27-12-2016, 11:57 AM
Fluke certainly know how to charge for their accessories 
There's no doubt they trade on their name - they have built up a strong reputation and their parent company are naturally milking it for all they can for the benefit of their shareholders. That same parent company owns many other companies that cover different market segments (e.g., Amprobe), so they're in with a chance of getting money from the less well-off customers as well.
To steal a well-known phrase, no-one ever got fired for buying Fluke
In fairness, Fluke take safety extremely seriously, so part of what you're paying for is confidence, and that's important when you work in an organisation (where you have a duty of care to your staff). Their marketing department is very good at "pressing that button". But the sort of attention to detail that's required for safety also seems to result in a product that is long-lasting and reliable if my small collection here is any indication. As I say, confidence.
Yes, I've made countless test leads here. The proper silicon test lead wire is not too expensive to buy in small-ish quantities. Most of mine are 4mm to small crocodile clips, but I've got some to spring hooks, and even some that go to PP9 battery snaps for testing radios. Yes, simple 4mm to 4mm are also very useful. Some of mine use those old RS stackable 4mm plugs, which are very handy indeed. I also recommend having a few BNC to croc clips. I also like these adaptors: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311182024637 - there are many variations. The 4mm plugs are spaced at the industry-standard 19mm, so will fit nearly all multimeters and other bits of gear. I also quite like the look of these: http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/43-450...CTOR-Black
That Pomona probe I dissected earlier will get a spring-clip added to the end. I'll wait until I've taken apart a black one, so I can build a pair
There's no doubt they trade on their name - they have built up a strong reputation and their parent company are naturally milking it for all they can for the benefit of their shareholders. That same parent company owns many other companies that cover different market segments (e.g., Amprobe), so they're in with a chance of getting money from the less well-off customers as well.
To steal a well-known phrase, no-one ever got fired for buying Fluke
In fairness, Fluke take safety extremely seriously, so part of what you're paying for is confidence, and that's important when you work in an organisation (where you have a duty of care to your staff). Their marketing department is very good at "pressing that button". But the sort of attention to detail that's required for safety also seems to result in a product that is long-lasting and reliable if my small collection here is any indication. As I say, confidence.
Yes, I've made countless test leads here. The proper silicon test lead wire is not too expensive to buy in small-ish quantities. Most of mine are 4mm to small crocodile clips, but I've got some to spring hooks, and even some that go to PP9 battery snaps for testing radios. Yes, simple 4mm to 4mm are also very useful. Some of mine use those old RS stackable 4mm plugs, which are very handy indeed. I also recommend having a few BNC to croc clips. I also like these adaptors: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311182024637 - there are many variations. The 4mm plugs are spaced at the industry-standard 19mm, so will fit nearly all multimeters and other bits of gear. I also quite like the look of these: http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/43-450...CTOR-Black
That Pomona probe I dissected earlier will get a spring-clip added to the end. I'll wait until I've taken apart a black one, so I can build a pair
