How to choose an electrical test instrument
By Grant, Inspection Tool Specialists. Reviewed November 2026.
Three things decide which electrical test instrument you need: the circuit or equipment you test (general electrical, solar, installation, EV charging or electronics), the measurements you must make, and the safety rating and category the work requires. Answer those first. Insulation, earth and PAT testers have their own guides.
Which instrument?
| Need | Instrument | Typical in our range |
|---|---|---|
| General voltage, current and resistance | True-RMS multimeter | DT-9515 true-RMS multimeter |
| Current without breaking the circuit | Clamp meter | DT-9381A 1000 A clamp meter; DT-9810 leakage clamp meter |
| Solar PV systems up to 1500 V | Solar PV meters | DT-9561H solar multimeter; DT-9481 solar clamp meter |
| Installation testing, loop impedance and phase rotation | Installation tester | DT-6650 multifunction installation tester; DT-5301 loop impedance tester |
| Motor and phase checks | Phase rotation tester | DT-902 motor and phase rotation tester |
| EV charging station testing | EV charger test kit | PCE-EVSE 310 tester; PCE-EVSE 310 kit |
| Calibrating instruments and signals | Process calibrator or signal simulator | PCE-123 multifunction calibrator; SG-003A signal simulator |
| Bench power for testing | Programmable DC power supply | IPS3608 bench power supply |
Safety first
Check the measurement category and voltage rating of every instrument, test leads and probe against the circuit you work on. Test the instrument on a known source before and after measuring. Work on live circuits only as your electrical safety procedure allows, and only by trained, competent people.
Price guide
As a guide to our current range, including VAT: multimeters and signal tools from about R1,300 to R3,800; clamp meters from about R4,300 to R12,900; installation and solar instruments from about R5,000 to R40,200; EV charger test kits from about R10,400 to R34,700. Prices change, so check the product pages and confirm the leads and accessories each quote includes.
Questions we will ask you
Tell us the circuits or equipment you test, the measurements you must make, the voltage and category ratings the work needs, whether the test is on site or in a workshop, the standard or procedure you follow, and the records you must keep. With that we can recommend an instrument and provide pricing.