[flashback2199]

Right, I agree that if you're doing HV or need high accuracy, don't cheap on the DMM, otherwise I do think cheap DMMs are good enough for a lot of things and that being able to see the waveform is often more useful than a perfect static measurement

[JohnFen]

90% of the time when I'm using a multimeter, I'm just doing continuity checks anyway.

[flashback2199]

Yes, and while we're talking about probing, my favorite DMMs by far are the pen shaped DMMs because one hand holds both the DMM and the positive probe; small, no flat surface needed and always easy to read the screen. No more putting the DMM down on something and holding the probes on while craning my neck to read the DMM, pick up the DMM to move to another location, repeat, so tiring - I tried a pen DMM a few years ago on a whim and I'm always going to use a pen DMM now on.

[JohnFen]

I never tried the pen version. I actually have a very nice bench DMM that I picked up used for a good price. It's a bit of a "pearls before swine" piece of equipment in my hands, though. I've literally never needed the precision it has, or have done 4 wire measurements, or recorded a series of measurement over time, etc. But I enjoy knowing that I can if I ever need to.

That DMM gives me a similar convenience to what you describe, but I am almost never using a multimeter anywhere but on my bench -- that probably matters a lot.