Craftsman Professional  True RMS AC/DC Clamp Ammeter

I just purchased an EXTECH 800Amp AC/DC True RMS clamp meter, model EX730.  I was quite surprised shopping Sears when I came across this meter as it is identical hands down.  The EXTECH is covered with Craftsman but all the layout and lettering is the same.  I looked at the manual and compared it to my EXTECH manual and is like a photo copy so convinced this is the OEM maker for this product.  I purched it because the reviews were quite high and it has outstanding features and high in accuracy when compared to others with same features and accuracy costing way more.  I am mad that the real EXTECH is >$40.00 higher in price from ****** for this same meter so wished I had came across this one first to save money.  The only difference is the case color.  I have not compared with others for accuracy and just received it so can't speak to satisfaction yet.

This is my second clamp meter for today. First one was the same brand but not in the professional line. This one suppose to be a very accurate unit for the fact it is in the professional line. To give you some examples of measurements; a 3500W water heater is according to this meter (73756), about 1.8Amps. A 1500W heater is 2.1 Amps.  The bottom line is people buy Craftsman because of a long history of reliable products. I personally buy this brand from quite a while. I am trying to be a steady client of the store but this is very discouraging.

I thought I wasted my money accidentally buying this, the next larger size unit. Bingo, needed it just last week for a diesel engine starter on a boat that started fine with booster pack. One of the techs spent about an hour checking harness, batteries, switches, and the like before borrowing my clamp meter. Problem solved except now the other techs will want to borrow it also. LoL

All the meter functions worked except the thermocouple part. It measured ice and room temp okay, but the thermocouple cable or the thermocouple adapter frequently opened up and didn't make a connection thus returned it. The return process was easy via the online option to get a return receipt, then dropping it off a nearest Sears pickup/return counter.

All functions seem to work fine. Only time will tell how great of a tool it is.

I purchased the Craftsman Pro True RMS AC/DC Clamp Ammeter for a repair project on my Generac 10K generator.  It worked well for the application and it also worked well in determining amperage draw.  I would recommend this item.

Got it from an electrical engineer that this was the best value going for home use troubleshooting and repair of electronics and do it yourself electrical use. My friend has over 30 years experience in the field and he didn't steer me wrong on this meter. I love it!

Clamp - on ammeters need a Hall-effect circuit to detect DC current. They all measure AC current, so measuring DC current is an exceptional and expensive feature. In addition to reading DC current this meter can capture the inrush current and freeze the peak reading. This is useful for diagnosing modern diesel engine glowplug circuits like the 2002 Ford Powerstroke that have the glowplugs under the rocker box and the wires buried under the tubo plumbing. In addition, the glow plug wires are interleaved with the injector control wiring in one bundle, so probing individual circuits is time consuming. Note that later 2000 Powerstroke built in diagnostics can also do this, so first scan the 'puter to see what it will tell you.

This meter makes it easy to diagnose dead glow plugs,from the glow plug controller and narrow it down to a bank of cylinders. With experience I can use the meter to. estimate the number of defective glow plugs on an engine and verify that repairs were correct and complete.

I also use the meter to measure total current draw in vehicles and aircraft. This is very useful for diagnosing undercharge/overload conditions where alternator capacity is in question. Aircraft batteries require a periodic capacity test, and the meter replaces an expensive piece of test gear by allowing us to turn on aircaft electrical accessories until they meet the battery manufacturer's test load. Some aircraft have a built in load meter, and this meter agrees with newer digital aircraft load meters within an amp of a 50 amp load. All this and more without adding shunts, breaking into circuits or causing maintenance induced failures.

The auto - off feature is very nice, saving batteries, and the built-in backlight is extremely useful.

As a multimeter I find it clumsy because it lacks a stand to view the readings, and leaving the VOM test leads connected makes it clumsy for use as a clamp-on ammeter. The peak and mode buttons can also confuse VOM readings and I must study the screen to see if I indvertently turned on a function I don't want. I find myself carrying a Sears cheapie VOM to make up for it.

The only real negative is the holster that came with the meter when I bought it in the fall of '09. The meter kept falling out, so I bought a padded meter case to hold the meter plus temp sensor and leads. It's not as good as a good holster, but it'll do.

This meter does everything it's supposed to do.  I have been using it in the HVAC field for about 8 months now, and it's been working fine.  The temp function starting acting funny, but that's because the K thermocouple that came with the meter broke.

Junk!! Real bad purchase temp is way off they need a recall I am shocked they even put craftsman name on it. It reads all of the place somthing is wrong with this meter who makes it for craftsman?