COMPARISON · MULTIMETERS
Fluke 175 vs Fluke 179: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
The upgrade from a Fluke 175 to a Fluke 179 is worth it if you measure temperature, because that is the one function the 179 adds that the 175 cannot do at all, and the 80BK probe comes in the box. The other two gains, a backlit display and DC volts accuracy of ±(0.09% + 2) instead of ±(0.15% + 2), are also available one step down on the Fluke 177. Everything else on Fluke's two spec sheets is the same: True RMS AC volts and amps, 1000 V, 10 A, 50 MΩ, 10,000 µF, 100 kHz, CAT IV 600V, the 420 g case and a lifetime warranty. If you never need a temperature reading, the 179 mostly buys convenience.
By the OhmSavvy Research Team ·
Disclosure: OhmSavvy earns a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. How we're funded.
Fluke 179
4.7★★★★★Fluke's do-everything bench-and-field meter: CAT IV 600V, True RMS, temperature and a 6,000-count display with bar graph.
Fluke 175
4.5★★★★★The entry 170-series Fluke: True RMS volts and amps to 10 A, CAT IV 600V and a lifetime warranty, minus the 177's backlight.
Specs side by side
| Fluke 179 | Fluke 175 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7★★★★★ | 4.5★★★★★ |
| Accuracy | True RMS | True RMS, ±(0.15% + 2) DC V |
| Safety rating | CAT III 1000V / CAT IV 600V | CAT III 1000V / CAT IV 600V |
| Auto-ranging | Yes (manual override) | Yes (manual override) |
| Best for | Industrial maintenance, electronics, HVAC | General electrical and electronic repair |
| Temperature | −40 °C to 400 °C, ±(1.0% + 10), 0.1 °C res | None |
| Temperature probe | 80BK included | None |
| Backlight | Yes | No (177 and 179 only) |
| Display count | 6,000, analog bar graph | 6,000, 33-segment bar graph |
| DC volts | ±(0.09% + 2), 1000 V | ±(0.15% + 2), 1000 V |
| AC volts, True RMS | ±(1.0% + 3), 1000 V | ±(1.0% + 3), 1000 V |
| Current | 0.01 mA res to 10 A; no µA range | 0.01 mA res to 10 A; no µA range |
| Resistance / capacitance | 50 MΩ / 10,000 µF | 50 MΩ / 10,000 µF |
| Frequency | ±(0.1% + 1), 100 kHz | ±(0.1% + 1), 100 kHz |
| Recording | Hold, Auto Hold, Min/Max-average | Hold, Auto Hold, Min/Max-average |
| Battery | 9 V, about 200 h without backlight | 9 V, about 200 h |
| Size / weight | 43 × 90 × 185 mm, 420 g | 43 × 90 × 185 mm, 420 g |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Desk research, not bench testing. How we research.
Key differences
- →Temperature is the only new function: the 179 reads −40 °C to 400 °C at ±(1.0% + 10) with 0.1 °C resolution, and Fluke packs the 80BK probe with it. The 175 has no thermocouple input.
- →The 179 has a backlit display; Fluke's 170 Series specifications put the backlight on the 177 and 179 only, not the 175.
- →DC volts: ±(0.09% + 2) on the 179 against ±(0.15% + 2) on the 175, a percentage term 40% smaller.
- →Display: both read to 6,000 counts with a 33-segment bar graph, but only the 179 is backlit (per Fluke's 170 Series specifications).
- →Identical on both: True RMS AC, every current, resistance, capacitance and frequency line, CAT III 1000V / CAT IV 600V, size, weight, battery and lifetime warranty. Neither has a µA range; both stop at 0.01 mA.
- →Fluke's 179 page has internal conflicts (9,999 µF, 400 °F and a µA entry in its comparison table). We follow its spec table, which matches the 175 and 177 pages.
What the extra money actually buys
An upgrade is only worth paying for if you will use what it adds. Going from the 175 to the 179 adds three things and changes nothing else, so the useful question is how often each one would come up in your week. The table below sets out each addition, the kind of buyer it helps and the kind who would never notice it.
| What the 179 adds | Helps most | Easy to skip if… |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature, −40 to 400 °C, 80BK probe | HVAC, motor and maintenance techs | You own a thermometer or never check heat |
| Backlit display | Panels, attics, crawlspaces, footwells | You work at a lit bench or outdoors by day |
| 0.09% DC volts (vs 0.15%) | Checking regulated supplies to a tolerance | Your DC work is batteries and controls |
The 179 is also OhmSavvy's higher-rated meter of the two (4.7 against 4.5), but neither has been hands-on tested by us; both scores come from desk research against Fluke's published specifications, and the worked numbers on this page are arithmetic on those specs, not measurements.
The 170-series ladder: stop at the rung you need
Fluke builds the 175, 177 and 179 on one platform, and each model is the one below it plus something. That makes the decision a ladder rather than a head-to-head. In price terms the 175 is the entry rung, the 177 sits in the middle and the 179 is the top; we don't quote figures because they change weekly.
The practical consequence: if the backlight or the DC spec is what draws you away from the 175, the 177 delivers both, and the jump to the 179 is then purely about temperature. Our Fluke 175 vs 177 page covers that first step in detail, and Fluke 177 vs 179 covers the second. Skipping straight from the 175 to the 179 only makes sense when you know you want the thermometer.
Fluke 175 vs 179 differences in DC accuracy
Both meters quote DC volts as a percentage of the reading plus two counts, on the same 6,000-count display. With the count term identical, the whole difference sits in the percentage term. Here it is for readings that span low-voltage electronics to a high-voltage DC string:
| DC reading | 175: 0.15% of reading | 179: 0.09% of reading | 179 tighter by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 V logic supply | ±4.95 mV | ±2.97 mV | 1.98 mV |
| 13.8 V float charger | ±20.7 mV | ±12.4 mV | 8.3 mV |
| 120 V DC bus | ±0.18 V | ±0.11 V | 0.07 V |
| 600 V DC solar string | ±0.90 V | ±0.54 V | 0.36 V |
Read the gap against the job. A 13.8 V float charger that should sit between, say, 13.5 V and 14.1 V gives you hundreds of millivolts of margin, so the 8 mV difference between the two meters is irrelevant. It starts to count when the thing you are checking has its own tight limit, such as a 3.3 V rail specified to ±1% (±33 mV), where the meter should be several times better than the limit. Both meters pass that test; the 179 simply passes it with more room. For the reasoning behind that rule of thumb, see multimeter accuracy for electronics repair. The 3.3 V and 13.8 V limits here are illustrative examples, not specifications for any particular product.
Temperature: the only upgrade the 177 can't give you
The 179's thermocouple function reads from −40 °C to 400 °C at ±(1.0% + 10). At 0.1 °C resolution the ten counts are a fixed 1.0 °C, so at typical HVAC and maintenance temperatures the allowance is a little over one degree from the meter alone:
| Illustrative reading | 1.0% part | 10-count part | Meter allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 °C supply air | 0.13 °C | 1.0 °C | ±1.13 °C |
| 24 °C return air | 0.24 °C | 1.0 °C | ±1.24 °C |
| 65 °C motor frame | 0.65 °C | 1.0 °C | ±1.65 °C |
The probe adds its own error on top, and our pages disagree on its limit: the Fluke 87V vs 179 comparison lists the 80BK as covering −40 °C to 260 °C, while our 177 vs 179 page notes that Fluke's 179 page doesn't state the probe rating. Either way, read the markings on your probe before you press it against anything near the meter's 400 °C ceiling.
Who doesn't need the thermometer
Backlight and battery: the daily-use difference
The backlight is the upgrade you notice on day one and every day after. A 175 owner reading a meter inside an unlit service panel holds a flashlight in one hand and a probe in the other; a 179 owner presses a key. Fluke gives the same battery note for both meters, about 200 hours from one 9 V cell, and qualifies the figure as "without backlight" even on the 175's page. Fluke doesn't say how much a lit display costs in hours, so if you leave the 179's light on, expect to replace the cell sooner than the headline figure suggests.
The display itself is not an upgrade. Fluke's 170 Series specifications give all three models the same 6,000-count readout with a 33-segment bar graph and 0.1 mV best DC resolution; the backlight is the only display difference, and it comes with the 177 and 179.
What the 179 still won't do
Paying for the top of the 170 series doesn't buy every feature. These gaps are shared by the 175 and the 179, so stepping up won't fix them:
- No microamp range. Both stop at 0.01 mA (10 µA), too coarse for a furnace flame sensor running a few microamps. Fluke's 179 comparison table lists µA, but the spec table doesn't, and we follow the spec table.
- No LoZ or non-contact voltage. For ghost-voltage checks and a built-in tester, see Fluke 117 vs 179.
- No drive filter or peak capture. Fluke lists neither, which is why VFD work points to the 87V.
- No automotive modes. Neither lists duty cycle, RPM or pulse width; our Fluke 88V vs 179 page covers what a vehicle-focused Fluke adds.
Which should you buy?
| Your situation | Best rung | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC service and installs | Fluke 179 | Temperature splits and probe included |
| Plant maintenance with motor checks | Fluke 179 | Bearing and frame temperatures in the same meter |
| Electrician working dim panels | Fluke 177 | Backlight without paying for a thermometer |
| Bench electronics, good light | Fluke 175 | 0.15% DC is ample; nothing else changes |
| Owner of a clamp meter with temperature | Fluke 175 or 177 | Don't buy temperature twice |
| Checking supplies against tight limits | Fluke 177 or 179 | 0.09% DC leaves more margin |
| Flame-sensor microamps | Neither | No µA range on any 170-series model |
For the meters these two compete with across brands, see our best multimeters roundup, and HVAC buyers should also read the best multimeter for HVAC technicians guide.
Safety: the upgrade doesn't change the rating
Choose the Fluke 179 if…
- ✓You take supply-air, pipe, motor-frame or heat-sink temperatures often enough that a second instrument is a nuisance
- ✓You want the backlight and the tighter DC spec as well, in one purchase
- ✓You buy a meter to keep for decades and would rather not wish later that it read temperature
Choose the Fluke 175 if…
- ✓Your work is volts, amps, ohms, capacitance and frequency, never temperature
- ✓You already own a thermometer, an IR gun or a clamp meter with a thermocouple input
- ✓You read the meter in good light and 0.15% DC accuracy already exceeds what your jobs ask for
The bottom line
The Fluke 179 is worth the upgrade from the 175 if you will use its temperature function: it is the only addition you can't get from the cheaper 177, and the 80BK probe is included. If you only want the backlight or the tighter 0.09% DC spec, the 177 gives you both for less. If you work in good light and never measure temperature, the 175 reads every electrical quantity the 179 does, with the same CAT IV 600V rating and lifetime warranty.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Fluke 175 vs 179 differences?+
Per Fluke's spec pages, the 179 adds three things: a temperature function from −40 °C to 400 °C with an 80BK probe included, a backlit display, and DC volts accuracy of ±(0.09% + 2) against the 175's ±(0.15% + 2). Fluke also states 6,000 counts for the 179 but no count for the 175. Every other published spec, including safety ratings and warranty, matches.
Is the Fluke 179 worth it over the 175?+
It is if you take temperature readings regularly, because that is the one function the 179 adds that the cheaper Fluke 177 lacks. If you want only a backlight or tighter DC accuracy, the 177 covers both for less. If neither matters and you work in good light, the 175 does the same electrical measurements as the 179.
Is the Fluke 179 more accurate than the 175?+
On DC volts only. Fluke lists ±(0.09% + 2) for the 179 and ±(0.15% + 2) for the 175, so on a 13.8 V reading the percentage term is about ±12 mV against ±21 mV. AC volts, AC and DC current, resistance, capacitance and frequency carry identical accuracy lines on both meters.
Can you add temperature to a Fluke 175?+
No. Fluke lists no thermocouple function for the 175, so plugging a probe into it won't give a temperature reading. Your options are a separate thermometer, a clamp meter with a temperature input, or a meter that has the function built in, such as the 179, which ships with the 80BK probe.
Do the Fluke 175 and 179 have the same battery life?+
Fluke quotes about 200 hours from one 9 V alkaline cell for both and qualifies the figure as without backlight. The 175 has no backlight listed, so its figure is what you get; on the 179, using the backlight will shorten it by an amount Fluke doesn't state. Both are the same 420 g, 43 × 90 × 185 mm case.
Can the Fluke 175 or 179 test a flame sensor?+
Not reliably. Both list 0.01 mA (10 µA) as their finest current step and have no microamp range in Fluke's spec tables, while flame-sensor currents are typically a few microamps. Fluke's 179 comparison table does mention µA, which conflicts with its spec table. For flame sensors, choose a meter with a 0.1 µA range.
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