Fluke 117 vs Fluke 101

Specs side by side

Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Fluke 117 is hands-on tested by OhmSavvy; the Fluke 101 assessment is desk research. How we research.

Key differences

• →The 117 measures AC and DC current to 10A; the 101 has no current function and only two input jacks.
• →The 117 is True RMS; Fluke makes no True RMS claim for the 101.
• →VoltAlert non-contact detection, AutoVolt and the low-impedance mode are on the 117 only.
• →The 101 reads frequency to 100 kHz on Fluke's spec, twice the 117's datasheet figure of 50 kHz, and adds duty cycle.
• →At 160 g the 101 weighs less than a third of the 117's 550 g.
• →The 117 has a 3-year warranty and is sold by Fluke US; the 101 has 1 year and is imported.

Start with one question: do you measure current?

Most people comparing these two are really asking whether a cheap, tiny Fluke can stand in for a full electrician's meter. For voltage and continuity it can. The moment a job needs amps, or a trustworthy AC reading on an electronic load, the answer flips, and no setting on the 101's dial changes that.

Fluke 117 vs 101 spec by spec

On the measurements both meters share, Fluke's figures sit close together: basic DC accuracy is 0.5% on each, and both read 600 V on a 6,000-count display. The real gaps are the functions one has and the other lacks, plus size, warranty and where you can buy them.

Why True RMS changes the AC reading

An average-responding meter rectifies the AC signal, takes the average and multiplies by 1.11, the ratio that converts average to RMS for a perfect sine. Feed it anything else and that factor is wrong. A True RMS meter like the 117 computes the heating value directly, so the shape of the wave doesn't matter within its rated crest factor. Fluke doesn't claim True RMS for the 101, so treat its AC readings on non-sine loads with caution.

Real loads are messier than a square wave. The current drawn by a switch-mode power supply or an LED driver comes in short, tall pulses, and an averaging meter tends to read those low rather than high. Either way, the error grows with distortion, which is why electricians who work around variable-speed drives and modern lighting insist on True RMS. On a plain incandescent or resistive heater circuit the two approaches agree.

Who each meter really suits

The 117 is a working electrician's tool. VoltAlert gives a quick no-contact hint that a cord or outlet is energized, AutoVolt picks AC or DC on its own, and the low-impedance input collapses the phantom voltages that capacitive coupling leaves on dead conductors in shared conduit. Add True RMS and 10 A current and it covers panel, branch-circuit and appliance work without a second meter.

The 101 makes sense in a narrower spot: a glovebox or drawer meter for someone who checks batteries, fuses, outlets and the odd signal. Its 100 kHz frequency range, duty cycle and diode test give it surprising reach on small electronics, and at 130 × 65 × 27 mm it fits a shirt pocket. What it won't do is tell you how much current a heater, motor or parasitic drain is pulling.

Fluke 117 vs 101: which is better for beginners?

It depends on what the beginner will measure first. Someone learning on batteries, fuses, cords and small electronics will find the 101 the simpler, more forgiving start. Someone whose first real job is house wiring, such as swapping receptacles or switches, should start on the 117, because its extras exist to catch the mistakes new users make on live circuits.

Ease of use. Both are auto-ranging per our Pick data, so neither asks a newcomer to pick a range, and both show 6,000 counts. The 101 adds a quieter advantage: it has only two input jacks. The classic first-meter accident is leaving the red lead in the amps jack after a current test and then probing an outlet, which puts a near-short across the supply through the meter. A two-jack meter can't be set up that way. The 117 has a separate A jack, so its owner has to learn to check lead placement before every voltage test, a habit worth building anyway.

Safety ratings. Here the two are equal: both are rated CAT III 600V, enough for receptacles, branch circuits and the inside of a panel, and neither is rated CAT IV for the service entrance. The 117 adds VoltAlert and a LoZ input, which help a beginner confirm a circuit is dead and avoid being fooled by phantom voltage; the lesson to learn alongside them is that a silent VoltAlert is not proof. The 101 has a published 1 m drop rating, which suits a meter likely to be knocked off a bench.

The numbers beginners read are forgiving. A fresh AA cell on the 101's 6.000 V range, where one count is 0.001 V, carries ±(0.5% + 3): 0.5% of 1.5 V is 0.0075 V, plus 0.003 V, so about ±0.011 V. The 117's DC spec is one count tighter. Either way, the error is roughly a hundredth of a volt, far finer than the gap between a fresh cell and a spent one. Accuracy is not what separates these meters for a beginner; the jobs they can and can't do are.

On cost, the 101 sits in the entry price tier and the 117 in the professional tier, so a beginner who may never touch building wiring pays for features they won't use with the 117. For the student row, compare Fluke 17B+ vs Fluke 101, and for a wider shortlist of first meters see our best multimeter for beginners guide.

Fluke 117 vs 101 for electrical troubleshooting

Troubleshooting building wiring is less about taking one reading than about ruling causes out in order: is power reaching the box, is the voltage real, does it hold under load, and what is the load drawing? The 101 can answer the first question with its leads. The 117 was designed around all four, and the table walks through common faults to show where each meter runs out of answers.

The ghost-voltage row is the one that trips people up. A conductor that is switched off but runs beside a live one in conduit can pick up enough coupled voltage to show tens of volts on a high-impedance meter like the 101. The 117's AutoVolt position puts roughly 3 kΩ across the leads. A genuine 120 V supply can push 120 / 3,000 = 0.04 A through that and keep its voltage; a coupled phantom can't, so its reading collapses toward zero. That single check settles whether a dead-looking circuit is open or still fed.

Current is the other dividing line. A tripping breaker or a warm cord usually means you need to know what the load draws, and only the 117 can tell you. Mind its limits, though: Fluke specifies a 10.00 A range, with an overload allowance of 20 A for no more than 30 seconds. A 1,500 W space heater on 120 V draws 1,500 / 120 = 12.5 A, so a reading like that should be brief, and a clamp meter is the better tool for sustained loads above 10 A. Our guide to why a circuit breaker keeps tripping lays out the full sequence.

Neither meter is rated for the service side of the panel. For meter-base and main-disconnect checks, see the CAT IV meters in our best multimeter for electricians guide.

Fluke 117 or 101: which should you buy?

Frequently asked questions