Tools & DIY · Head-to-head
Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter vs Klein Tools MM720
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Digital Multimeters: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The 87V is the only meter here that combines a CAT IV 600 V rating with a published UL listing and plus or minus (0.05 % + 1) DC accuracy, which is why it stays the industrial default. The MM720 gets you the same category rating and a ghost voltage mode for much less, and gives up only measurement precision.
Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter
Buy itThe industrial reference: CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, UL listed and TUV licensed, with the tightest DC accuracy in this group.
- Rated CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, and the manual states it is UL listed to UL 61010-1 and licensed by TUV to EN 61010-1.
- DC volts accuracy of plus or minus (0.05 % + 1), with a 19,999 count high resolution mode on top of the standard 6000 counts.
- Both current inputs are fused at 1000 V (11 A and 440 mA fast-blow) and an input alert warns audibly when a lead is in a current jack on the wrong function.
- No low impedance mode, so ghost voltage on long unloaded conductors has to be dealt with another way.
- The supplied TL75 leads are rated CAT II 1000 V on their own and only reach CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V with the protective caps fitted.
- IP30 ingress rating, so it is not a meter for wet or heavily contaminated environments.
Klein Tools MM720
Buy itCAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V, true RMS, 6000 counts and a low impedance mode, at a price a working electrician will actually pay.
- Carries a CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V rating, and the manual states it conforms to UL 61010-1, 61010-2-030 and 61010-2-033 and is certified to CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1.
- LoZ mode drops input impedance to above about 3 kilohms, which collapses ghost voltage instead of displaying it as a live reading.
- Both current inputs use fast-blow 1000 V fuses (10 A and 800 mA) and the supplied leads come with CAT III / CAT IV safety caps.
- DC accuracy of plus or minus (0.5 % + 5) on the 6 V range is field-grade, not bench-grade.
- Klein does not publish an interrupt rating in kA for the fuses, so you cannot compare that figure against meters that do publish it.
- Resistance at plus or minus (1.2 % + 5) and capacitance at plus or minus (3.0 % + 5) are ordinary, so this is a power meter rather than an electronics meter.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter Our pick | Klein Tools MM720 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Industrial and commercial technicians who need CAT IV capability, a low pass filter for motor drives and near bench-grade DC accuracy in one instrument. | Electricians and maintenance technicians who want a CAT IV rated, independently certified true RMS meter with ghost voltage handling and no premium price. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
| Measurement category | CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V | CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V |
| Independent safety listing | UL listed to UL 61010-1; licensed by TUV to EN 61010-1 | Conforms to UL 61010-1; certified to CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1 |
| True RMS | Yes, true RMS responding | Yes, true RMS |
| Display counts | 6000, plus 19,999 high resolution mode | 6000, reverse contrast |
| DC volts accuracy | plus or minus (0.05 % + 1) | plus or minus (0.5 % + 5) at 6 V; (0.8 % + 3) at 600 V |
| Input impedance and LoZ | 10 megohms, under 100 pF; no LoZ mode | 10 megohms; LoZ above 3 kilohms |
| Current input fusing | 11 A and 440 mA, 1000 V fast-blow | 10 A and 800 mA, 1000 V fast-blow |
| Supplied test leads | TL75, CAT II 1000 V alone; CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V with caps fitted | Leads with CAT III / CAT IV safety caps |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter if
industrial and commercial technicians who need CAT IV capability, a low pass filter for motor drives and near bench-grade DC accuracy in one instrument.
Know before buying: no low impedance mode, so ghost voltage on long unloaded conductors has to be dealt with another way.
Pick the Klein Tools MM720 if
electricians and maintenance technicians who want a CAT IV rated, independently certified true RMS meter with ghost voltage handling and no premium price.
Know before buying: dC accuracy of plus or minus (0.5 % + 5) on the 6 V range is field-grade, not bench-grade.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter - The industrial reference: CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, UL listed and TUV licensed, with the tightest DC accuracy in this group. Choose the Klein Tools MM720 instead if electricians and maintenance technicians who want a CAT IV rated, independently certified true RMS meter with ghost voltage handling and no premium price.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Digital Multimeters: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).