Cheap Multimeter Showdown - ANENG vs UNI-T. What is the best cheap multimeter 2023
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Still in the search for the best cheap multimeter, in this video I went with a couple of recommendations from subscribers on the last budget multimeter review I made. So here is the Aneng M118A vs the UNI-T UT33D+. Both of these multimeters were purchased independently, they were not sent to me for free to review.
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TEST METERS
ANENG AN8009 MULITIMETER
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Thank you
Richard
The UNI-T meters certainly look the part, I bought the UT210E mini clamp meter - pretty nice tool, upgradeable as well. It was just about sensitive enough for earth leakage measurements(nuisance tripping) with a 1ma resolution.
I like the red meter
Iskra from Yugoslavia. They had some great analog and digital instruments. They were very precise and cheap. The one I have is the Iskra Unimer 1, I still prefer using it to my new digital multimeters!
I used some Iskra measurement kit in industry many years ago and it was always well made, accurate and reliable; surprised me at the time.
Let’s make a little dedicated diode beeper for PCB way !
You are reading my mind 😉
The aneg V8 is an absolute beast. I've been using it everyday for four years. Since it first came out and was sold on banggood.
I don't mean to sound like a snob, but I work with top-end metrology equipment everyday. I specialize in troubleshooting and calibrating industrial equipment but test equipment is my main focus.
I bought the V8 as a gift for a few friends who were getting into trouble shooting as a hobby. and got an extra just to beat around because obviously amount of test equipment isn't enough. I have been so impressed with it and it should have died a long time ago. It's been in the floorboard of my truck every day for four years.
Would never do that to my keysights or flukes. I'm sure they could take it... But I would never do it.
This thing has come in handy, it is ridiculously accurate STILL... And when out in the field probing big dangerous stuff....where I don't mind risking blowing my arm off... But I sure as hell don't want to risk one of my fancy meters. 😁🤘
And it measures super-high capacitance, which comes in handy sometimes. And my particular example can measure the forward voltage of white LEDs. Which also comes in handy.
If they threw a high-frequency ESR tester in there..... it would literally be the perfect meter.
I haven't noticed a drastic reduction in battery life just because of the bright "OLED style" display. But I learned a long time ago... Unless you're ready to risk a $1,200 multimeter or whatever... Don't use anything except Energizer ultimate lithiums.
Not only do they last a much longer time... But they never never never leak under any circumstances. I'm sure it's happened... But I've never seen it and I go through those things like toothpicks. I've tested them on a $250,000 benchtop setup used to characterize batteries and other power draw related shenanigans... Probably should have recorded it but even though I don't remember the details I was super impressed.
Iv lost around $5,000 worth of equipment to duracell's in the last 10 years.never again. It's a shame because they were one of my granddad's biggest clients and he was very proud of that. He's probably spinning RPM's in his grave right now
After digging around inside oscilloscopes priced like a big house ....and being inside of other high-end test gear stuff everyday for 5-years as a job... You kind of get used to looking at quality and instantly being able to tell where the issues of a circuit board or design are going to be.
BUT IM STILL AN IDIOT... so my word doesn't really mean anything... But from what I've seen out of aneg and many other budget Chinese options for test equipment... The quality is incredible for the price. Especially for hobbyists or professionals who don't need certified NIST traceable equipment. But the price cut really comes down to consistency. You might get 100,000 units that are wonderful and great and then there might be a few that are totally s***. But in most cases... Guys using this cheaper stuff are going to tear it down anyway to check it over. So it really doesn't cause many issues.
good luck out there.
Thanks, awesome info! Does it bleep (or blip) in diode mode?
@@hernancoronel shit I honestly don't remember. I think you can set it to do both silent or beap
Sounds interesting, I can buy one and review it 🙂
Well said. These cheap meters work okay. Accuracy is spot on. Commercial and industrial use demands precision and reliability so they go with the brand names but for hobbyists and home projects it works fine.
Thanks Richard, bought the Aneng M118A for £9.08 from ebay 5 months after your video came out, looks alright too for the money, it's to replace an aging meter that uses odd 12v camera batteries that nearly cost the price of the new meter (which takes 2 AAAs).
I particularly like the LED that lights up on continuity mode. Very useful for the noisy environment I work in. None of my multimeters have this. Maybe something can be retro wired in on the beeper?
Also none of my meters have a diode beeper. I can see that's a very useful function and makes sense when you're probing in tight areas. As you say, seems criminal not to have a beep in diode mode. Can't be that hard.
All I need is another meter, theres one im looking at already :)
LOL, for whatever reason I keep buying meters… same as Richard! 😂
It is Adictuve.Got a dozen cheapos,,couple of flukes.and Kewtechs .And still buying the odd one here and there.Most used one DIY on a daily basis is the XL9205A~£8 from 2004.Just simple and accurate for what I do.
Interesting comparison. I distrust ‘Auto Ranging’ meters, but I must admit I need them sometimes. The auto feature has kept me from blowing something up. I also expect a digital meter to have the ability to measure capacitance, since, without an analog movement, there is little other way to check its operation, let alone measure it. I liked the additional features of the Aneng unit, like the ‘torch’ as you call it (we say ‘flash light,’ but then we have no Medieval history in the US of A), the near field is cute, but in the industrial environments like I’ve worked, there are so many EM fields dying around, you could never really trust those ‘idiot lights’ as we used to call them. Still, they help you be careful. The main thing is, ANY meter is only as good as the use it’s put to and the person putting it to use. When I was in the field, I needed to service 480V AC, up to 500V DC, an occasional 240/220/208 circuit, 120V AC, 30V AC, 36V DC, 24V DC, and 12V DC. Seldom used anything other than a clamp meter for measuring current up to 100A, but more often 10-40A. We had calibrators and such for tuning 4-20mA current loops. The milliAmp or microAmp function was not a concern for us. However, since I’ve been teaching electronics in Community College, I have had to put Harbor Freight’s ‘free’ multimeters into service for the students because the older Simpson 260’s has a difficult time reading microAmps on a transistor circuit. So while the comparison between the capabilities of an industrial strength $800+ VOM meter to a DMM you could pick up for free with a coupon is laughable, the ‘free’ meter could do a job quite easily which escaped the more expensive meter. Horses for courses, like they say. [PS: I have a fondness for the traditional VOM, for the simple reason that it will fulfill its function of measuring voltage and current without the need of a battery, and they offer instantaneous and smooth response that can be viewed adequately at wide angles. In short, you can always use them to troubleshoot live circuits. Good review, go but windy in my response, sorry.
The old analog multimeter (such as the AVO 8) are also very useful for measuring voltages in valve (vacuum tube) circuits, because of the lower input impedance 20Kohm per volt. If yo have a schematic with test voltages marked on it, a DMM will give you the 'wrong' readings
Wall of words
For the best leafs for the money, imho, I like the Kline meter leads. Part #616 ( i think) subtle insulation, the long plugs (like fluke), tip covers that stay in place until you remove them, amd as a bonus, they come with threaded alligator clips. Less than $20 U.S.
From a usability standpoint, I think I'd rather have a manual ranging meter with a rotary switch (like the Uni-T, or maybe the Aneng SZ08 for ~€11) than a device where you have to press one button a gazillion times to get to the function you need. That would drive me crazy, especially since I'd probably overshoot all the time.
I agree. Don't need auto range or auto function. Better to have manual control.
Some tech features are the subject of patents. So it's possible that the long/short beep diode test might be a patented feature for Fluke.
When I was servicing copiers there were certain features that the copier could obviously do but we were told are disabled due to patent restrictions.
I expect this would be of absolutely no concern to Chinese multimeter manufacturers. The thing with patents (and other laws) is they only apply in some places. Does any country have the right to set a laws for the rest of the world?
@@LearnElectronicsRepair The importer is responsible for complying with patent laws pretty much everywhere in the western world. So yeah, whoever imports this could be in hot water if it infringed patent rights.
I definitely agree with you. How difficult can it be to add a bleep in diode mode? Other than Fluke, I can only find a few meters $200+ that have this function.
Try ut60s
Not hard at all. Just a software thing in the chip. But diode function isn't used much so no biggie.
Try the 9205A or any 9205 series meters from any brand.They are based on the same chip platform. Very decent for the money from my own experience. There are newer versions from Aneng and the like with hit and miss accuracy from what I have seen.
I use a Unt 33B+ multimeter. It has two fuses. One is blown but still works well. 😅
You need to find someone Skilled enough to replace the fuse I imagine.😊
@@galabpopov What's the purpose of replacing a dummy fuse, that is part of a circuit that is not being utilized in that model.
Is it not the Current metering fuse that is gone, it will still work on most functions without it until you try to measure Current.
If it has a redundant circuit for a different model, then that is a completely different thing.
@@galabpopov Actually I replaced it to see if it changes anything. But I couldn't find any. Still all the functions were working even with the burnt fuse.
I only came knew of the burnt fuse after I took the multimeter apart to see the inside of the it and saw two fuses.
One test I'd like to see would be display washout under sunlight or bright light. I don't care how accurate a meter is if you can't see it. A lot of times you may be using this outside in bright sunlight. Take care .
This is a perfect example of different people having different requirements for test equipment. I almost never use a multimeter outdoors so it does not apply to me, but then what I was saying about continuity/diode test bleeps will not apply to everyone else either. Come to think about it now, any test/review can only be relevant to the person publishing it really 🤔
IMO... if you got a M118A, when you opened a new account at HSBC, you should give it a tune-up... with a very large hammer.
Zero line=Neutral
Fire line=Hot
Hi Richard thanks for the review. I had a question that is a bit off topic from this video. I was curious what you use for a isolation transformer? Did you build your own?
Just a suggestion, maybe you can teardown it. So whe can know what the protection inside the meter. And you can explain the PTC, Varistor inside that multimeter. Ah, also show us resistance measurement in circuit, in example measure 3v rail resistance in laptop or something like that
I thought many of us just use the meter in CAT I, but yeah, better safe than sorry. At least it add some new viewer
About that picture, with the multimeter jammed in the wall socket while having it set to measure current - I've seen that done, by so called qualified workers. They deemed my wall socket to be defective. Could not wait to get them out of the house.
It happens. I've made that mistake on batteries blowing the fuse on the wrong function.
Model no. AstroAI AM33d at radio shack.
Uni-T has some nice models but not in the cheapest range... I personally own a UT61E and the UT139C was also recommended as a well rounded multimeter for some time. You also have to be careful about models because they can have different specifications, like for example UT61E uses a nice 22000 count chip, while the other UT61* models use 6000 count chips and different functions, same for that UT139* series, it's not just a case of a model missing some features it can be more complicated.
EEVBlog forum has a big thread with a huge spreadsheet with multimeters and recommendations if anyone wants best value for money.
Interesting. If you can suggest a better model at this price range to compare, let me know and I will buy one
Bought mine 10 years ago and its still working ..hahah
Wasn't the aneng AN8008 (which you already have) or the AN8009 a better candidate for a comparison?
Sampling rate.. it has one.. LOL. I bought an Aneng "Mulimeter" recently and the lack of a proofreader doesn't exactly inspire confidence although I can't be sure if it's a genuine Chinese Aneng or a knockoff from a Chinese competitor.
diode mode beep function , ideal project for pcb way , just saying
Did you change the title and description to read UNI-T instead of INI-T?
Well Spotted. Fixed 😉
Richard, do any of your measurement instruments used during your many reviews have valid calibration?
@@alanrichardson1672 Unfortunately not
@@LearnElectronicsRepair I don't see how you can comment on the accuracy of review devices if you are unable to verify the accuracy using calibrated test equipment. The cost alone is not a good indication of measurement accuracy i.e. a Fluke costing say £300 cannot be considered more accurate than a similar cheap Chinesium device costing say £10 unless both are compared against calibrated test equipment rather than each other. What do you think?
Hi Rich....how about the Proster VC835 (also advertised as the 8233D) that Amazon is selling for $9.99 right now? It is autoranging, True RMS, has temp, NCV, capacitance and microamps range. Seems a bargain.
It's a bargain. Can't go wrong at that price. Has every function you could ever need and more.
I have a Kaiweets KM601 and it does do the beep when checking diodes in diode mode but only one-way, black lead on the striped end
That what it suppose to do
Hello,
Have you used Muliteter ZOYI ZT102? He can be found for 15 euros. Its price is between these two models, but I don't know in terms of quality?
The Zt102 is decently Built and on par accurate to the Anengs and better DMMs .the Z ,aneng and other similar DMMs may be made in the same factory ending up with different labels for different sellers.
I do like the ZT102 .Very compact but useful Meter has all I need and then some.
Ut89x and ut60s have what you want
ut60s is my favorite meter since I've got it, I use only it.
@@svetlinbarzev9110 same. I buy the ut60s recently. It huge compared to the an8009. And it faster, also seems reliable.
Lol the voltage limit on the current ports is nonsense - since the potential difference between the 2 ports will be next to nothing anyway(until the fuse blows)
I did think that
I bought Aneng ST212meter with clamp DC current meter and its completely useless and totally waste of money. It has no idea what kind of current is going through wire whether you are measuring small, medium or high currents. It think it has mose capabilities as paper weight
Heya, those maters are good for begining elektricians/hobby elektronics but for repair work you do it's just not gone make it
UNI-T UT89XD is cheap and has diode mode just like a fluke and then some.
buy cheap buy twice. If it does not have a UL rating and at least a cat 3 rating keep looking IMO
Too bad UNI-T changed so much with the 33D+ model. Not a consistent company.
I got the Aneng for $6 lol. Can't conplain at all
both are pretty crap and use obsolete chips, also manual ranging.. really? in 25eur ballpark you can do much, much better - namely anything based on dm1106, eg. chunky five counts with rel - rm/zt 303/219 - depending on colour and size preferences, or smaller (and cheaper) an8009/rm/zt111
Sure you can do better for €25. The point of this (and similar videos I made) is to see what is the best that can be found for around €10, partly because it's fun, and partly because to some viewers in some countries €10 or the equivalent is quite a lot of money. Regards manual ranging, the meters I use most often (Fluke 79, Aneng 8008) are of course auto-ranging, but it has just occurred to me how often I switch them to manual ranging myself while using them. 😵💫
So the an8009 is a much better meter? I'm just looking for a decent cheap meter and It's only dubbel the price.
sorry Amazon 😊