COMPARISON · MULTIMETERS
Fluke 117 vs Milwaukee 2235-20 Clamp Meter
The Fluke 117 is the better single meter for voltage, resistance and fault-finding; the Milwaukee 2235-20 is the better tool for current. Both are True RMS, CAT III 600V and read AC and DC volts to 600 V plus resistance and continuity. The difference is current: the 117 measures it only in series and tops out at 10 A, while the 2235-20 clamps around a conductor and reads up to 400 A AC without opening the circuit. If you measure load current regularly, you'll want both.
By the OhmSavvy Research Team ·
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Fluke 117
4.8★★★★★The meter working electricians actually buy with their own money, not just the one brands push.
Milwaukee 2235-20
4.6★★★★★Skip the test leads entirely for current readings — clamp it on and read.
Specs side by side
| Fluke 117 | Milwaukee 2235-20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8★★★★★ | 4.6★★★★★ |
| Accuracy | True RMS | True RMS |
| Safety rating | CAT III 600V | CAT III 600V |
| Auto-ranging | Yes | Not stated by Milwaukee |
| Best for | Electricians, serious hobbyists | Quick current checks without disconnecting wiring |
| Type | Handheld digital multimeter | Clamp meter with test leads |
| AC current | 6 A and 10 A in series (20 A for 30 s max) | To 400 A AC through the jaw |
| DC current | 6 A and 10 A in series | No |
| Jaw opening | n/a | 1.0 in |
| Volts | 600 V AC/DC | 600 V AC/DC |
| Resistance / continuity | To 40 MΩ / beeper | Yes / yes (ranges not stated on product page) |
| Capacitance / frequency | To 9,999 µF / to 50 kHz | Not stated |
| Non-contact voltage | VoltAlert | Not stated |
| LoZ input | Yes, AutoVolt | Not stated |
| Light | Backlit display | Backlit display + LED work light |
| Battery | One 9V | Two AAA |
| Warranty | 3 years | Not stated on product page |
Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Fluke 117 is hands-on tested by OhmSavvy; the Milwaukee 2235-20 assessment is desk research. How we research.
Key differences
- →Current method: the 2235-20 reads AC current by clamping one conductor; the 117 has to be wired into the circuit in series.
- →Current range: the clamp reaches 400 A AC. The 117 stops at 10 A continuous (20 A for 30 seconds), so a 15 A or 20 A branch circuit under full load is beyond it.
- →DC current: only the 117 measures it. Milwaukee rates the 2235-20 for AC current only.
- →Both read AC and DC volts to 600 V, resistance and continuity, and both are True RMS and CAT III 600V.
- →The 117 adds VoltAlert non-contact detection, a LoZ AutoVolt position, capacitance and frequency; Milwaukee doesn't list these for the clamp.
- →The 2235-20 adds an LED work light and runs on two AAA cells; the 117 uses one 9V battery.
At a glance
Shared core
True RMS, CAT III 600V, 600 V AC/DC, resistance and continuity.
Clamp's job
AC load current to 400 A without touching or opening the circuit.
117's job
Fault-finding: NCV, LoZ for ghost voltage, capacitance and frequency.
Current ceiling
117: 10 A in series. 2235-20: 400 A AC around one conductor.
DC amps
117 only. The 2235-20 does not measure DC current.
Verdict
One tool for wiring work: 117. Regular load checks: add the clamp.
The Fluke 117 is one of the meters the owner has bought and used, hence its Hands-on Tested badge; the Milwaukee assessment is desk research against the maker's published specs. Full single-tool write-ups: the Fluke 117 review and the Milwaukee 2235-20 review.
Fluke 117 vs Milwaukee 2235-20 spec by spec
On voltage the two are the same tool: 600 V AC and DC, True RMS, CAT III 600V. Everything that separates them is about current, plus the electrician extras Fluke built into the 117.
Bars use a logarithmic scale: each step is ten times the last.
The 10 A ceiling matters more than it sounds. A 120 V branch circuit on a 20 A breaker can legitimately carry up to 16 A of continuous load under the common 80% rule, and a hair dryer or space heater at 1,500 W draws 1,500 ÷ 120 = 12.5 A. Neither can be read on the 117 except for a few seconds, and wiring a meter in series means switching off, opening a connection and exposing terminals. The clamp reads all of them through the jaw with the panel cover off and nothing disconnected.
How each tool measures current
A multimeter measures current by making the current flow through an internal shunt, so the circuit has to be broken and the meter inserted. A clamp meter's jaw is the core of a current transformer: alternating current in the conductor creates an alternating magnetic field, and the jaw converts that into a reading. That is also why an AC-only clamp like the 2235-20 can't see DC, which produces a steady field that a transformer-style jaw can't sense.
01
Open the panel
Dead-front off, PPE on
02
Pick one conductor
Hot or neutral, not both
03
Close the jaw
Conductor centered
04
Read amps
Compare with breaker rating
Clamp one wire, not the whole cable
Fluke 117 vs Milwaukee 2235-20: which should you buy?
| Job | Better tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Is this receptacle live? | Fluke 117 | VoltAlert first, then the leads; both read 600 V AC |
| Phantom voltage on an abandoned run | Fluke 117 | LoZ AutoVolt drains capacitive ghost voltage |
| Why does this breaker keep tripping? | Milwaukee 2235-20 | Reads the actual load current on the circuit |
| Motor or compressor amp draw | Milwaukee 2235-20 | Compares running amps with the nameplate without disconnecting |
| Run capacitor check | Fluke 117 | Capacitance to 9,999 µF; not stated for the clamp |
| Car or solar DC current | Fluke 117 (to 10 A) | The 2235-20 can't read DC amps |
| Continuity on a cable run | Either | Both list resistance and continuity |
| One tool on a tight budget | Fluke 117 | Covers more everyday electrical jobs |
For clamp technique, see our guide to measuring AC current with a clamp meter, and the clamp meter buying guide if you need DC amps too. Tripping breakers are covered step by step in why a circuit breaker keeps tripping.
Safety: the 10 A jack is the risky one
Choose the Fluke 117 if…
- ✓Most of your work is voltage checks, continuity and tracing wiring faults
- ✓You want VoltAlert non-contact detection and a LoZ position for ghost voltage in one meter
- ✓You need capacitance, frequency or small DC currents, which Milwaukee doesn't list for the clamp
Choose the Milwaukee 2235-20 if…
- ✓You check motor, compressor or feeder current and don't want to break the circuit
- ✓Your loads draw more than 10 A, beyond what the 117 can read
- ✓You want a backlit display and a built-in LED work light for dark panels
The bottom line
If you can own only one, the Fluke 117 covers more everyday electrical work: voltage, continuity, resistance, capacitance, NCV and a LoZ check. Add the Milwaukee 2235-20 when measuring load current becomes part of the job, because it reads to 400 A AC without opening anything. The two complement each other rather than compete.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Milwaukee 2235-20 measure resistance and continuity?+
Yes. Milwaukee ships it with a set of test leads and lists resistance and continuity alongside AC and DC volts to 600 V. What it doesn't list on the product page are capacitance, frequency, non-contact voltage or a LoZ input, which the Fluke 117 has. For basic continuity checks on a cable run, either tool works.
Can the Fluke 117 measure amps on a 20 A circuit?+
Only briefly. Its current input is rated 10 A continuous, with 20 A allowed for 30 seconds at most, and it must be wired in series. A 20 A branch circuit near full load exceeds that. A clamp meter such as the Milwaukee 2235-20 reads the same current around one conductor with nothing disconnected.
Does the Milwaukee 2235-20 measure DC current?+
No. It is rated for AC current up to 400 A. DC current produces a steady magnetic field that an AC-only clamp jaw can't sense; reading DC amps through a jaw requires a Hall-effect clamp. For DC amps up to 10 A in series, the Fluke 117 can do it.
Why does my clamp meter read zero on an extension cord?+
Because the jaw is around both the hot and neutral. Their currents flow in opposite directions, so the magnetic fields cancel and the meter sees almost nothing. Clamp a single conductor in the panel, or plug the load into a line splitter that separates the hot and neutral into a loop you can clamp.
Do electricians need both a multimeter and a clamp meter?+
Most carry both. A multimeter like the Fluke 117 handles the volts, continuity and fault-finding that fill most of a service call, with NCV and LoZ for safer, faster checks. A clamp like the 2235-20 answers the load question, how many amps a circuit or motor is drawing, without opening the circuit. Neither fully replaces the other.
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