs average. True RMS reads correctly on distorted AC (VFDs, many LED drivers, some inverters). Average-responding meters (MM325, Innova 3320) are fine on clean sine and DC batteries and will under-read many non-sinusoidal waveforms. If the listing does not say True RMS / TRMS, assume average.
Auto-ranging vs manual. Auto-ranging picks the scale. Manual (MM325) makes you pick it. Auto is faster. Manual is cheaper and forces you to think about the range.
DMM vs clamp. A DMM uses leads and usually a 10 A jack. A clamp jaws around a conductor. High current without opening the circuit is a clamp. This page is leads.
LoZ / NCV. Low impedance drains ghost voltage on unused conductors. NCV screams “live” without a lead. The 117 and MM720 have both stories. The MM420 and MM325 do not have LoZ.
Third-party and stock. Check current price and seller on Amazon. Buy Home Depot exclusives at Home Depot, not from third-party Amazon sellers. Do not overpay a third-party Amazon seller for a leftover Klein MM700.
The other garage tools. Fasteners that will not break loose are an impact wrench. Handheld cutting and rust are an angle grinder. Platform shopping is DeWalt vs Milwaukee vs Ryobi.
FAQ
Which multimeter should I buy in 2026? Want one electrician True RMS: Fluke 117. Want Klein CAT IV / 1000 V: MM720. Mid-price TRMS: MM420. Budget named Klein: MM325 (not TRMS). Cheap auto-ranging household / auto: Innova 3320. Already Milwaukee: 2217-20 at Home Depot. Industrial VFD: Fluke 87V. For the detailed electrician-focused review, see the Fluke 117 digital multimeter.
Do I need True RMS? If you will only check batteries, fuses, and clean household sine, average-responding is enough. If you will read VFDs, many LED drivers, or non-sinusoidal inverters, buy True RMS. Fluke 117, Klein MM720 / MM420, AstroAI DM6000AR, Fluke 87V, and Milwaukee 2217-20 are TRMS. MM325 and Innova 3320 are not.
What CAT rating do I need? Outlets and appliances: CAT II is the floor. Panels and feeders: CAT III. Service entrance / meter side: CAT IV. Do not put a CAT II Innova on a load-center bus.
Clamp or DMM? DMM for voltage, resistance, continuity, and low current on leads. Clamp for current you will not open the circuit to measure. This page is DMM.
Should I buy Milwaukee on Amazon? Not for this meter. 2217-20 is Home Depot / authorized Milwaukee.
What happened to Klein MM700 / MM400? Discontinued. Shop MM720 and MM420 / MM325.
Is this the same as an analog multimeter? No. Cross-link: Digital vs Analog Multimeter. This page is digital only.
For the Innova 3320’s full digital multimeter review, see https://powertoolsus.com/innova-3320-digital-multimeter/.
Related
Best Impact Wrench · Best Angle Grinders · DeWalt vs Milwaukee vs Ryobi
Prices and Amazon offers change. We don’t list live prices; check Amazon for the current price and seller. Manufacturer prices, CAT, True RMS, voltage, current, and warranty claims are the manufacturers’ published ratings, not tests we ran. Amazon sellers and prices on Fluke 117 and Klein MM720 can change overnight. AstroAI CAT / certification is a manufacturer claim.
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