Fluke 287 vs Fluke 179: Which Is Better for Electronics Work?

Specs side by side

Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Desk research, not bench testing. How we research.

Key differences

• →Resolution: the 287's 50,000-count ranges show one more digit than the 179's 6,000 counts, so a 3.3 V rail reads in 0.1 mV steps instead of 1 mV.
• →DC accuracy: Fluke specifies ±(0.025% + 2) for the 287 and ±(0.09% + 2) for the 179, so the 287's error window on a 3.3 V rail is about five times narrower.
• →Microamps: the 287 has a 500 µA range resolving 0.01 µA with a published 102 µV/µA burden. The 179 has no µA range; its finest step is 0.01 mA, which is 10 µA.
• →Frequency and capacitance: the 287 reads to 999.99 kHz (the 179 to 100 kHz) and capacitance to 100 mF (the 179 to 10,000 µF, a tenth of that).
• →Logging: the 287 stores up to 10,000 time-stamped intervals and graphs them on the meter. The 179's Min/Max-Average keeps the extremes and the average, not when they happened.
• →Identical: True RMS, CAT III 1000V / CAT IV 600V, and a lifetime warranty. The 179 is lighter (420 g vs 871 g) and includes a thermocouple; neither has LoZ.

The short version for a bench

These are two different classes of meter that happen to share a brand, a safety rating and a warranty. The 179 is a 170 Series troubleshooting meter that also handles electronics; the 287 is a 280 Series instrument designed around electronics and logging. We haven't tested either on our bench, so every figure here is Fluke's, and the worked numbers below are arithmetic on those figures.

Resolution and DC accuracy on a logic rail

Counts decide the smallest change a meter can show; the accuracy line decides how far the display can be from the truth. Put both meters on a 3.300 V rail. The 287 measures it on its 5 V range (50,000 counts, so 0.1 mV per count) and Fluke allows 0.025% of reading plus 2 counts: 0.825 mV + 0.2 mV ≈ ±1.0 mV. The 179 uses its 6 V range (6,000 counts, 1 mV per count) with 0.09% plus 2 counts: 2.97 mV + 2 mV ≈ ±5.0 mV.

Does ±5 mV matter? For deciding whether a regulator is alive, no. It starts to matter when you compare two points on the same rail to find a voltage drop across a connector or trace, when you set a trimmer on a reference, or when you check an ADC input against its expected value. A 4 mV drop is inside the 179's window and well outside the 287's. Our explainer on multimeter accuracy for electronics repair walks through reading these spec lines for other ranges.

Microamps: the gap that decides it

Battery-powered electronics live and die by sleep current, and this is where the two meters stop being comparable. Take a sensor node that should sleep at 45 µA (an illustrative figure). On the 287's 500 µA range it reads to 0.01 µA, and Fluke's accuracy line allows 0.075% of reading plus 20 counts, about ±0.23 µA. The burden is 102 µV per µA, so the meter drops roughly 4.6 mV at 45 µA, which a 3 V coin-cell circuit tolerates.

The 179 has no microamp range. Its finest current step is 0.01 mA, so the same 45 µA shows as 0.04 or 0.05 mA. That can tell you the device is roughly asleep, but not whether firmware changes cut 45 µA to 38 µA, or whether a pull-up is leaking 3 µA. Our guide to measuring standby current covers the method, and best multimeters for measuring microamps ranks the meters that resolve it.

Capacitance, frequency and timing

Frequency reach matters for switching regulators, many of which run in the hundreds of kilohertz: the 287 can read them, the 179 runs out at 100 kHz. The 287 also lists duty cycle and pulse width, which help on PWM fan and LED lines; our sources don't list duty cycle for the 179, so treat it as not stated. On capacitance, both cover ordinary electrolytics and motor capacitors. The 287's 100 mF ceiling only pays off on supercapacitors and large bulk banks. For smaller parts, see how to test a capacitor with a multimeter.

Logging versus Min/Max-Average

Both meters can watch a signal while you're away, but they keep different records. The 179's Min/Max-Average holds three numbers: the lowest reading, the highest and the running average. If a 12 V supply sagged once overnight, you'd learn how low it went and nothing about when or how often. The 287 stores up to 10,000 sample intervals with a real-time clock, graphs them on its own screen, and moves them to a PC over its infrared link with FlukeView Forms. Fluke rates battery life at 100 hours minimum and 200 hours in logging mode on six AA cells.

Where the 179 is the better buy

The 287 is a bench instrument that weighs 871 g and runs on six AA cells. The 179 is 420 g on a single 9V battery and ships with a thermocouple, so it travels better and answers temperature questions without extra parts. Its -40 to 400 °C range covers heat sinks, regulators and HVAC air and line temperatures. The 287's meter range is far wider, -200 to 1350 °C excluding the probe, but our sources don't say which probe, if any, comes with it.

If your electronics work is a few repairs a week between industrial or HVAC calls, the 179 covers volts, resistance, capacitance and frequency well enough, and its extra resolution would mostly sit unused on a 287. How the 179 stacks up for that field work is in Fluke 117 vs Fluke 179 and Fluke 87V vs Fluke 179.

Which should you buy?

Skip the 287 if you mostly work on panels and motors, if you need a meter that rides in a pouch, or if you want LoZ (that's the 289; see Fluke 289 vs Fluke 287). Skip the 179 if microamps or logging are part of your regular work. If you're weighing the 287 against an electrician's meter instead, see Fluke 287 vs Fluke 117. Cheaper bench alternatives are in our best multimeters for electronics repair guide.

Frequently asked questions