EEVblog #99 - $100 Multimeter Shootout - Extech Amprobe BK Precision Ideal UEi Uni-T PART 1of2

[DjRaveKing]

UT61E is better then the UT61D ! I saw it in a store and am impressed .

220mF and 200Mohms !

[eerikhm]

Amprobe one has a small bird inside and if you turn the switch it will squueze it.

[magnus264]

I don't where are u from (i'm italian), but you 're nice guy. I just burnt two chinese multimeters (one is known on ebay as "VC97", and I may say it's a s...t), the problem is always on the rotatve switch: they are very weak, many contact failures and traces on the pcb burn very easely and protection, where is it?

I've just bought the UNI-T... hope it's good. I hate tall digit...

[ralphisok1]

In value for money evaluation we must also consider TrueRMS, Comm port, bargraph & multidisplay info and less mechanical part as possible.

[Kankki1]

The UNI-T is the best looking >:) But the quality suffers though.

[DanFrederiksen]

no measurement at all in this review? you should probably put more emphasis on their primary function. and before you take them apart. should really be the first thing you do in a review like this in my opinion.

[stickyfox]

@DanFrederiksen All of these meters very likely would read exactly the same thing as a very expensive precision meter under 90% of measurement circumstances. Comparing six identical sets of readings would not make for a very interesting video. As he said they all have nearly the same specs.

I can attest that the Extech is useless around high amounts of RF. It makes the display go crazy.

[EEguy85]

The old twist test

[Whisper6911]

i saw in other videos that the uni-t 61E model has much better performance on

the continuity and autoranging.

[sdttnkara]

I am going to buy UNI-T UT61E on eBay. It is slow DMM but price is good. It is 65$.

[iToasterman]

are you austrailian?

[EEVblog]

@iToasterman Australian. Says so in my profile.

[iToasterman]

@EEVblog Didnt notice, you sounded like it but you dont look it :D lol, but damn those multimeter's are thick ._. Whats a good $40 multimeter?

[militantmindset]

that meter that red meter that beeps sounds like a sick lil duckling hahah that would wear thin really really fast

[danrulz98]

Would you review the Fluke 17b?

[billysgeo]

Hi there Dave,

I stumbled upon the MASTECH brand on eBay the other day, and i think you should get one of those multimeters and do some testing on them.

The price seems very nice, accuracy also looks good at 0.03% on DCV, but at a +6 count!

But they go as far as to compare them to the Fluke 189.

Nonetheless I think you should get your hands on one of them!

[nextlifeguitarist]

Hi dave!

I have seen that there is a new multimeter from Victor, VC 189.

If you look at the specs it seem the chinese version of the fluke 189.

The problem is that the price is the same of the fluke, but it depends from the reason it isn't still well distribuited, i think...take a look!

[McDaedelus]

I see your BKP doesn't beep on the frequency range either. It's a tad strange, isn't it?

[EEVblog]

@McDaedelus Yes, I found that rather strange!

[ccmtor]

@EEVblog - That's funny because I own one of the 390A BK Precision meters which is from their Test Bench line, and the unit does not beep when switching to the frequency range on my unit either.

[LauxHawk]

Do you know anywhere where the Uni-T is sold?

[EEVblog]

@LauxHawk Ebay

[LauxHawk]

@EEVblog And one last question if you don't mind. Have you ever heard of the brand MasTech? I see them all over Amazon and they are generally pretty cheap, but they do also have expensive models. I am confused as to what to think of them.

[billysgeo]

@LauxHawk

Yea, EBAY is full of them. Mastech brand as well.

I think of them as the "good" Chinese DMMs (the top models of their ranges anyway)

[deathventure]

@billysgeo

Mastech is sold in the US as Cen Tech rebrand. I've opened them up, little to no protection on the probes. The thru-hole parts quality is medium and the soldering job is poor. Lack of the high voltage fuses disturbs me a little. Accuracy is so so, within spec, but not quite good enough for certain things. I've checked them against a Fluke portable scope meter and an older Fluke 8060A True RMS meter as well as an Agilent full bench meter.

[ubuntututorials]

@deathventure I have a few. I also have a BK 2709B. I have the cheap meters for hazardous costs; if I damage one (e.g. by overloading the current range, or dropping it), no big deal, they're like £2 on eBay.

[oleksiypilyugin]

can you say anything about Extech EX510? Cheers mate

[EEVblog]

@oleksiypilyugin Don't have one to comment. But it's a precision version of the one I reviewed. Your call as to whether that's worth the extra dollars

[oleksiypilyugin]

@EEVblog I see, thanks mate. then i guess i'd go for a cheaper model, the EX330 one. as far as i know, the EX510 does not have a capacitor reader, so...

anyways, my old cheap M890G multimeter started showing several decimal points and showing some readings on its own, so i were looking for a new DMM and that's how I found your videos. cheers

[Bushougoma]

I'm willing to bet on the BK model they're using spring loaded ball bearings.

[Bushougoma]

Wow the buzzer tone is pretty sad on the Amprobe. It sounds like some type of weird bird.

[gmcjetpilot]

Dave why did you not include the cheap Flukes... 15B, 17B and VC99. I think they can be had for under $100.

[Thetruthishere11]

Do you keep those meters?

[Thetruthishere11]

No Mastech meter? Amazon has a lot of them. amazon . com/Mastech-Manual-Digital-Mul­timeter-MS8268/dp/B000JQ4O2U

wanted that one reviewed.

[justincgs]

Great review Dave!

I was hopping you'd do a highend roundup that would include the Hioki DIGITAL HiTESTER 3801-50 as I've been considering this unit for some time.

[27dec1983]

Editing is your friend

[EEVblog]

@27dec1983

What do you suggest I edit out?

[gmcjetpilot]

@EEVblog

Dave ignore them.... They are just mad their mommy did not increase their allowance so they can buy a DMM. I am a mechanical engineer, but electronics is a hobby and I learn a lot about design... which helps me a lot with repairing and trouble shooting electronics.

[exnol]

@EEVblog If he wanted you to edit something he should have said "Editing should be your friend" But I think he meant the long review time ;)

Also I am glad for the FSM :D

[teflondon91]

I like that BK Precision unit... might pick one up.

[usunoro]

According to the link in the description the BK Precision does do temperature and duty cycle it looks like.

[shodanxx]

horses for courses ?!?! what does that mean !

[EEVblog]

@shodanxx

Google is your friend!

[philbx1]

@shodanxx

Hey, I think Dave may have been prophetic in some way with that statement.

Apparently horses are now available for courses (dinner that is) in Australia

as of this week. Not that I'd want to eat them of course, big 'neigh' on that for me :-)

[ControlCardPin]

Problem now is that when people see the BK Precision 2709B that's been on my bench for a year and a half they think I rushed out and got it thanks to this shootout. :)

[ciciolinacyc]

great video dave like usualy i use old metex one m-3800 wich is dam old around 12 years and he still work great no problem at all and he do the job for me .I know u are fun of fluke but those metters are realy expancive and for general purpose at home u dont realy need kind of high quality equipment.

Dave all your videos u made it takes lots of time it is amazing your wife keep u in home :) .I know women dont realy like husband hobbys .Big times up .u should make one episode with your wife :)

[EEVblog]

@ciciolinacyc

She used to complain about me doing the blog, but just the other day complained I didn't include her in it!

[gmcjetpilot]

@EEVblog

Bring on Dave's wife! She can be your assistant who corrects and critizises you sarcastically..... ha ha. Come on give Mrs EEVblog a shot at Internet fame......

[ubuntututorials]

Thanks Dave for the hard work on these videos... I am considering saving up for a $50 or $100 meter. Thanks again.

[MegaHustler]

Love the review Dave!

The Extech 505:

"it's built like a brick shithouse!" - Dave's EEVblog

[ka7cev]

Love your equipment reviews. I really appreciate being able to see the internal construction. Many thanks for the work you put into these videos.

[onlywhenprovoked]

Have you ever done a review on the Ideal 61-361 ?

[onlywhenprovoked]

@onlywhenprovoked btw. the Ideal 61-361 also fails the "switching while flat on the bench test" so I would guess they're probably using the same switches in all of their models.

[marcan42]

Come on youtube, transcode to proper quality already!

[Twistx77]

Great job! thanks! how long did it take you to make the whole thing?

[EEVblog]

@Twistx77

Maybe 6-8 Hours of shooting, another 6 Hours or so of editing, and maybe a dozen hours worth of rendering, transcoding and uploading. I lose track, it's a LOT of work!

[xXdenhartXx]

Sweet

[zker666]

I HATE spongy range switches ive killed a couple from testing mains, andswitching from DC to AC, and mA is above it and boom, dead. It skipped one and it was its downfall

[cr99991]

FSM!

[Kankki1]

Where did the Live Show #3 go :p

[n3tpr0b3]

First one to comment, t00t :P