At a Glance
Best For
Overview
The Fluke 117 sits in an odd spot. It's not the cheap meter you grab from a bin at Harbor Freight. It's not the high-end Fluke 87V that the calibration-conscious crowd reaches for. It's the meter that gets recommended every single week on r/electronics and r/electricians for one persistent reason: it does the basic measurements correctly on the real-world signals you actually encounter, and it survives being dropped off ladders for fifteen years.
At $189 it's roughly four times the price of a competent Uni-T UT61E, twenty times the price of a $9 throwaway from Amazon. The question is always whether that premium is real or marketing. Bench-tested across switch-mode power supplies, variable-frequency motor drives, capacitor-input rectifiers, and standard sinusoidal AC mains, the True RMS spec on the 117 is not marketing. It reads correctly where cheaper meters quietly lie. That single capability — combined with the build quality, the safety rating, and the dealer/calibration network — is the entire value proposition.
If you're an electronics hobbyist on a tight budget, a Uni-T UT61E ($75) covers 80% of what the 117 does and you'll outgrow it slowly. If you're a working electrician, HVAC tech, or industrial maintenance person, the Fluke 117 is the default tool because nobody questions its readings in court and it works on the messy non-sinusoidal AC that modern equipment generates. The recommendation isn't an upgrade — it's a different tool category.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- True RMS AC measurement accurate on variable-frequency drives, switch-mode supplies, and non-sinusoidal loads
- VoltAlert non-contact voltage detection built in — no accessory swap needed for quick wire tracing
- AutoVolt automatically selects AC/DC — eliminates mode errors during fast troubleshooting
- CAT III 600V / CAT IV 300V safety rating; meets IEC 61010 for industrial environments
- Backlit display readable in dim equipment racks and junction boxes
Cons
- No PC interface (USB or Bluetooth) — logging requires manual transcription or a separate logger
- Banana jack spacing is Fluke-proprietary; third-party leads with recessed plugs may not seat fully
- Resolution is 6000 counts — acceptable for most work but a 20000-count meter reads finer increments
- Price premium over equivalent-spec Uni-T or Klein meters is real; justified by build quality and support life
Fluke 117 Electricians True RMS Multimeter
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True RMS on Real Signals — Why It Actually Matters
True RMS (Root Mean Square) measurement means the meter calculates the actual heating power of an AC signal regardless of waveform shape. Average-responding meters (the cheap kind) measure the average rectified voltage and apply a fixed correction factor (1.11) that's only correct for pure sine waves. Feed a square wave, a triangle wave, a chopped sine, or anything with significant harmonics into an average-responding meter and the reading is wrong by 5–40% depending on the waveform.
Where this bites in real work: variable-frequency motor drives output PWM waveforms that look nothing like sine. Switch-mode power supplies draw distorted current pulses at the AC peak. LED dimmers chop sine waves. Welder secondaries are full of high-frequency harmonics. Capacitor-input rectifier loads (which is most electronic equipment) draw narrow current spikes at the AC peak rather than smooth sinusoidal current.
Feed any of these to an average-responding meter and you get a reading you can't trust. Feed them to a True RMS meter like the 117 and the reading is correct within the meter's accuracy spec. For a tech troubleshooting a VFD or a switch-mode supply, this is the difference between finding the problem and going in circles.
The practical test: measure the current draw of a desktop computer with both an average-responding and True RMS meter. The True RMS reading will be 15–25% higher than the average-responding reading on the same load. Both meters work; only the True RMS reading is correct.
VoltAlert and AutoVolt — Speed in Field Work
VoltAlert is Fluke's built-in non-contact voltage detector. The 117 has a sensor near the top of the case that lights an LED and beeps when held near a live conductor — no probes needed, no circuit completion required. For an electrician checking whether a wire is energized before working on it, this is the safety check that takes one second instead of probing with the leads.
The usefulness isn't dramatic but it's relentless. In a panel, you scan with VoltAlert first to identify hot wires before touching anything. In a wall, you trace which wires belong to which breaker by toggling breakers and scanning. In a circuit you've isolated, you confirm de-energization without setting up the probes. The feature pays for itself in pure time saved over a few jobs.
AutoVolt is the autoranging logic that automatically picks AC or DC and the appropriate range. On the 117, dial position 'V' covers everything from 600V DC down to millivolt levels, switching between AC and DC based on what's present. For fast troubleshooting where you're hopping between battery banks, control transformers, and AC mains, you stop fumbling with mode switches. The meter figures it out.
The AutoVolt isn't unique to the 117 — many modern meters have it. But the combination of AutoVolt + VoltAlert + True RMS + a meter that survives field abuse is what makes the 117 the go-to for electrical work. Each individual feature exists on cheaper meters; the combination at this price point is harder to match.
Safety Rating, Build Quality, and the Calibration Question
The Fluke 117 carries CAT III 600V / CAT IV 300V safety ratings. CAT III applies to fixed installations downstream of the service entrance — distribution panels, motor controls, fixed equipment. CAT IV applies at the service entrance itself — utility connections, meter bases. The 117 covers most building electrical work but is not rated for primary distribution above 300V (substations, high-voltage transmission).
Why CAT ratings matter: the safety standard tests the meter's behavior when accidentally connected across a transient overvoltage event (like a lightning surge or motor switching transient). A meter without proper rating can flash over internally, vaporizing the leads and showering the user with hot metal. The CAT rating is what stands between you and an arc-flash burn. Cheap meters often claim CAT ratings without testing — Fluke's are independently certified.
Build quality is the part you can't quantify in specs. Drop the 117 onto concrete from waist height and it keeps working. Spray it with water (not soak, but spray) and it keeps working. Sit on it in a tool bag for a year and the case won't crack. Cheap meters fail in all of these scenarios; reviews of the 117 routinely cover 10+ year service lives with daily use.
Calibration matters for any meter used in regulated industries (aerospace, medical, calibration labs themselves). Fluke meters can be sent to authorized cal labs for NIST-traceable recalibration; cheap meter brands often have no calibration path at all. For hobby use this doesn't matter. For professional work where measurements end up in compliance reports, the calibration path is the meter's entire value.
Where the 117 Falls Short and What to Pair It With
The Fluke 117 has limitations that matter in specific workflows. It's a 6000-count meter, meaning at the 6V range you get 1mV resolution. For finer measurements (microvolt sensor noise, precision battery monitoring), you need a 20000-count or bench DMM — the Fluke 287 or a Keithley 2110. The 117 reads with the precision of a competent field tool, not a calibration instrument.
No PC interface. The 117 doesn't connect to a computer. No USB, no Bluetooth, no logging. If you need to log measurements over time (battery discharge curves, thermal drift, intermittent faults), you need a different tool — the Fluke 289 with its logging mode, or a dedicated data logger like a Hioki MR8847. The 117 captures readings for human eyes only.
No current measurement above mA range. The 117 measures voltage, continuity, resistance, capacitance, frequency, and AC/DC current up to 10A through dedicated jacks. For high current (motor draw, panel feeders, anything industrial), pair it with a clamp meter — the Fluke 374 FC ($350) or a budget Klein CL800 ($80). The clamp lives in the toolbox alongside the 117 for any current measurement above 10A.
No temperature with thermocouple. The 117 doesn't accept thermocouple input. For HVAC, motor temperature troubleshooting, or refrigeration work, you want either a meter with thermocouple input (Fluke 116 has it; the 117 doesn't) or a separate IR thermometer (Fluke 62 MAX+, $99).
No low-impedance LoZ mode. Phantom voltages from induced AC on de-energized conductors can read 60–100V on a high-impedance meter — confusing for techs trying to confirm de-energization. The Fluke 117 doesn't have a LoZ mode to load the circuit and reveal whether the voltage is real or phantom. The Fluke 87V and Fluke 175 do. For commercial electrical work, this absence pushes some buyers toward the 87V.
Versus the Alternatives — When the Premium Doesn't Apply
The Uni-T UT61E ($75) is the obvious price competitor. 22000-count display, True RMS, USB logging, decent build for the price. For hobby electronics work, the UT61E reads finer measurements with longer-term logging. It survives bench use but won't survive field abuse. It doesn't have VoltAlert. The CAT rating is real but the build quality margins are tighter. Buy the UT61E if you're doing electronics at a bench and don't need field-grade ruggedness.
The Klein MM6000 ($120) is the working-electrician competitor at lower cost. True RMS, CAT IV 600V, NCV detection, fast continuity. Klein has the build quality reputation for tools and the meter holds up. The trade-off is dealer network — Klein meters can be calibrated but the network isn't as deep as Fluke's, and resale value is lower.
The Fluke 87V ($429) is the obvious upgrade. 20000-count, LoZ mode, temperature with thermocouple, microamp range for low-current measurements (HVAC flame sensors), dual display showing two simultaneous measurements. The 87V is the meter for industrial maintenance and HVAC techs where the extra capabilities pay off daily. For most electronics and basic electrical work the 117 is sufficient and saves $240.
The Fluke 115 ($169) is the immediate Fluke alternative — same form factor and most features, slightly different feature set. The 115 has temperature with thermocouple but lacks AutoVolt and VoltAlert. For HVAC techs the 115's temperature input is the deciding feature. For electricians the 117's AutoVolt and VoltAlert are. Pick the meter that matches your primary work; they're priced similarly.
Our Verdict
The Fluke 117 is the most-recommended mid-range multimeter in r/electronics for one reason: it works correctly on real-world signals. The True RMS on non-sinusoidal loads is genuinely useful, not a spec-sheet checkbox. If budget is tight, a Uni-T UT61E covers 80% of use cases at 40% of the price — but Flukes outlast careers.
Fluke 117 Electricians True RMS Multimeter
$189
Prices may change · Free shipping with Prime
| Full Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Output Voltage | 0V |
| Max Current | 0A |
| Load Regulation | 0% |
| Line Regulation | 0% |
| Ripple & Noise | 0mV |
| Programmable | No |
| Channels | 1 |
| Display | 6000-count backlit LCD |
| Interface | None |
| Dimensions | 180 × 88 × 46 mm |
| Weight | 0.44kg |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Fluke 117 Electricians True RMS Multimeter
$189
Prices may change · Free shipping with Prime