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Just a couple of minor corrections: the "FM" designation is short for "Fluke Militarized". Also, the low-current input is 320 milliamps - (not 3200). Lastly, the fuse cover isn't to keep the fuses from "vibrating out and coming loose" (although it MAY do that as well); it's to insulate the contacts of the fuse holders from being shorted against the 9V battery's shell (and bypassing the fusing).

It's the magic Fluke TouchHold. It detects stable readings and latches, and also auto re-arms.

Just scored one on eBay myself from a guy selling them from the Philadelphia area. US here. Anyway, thanks for the rundown. You did a great job and you are a natural! Beauty!

I just scored a NOS 27CE, all-yellow, in a case with 2 HV probes and the 85RF RF probe. USMC vintage, never issued, but of course it got a calibration with associated paperwork. And despite being all-yellow, it's got a CAT III rating.

Hi Dave, Yet another very nice video! Thanks! I think I will pick one of these up, just a cool piece of history.

You REALLY have to post some video of your entire Fluke collection!

Score indeed! Could resell on ebay for much more, but worth keeping.

I can't believe how much better the contrast and readability is on the display compared to my brand new 87V.

that thing costs 200dollars in used state here in Serbia , unbelievable but true

I bought mine at a pawn shop for $80 USD. It's an amazing multimeter!!! Thanks for the video!

I picked up an ex military Fluke 25 on ebay, really good meter mutch better than a new cheap brand one, as long as you like the olive green mod colour. Although it had a poor lcd display, very faint when I got it. I disassembled the LCD display and cleaned both sides of the rubber connector strip and LCD display contacts and board contacts with an alcohol wipe and then reassembled it. Now the display is back to a nice dark black again and easy to read.

Great Vid! Just bought one brand new after I watched your video.

It sure is! the 260 was the one I used to use also. It was an older series. It may be analog, but it's so accurate!

The 8060A is a great meter!

Had a FLUKE 27/FM back in my Army days in the late 1980's. These things are built like tanks as Dave has shown in his review. Made me just buy one on Ebay for $60 with the case and high voltage probe.

No, because the schematic is publicly downloadable on their website.

I have a Simpson 260(series 6) that my father bought new,way back when. Great meter!

I just scored a Fluke 27 in all charcoal color for $10.00 US at an estate sale! I got a Fluke 73 III for $5.00 with it! The 27 is in near mint condition, in the box with the original leads, manual and warranty card. It doesn't have the CAT rating, so I opened it up and can date it to sometime after the 39th week of 1988. With the exception of the display board, very close to the FM version you showed us here.

I guess I'm a meter nerd 🤓 I find myself watching all these meter tear downs lol keep it up !

I bagged an as-new ex MoD Fluke 25 a while back, was still in calibration when I got it too! But seeing as I work in the same cal lab I can re-calibrate it whenever I want anyway :)

The original micro is a "Fluke" labeled part, with some minor board revisions. All of them, even the newer TI boards are interchangeable. I've taken my late board (like the one Dave shows) and installed it in a real oldy - and vice versa.

Haha, we still have one of these things in our electronics lab. I wonder how long it's been there?

Recently bought one from Craigslist for 50 bucks brand new in box with all the paper work that came with it, also still had the twist tie on the leads

I still have an original model 27 that's been in my possession since about 1985 or about 30 years. It is the solid yellow model and has three fuses: 20A, 3A and 630mA. My 20A fuse is blown so I don't use that range of current but other than that it still function pretty much as it did the day I got it. I also have a Fluke 85 that's probably 25 years old or there abouts and is 100% functional.

Grabbed a Fluke 27/FM (US Army version) from a local military surplus store for $25!! Battery still works and it has a recent 2011 calibration sticker! Score :)

$40?? How the hell did you manage that? I was going to get a Fluke 17B until I saw this, then I remembered why I really want a Fluke; To be able to say "That's not a multimeter, THIS [bangs 27FM on table making 17B leap in the air] is a multimeter!" (PS: I blame this video for making the eBay prices go up...)

Excellent video. This meter is a tank and it have many useful measurements BUT the only think that kills this multimeter is that it doesn't measure capacitance.

Hi Dave, I have the all yellow Fluke 27 and I bought it new in 1989. Still works great but I guess calibration is a little over due.

I picked up a Fluke 25 EX-RAF stock from ebay for 28quid recently with case and leads.

Old is Gold.

Do you think Fluke will pull IP protection issue again, as with that 189 II video when you showed schematics in the video?

I have a HP 427A that I put about 30 AA batteries in, it should exceed 1000 hours, but that's not exactly sold on the markets today.

Great video! what multimeter would you recommend for capacitance measurement?

I think FM stands for Factory Mutual, not For Military. Factory Mutual does intrinsic safety ratings for products used in hazardous environments. This is similar to the Ex rating though from a different rating organization. Fluke does have current products that are advertised as FM rated.

This was the last one that sold for 40 bucks on E-Bay.... but what a score.

Hey Dave how does the hold function work on this meter?

Hey, could you do a video on power electronics? Like maybe on motor controllers, DC-DC converters, or some other high power device? Also, perhaps you could explain why very few EE's go to the power engineering design route. It seems they all want to be digital designers, RF designers, or analog designers. Any reason why?

If you don't mind black instead of yellow, the prices are still OK. Same on the inside. Thanks a lot, Dave, yellow is my favorite color.

Warranty void if seal broken? Screw that! That should be on a T-Shirt.

👍 gotta love it!

Nice vidNice my dad still has his fluke 73 :D

There is something elegant in an instrument that does not fault by more than 1 least sig digit. Not a norm with 50000 count handheld meters.

They are the serial haters. I get dislikes within minutes of uploading a video, they haven't even watched it yet! Others will dislike any video that is not on a topic that they like.

I don't have a Simpson meter. I have a Triplett 630NA

You just raised the prices on eBay !

Damn I want to buy a fluke so much right now.

Is it bad to switch the meter while it is connected to a active circuit, I have seen so many people do it and would think it would damage the meter.

19:52 -- No, that means the second January of 2004. :P

9 years later I finally picked one up for 30 euros :)

Just picked up a 27/FM meter on eBay for $50 shipped.

Much better built than my Extech Dick Smith Electronics clone Multimeter

Give it a big "thumbs forward!"

still waiting for that Mantis Elite review ....

I just scored one for 25usd. Looks brand new. 👌

Fluke is the only meter to have if you have to carry one out to the job..these meter can take a lot of abuse. they have good protection I thought we blew ours one day but just open it up and replace the large resistor inside, its like a fuse. order it from fluke.

What a beaut!

geez i got a fluke23 i use every day . didn't know i was using a stone age multimeter. can you point me in the direction of the best, most recent one you suggest , please. and no i have never had a problem with this one. it has always worked good for me . if you would like to do a tear down , i might consider sending it to you. :D

How would this one compare to the chinese Fluke 17B? Is it worth trying to find one of these or better just pay $100 and get a 17B?

I'm shocked through test probe and HV transformer in microwave. My fluke27 always beep diode settings and cannot read accurate voltage etc..

nice find on ebay Dave you little ripper..

I just bought a Fluke 25 from ebay for £40 . The thing is bomb proof, water proof , accurate as hell , beautifully made . With the price of these things , anyone buying a cheap chinese meter when these can be had for so little is crazy . The age doesnt matter , it will out live me buy a long long way . I use it for motorcycle building so only really for ohms and voltage so its a perfect meter for me . Dont buy chinese shite , but an old fluke and you`ll never have to buy another .

@26:37 that digital section looks a lot like a hitachi 4 bit display interface.

No, not unless the meter is designed poorly.

I can't test the big fuse 20A and the next

Dave,what did the people that clicked dislike, expect from a multimeter teardown?? Regards.

I don't see him selling any more? "rickthompson602t"

Dave! you turned it on first again!! what on earth is going on? lol

Nah, it's a keeper!

MY FLUKE 27 IS GREATE

Everything but Dave-proof? ;)

Wow ,ONLY $40 ,what a bargain,worth a lot more.

Great sturdy meters. Waterproof? No. Water "resistant" applies.

12:05 ❤😆

engineers they like taking things apart and see how to make it better. Us techs take things apart to fix them. anyway Dave is an ok guy.

And it's the product's lifetime, not yours. (as defined by Fluke as 7 years past the date of last manufacture, or 10 years, whichever is greater. Don't quote me, that's from memory, but it's close)

In case this wasn't a joke: It's called "Nano Siemens" :-)

Going to torture test this one, too?

8:08 Sure it wasn't Dave proof...

Hello Thanks I appreciate your teaching. I need a cheap but good quality multimeter with MinMax function for a car batteri health and status test. Using this Multimeter as a very elementary “DIY” Person on the car's electric and electronics parts also diagnostic of car batteri state starter + Alternator test my measurement of the charging status “ Ripple “ test & reading Ripple ( Max AC Current leak ) from alternator to car batteri. I don’t wanna spend too much on a multimeter * which there is almost no le amidst on how high one can spend on a multimeter so my question is “ Please give me few example of reasonable priced Multimeter for “ DIY beginers ” to have a multimeter Quality enough to the task, without spending a unessary money on the Multimeter just for doing basic work on the car. Thanks a lot - I appreciated very much if get answer sooner. Sincerely Parsa

oh hi

A retro meter back then when fluke is made in usa

The dislike functioanlity is somwwhat overloaded by youtube. IN addition to saying "this is a bad video" you also need to use it fairly liberally to make the youtube recommendation system work at all well. At least that used to be the case, I don't use the recommendation system, so don't keep up with such things.

That's the stuff of wet dreams! lol. Do you have the old Simpson meter?

Can you please do a comparison between the FLUKE 28II and the ever so closely resembled (but "New") FLUKE 87V MAX? Many thanks from all of us who suspect they have taken the same meter and only changed the drop rating to reflect one more additional meter. Cheers!

Solder fillet @ 13:45 looks cracked from here...

Big, chunky, and ugly. Yet still is durable as hell. Kinda like me.

nano-semen's?

Non stop waffle in Ausi accent 🙄