A reminder: before using any electrical test equipment, test it on a known live circut. Today while working on some house wiring, my VOM said the circut I wanted to work on was dead. But something didn’t seem right. I then checked another outlet that had a light plugged into it and was turned on. The VOM said it was dead.
The VOM is in the trash. Thats what I get for buying a $10.00 special from EBay.
I use a Klein voltage tester. Looks like a large pen. Turn it on and it lights up green. Go near a live wire with the tip and it goes to red and beeps. But having worked on many live circuits I learned not to trust any one tester alone so in addition to the klein testor I also use a 250 volt light bulb in a pigtail socket to test out 110 and 220 volt circuits before beginning work.
If you haven’t sent the trash to the dump retrieve the meter and check the leads for a broken wire. The cheapo meter leads don’t do well at all, they are notorious for breaking at the probe connection. I use Amazing Goop where the wire goes into the probe as a stress relief and that fixes the problem.
You can pull the metal test pin out of the probe with a pair of pliers. Solder the wire back and use some glue where the wire enters the probe handle, problem solved.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
I have plenty of those cheapy Harbor Freight models - but they don’t go NEAR any mains wiring. Those crappy things have a tendency to blow up in your hand. Perfectly safe for model railroad voltages, but when I want to test house wiring I break out my Fluke or the new Bryman BM235 I have, both rated for 1000 volt circuitry. Them Bryman even has contactless field sensing - so you cna tell if there is power in a circuit without using the probes. And a very nice deal at $125 - it’s true RMS (but only up to 100 Hz), has a switchable backlight, uses real HRC fuses, not cheapo glass ones (or in the case of the 10 amp range on those Harbor Freight meters - NO FUSE AT ALL!), has min/max/hold, and input protection - if you switch to an amps range but have the probe in the volts jack it will beep at you. Also the continuity test beep is actually fast, just like a Fluke. Some meters you have to hold the probes in place for a second before it beeps on a short. Like my Fluke, the Bryman beeps as fast as there is contact - you can swipe the probes at each other and it beeps. It also can flash the backlight as the continuity check, which is great when in a noisy area.
I’ll keep plenty of the HF meters around - heck it’s cheaper to buy a whole new meter when the battery dies, it’s cheaper than a battery! But each tool has its place - the HF ones for safe low voltage stuff (and they actually are fairly accurate) and the proper gear when required for high voltage testing. I’ve become sort of a multimeter collector, though not too bad - some people have dozens. The BM235 is the only one I have made in this millenium. I’ve had a Fluke 8012 benchtop meter for a buynch of years now, and now I have in addition to that a Fluke 45 benchtop meter (dual display - it can show amps AND volts at the same time) which is late 80’s vintage, and also a Fluke 8060 handheld, which is the classic side button type (no rotary knob), which is True RMS up to 20KHz - it was designed for audio en
Look on the bright side. You could have spent a lot more for a rebadged ‘professional’ version of the same thing at any number of web sites, including Amazon.
At least at the eBay price point you know what you’re getting.
CG
I have been using the HF meters for some years. I use the ohms scale to check the leads. Retired industrial mechanic and normally use a plug in module that shows hot, neutral and ground. Much quicker and safer.
I also made a couple extra sets for troubleshooting car wiring. Cost more than the meter. lol
I have four of these meters. Very easy to misplace one. One in the car.
The internal fuse is the only issue but I bought some spares some years ago from RS, just in case.
I have been using VOM’s, VTVM’s over the years and now called multimeters so I know what to watch out for.
Rich
randy got the 80’s fluke beat 50’s somthing simpson 260RT , havn’t used it in years though and also somewhere in storage shed is my simpson 266 VTVM with the 25kv probe(did tv repair in early 70’s) bought them both used in 71 . 
The Knopp ‘Wiggy’ is the only one I trust. It vibrates and lights up so it’s a double test. But it’s only for high voltage. 
I also have a Fluke clamp on amp meter, but still I’ve been trained to always test with the wiggy first.
I forgot to change the setting on one of those Harbor Freight meters from low voltage DC to high voltage AC and blew it up just sticking it into a 15 amp socket. Might be just the fuse but I have a couple of them like that now.
Forgot to mention this in my other post. Those inexpensive meters don’t have silver or gold plated switch contacts, so they have a tendency to oxidize. You can often bring them back to life simply by rotating the switch back and forth a few times.
Do the same thing if you get suspect readings.
CG
LIONS and testers, especially VOMs and especially especially digital VOMs do not get along. All have been tossed in the round container.
End of story.
Perhaps they are too small for your big paws. A classic Simpson 260 like JC has wouldn’t have that problem…
–Randy
I’ve got a city housing inspector that feels compelled to plug an outlet tester into every outlet in a house while doing his inspections. Last walk through I get a bunch of l;ine items listing open neutrals all over the place. Did some checking with my own meter and tester, no problems. tuesday he comes back for a reinspection. I bought him a new tester for a late Christmas gift.
Martin Myers
Paws would have a difficult time rotating the knob on the Simpson.
Paws can’t grip well. [(-D]