Why The Clamp Meter Is The Only Tester You Need | Pros and DIYers

I bought one of these when I first got my house and started stocking up on tools for around the house. Definitely glad I picked it up, but nice to watch videos like this to make sure I'm doing it right and getting the best use out of it. Thanks for the info and upload!

Always something new to learn. When I retired I had to leave my Flukes (87 & T-600) as my govt. employer owned them. I used an old Amprobe at home. I recently upgraded to a Klein CL 700 and hadn't noticed the NCV feature yet. Cool! I still will use my NCV/IR and the monkey eyes because they are so portable. Your videos are interesting and useful.

Sir: May I compliment you on your excellent video ! You speak at a constant level, speaking at a rate easy to understand, & you have good articulation. Your descriptions are absolutely correct, & for a home owner DIY person, it was a delight to see. I have a number of "amp clamps" (all high end") & a selection of DMMs , which I absolutely MUST have ( I am not working on home electrics except my own, but the Klein unit is very good, & I can't disagree that the Klein would satisfy the requirement for the DYI. Your video eclipses many that I have seen on the internet by a wide margin. Thank you.

I agree with you completely, my Kaiweets HT208D (bought as the Habotest brand) clamp meter is very useful as a DIY device, even including capacitor testing. For line splitter use I bought a short, flat "appliance" extension cord and split the wires near each end. This gives you options for measuring inrush current, etc. for refrigerators and airconditioners in tight places. One detail in the video- testing car battery voltages stopped vs running can have one wrinkle. If you have a "smart" alternator the voltage at idle may not immediately go up to 14 volts. I found this out accidently when I got a plug-in temp & voltage monitor and noticed that sometimes the voltage would stay at 12.2-12.4 (under load, engine running) before the alternator would cut in.

I have the Ideal 61-747 400A AC/DC clamp meter and that's my everyday meter while in the field. The diode & capacitance functions are particularly useful for troubleshooting specific pieces of equipment.

I am a 40 year HVAC Fridge Tech. I own expensive Fluke and Fieldpiece but the Klien CL800 is my daily meter for years with great results.

Great video. Thank you for posting. I could also hear you LOUD & Clear through my headphones, without even having them on, and excellent through the P.C. Speakers too ! Usually I am partial to Klein Tools but when you showed the "IDEAL" one, that seemed ideal for me, though I can't do all this work anymore I still love to have all the tools. Videos like this are invaluable and you're doing a great service, sharing your knowledge with people.

This excellent video will prevent me, a homeowner with basic handyman skills, from burning up some expensive appliance, or burning my house down or me laying on a stainless steel table in the Pinellas County medical officers lab. I cannot thank you enuf! Thx E.H.R.

Picked up the Klein CL120 based on your review. Couldn't be happier. Thanks for sharing your insights!👌

Been using one for years. Still keep one in my tool bag now that I'm retired, only mine is a EXTECH EX623. That model probably been upgraded by now. Just went through the house to check all the outlets, found many needing the terminals tightened. All good now.

I bought one of those Klein clamp meters recently and like it, although I do like having a DMM also and use both. I have the Klein in my electrical tool bucket right now.

I absolute love my DC clamp meter. I do a lot of work with electronics, so DC functionality is great for me. It still isn’t my go to for everything else but for measuring current it is extremely handy to not have to break circuits, worry about burden voltages, blown fuses, or mistakes when measuring current.

Thanks, good to know. Functional consolidation is always happening and it's nice to pack fewer tools.

I bought my first clamp meter, a Sperry Snap 6, almost 50 years ago and I still use it regularly!

I just purchased a Klein Tools CL220 meter and didn't know it had the non-contact voltage tester integrated into the clamp jaw. I also didn't know the test leads could take the extra sleeves off so one can insert the leads into an outlet. (This was the one thing that really bothered me, and now I know I can take this off and make the leads like I am use to.) Thanks again for a great video!

Thank you for explaining this Meter so thoroughly. I really enjoyed hearing and watching it.

You just taught a 71 y.o. electrician new functions that I never knew existed. eg the ncv function. and dc. clamp and adjusting to the earths magnetic field. just blows my mind how far we have come since the 60s.

FYI... You can buy a Triplett brand ET200 combination line splitter (for the clamp meter current tester loop) and GFCI outlet/receptacle tester ($20-ish). The outlet tester is just a basic 3 light tester.

If you don't already have one, and if you have the time, would you mind doing a tutorial video about digital multimeters? You seem to explain things really well and that would be awesome!

Amazing video. Thank you for your time on this