The Best Fieldpiece Clamp Meters — Buyers Guide, Review, and Comparison
Fieldpiece Clamp Meter Comparison Table
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Best Wireless Tech Clamp Meter
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Best Wireless Tech Clamp Meter
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Features
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Check Price at Amazon Fieldpiece SC680 Review Fieldpiece SC680 Review | |
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Best Professional HVAC Clamp Meter
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Best Professional HVAC Clamp Meter
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Features
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Check Price at Amazon Fieldpiece SC640 Review Fieldpiece SC640 Review | |
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Best HVAC Light Contractor Clamp Meter
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Best HVAC Light Contractor Clamp Meter
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Features
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Check Price at Amazon Fieldpiece SC440 Review Fieldpiece SC440 Review | |
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Best Basic HVAC Clamp Meter
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Best Basic HVAC Clamp Meter
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Features
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Check Price at Amazon Fieldpiece SC260 Review Fieldpiece SC260 Review |
Fieldpiece Clamp Meters Buying Guide
Renowned as air-conditioning and boiler testing specialists, its name has become synonymous with equipment accuracy, versatility, and reliability — at price points that aren’t going to hammer your precious bottom line.
Furthermore, with a vast line-up that caters to DIYers, light contractors, and high-energy professionals — it has a machine for every HVAC system situation, user budget, and operator experience level.
The Fieldpiece Brand
Although a relative newcomer in the clamp meter market — its thirty-year history being dwarfed by the 160 years of experience of its competitor Klein Tools — Fieldpiece has become one of the top-four HVAC testing brands in the industry.
Founded in 1990 by the inventor Rey Harju, its first product to hit the shelves was the HS24 — a novel stick meter that incorporated unique detachable heads, allowing the HVACR tester to investigate multiple readings from a single machine.
This unit shook up the air-con and heating world — immediately establishing Fieldpiece as a serious innovator and player in circuit testing. From this solid base, the business repeatedly impressed the market with more ingenious tools — including wireless refrigeration scales, digital manifolds, and the industry-favorite Job Link app.
Today, Fieldpiece is considered by experts and trade operatives to be the HVACR multimeter specialist. While remaining true to its US roots with its head office in Orange, California — it also boasts manufacturing hubs in both the Netherlands and the UK.
The Fieldpiece Clamp Meter Product Range
Make no mistake — the Fieldpiece brand is a genuine pro HVACR equipment manufacturer. So, if your projects involve little-to-no heating or ventilation troubleshooting, you should instead explore other less-specific manufacturers such as Fluke or Klein Tools.
However, if you’re a trade air-con scrutineer — Fieldpiece should be your primary clamp meter company.
Even its most basic and straightforward tester — the Fieldpiece SC260 — boasts significant high-end specs, including a CAT III rating, temperature investigation, TRMS tech, and auto-ranging.
At the other end of the spectrum, the brand delivers the SC680 — considered by many experts to be the ultimate HVAC clamp meter. This CAT IV unit features everything the dedicated pro requires — including dual temp testing, wireless data comms, and a low pass filter.
The attraction of the Fieldpiece line-up is that in between these two extremes, the brand offers gradually more highly-specced units — permitting the operator to select the machine most suited to their typical projects, without having to pay for extraneous capabilities that will rarely be utilized.
What to Look For In Your Fieldpiece Clamp Multimeter
The primary concerns when selecting your perfect clamp meter are to ascertain your personal preferences and the demands of your projects — and choose a tester that meets these targets.
For an in-depth exploration of all the essential factors, you need to take into account when picking out your clamping multimeter — check out my 101 to Clamp Meter Buying.
However, for a swift outline of the aspects you should investigate in Fieldpiece only machines, think about:
- CAT Safety Rating — whether CAT III for three-phase or CAT IV for high energy utility loads.
- Temperature testing — single or dual capabilities.
- Microamp feature — if your jobs involve flame sensor testing.
- In-rush current — for examining start-up amperage levels.
- Wireless tech — to deliver data to cells, laptops, and tablets.
- Illuminated dials and screens — if your projects involve working in poorly lit conditions.
- Low-impedance — eliminating stray and ghost voltages.
- Low pass filters — if you investigate VFD (variable frequency drive) motors.
The Best Fieldpiece Digital Clamp Meter Units — The Top Four
Drawing on my personal insight and knowledge, customer testimonials, and industry expert opinions — I’ve sourced the four ultimate units from this US brand. And, should you wish to discover more about a specific unit, just click on the Nerds Full Review button for an in-depth examination.
The flagship machine in the Fieldpiece clamp meter line-up, the SC680 is the consummate HVACR testing unit for the hardcore pro user.
Boasting wireless integration, the tool communicates with your mobile tech — sending data to phones and tablets for future investigation, storage, and client sharing. And, being rated with CAT IV certification — the only unit in the brand’s range with this honor — it’s suited to high energy utility systems.
Microamp capability allows you to address problematic flame sensors, while inrush current detection means you can troubleshoot fuse-tripping start-up amperages. What’s more, dual temperature testing facilitates the simultaneous scrutinization of entering and exiting air heat levels.
Pros
- Transmits data to the Job Link app.
- Non-contact voltage detection.
- Novel twin temperature testing.
- TRMS tech.
- CAT IV rating.
Cons
- Premium price for a premium machine.
- May be complicated for newbie users.
- Slow to deliver readout results.
- Design
- Functionality
- Price
Fieldpiece SC640
Targeting the HVACR contractor who doesn’t require high-energy certification, the CAT III SC640 is the ultimate testing unit for home, workplace, and factory environments.
Including a backlit LCD screen, illuminated selector dial, and in-built flashlight — the machine is ideal for poorly lit environments. And, incorporating non-contact voltage detection and high energy alerts — the clamp meter delivers reassuring user safety.
Like its higher-rated brother, the SC680, this machine can investigate flame sensors with its microamp system, and scrutinize inrush current. TRMS tech promises result accuracy, while a novel swiveling clamp head permits you to effortlessly read the dial without having to rotate the whole unit.
Pros
- CAT III rating.
- Triple illumination options.
- Microamp capability.
- Inrush current investigation.
- Swiveling clamp head.
Cons
- Heavy for a clamp meter.
- Restrictive upper-temperature limit.
- Design
- Functionality
- Price
Concentrating on the light-contractor market — the SC440 offers expert-grade circuitry testing at an affordable price tag.
Although dropping higher-end features that tend to be project-specific — such as dual temperature testing — this machine still boasts crucial HVACR capabilities like microamp readouts and inrush amp detection.
Alligator probe tips enable one-handed operation, while high voltage and non-contact voltage alerts promise hazard-free use. An included thermoprobe permits you to investigate the temperature levels of condensers, compressors, and heating elements — and TRMS technology ensures your data is as accurate as possible.
Pros
- Microamps capability.
- TRMS accuracy.
- Includes battery, case, thermoprobe, and leads.
- Inrush current detection.
- Non-contact voltage alerts.
Cons
- Awkward selector dial.
- Complicated operation for non-HVAC users.
- Design
- Functionality
- Price
Product Rating: 4.5/5
Stripped-back and easy-on-the-pocket — the SC260 is an HVAC-compatible clamp meter that would suit the beginner trade user or dedicated amateur.
A rear-mounted rotating magnet permits hands-free use, while also allowing the entire unit to swivel for the most comfortable reading position. CAT III rated, this basic machine is still certified for use in three-phase environments, while TRMS technology ensures data precision.
With insulated resistance, the machine can switch immediately from cold to hot conditions with no adverse effects on readout accuracy. And, with temperature testing from -30 to 752 degrees Fahrenheit with the included thermoprobe — it’s capable of scrutinizing the majority of cooling and heating systems.
Pros
- CAT III safety rating.
- Magnet mounting for hands-free use.
- Auto-ranging system.
- Complete with a 9-volt battery.
- Includes a carry pouch.
Cons
- Lacks micro-amp testing feature.
- Low upper-temperature limit.
- No storage for the testing probes.
- Design
- Functionality
- Price
Conclusion
Renowned as the heating and ventilation testing experts, their line-up features a machine for every aspect of hot and cold system troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, and installation.
When choosing your ideal unit, select a machine with a CAT rating suited to the loads encountered in your day-to-day work. Guys encountering flame sensor issues should opt for meters with microamp capabilities, and contractors who typically test VFD motors need to go for a clamper that has a low-pass filter.
The only downside to the brand’s range is that unless you’re in the air-con and ventilation trades — their units are over-specced and overpriced for your general electrical scrutinization.
But, for the ardent HVACR virtuoso — Fieldpiece clamp meters are the go-to brand.
Fieldpiece HVAC Clamp Meter FAQs
Q: Can I Buy A Fieldpiece True RMS Clamp Meter?
All of the Fieldpiece models have TRMS — true root mean square — technology. This is a mark of their quality, delivering greater accuracy than standard RMS machines.
Q: What Is the Best Fieldpiece Clamp Meter?
In my opinion, the ultimate Fieldpiece Electrical Clamp Meter is the SC680 model. This machine offers wireless communication with portable media, incorporates dual temperature testing, features a low-pass filter, and boasts in-rush current detection.
Q: What Is the Best Beginners Fieldpiece Clamp Meter?
Although still targeting the professional market, the most basic electrical clamp meter from the Fieldpiece brand is the SC260.