Multimeters

[jebem]

Hi,
It all depends on what are your needs really.
Assuming that a low cost general purpose non professional equipment to pick around low voltage electronic circuits is what you are looking for, I would say:

1) Any brand is OK.
Fluke is a well know brand, but their low cost equipment is not on pair with its high end professional line.
So at the low end, any brand will do, but I would selected a Japanese or Korean brand for the best bung for the money.

2) I would like to see these features included in the core specs:
- handheld compact equipment
- 3.5 digits at least
- DC and AC voltage auto range from 2V fs to 200V fs at least
- AC voltage with decibel reading as a optional feature if possible
- DC current for micro-amperes reading
- DC current mA and Amperes auto range (up to 2 Ampere if possible)
- AC current mA
- Resistance auto range for usual readings like 2 ohm fs up to 20 Mohm fs
- Continuity tester with sound
- Diode test
- Test leads as required

3) Nice extra features to have:
- Capacitance readings for usual values like 2nF to 200 uF
- Inductance readings for usual values like 2mH to 2H if possible
- Signal generator, square wave is OK, at least with 1KHz and 2KHz frequencies
- Transistor tester at least for bipolar npn and pnp types
- AC voltage reading up to 20KHz frequencies at least

EDIT:
4) One of my nice kind of vintage (1996) multimeters (the specs can be checked on the link below):
Protek 505 from HUNG CHANG, SEOUL, Korea
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/hungchang_d...k_505.html

and a similar model, the 506 is selling right now (I have nothing to do with this sell!)