I am not a total noob under the hood but I am starting to get heavier into repair and I am looking to put the proper tools into my garage.

Currently, I am on the hunt for a Digital Multimeter.
I have seen the comments on Fluke. It is obviously a very good machine.
It is also a very costly machine.

I can not believe that only Fluke makes a good meter and all the others on the market are junk.
Even if I did, Fluke also seems to have a wide range of products.

So here is what I want to know.
What other names and models of Digital Multimeters would you reccomend?
What features am I going to be using?

Although this is mainly going to be used on the autos, it will probably not be limited to that.
(1995 BMW318is, 2000 Mustang, 1999 Explorer)

I do not want something that will be out of date tommorow.
I also do not want to waste a lot of money on bells and whistles that I will never use.

Also, what is an acceptable variance in a machine's readings?

Aw cmon guys.
I am sure that somebody has thoughts about this.

I bought mine from Radio Shack about five years ago. Works well on my 1988 750 and around the house as well.

If your local sears store sell craftsman tools they make a comparable meter to the fluke. All you need in a meter is to read, volts, ohms, amps and resistance. Anything that requires more is sually to hi-tech for a back yard mechanic like yourself to be performing, IE: draw tests and whats the millie volts (however its spelled) of your airbag moduel.
Like i said, get a meter that can read, ohms, voltage and resistance and your be set.

I picked up a Craftsman multimeter.
I do not know if they are rebadged Fluke meters or not.
When I opened the manual however, their was a yellow card stating that it had been calibrated by Fluke.