Fluke Multimeter Buying FAQ: The 117, Fuses & Choosing a Tester Supplier

I manage purchasing for a 150-person industrial services firm. That makes me the person who figures out which Fluke multimeters to order, from whom, and what to do when something goes wrong. I've been in this seat since 2020—roughly five years of processing orders, vetting suppliers, and explaining to finance why test equipment costs what it costs.

Quick note before we get into it: the advice here comes from a purchasing perspective, not an engineering one. For spec-level decisions—like whether a meter meets a particular safety standard for your jurisdiction—you should talk to a qualified electrician or the manufacturer's technical team.

I'm not an electrician, so I won't pretend to have every technical answer. What I do know is the buying side: replacement fuses, distributor selection, OEM questions, and how to evaluate an electrical tester supplier without getting burned. These are the questions I hear most often from our techs and from other buyers.

1. Should we standardize on the Fluke 117?

It's the model we order most, and for good reason. The Fluke 117 is a True-rms multimeter with VoltAlert non-contact voltage detection and AutoVolt, which makes it a solid fit for general commercial electrical work. Fluke rates it at CAT III 600V / CAT IV 300V, and that covers most of what our facilities team runs into on a normal day.

But "standardize" doesn't mean "buy it for everyone without asking." Some of our technicians need data logging or higher current ranges, and that points to models like the 87V or the 289. I've made the mistake of buying in bulk before asking the actual users. The meters ended up sitting in a cabinet. Now I ask first.

From my seat in purchasing, the 117 is the safe default for general-purpose work. If your team's needs are more specialized, let them tell you before you commit. One thing I've learned: the cost difference between the 117 and a basic meter is small in absolute terms, but the reliability track record and warranty support are different. When your techs are working on live commercial panels, that difference matters.

2. How do I know if the fuse in a Fluke multimeter is blown?

This comes up more than you'd expect. If a meter can't measure current and shows OL on the amp setting, there's a good chance the internal fuse is blown. The Fluke 117 uses a single 11A 1000V fuse—Fluke part number 803293. When it goes, the current functions stop working until you replace it.

The fix is pretty straightforward: open the battery door (the fuse compartment is right there on the 117), pull the fuse, and test it with a continuity checker. I sent one out for repair thinking the meter was defective. It wasn't. It was a $20 fuse and a five-minute swap. These days I check the fuse before anything goes back for service. I also keep a couple spare 803293 fuses in the tool cabinet—costs next to nothing and prevents a lot of downtime. Small detail, but it's one of the reasons technicians don't complain when a 117 shows up as their replacement meter.

3. Why does a Fluke multimeter fuse cost more than a generic one?

Because it's a safety component, not just a conductor. Inside the meter, the fuse sits between the test leads and the measuring circuitry. If a fault current comes through the leads, the fuse has to open the circuit—fast—before the energy reaches the components or the user. An 11A fuse rated for 1000V has to interrupt that fault safely. Generic 11A fuses are often rated for 250V or 500V, which is a completely different specification.

A couple years ago, I swapped a blown fuse with a cheaper aftermarket one that had the same amperage. I told myself, what are the odds this actually matters? The dimensions were slightly off, it didn't seat properly, and the meter still read errors. The meter sat on a shelf for three weeks while we waited for the right part. Looking back, I do not recommend taking that shortcut to save a few dollars.

This is context-dependent advice. If you're working on low-voltage electronics, the fuse calculus is different. For industrial and commercial electrical work, stick with the correct fuse specs. It's a $20 part protecting a $400 meter—and the person holding the test leads.

4. What should I look for in a multimeter distributor?

Three things matter most to me:

• Genuine product. Counterfeit Fluke meters show up in online marketplaces more than people realize. An authorized distributor gives you traceability, and Fluke's warranty coverage depends on buying through authorized channels.
• Warranty handling. A distributor who processes warranty claims without a fight is worth a lot. I want someone who says "send it back, we'll handle it" instead of forwarding me to a support line and hoping for the best.
• Proper invoicing. A vendor with otherwise great prices sent us a handwritten receipt once. Finance rejected it, and I took the hit—$2,400 out of the department budget. Now I verify invoicing capability before placing any order.

Also, find a distributor who can admit what they don't know. If a supplier says, "I'm not sure, let me check with Fluke," that's a good sign. The one who claims to have every answer instantly is usually making some of them up.

Going with distributors who handle the paperwork correctly saved our accounting team a good chunk of time. I'd estimate we cut invoice-related follow-up from maybe 6 hours a month down to one.

5. What does "tester OEM" actually mean?

In the electrical tester space, OEM usually means a manufacturer producing meters under a private label, or building a custom device to a buyer's specification. A distributor might arrange OEM manufacturing for a large company that wants its own branded testers, or for a private-label product line.

In our case, we've never needed a private-label tester, but I've talked to enough distributors to know the term gets thrown around loosely. "OEM" sounds impressive in a sales meeting, but it doesn't mean much without real manufacturing capability behind it.

This gets into manufacturing territory, which isn't my expertise. What I can tell you from a buying perspective: real OEM programs involve spec sheets, quality-control agreements, and a traceable manufacturing partner. If someone says "we can do OEM" but can't show you the factory's qualifications or examples of past work, that's a red flag.

Our company buys genuine Fluke equipment because that's what our engineers trust. But if you're exploring OEM for other product lines, apply the same rigor: verify the factory, verify the specifications, and get everything in writing before you commit.

6. What should I look for in an electrical tester supplier?

After five years and maybe 20-plus supplier evaluations—closer to 25 if you count the ones that went nowhere—here's my shortlist:

• Can they confirm authenticity and traceability for every product they sell?
• Do they carry stock, or is everything a drop-ship with uncertain lead times?
• Can they answer basic questions about CAT ratings and model differences, or are they just kinda pushing whatever's in their catalog?
• Can they produce a proper commercial invoice on demand?
• Are they willing to say "I'll get back to you" instead of guessing?

We process somewhere around 60-80 orders a year for test equipment. The supplier who tells me, "this isn't our strength—here's a better resource for that," earns my trust for everything else. The one who says "we can get you anything" but can't answer a follow-up question? I don't call them back.

If you can, talk to the distributor's technical folks, not just the sales rep. The person who can explain the difference between CAT III and CAT IV without looking it up is worth their weight in gold.

You're not looking for a supplier who's perfect on paper. You're looking for one who's honest about what they can and can't do. That honesty saves you more time and money than any discount will.

Rebecca Sloan

Rebecca Sloan is a power distribution and protection analyst specializing in circuit breakers, switchgear, contactors, fuses, surge protective devices, and coordination. She applies IEC 60947-2 breaker requirements, IEC 60269 fuse characteristics, and IEC 61643-11 tests while examining rated voltage, breaking capacity, time-current curves, selectivity, and prospective short-circuit current. She helps engineers and buyers compare protective devices against documented fault levels, installation conditions, maintenance access, and continuity priorities.