EEVblog Brymen BM235 Multimeter

I would give this a 4.5 star if possible but I still give it 5 since its more like a 4.55 star rounded to 5. I wanted to write this review to do some justice. I usually do not write a review when a product is good - I just use it. I usually do not write a review when the product is bad - I just return it. However I think there's undue negative views on the net that needed to be demystified. I saw a youtube video titled "Brymen BM235 EEVB Intermittent backlight issue." Basically if you pressed around the Hold button area while the backlight is on, it turns it off. I got mine today and my EEVblog 235 does not do that. If yours act up the same way, you have a defect - simply exchange it! Its a great multimeter. Search under google.com - "LCD viewing angle - EEVblog Brymen BM235 - LCD issues or normal?" It talks about viewing angles not being good for a multimeter that's not a "cheapy." However having the BM235 in front of me, I almost want to say the Op of the forum has a defect - the op's picture looks worse than mine. The only time it wasn't readable when it was at extreme angle - most people don't work like this at their bench. These two were my biggest concerns however, no problems. I took a leap of faith looking at the 5 star reviews and I'm glad I did. Now you might ask why 4.5 stars? Well Dave has high standards and although this meter meets most of his his standards: - The multimeter has a cheap stand that bends. Not too stable when turning the knob. I know Dave is not fond of this quality on Sub $100 DMM. - I got this DMM in a whitebox with no manual. I remember Dave dinging the manufacturers of most cheapy multimeters for having bad manual with Chinglish grammar if you will. Well when I got mine, there was no manual of any sort. But its a minor gripe since I can find it on the website. Now that I got that out of the way - well y'all already know the good stuff about the multimeter: - 6000 counts and True RMS multimeter (compare that to Fluke 17B+ 4000counts, non true RMS) - Super high quality fuses, super safe, UL listed. - Look Ma! This one has it all! Milivolts, Miliamps, and Microamps - great for electronics. (Long time ago I bought a Fluke 117; its for electricians for big appliances, not electronics. Hey this BM 235 can do both) - Rock solid enclosure build - Dave wouldn't have it any other way - Compact, super convenient size - Bright backlight - Super fast continuity sound test - Bonus goodies - high quality probes My last thought is that UNI-T UT61E is not bad in terms of features, but doesn't have the input protection like BM235. Also BM235 has backlight for people who need to work in dimly lit areas.

I just love this little guy. Brymen makes great quality meters which is evident when you are using this meter. You will not find more bang per buck than Brymen meters. This puppy just feels substantial and well built. The back light is very bright, the turn dial feels great, and I really love the size which is perfect for a bench with limited space and feels great in your hand. It is very well designed, one thing I really like is that it saves your settings so that every time you turn the dial to say, milliamps, it will be on AC or DC depending on what you used last. This saves you the annoyance of having to constantly change the settings to what you use most often. A new feature with this Brymen meter is that it beeps when you have your probes plugged in improperly so that you don't blow a fuse. For example, if you have the dial and probes set to measure current and you turn to voltage, the meter will beep loudly and give you a warning on screen. This is new to Brymen meters. Another great thing about this meter is that it will measure microamps, which can be a difficult feature to find in a meter in this price range. Finally, the probes that this meter comes with are better than you will get with anything else in this price range. They are silicone, gold plated, and come with a banana plug attachment and an insulation attachment that makes them 1000V cat IV compliant (but this meter only goes up to 300V cat IV). I view this meter as a bit of a collectible because of the custom EEVblog aesthetic. For those who don't know EEVblog is a website and forum run by Dave Jones, an Australian electronics engineer. Dave has become very well know in the electronics and engineering community and has done countless product reviews and educational videos on everything electronic. Dave also participates in a weekly podcast called the Amp Hour. He is a lot of fun to watch and I'd highly recommend his videos if you are interested in learning about electronics or watching reviews of test equipment. He personally speaks very highly of Brymen meters and the fact that he thinks highly enough of this one to put his brand on it speaks volumes. To say a little more about Brymen, they are a Taiwanese company started in 1993 and the first multimeter company to be able to claim 1000V cat IV compliance. There are many video reviews on youtube of different Brymen meters and people rarely have anything bad to say about them. They seem to really stand out in that they offer build quality and specifications similar to fluke but at a much lower cost. One negative when compared to Fluke is that Brymen only offers a one year warranty, as opposed to flukes "lifetime" warranty. The reason many have not heard of Brymen is because they are rebadged and sold as Greenlee multimeters in the US at a major markup. In my view the fact that Greenlee marks up these meters speaks to their exceptional quality. Since they are sold as Greenlee in the states, it can be very difficult to find an actual Brymen meter here. In closing, if you are looking for a well priced, well built, well designed handheld digital multimeter you really can't go wrong with the BM235.

Actually, overall this is my second multimeter; my first one is an analog version: Sunwa YX-360TR N-L. Sorry to be technical between analog and digital. But I have to say that going digital really makes a big difference. It's a whole lot easier to read the numbers than to estimate a number based on where the needle is located. I can't believe that I have been missing out for such a long time sticking with my Sunwa. I bought the Sunwa a long time ago for light electronics testing and small usage around the home. But lately I've been frustrated with it because I always have to adjust the needle before using it and even then sometimes I'm not confident of the results. Additionally when I do continuity testing, sometimes the needle jumps wildly. The straw finally broke when I was testing my dryer's thermostats and I just couldn't understand what the meter was reporting. The needle would move wildly and I just wasn't confident the result was reliable let alone correct. I bought the EEVBlog Brymen BM235 mainly after being convinced of Dave Jones' EEVBlog Youtube videos about things to look for in a digital multimeter and his decision to work with Brymen to release a meter of his own. I am not an electronics expert nor am I willing to spend mega bucks on a fancy meter but I was persuaded by Dave's points in not only just going for a meter with a decent set of good and reliable features but also more importantly a safe meter that is built with internal electronics protection and with external ruggedness protection. Dave has an interesting and fun way of getting his points across and I was just convinced after soaking in his information. I did watch other Youtube videos about multimeters and researched other resources and was considering other meters from Mastech, Harbor Freight, UNI-T and any sub-50 to sub-100 meters. But when I found out that Dave was releasing his own meter, I reasoned that he is now really eating his own dog food of advice that he spewed out years ago. I also absolutely loved his honesty explaining his reasoning to basically co-brand with Brymen. I understood this as: "I'm not going to hide who built this meter. I'm working with this manufacturer because I think they are reliable. I'm going to show you the insides of this meter. I'm putting my stamp of approval because this meter meets my minimum level of standards for a decent meter with good features and safeness. (I think Dave's minimum level of standards is quite high.) I think this is a win-win-win. (Win for Dave on his advice over the years. Win for Brymen for the experience producing reliable products. Win for the end user in confidence of their work depending on a reliable product.)" I haven't used all of the meter's functions but so far I have used continuity, resistance, temperature and DC volts and the results are reliable and give me confidence. The meter feels rock solid. I like the blue suit and the test accessories. The test probes are really nice. I like that there is a cover for the metal stick and that the banana portion can be unscrewed to reveal that metal stick. I know I have said earlier about a triple win but unfortunately there a few things I noticed that I wish can be improved but overall these issues aren't deal breakers. First is the LCD viewing angle. I know Dave released a video explaining it but I'll just say this: My rice cooker has a LCD and no matter where I look at it, up top, below, left, or right, the display is legible. On the meter for some reason when I look at it up top the display disappears. I admit I don't like it but I figure most of the time the meter will either be flat or be on the stand while I look at it head on or from below so there's minimal chance of seeing it from up top. Second is Dave talks about not liking a meter that you can't turn the dial with one hand when it's flat. "It's as slippery as a used car salesman!" :) I like to add that I had a difficult time turning the dial with one hand when the meter is on the stand. The dial was so hard that I ended up moving the meter rather than twisting the dial. I was in the middle of testing something and wanted to switch to a different function with one hand while the other hand remained holding on to the probe and the testing object. I don't know if it's the stand or surface; the meter was on a linen placemat. Also I think it just might be physics. A rock solid meter resting on a thin stand isn't going to get much stability support while I try to twist the hard dial. Third is the test probe parts. I like the probe covers but they can only be used if the banana plugs are unscrewed. Unfortunately with the banana plugs unscrewed, there is another problem of where to store the banana plugs. I know it's my responsibility to safely store them away but it would be nice if either the blue suit or the lead itself has some storage area to store these small things away. At least the covers can be put in the back of the blue suit if the banana plugs are screwed on. Again these issues aren't terrible deal breakers. I just want to point them out for reference in the hopes that manufacturers and customers consider it for future product designs. Overall I like this meter. I was persuaded by Dave's points in getting a good digital meter that is also safe. Based on my usage I know I could have spent less and forgo some features. I also could have spent a decent or higher amount on another meter that meets or exceeds Dave's standards. But when I discovered Dave released his own meter and was also open about who he is working with in producing this meter, I thought I give my business to both of them. I had already viewed some of Dave's EEVBlog Youtube videos and considered his advice educational. I also researched Brymen and came to the conclusion that they produce reliable products. So yeah, I like this meter and I definitely won't be using my Sunwa again. I'm including a pic comparing the meter with my Sunwa. Notice the continuity isn't at zero.

I'm really enjoying my new Eevblog BRYMEN bm235 digital multimeter! I wanted a fluke "electronics" meter and wanted one that uses AA/AAA batteries cause I despise 9 volt batteries & it had to have a very responsive continuity tester but soon found out that finding the right multimeter wasn't going to be easy, I would need to spend upwards of $250 to get one that met my simple requirements or settle for a basic Chinese fluke with no warranty. I know this review is not about fluke but I feel they really need to manufacturer a model for hobbyists that doesn't cost nearly $300 or more. For a while I was dead set on the 87-V but couldn't get past the cost, it also uses a 9 volt battery unfortunately. Then I saw the tests that it failed miserably on that other much cheaper dmm's didn't have a problem with. I considered many other brands after doing research and it was difficult to find one that I would be happy with, Uni-T has several models that would have been great if only their build quality wasn't complete crap. Gossen and Keysight are great but far too expensive for my needs. I narrowed it down to a couple models made by Greenlee (they make excellent tools), Brymen & the Eevblog units to replace my $50 craftsman unit made by Extech. I kept coming back to the eevblog bm235 but it was out of stock. I contacted them and found out a shipment was soon on the way to amazon so I jumped on it. So far it has exceeded all my expectations, I have even used the non contact voltage detection feature while doing my first repair on home electrical wiring. The auto ranging is fast and so is the continuity tester. It's rock solid and the rubber cover is decent, I just wish it had the option to use the standard magnetic hanging straps, BTW my unit did not come with a bag or magnetic strap. I was told one or the other is included so I'm not sure why mine didnt. I contacted eevblog and this time got no response. Oh and the silicone cables are great, I like that they have screw on bananas but you have to order the matching Brymen alligator clips from China if you desire them. Once the included batteries die I plan on popping in some Eneloop rechargables. Not sure about battery life yet on the bm235 or why Dave decided on 2 AAA instead of AA but I'm sure he knows what he's doing. You can't beat it for the price and it's reassuring to know that it has good build quality and excellent fuses for protection. I do wish it had a bar graph on the display but with multimeters you will always have to make some sacrifices in features. Highly Recommend and happy to support Dave/Eevblog.

I'm an electronics hobbyist and a fan of EEVBlog so it was finally time to get "the" multimeter. This is a great buy for anyone doing electronics projects from Arduino to home wiring. I'm sure it's a great daily driver for general electricians and electronics engineers too. Note that I'm not an electrician so I can't give too much technical detail, but here's my impressions: The multimeter comes in "EEVBlog No Bull**** Packaging", which is a cardboard box and no manual. You can look up the manual online on the EEVBlog website. I'm perfectly fine with saving trees and easy-open packaging, so this is all great. The box includes 2 needle leads with screw-on posts which can be used, for instance, for making contact in a round electrical plug. There's also a clip with exposed wires for some purpose I assume electricians need but which I may never use - hey it's there. The meter itself is a beauty. It comes in a silicone protective shell so you can feel confident dropping it - which I accidentally did already. It's perfectly fine. The back of the case has a secure spot to clip the leads - points facing away from the front - and a kickstand. Batteries and fuses are already installed. You must remove the protective shell and a screw to change batteries or fuses. This is one well-built tool. Operation is perfect. The rotary dial is clearly marked, clicks into place properly, and everything is clearly labeled. The display is very clear. All the features, from millivolts to resistance to auto-range to capacitance are all there. This has absolutely everything a beginning electrician or electronics hobbyist needs. Complaints? The online manual is written from the perspective of trained tradesman, so there is no "for dummies" guide to help you before you shove leads into the mains. Definitely look up a Youtube video to make sure you know what you're doing before you mess with power from the wall. I checked a video just to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid, and quickly found the source of an issue. My mac laptop had started shocking me, which as it turns out is due to an improperly grounded cheapo power strip and thankfully not a problem with the wiring in my new house. Thank goodness. Buying this multimeter just paid for itself because I otherwise might have had to have an electrician check the plugs. The savings will grow as I find other little uses here and there. Overall - highly recommended. This is a great multimeter, and plus it helps show support for EEVBlog and engineers everywhere.

Very cool multimeter. Lots of features at a very fair price. Greenlee has a similar brymen meter with pc comm, but it is lacking a few features, and does not come with good probes or a temperature probe. It also costs a bit more. Similar sized fluke meters cost a bit more, and have virtually no features. The probes are nice, but I find the screw on the banana plug adapters a bit unreliable. They tend to losen up sometimes, so I just removed the banana adapters and use my other probes for that purpose. The bare probes are nice, as are the safety shrouds. The meter is small, and fits great in the palm of your hand. It is fairly hard to find a meter this compact that can do A and mA. Materials feel about as good as other good quality meters I have used (fluke). The boot is a bit softer than the older flukes, which are a bit hard and unelastic. It stays on the meter, but does have a bit of give. I think it is TPU, rather than silicone or rubber. The dial layout is about as convenient as it could be, with voltage one tick from power, and continuity right next to it. Low impedence mode is one tick away from the main functions, beyond the off switch. Very good that it is, as you can not accidentally cycle to it. Also, amps are at the far end of the dial, and the meter beeps + says inter if you have anything plugged into the voltage combo jack, which is a nice safety feature. The boot is a bit odd, with a keyhole mount (probably can not take much abuse) and a lanyard pass through up top (also not too reinforced). To hang this meter, you probably would want to adhesive a piece of plastic directly to the meter body to relieve strain from the soft case. The case would be worlds better if it just had a large 1 inch slat for feeding a nylon fastener through (or velcro). I am not a fan of the proprietary bryman magnetic string lanyard. All of the mm features seem to work great, and are easy to read. However, there are a few oddities: In some modes, the backlight does not want to come on with the button toggle. I find that switching modes or turning the meter off and then on generally fixes it. The continuity triggers crazy easily, with fairly high resistance values. This is a bit annoying in some situations, as it will trigger right away, and as the meter continues to measure, it will stop (working on dc power supplies for instance). I wish there were an option to set a threshold trigger for continuity when it is somewhat near 0 resistance. Perhaps a 'direct short' mode, as 200-300 is a bit much and it still triggers up to 400 or so. My other meters all stop triggering at higher resistance values.

This Multi meter is one of the very best digital multi meters I have owned. It is very accurate and built very sturdy. The continuity tone buzzer is much too quiet but the back light LCD dial light up very bright when continuity is made. YouTube has answers to all your questions. Seriously there are several You Tube reviews of this meter and they are all very informative. The You Tube videos convinced me To purchase this meter and now I know it is even better than I expected. This is a really good meter and quite sturdy. I received this meter nearly 3 months ago and it is one of my favorites. I liked this meter so much I purchased the zippered carrying case for this meter and received it from Dave Jones in Auckland, New Zealand a few weeks ago. The test leads are super nice and extremely well designed so I purchased an extra set for future use. I own many "quality" digital and analog multi meters, however this unit is one of my digital favorites. " EEVblog " is one of my favorite You Tube channels and they now have a new meter, the "121GW" that is available for sale, but I know that the new meter cost double of this meter and does a lot of things I do not need at all ! For much of my work I use one of my many Simpson analog 260 XLPM meters. Please "Google your questions" or check out YouTube! I do not answer anyone from these reviews.

been reading the eevblog for quite a while, now. check it every day, pretty much. when I heard dave was getting a custom meter built by brymen, I watched the threads to hear how well it went. reports were positive and I decided to give it a try even though I have nearly a dozen other meters on my bench. nice size, nice feature set, usable included probes (usually the included probes are junk but these are nice). digits are large and easy to read, backlight is useful (very bright) and there is even a blink feature for continuity (and yes, the continuity pulse-hold feature is fast, which we know dave insisted on) ;) what I would change: add a storage location for the things that might get lost (banana screw-tip jacks, plastic covers, thermocouple). the off switch is not the last position and I would prefer it be the end click on the rotary switch, but its not a showstopper. the meter is a little bit expensive compared to some of its peers, but there is some quality there that its peers may not have and that's worth some extra cost, to be sure.