The EEVblog BM786 is a 60,000-count digital multimeter made by Brymen and sold exclusively by the EEVblog Store in Sydney. Its headline numbers are 0.03% DC voltage accuracy, a 600 V CAT IV safety rating, and a rugged over-moulded case in the same class as Fluke's 70 series. We paid A$284.90 for it in October 2026, plus a soft case and two packs of spare high-rupture-capacity (HRC) fuses, A$342.45 delivered. We bought it for everyday IT and media work: checking batteries, power supplies and cables, and our own hardware projects. Our notes from using it will go at the end of this page.

Why we bought it

A lot of what comes across our bench has a battery or a power supply in it: computers that forget the date (a flat CR2032 on the motherboard), UPS units that beep, laptop power bricks that may or may not be the problem, and the gear in our own projects. A multimeter answers most of those questions in seconds, and we wanted one we could trust.

Three things pushed us past a $20 hardware-store meter:

  • Accuracy and resolution we can rely on. When the difference between "full" and "about 75%" on a car battery is 0.2 V, a meter that's out by a tenth of a volt isn't much help (more on that).
  • A real safety rating. We work on low-voltage electronics, but a meter that's built and fused properly protects you when someone (us included) plugs a lead into the wrong socket.
  • Proper fuses. Good meters use ceramic HRC fuses, which are much less likely to fail explosively than the cheap glass fuses in budget meters.

What we ordered

From the EEVblog Store on 16 October 2026. Prices are what we paid, in Australian dollars including GST:

Item What it is Price
EEVblog BM786 Multimeter The meter, with leads, a thermocouple probe and batteries $284.90
BM786/BM787BT / Fluke 70 Series Large Case A soft carry case $18.15
11A HRC Multimeter Fuse Pack Two spare 11 A, 1000 V fuses $13.20
400mA HRC 1000V Multimeter Fuse Pack Four spare 400 mA, 1000 V fuses $13.20
Australia Post Express Post Delivery $13.00
Total $342.45

What comes in the box

According to the store's listing, the BM786 comes with:

  • the meter, in a special edition blue over-moulded holster;
  • silicone test leads: flexible leads with sharp, gold-plated tips and a threaded neck, so the included 4 mm banana plug attachments screw on when you need them;
  • a K-type thermocouple probe, for measuring temperature;
  • three AAA batteries.

There's no printed manual. The store asks you to download the latest one from the product page.

The headline specs, in plain English

These are the figures from the EEVblog Store's listing:

Spec BM786
Display 60,000 counts, with a 31-segment bar graph that updates 50 times a second
DC voltage accuracy 0.03% class
Resistance accuracy 0.085% class
DC current accuracy 0.075% class
Safety rating 600 V CAT IV
Extras Non-contact electric field detection (multi-level), 350 µs Crest (peak) capture, AutoHold, fast autoranging, fast non-latched continuity beeper
Size and weight 20 × 12 × 6 cm, 0.58 kg

What "60,000 counts" means

A digital meter's count is the biggest number it can show before it has to switch to the next range. A 60,000-count meter can show up to 59,999, so it can display about ten times the detail of a common 6,000-count meter on the same range. On a battery, that's the difference between seeing "12.6" and "12.600".

What "0.03%" means

Accuracy is how close the reading is to the truth. Meters usually specify it as a percentage of the reading plus a few digits. For comparison, a basic Fluke 101, which we quote in our battery guide, is specified at ±(0.5% + 3 digits) on DC volts. On a 12.60 V car battery that's about ±0.09 V. At 0.03%, the percentage part shrinks to about ±0.004 V, before the few digits every spec adds. More digits on the screen are only worth having if the meter is accurate enough to back them up, and on paper this one is.

What "CAT IV 600 V" means

Multimeters are rated into measurement categories under the international safety standard IEC 61010, according to where they're safe to use. The higher the category, the bigger the fault currents and voltage spikes the meter is built to survive:

Category Where
CAT I Equipment not connected to the mains
CAT II Single-phase mains final subcircuits: things plugged into a power point
CAT III Permanently installed loads: distribution panels, motors, three-phase outlets
CAT IV Where fault currents can be very high: the supply's service entrance, main panels, supply meters

CAT IV 600 V is a high rating for an electronics meter. It's headroom, not permission: in Australia, work on fixed electrical wiring is for licensed electricians. We use ours on batteries, low-voltage electronics and plug-in equipment, never the switchboard.

The extras

  • Non-contact electric field detection senses mains voltage nearby without touching anything, with more than one sensitivity level.
  • Crest (peak) capture at 350 µs catches brief peaks a normal reading would average away.
  • AutoHold freezes a steady reading on the screen, so you can take the probes off and read it afterwards.
  • Fast non-latched continuity beeps the instant two points connect, even for a moment, which helps find an intermittent break in a cable.

The accessories

The case

A soft carry case made for the BM786 (and the BM787BT), which the store says also fits Fluke 70 series meters. About 20 × 13 × 5 cm and 0.15 kg. It's what keeps the meter, the leads and the thermocouple together in one bag.

Spare fuses: why, and why HRC

A multimeter's current inputs are protected by fuses. If you measure current through something that can deliver more than the input can take, or, the classic mistake, leave the red lead in an amps socket and then touch a battery or a power point, the fuse is what blows instead of the meter, the leads or you. We explain that mistake in our battery guide. So spare fuses are cheap insurance, and it's worth having them before you need them.

The BM786 uses two sizes, and we bought a pack of each:

Pack Contents Size
11A HRC fuse pack 2 × ASTM HV110, 11 A, 1000 V, breaking capacity 30 kA 10 × 38 mm
400mA HRC fuse pack 4 × ASTM HV620, 400 mA, 1000 V, breaking capacity 10 kA 6 × 30 mm

HRC stands for high rupture capacity (also called high breaking capacity). The kA figure is the largest fault current the fuse can safely interrupt. A cheap glass fuse of the same amp rating may blow at the same current, but it isn't built to stop a big fault cleanly and can shatter. Ceramic HRC fuses are much less likely to fail explosively. The store also warns about fake HRC fuses sold online, and about fuses rated for a lower voltage than the meter: when you replace one, match the current, the voltage and the size.

Something we didn't buy (yet)

The store also sells a BMH-02 magnetic hanger for the BM786, which lets the meter hang off a metal surface, with a strap for higher spots. Handy for working hands-free; we'll see whether we miss it.

What we'll use it for

  • Batteries: coin cells in computers and key fobs, AA and AAA cells, UPS and car batteries. Our battery voltage guide is the method.
  • Power supplies and power bricks: checking a laptop or router supply puts out what its label says. The DC plugs on the end are in our connector reference.
  • Cables: continuity checks on leads and adaptors that might have a broken wire inside.
  • Our own builds: the hardware projects you'll find elsewhere in Learn.

Our notes

We'll add our impressions here as we use the meter, newest at the top.

  • 16/10/2026: Ordered from the EEVblog Store, with the case and both fuse packs. First impressions to come once it's on the bench.

Common questions

What is the EEVblog BM786?
It's a 60,000-count digital multimeter made by Brymen and sold only through the EEVblog Store, with an EEVblog blue holster and upgraded silicone test leads. Its headline specs are 0.03% DC voltage accuracy and a 600 V CAT IV safety rating.
What does 60,000 counts mean on a multimeter?
It's the biggest number the meter can display before it changes range: up to 59,999. That gives about ten times the resolution of a common 6,000-count meter on the same range, for example 12.600 V instead of 12.60 V.
What does CAT IV 600 V mean?
It's the meter's measurement category under the safety standard IEC 61010. CAT IV meters are built for places where fault currents can be very high, such as a building's supply entrance and main panel, at up to 600 V. In Australia, work on fixed wiring is for licensed electricians; a meter's rating doesn't change that.
Why buy spare fuses for a multimeter?
The fuses protect the meter's current inputs. If one blows, often because a lead was left in an amps socket and touched across a battery or supply, the current ranges stop working until it's replaced. Spares mean you can fix it straight away with the right type.
What is an HRC fuse?
A high rupture capacity fuse: one built to safely interrupt a very large fault current, given in kA, without shattering. The BM786's spares are 1000 V ceramic HRC fuses rated at 10 kA and 30 kA. Replace a meter fuse only with one of the same current, voltage and size.
Does the BM786 come with a manual?
Not a printed one. The EEVblog Store says to download the latest manual from the product page.
Do you get paid if I buy one?
No. There are no affiliate links on this page. We bought the meter and accessories with our own money from the EEVblog Store.

Sources

EEVblog Store

  • EEVblog BM786 Multimeter: specs, what's included, no printed manual. link. Checked 20/10/2026.
  • BM786/BM787BT / Fluke 70 Series Large Case. link. Checked 20/10/2026.
  • 11A HRC Multimeter Fuse Pack: 2 × HV110 11A 30kA 1000V HRC (10×38mm). link. Checked 20/10/2026.
  • 400mA HRC 1000V Multimeter Fuse Pack: 4 × ASTM HV620 400mA 10kA 1000V HRC (6×30mm). link. Checked 20/10/2026.
  • Brymen BMH-02 Magnetic Hanger (for BM786). link. Checked 20/10/2026.

General

  • Multimeter, Wikipedia: IEC 61010 measurement categories; HRC ceramic fuses vs glass fuses. link. Checked 20/10/2026.
  • Fluke 101 Digital Multimeter Users Manual: DC volts ±(0.5% + 3). link. Checked 20/10/2026.

Keep learning

Reference guides How to test a battery with a multimeter, and when you need a load Reference guides Battery equivalents Every button, coin and household battery, and what else it's called. Reference guides Connector reference Every plug and port you'll meet in Australia.