In this blog, we are going to provide an in-depth breakdown of the very best clamp meters for engineers to use in a wide variety of ways. All of these are available right now from OEM Secrets, but it’s crucial to understand why each of these products is so important and noteworthy.
Therefore, we will be covering:
- The physical appearance and measurements of each item
- What the main features are for each product
- How the item performs in comparison to key competitors
- The pros and cons of all of these products
- What our customers think of each item
In addition, make sure to keep checking back as we will regularly update this page as new products are added to the range of clamp meters. Therefore, let’s now officially start to examine the very best clamp meters for engineers!
What is a Clamp Meter?
A clamp meter tests electricity, and it essentially offers a combination of a typical digital multimeter and a current sensing device. Clamps themselves measure currents, and so clamp meters include a hinged jaw to allow for smooth integration into an electrical meter. This allows the jaws to clamp around wires, cables and conductors, hence the name of this product. This ensures the gradual and seamless flow of a live electrical current without the need to cause disconnection or a de-energisation of the electrical circuit. As for what the best clamp meters are? Let’s take a closer look …
The first clamp meter that we are going to focus our attention on is the ACD-45PQ. Now, this clamp meter comes to us having been developed by Amprobe. And it has a stylish appearance, coming with a red exterior and with a yellow clamp handle. Its DMM functions include AC current, AC/DC voltage, resistance, frequency and continuity. Meanwhile, it has a maximum current measure AC of 600A, as well as a maximum voltage measure AC of 600V, a maximum voltage measure DC of 600V and a maximum resistance measure of 999.9ohm. And when it comes to the pricing of the ACD-45pq, you can pick up this clamp meter from OEM Secrets today by purchasing it for £179.38 via two of our listed distributors, those being Master Electronics and Onlinecomponents.com.
What's special about this ACD-45PQ?
According to the manufacturer notes, this clamp meter is capable of measuring power, energy and power factor on a single and three-phase systems (balanced and unbalanced).
The price is affordable, and we know it can run some high performance tasks similar to the market leader Fluke which will discuss later on this buyers guide.
Features:
DMM: AC Current, AC/DC Voltage, Continuity, Frequency, Resistance
Current AC Max: 600A
Voltage AC Max: 600V
Voltage DC Max: 600V
Resistance Max: 999.9ohm
Perhaps you wish to consider other options, though, and a strong alternative that we can recommend is the CM605. This particular clamp meter has been developed by AEMC Instruments, and it has a grey exterior with red clamps at the top of the tool. In this case, the DMM functions consist of AC/DC current, AC/DC voltage, continuity and resistance. Meanwhile, it has a maximum current measure AC of 100A, as well as a maximum voltage measure AC of 600V, a maximum voltage measure DC of 600V and a maximum resistance measure of 10kohm. The product also matches the RoHS compliance guidelines for health and safety. And it can be bought today from OEM Secrets, with Newark Electronics being the distributor that offers the CM605 for £146.38.
What's special about this CM605?
This clamp meter has a tampered jaw for crowded wiring areas and another great feature is the analog output in A AC/DC to data loggers.
A few things we thought they could improve is the voltage range but you can get this on higher-spec versions from some of their other models.
Features:
DMM: AC/DC Current, AC/DC Voltage, Continuity, Resistance
Current AC Max: 100A
Voltage AC Max: 600V
Voltage DC Max: 600V
Resistance Max: 10kohm
In this case, the product has DMM functions that include AC current, AC/DC voltage, continuity, capacitance, resistance and frequency. When it comes to the core elements, meanwhile, it has the clamp DMM type that you would expect with a true RMS response and auto selection range. But it also has a maximum current measure AC of 1kA, as well as a maximum voltage Measure AC of 1kV and a maximum voltage measure DC of 1kV. Last but not least, the typical asking price when buying the Fluke 376FC through OEM Secrets is £462.29 from such distributors as Farnell and RS Components.
What's special about this 670 clamp meter?
This clamp is compatible with your smartphone and can capture intermittent faults in real-time.
What we noticed as well is, it comes with an iFlex that makes measurements in tight locations easier.
Features:
DMM: AC Current, AC/DC Voltage, Capacitance, Continuity
, Diode, Frequency, Resistance
Current AC Max: 1kA
Voltage AC Max: 1kV
Voltage DC Max: 1kV
Range Selection: Auto
No. of Digits: 4
DMM Response Type: True RMS
Resistance: 60kohm
The EX810 is certainly the most eye-catching of the clamp meters that we have listed here due to its colourful and varied appearance. But performance is what really counts, and this clamp meter, developed by Extech Instruments, can certainly satisfy in that area. A key example of this is its variety of DMM functions, as these include AC current, AC/DC voltage, diode, capacitance, resistance, frequency and continuity. Elsewhere, this particular clamp meter has a maximum current measure AC of 1kA, as well as a maximum voltage measure AC of 600V and a maximum voltage measure DC of 600V. Along with having 3.75 digits, this product is also RoHS compliant to adhere to health and safety requirements.
To round things off, the
EX810 can be bought from OEM Secrets for £136.90 via Mouser electronics and Arrow at £114.55.
What's special about this EX810?
This clamp-on multimeter comes with a built-in non-contact infrared thermometer. More special because the manufacturer has designed it as a non-contact InfraRed temperature measurement with a laser pointer.
The price is affordable, and the additional features make it a very competitive product to consider.
Features:
DMM: AC Current, AC/DC Voltage, Capacitance,
Continuity, Diode, Frequency, Resistance
Current AC Max: 1kA
Voltage AC Max: 600V
Voltage DC Max: 600V
No. of Digits: 3.75
We are going to conclude this analysis of the best clamp meters for engineers by shining the spotlight on the
EX820, a product that has also been developed by Extech Instruments. This is something of an update on the EX810 as opposed to something radically different, but it still has so much to offer. This can be evidenced by the EX820 also having its range of DMM functions including AC current, AC/DC voltage, resistance, diode, capacitance, continuity, temperature and frequency. Not unlike the EX810, this clamp meter has a maximum current measure AC of 1kA, as well as a maximum voltage measure AC of 600V and a maximum voltage measure DC of 600V. Again, this product meets all of the requirements that one would expect when it comes to RoHS compliance. In closing, the EX820 is purchasable from OEM Secrets at a price of £128.72 courtesy of both Master Electronics and Onlinecomponents.com. .
What's special about this EX820 clamp meter?
What we liked about this EX820 is the easiness with which you can use it. It can measure diode and comes with additional functions like true RMS and Type K thermometer
We love Extech Instruments products as they are designed for anyone and with good care, their products offer many years of reliable service.
Features:
DMM: AC Current, AC/DC Voltage, Capacitance, Continuity,
Diode, Frequency, Temperature Resistance
Current AC Max: 1kA
Voltage AC Max: 600V
Voltage DC Max: 600V
Factors to consider while buying a Clamp Meter:
- Clamp size
- Safety
- Maximum resistance limit
- Maximum Amphere rating
- Crest factor
- Warranty
Summary
We thank you for taking a look at our article that covers what our team of experts feel are the very best clamp meters for engineers that you can buy right now. For any engineers that are reading this piece, we hope that you now have plenty of options to choose from. Indeed, all of these are available today from OEM Secrets, and you can take the time to check which of these products would be specifically suitable for your own project. To find out more, you can head on over to https://www.oemsecrets.com/electronic-components/test-and-measurement/multimeters-and-clamp-meters/clamp-meters.
Send us some feedback and we’ll keep adding to this list.