MS8268 Digital AC/DC Auto/Manual Range Digital Multimeter Meter

I have had a digital Radio Shack Multimeter for many years and it works ok. What interested me in this meter is that it has extra functions like capacitance and hfe. In the past, I haven't really had much of a need for these functions but, over time, it has become harder to obtain parts like capacitors and transistors. Sure, you can order online for a dollar or two, but then you have to pay 6 to 8 dollars postage and wait. So, this meter could help me use some of the parts I've collected over 30 plus years. I don't think you can beat the price, not much more than a bottle of Jack Daniels. The quality is good, everything looks solid, and I'm very pleased so far with the functionality. It comes with batteries but just toss these and put in Duracells. I've had too many problems with off brand and "bunny" brand batteries leaking. The included test leads are pretty good and there is a test lead storage feature on the back that keeps the leads from just dangling when not in use. Interestingly, and perhaps helpful for us who are drinking Jack Daniels while testing, when you switch to a specific mode, the applicable "jacks" light up to make sure you're using the correct ones. The negative test lead was a little "loose". That is, you would have to "jiggle" it to get things to read correctly sometimes. The fix for this is pretty easy, just insert a small blade into the lead to "spread" the connector. Any good tech knows that you have to prove that the measurement equipment is working before you fault the test item. If there is one nit, it is the capacitance range, shown as "nfarads" or nanofarads. Most of us geeks use "microfards" or "picofarads". So, you have to mentally move the decimal point 3 places but not a big deal. I tested a few caps and they seemed to read ok. I don't have a need for absolute accuracy so precision is not a problem. I just want to know if the cap is good or bad and about the value expected. The meter does take a few seconds for the measurement to stabilize but this was not really a problem for me. The "stand" holds the meter at a convenient viewing angle.

In the middle of a power outage from Hurricane Sandy, the rusty governor spring on my generator finally broke leaving the engine running at idle. Fashioning a replacement spring and adjusting the generator output to 120 volts got us through the outage, but after it was over I wanted to set the governor more precisely to get exactly 60 Hz. I was planning to buy a dedicated panel-mount frequency meter but discovered that many multimeters now include a frequency function, and since the Mastech was under $30, I ordered it. It arrived two days later, a day faster than promised. My first impressions on opening the box were: 1) it's big, and 2) it's decent quality. The rotary dial and the pushbuttons click into place with authority, the case feels solid and doesn't flex, and the probes are heavy gauge wire. I ran through some AC and DC voltage and resistance checks; the results agree with my other meter though I don't have a NIST-traceable reference to test its absolute accuracy. House power frequency reads 59.96 Hz, as expected. The manual briefly describes the Cat II and Cat III safety standards the meter claims to meet - I have no way to verify compliance but it feels like it could take a beating in a lineman's toolbelt with no problem. A few minor observations that haven't been covered in other reviews: 1) It takes some effort to insert the probes the first time. I pushed until they felt fully seated, but there was still 1/4 inch of plastic sleeve exposed and the LED indicators didn't go out. The sockets are a standard size and the probes from my other meter went in smoothly all the way and extinguished the LEDs, so I forced the new probes all the way in. After that they are still stiffer than my old probes but no longer require excessive force. 2) The LCD display has a good viewing angle range in reflected light, but when using the backlight it is washed out when your eye is above 90 degrees from the display. The display contrast isn't user adjustable, but the default is fine from anywhere without the backlight and from below 90 degrees when using the backlight. 3) You can't set the backlight to stay on - it always fades out after 5 seconds from pressing the light button. But there is a display hold button, so if you are operating in a dim area you could capture the reading you want using hold and then light the display to read it. 4) There are two different ways of reading frequency. You can measure AC voltage or current using the function dial and then press the frequency button to cycle between voltage, frequency, and duty cycle. Or you can select frequency on the function dial and switch between frequency and duty cycle with the button. The manual indicates that the available ranges are different depending on whether the dial is set to voltage/current or to frequency, but either way works fine for 60 Hz power. 5) Other reviews said the beeper is weak; it sounds fine to me. But when using the continuity test function it has an odd stutter sound when making a connection - be-be-beeeeeeeep. Nothing to worry about, just an indicator that there is some electronics involved rather than a simple battery and beeper connected directly to the probes. All in all a great meter; far more than I expected. Other reviewers say "great meter for the money" but in my opinion it's a great meter, period. The Fluke 175 claims .15%+2 accuracy for DC volts and 1.0%+3 for AC volts; this meter claims .7%+2 DC and .8%+3 AC on most ranges which is more than I need. I'll still use my old multimeter most of the time because it is more compact to carry around (I posted a picture for size comparison with the Equus 3320 Auto-Ranging Digital Multimeter ). But it's nice to have the Mastech for when I need the extra features.

After doing a LOT of internet research I decided on this DMM since it had the most features for the best price, and the reviews were consistently good, except for a few very negative ones. First let me say that nearly every DMM on Amazon has at least some very negative reviews. It seems that no matter how well made a DMM is, there will always be some that are defective, or some users who don't know what they're doing and fly off the handle in rage in their review. Reading some of the negative reviews for this Mastech MS8268, it seems very likely to me that many of those reviewers didn't know how to properly use this particular DMM. Every DMM is slightly different, and even if you have experience with another brand and model, you may still have to read the directions for this one. Also because this one is so inexpensive many people may assume it is broken when actually they just aren't operating it correctly. If they spent $300 on an expensive model and it didn't work, they would be much more likely to read the manual better and assume they were doing something wrong. So there can be selection bias at work, especially if we've already read some negative reviews on the item. For instance, I initially thought the continuity function was broken because I'd read some reviews where others had that problem and mine wasn't giving the alert sound when I turned the dial to continuity and placed the leads together. Then I read the manual and found that I also had to press the select button to test for continuity. I did that and it worked perfectly. Also, the digital display will fluctuate wildly when the leads are not touching anything. This is normal. Also, when testing voltage be aware that this meter is auto-ranging, so it will automatically display a reading anywhere from volts to millivolts. In other words, you may test a 9v battery and get a reading of 300.21 You may wonder how a 9v battery could possibly have 300 volts! But if you look more closely you will notice that the volts has changed to millivolts. In other words the battery is so dead that there isn't even a single full volt left in it and the meter is only picking up 300 millivots left in the cell. Basically what I'm saying here is you may want to be careful and patient and educate yourself on using DMMs in general and this one in particular before you create and unnecessary hassle for yourself by returning this one as a piece of junk. There are lots of good video tutorials on Youtube for learning how to use a DMM. I recommend taking some time with them and also reading the manual for this one if you run into problems. If all of that fails, then maybe you truly do have a defective one. Mine however is working perfectly for testing continuity and voltage in both AC and DC. Build quality seems indistinguishable from other professional quality tools I have used. I'm very pleased with this purchase and recommend it to others.

I purchased this multimeter for general use around the house and on my car. I purchased it because of good reviews online. Personally, I've found some good and bad things about it. The meter has most of the functions of similarly devices in the same price range.The auto ranging function is also very convenient and works nearly instantly. However, the feature I like the best is that depending on the setting you choose, the ports will flash and beep telling you if you're in the wrong ports. This is extremely convenient as I don't have to try to figure out which ports I'm supposed to be connected to or wonder if I'm getting correct values. There are a couple of negatives I've found when using this meter. Firstly, it is extremely large, about 50% larger than most other devices (see photo), so it definitely takes up much more room and makes it less portable. Also, I've found that sometimes the voltage function doesn't read correctly unless I remove and reinsert the probes. I initially thought that I had dead batteries on my hands until I figured out that the reading was just wrong. I've learned to keep an eye out for it so I don't make the mistake again, but it would have been nice if it didn't have that flaw. Other than that though, I haven't really had any issues. The meter works well and is perfectly accurate for everything around the house and in my car.

If you're an electrician or in a trade that requires using a multimeter regularly THEN THIS REVIEW IS NOT FOR YOU! In fact, I'm very curious to know why you're even considering this multimeter in the first place! For the rest of you, I'm giving this multimeter FIVE stars since it meets all my requirements: well constructed and designed for units costing well under $100. If I was shopping for a diamond in rough (that is a unit around the $250 price range that cost under $100) and decided on this unit then yes I would be very disappointed... but I'm NOT, I'm looking for a unit under $100 and found this little gem! Did my research on multimeter pricing and found the MS8268 on Amazon to BE THE BEST DEAL on the web not just Amazon! I was shocked at the price and amazed how many features it had for a multimeter under $250... met all my requirements and more in what I was looking for. The only issue or concern I had now was does it really work! After receiving it I looked it over inside and out making sure nothing was missing, broken or just designed bad. Everything looked in place didn't find any issues what so ever. Ran several tests on the accuracy in all the settings and I'm happy to say this MS8268 multimeter performed like a $150 unit! Everything I threw at it worked without any problems. Large backlit display and feels strong for a multimeter for under $150 and in my humble opinion it's designed and built well! The test leads alone should be WORTH THE PRICE of the unit, they are well insulated and from the feel may infact be made of a high quality silicone, rubber combination that you'll only find in units costing well over $150. NOW it's not made in the US like the Fluke brands (I doubt they're still made in this country anyway) but it's designed and constructed well from the case to the electronics. If you plan on using this unit everyday then you'll want an industry proven multimeter like a Fluke model, BUT if you're like me who needs a reliable multimeter that offers so much (bang for your buck) testing around the house from AC to DC to automobile or motorcycle component testing AND only need it every now and then, then this multimeter is a STEAL! Infact, you should grab one as long as they are giving this unit away so cheap! Let me end by saying, I'm very happy and satisfied with my purchase... thank you again Amazon for such a low priced item, and thanks again for the free shipping too!

The Good Backlight- Stays on for only 5 seconds then shuts off to save battery, only way to keep light on longer is to keep the light button pressed. Also has auto-shutoff after 15 min. Quality- Nice design and construction. Has brass or metal screw retainers so they don't strip out like the soft plastic ones, when taken apart to change batteries. Nice kickstand. Safety- Quality test leads, mine came with a cat 4 rating which I did not expect. Fused with a resettable and a ceramic 10A fuse. Warning sound and light if probes are in the wrong socket when trying to measure something, which makes it hard to blow out a fuse by accident. I found it to be pretty accurate on DCV, ACV, DCA, DCmA, Resistance, Continuity sound is nice and loud, Capacitor- I saw another review that said it did not read over 10uF, it may be because it takes longer to read higher caps, for example when I tested a 120uF cap it took about 25-30 seconds to display a reading, but only took about two seconds to display a 10uF. The diode function was flaky at first using the same infrared LED, but now works every time. Uses regular AAA batteries. The only con I have found is that it sometimes does not turn-on at first attempt, but always works when tried for a second time. Though in the last few days it has been very good at turning on at first attempt. I'm not sure if it's a common issue or just mine. This is the cheapest in price Auto-range meter that I have seen, has functions that other similar or even more expensive meters don't have. If you are new to DMM's this one I believe is the best one to choose, before moving on to the more accurate and expensive ones.

I'm reviewing this multimeter as a complete novice. I've never owned one before. But I've always wanted one but I also didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I'm only going to use once a year or so. So based on reviews and a link from Youtube, these are my observations about this multimeter; hope it helps someone like me who's looking for one. First of all, the thing came in a box with a different picture on it and a different model number printed on the front. I didn't want to to be accused of opening and damaging the unit so I contacted Amazon and a replacement was sent out immediately. KUDO's to the seller. They sent it out the next day and I was very please with their service. Lo and behold, when I get the replacement, it's the same thing! I call customer service and they ask me to open it (DUH, my bad) and I finally see a small sticker on the side of the box that states the correct model number. I open it up and voila, it's the correct model that is listed and the one that I bought. WHY IN THE WORLD does the manufacturer sell this thing in an incorrect box? So if you order this, look for the little sticker and open the box before trying to send it back. Okay, now on to the meter itself. Okay. I get it. It's under thirty bucks. It's cheap. But OMG, the build itself is crappy. The green rubber case that you see around the shell of this meter didn't even sit right. It bulged in certain areas and it just looked cheap. Now on to the workings...I read someone else's review about this problem so I'm guessing it's not an isolated incident. I had to constantly turn the thing on and off to get it to read. I would put it on a continuity test (no sound) and test something and it would work fine. I would then test another item right after the first item and lo and behold, no reading. I had to switch it back off and on and then it would read fine again. This was the deal breaker for me. Also to swtich from function to function, like from ohm reading with no sound, to one with sound, I would have to shut it off and on again to get it to read. I confirmed with my friend, who is a licensed electrian, and he said it's not supposed to do that. It's supposed to read right off the bat and swtich from function to function without having to shut it on and off...had to make sure it wasn't just me. Of course to be fair, he has a fluke and he recommended that I buy one...ha ha ha So needless to say, I'm returning this item and spending the extra money and probably getting the Klein model. Yeah, it cost about double but I think it's worth it instead of having to fiddle with this thing everytime I need a reading. Of course I would love to buy a Fluke, but realistically, I won't use it to make it worth the money. So there you have it. Maybe I got a lemon. I don't know, but either way, I hope this review will help those of us do it yourselfers in picking a multimeter. There are a lot of positive reviews and I honestly wanted it to work but I'm not in the mood to waste my time in trying another one to see it works better.

I was expecting only moderate build quality and performance from this meter, and to my surprise my expectations were greatly exceeded. The meter is packaged very well for safe shipping, and includes a set of thick, durable feeling probes with protective end covers on both ends - a very nice touch. The meter itself is hefty, thick plastic with rubber bumpers on the ends; it's made to survive in the field and feels like a much more expensive product in my hands. It might be a little big if you have small hands, but that's about the only negative as far as fit and finish goes. The light function is nice in that it goes off automatically after a few seconds, too, so there's no need to worry about draining the batteries accidentally leaving the light on. It also has a warning beep about 10 seconds before powering off due to inactivity, and another beep when it powers off entirely. The box is pictured in Chinese, but the actual packaging I received was in English, as was the instruction manual included printed in English only. Not one of those gimmick instructions that doesn't help much, listing two pages of quick functions in every language. It's a good translation, too, that never left me scratching my head wondering what they were talking about. It also came with 3 x AAA batteries to get up and running immediately. They're cheap batteries, but I'm sure they'll last a while. I checked the calibration against my Keithley 2015 6.5-Digit multimeter and it agreed across the ranges. Capacitance and frequency worked well, too. No surprises! Auto-ranging is very nice, and gets there eventually - my only complaint is that it's a little slow to complete the auto-ranging. Manual ranging is selected on screen, though, so for faster measurements in a known range you can pre set it and get to work. Of course, a Fluke would be a bit better of an instrument, but for the price this one can't be beat. I own two, in fact, to take multiple simultaneous readings. Highly recommended.

I purchased this since my original analog version of 30 years plus broke, purchased it by a simple recommendation for its price point and features it is great works great and does the job packed with great features the question is how long it will last? But I do recommend it so far.

good one

This meter does 95% of what I need it for (I build and repair guitar amps and pedals) and WAS a good value when I bought it in 2020 compared to many others. The only thing I've noticed it struggles with at times is accurately measuring very low capacitance values (picofarads). I have had this meter for 3 years and it has proven to be a solid, reliable tool. However, like many things, the price has almost tripled since I bought it so I would no longer consider it good value.

Outstanding. Very high quality build.

Even though running on 3 triple-a's is weird for a DMM, this unit works just fine. The auto-ranging makes work stupid easy. I love the NCV and continuity checking functions. If you're not a sparky or a refer mechanic, this is a great value option.