Fluke 87V vs. 117: Which Meter Do You Actually Need?

By Marcus Reid

I've carried a Fluke 87V for years — in and out of panels, motor control cabinets, and more cold mornings than I care to count. So when people ask which Fluke to buy, my first question back is simple: are you doing this for a paycheck, or for your own projects at home? That one answer decides it, and it saves you either wasting money or buying too little meter.

Here's the honest split.

The Fluke 87V — for the man who works for a living

If troubleshooting is how you feed your family, buy the 87V and stop shopping. This is the industrial meter, and the specs back it up where it counts:

CAT III 1000V and CAT IV 600V safety rating — built to survive the higher-energy circuits and spikes (over 8000V) you meet in real industrial work. This is the big one. It's the safety margin that matters when the fault is bigger than a house circuit.
1000V and 200 kHz range with a VFD low-pass filter — so you can actually read variable-frequency motor drives instead of getting garbage numbers.
Built-in temperature probe — check a bearing or a motor housing without carrying a second tool.
High accuracy (0.05% DC) and a 19,999-count high-resolution mode for the readings you can't second-guess.
Works to −40°F for short stretches — because the job doesn't stop when it's cold.

It's heavier and it costs more. That's not a flaw; that's what a buy-it-for-a-career tool costs. Mine's earned every dollar.

The Fluke 117 — for the do-it-yourselfer at home

Now, if you're wiring your own garage, chasing a dead outlet, or adding a circuit for the shop — you do not need CAT IV or motor-drive filtering, and paying for them is money left on the table. The 117 is the right-sized meter for you:

CAT III 600V, True-RMS, 6000-count — plenty of meter for residential and light commercial work, and accurate where it counts for the home.
Built-in non-contact voltage detection (VoltAlert) — wave it near a wire and it warns you the wire's live before you touch it. The 87V doesn't have this; for a homeowner, it's a real safety net.
LoZ / AutoVolts — kills the "ghost voltage" false readings that send a DIYer chasing a problem that isn't there.
Lighter and cheaper — easier on the hands and the wallet for someone who uses it now and then, not all day.

The bottom line, plain: Buy the 87V if the meter helps pay your bills — the safety rating and motor-drive muscle are worth every penny and it'll outlive your truck. Buy the 117 if you're a serious homeowner or weekend DIYer — it's the safer, smarter buy than a cheap no-name meter, without paying for industrial features you'll never use.

Either way you're buying a Fluke, which means you're buying the last meter you'll shop for in that class for a long time.

Check current price: Fluke 87V →

Check current price: Fluke 117 →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links here may be affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I'd stake my own hands on — and the 87V is the one that's been in mine for years.

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