Susan Brown
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the great question!
(Note- a loading meter measures volts, not amps.)
We’ll use our excellent Fluke 117 multimeter as an example.
It does not come with a clamp ammeter. You either have to buy an attachment that plugs into the DMM (which costs more than the meter itself), or buy a separate ammeter, which is much more reasonably priced. We have the Fluke 117/323 Electricians Multimeter Combo Kit. https://amzn.to/2l31bDh
If you have the LoZ function on your DMM, then you are correct – you don’t need the separate loading meter. However, we still like to carry one with us. Loading meters are inexpensive, rugged, and reliable, and there are occasional scenarios where the Samurai likes to use it. But starting out, you can certainly economize and just use your LoZ function on the DMM, and see if you want to add the separate loading meter later.