Spent $150 on a multimeter that saved me from swapping a perfectly good control board

Picked up a Fluke 117 off eBay last month after fighting with a Samsung fridge that kept throwing error codes. Old me would have just ordered a new main board for $200 and crossed my fingers. Turns out it was just a bad thermistor sensor that cost me $12 and 20 minutes to replace. That meter paid for itself on the first job. Anyone else finally cave and buy a decent meter after years of guessing?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_holly1mo ago

That meter paid for itself on the first job" is exactly what my buddy Mark said after he borrowed my cheap one for his dryer. He was ready to drop $300 on a new motor, but I talked him into testing the thermal fuse first. Turned out it was a $8 part that was just blown, and he still brings it up every time we grill out.

riley_schmidt1mo ago

That's the thing though, @the_holly, I read somewhere that most appliance repairs end up being simple sensor or fuse issues, not the big expensive parts people assume are bad. It's wild how much cash folks burn on boards they don't even need.