@rsjsouza Really appreciate the mention of so many models and how they compare. When you say safety do you mean the CAT II/II/IV ratings? Since I don't foresee use in high energy applications, I'm less concerned about those for now. I don't see any mentions of input protection of the type which could have prevented my DMMs untimely demise.
Safety is usually tied to the CAT ratings; the meters that were tested for these ratings are usually sized to withstand voltage transients higher than their nominal rating while maintaining their integrity without harm to the operator. The fine print is that the meter does not need to survive - in other words, these ratings don't evaluate robustness but safety.
What does that tell you? Simple: if you still poke your meter -any meter- to a voltage source higher than its nominal rating (that is what bug zappers do), any outcome is fair game, as long as the meter does not explode in your hands (a bug zapper wouldn't have such energy).
With this in mind, the answer is: don't zap your meter. If you do, the chances (but not guarantees) of a properly rated meter to survive are much higher due to the better design and quality of its components.
As a side note, our regular meter zapper "joeqsmith" has an excellent channel and a very long thread in this forum about meter robustness. But even still, his tests are very controlled and limited to a short burst lasting only a cycle or two applied to a meter input - a zapper continuously generate these pilses and therefore with an increased chance of actually destroying something.
Maybe the best teardown review of the HT118A
(...)
TL;DR: Seems good as far as cheap meters go, but nothing to write home about, and no input protection to speak of. Biggest downsides IMO are the omissions of the REL button and the big HRC fuse for the 10A jack when compared to the Thsinde.
The Rel is a useful feature but, for your use in the lab, the HRC fuses are 100% optional. Worse, they cost more... Much more.
Again this is related to the safety: in case you are working on a circuit capable of delivering ten thousand Ampères, the HRC fuses are absolutely mandatory, as they are rated to quench the arc flash generated at those levels. In a lab or even around the outlets of the house you would be hard pressed to find such power - unless you do experiments à la Photoinduction.
Overall: get the Thsinde as it seems to work well for you and you like it. Just don't poke it on these zappers
Good luck in your quest!