Uni-T UT61D was a big dissapointment

[ElectricPower]

bought me the Uni-T UT61D today and must say I was very disappointed.  the test probes that came with were miserable and when I put the unit in the mA setting it emitted a sound that would not stop.  the display had poor view and at all I thought it was so bad that I returned it.

A week ago I bought this multimeter at Biltema which is a cheap shop here in Norway.  A lot of the goods from there can be quite good, but also a lot of the goods are bad there.  However, I have to say that this multimeter surprised me positively and after I laid hands on Uni-T today I have to say the multimeter from Biltema is much better.

https://www.biltema.no/en-no/tools/measuring-tools/measuring-instruments/multimeters/digital-multimeter-dmm-1000-p-2000024201

In Norway, this multimeter costs approx.  $ 70.  I do not know who is producing these as this is rebranded.  anyone in here who knows who may have produced these?

PS! this entry is written in google translate and translated into english so i'm sorry if the wording is not top notch

[joeqsmith]

Looks like a CEM product.   I've been using a CEM meter for several years.

[ElectricPower]

This Multimeter is spot on! I tmust be the same?

[Uncle Bob]

I believe the Biltema meter is a CEM DT-9917T. It is probably the same meter as Extech EX505. The circuit board in my Biltema meter is marked EX505A-4.

[retiredcaps]

EX505 = CEM Instruments . 

They are generally poorly made.  There is no quality control, plenty of soldering hacks, component stacking, poor soldering.

Proof.

http://mrmodemhead.com/blog/gallery/craftsman-82003/

Dave's original $99 multimeter shootout.

[ElectricPower]

You may be right. But the Extech 505 won the Dave test I saw on Youtube. In that price category, I actually think this is a pretty good multimeter. Or?

[retiredcaps]

But the Extech 505 won the Dave test I saw on Youtube.

Won?

Are we watching the same video?  See 48:39 minute mark.

With CEM, I go by

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.

[threephase]

The CEM rebranded units I have reviewed have been a bit of a mixed bag.

The Extech unit I had was probably the best in terms of build quality, but the wireless comms failed on it. In fairness Extech support tried to resolve but never managed to.

The DiLog unit was pretty bad build quality, evidence of quite poor rework. The insulation test had excessive short-circuit current with respect to IEC requirements. Never any response out of DiLog, I even approached CEM about the unit and had no response.

The RSPro unit was the worst in terms of build quality, mostly in terms of rework that seems to have been carried out. I have never approached RS with regard to the issues.

It some respects it is a real shame as the CEM units do seem to have a good set of features, some of them are a bit unusual but very useful for me and that is what attracts me to them. I think if you get a unit that goes straight through production, it seems to be a better build, it is when it has to go for rework that the standards drop.

Another CEM rebranded RSPro unit I am just looking at seems to be a really good build and there are no quality issues with it.

If you are happy with the Biltema and it suits your needs, then that is what matters the most.

Kind regards

[joeqsmith]

"What's not to like?  As it turns out, well,  quite a bit!"

"It's got a combined volts AC and DC position.  It doesn't even have separate positions for that." = 121GW

Goes on to talk about rework.      There seems to be some common ground.

[maginnovision]

"What's not to like?  As it turns out, well,  quite a bit!"

"It's got a combined volts AC and DC position.  It doesn't even have separate positions for that." = 121GW

Goes on to talk about rework.      There seems to be some common ground.

I think you're a bit hard on Dave here. Yes, it's "his" meter. It's not actually as if he designed and built it. He was like a director trying to get what he wants but in the end he could only get what the actors could give him.

[rsjsouza]

"What's not to like?  As it turns out, well,  quite a bit!"

"It's got a combined volts AC and DC position.  It doesn't even have separate positions for that." = 121GW

Goes on to talk about rework.      There seems to be some common ground.

I think you're a bit hard on Dave here. Yes, it's "his" meter. It's not actually as if he designed and built it. He was like a director trying to get what he wants but in the end he could only get what the actors could give him.

I think as well the stink created around the 121GW is a bit exaggerated, given it seems to be a decent product. However, people were expecting that Dave would save the DMM market with a meter to rule them all. When the natural shortcomings of such design flourished, Dave's old style of quickly and loudly dismissing several of the same design decisions made by UEi became cannon fodder against him.

[joeqsmith]

I'm only pointing out what Dave himself has pointed out with meters he has reviewed.  In this case, with the CEM.   

Having a double standard as far as I am concerned is no value to anyone.   Certainly, my transient generator's don't have any bias against Dave's meter.    I  having nothing to gain from how any product performs against my tests.  Its all a loss if anything.   Like anyone else making products,  if there is a concern about the quality, improve it.     

[maginnovision]

I get it, but this thread isn't even about the 121GW. I'm not a defender of the meter or anything, I don't care. I've told people to wait because somewhat following it I still don't get a sense it's 100% there. That's regardless of autoranging speed, or AC bandwidth and flatness of response, strange issues with some ranges and modes. It had the range switch issue, a small number had breaking input jacks, you pointed out the lack of solidity of the SD card "slot"... It's not perfect. The shootout video is also almost 10 years old so his standards and perceptions may have changed, who knows.

[joeqsmith]

I get it, but this thread isn't even about the 121GW. I'm not a defender of the meter or anything, I don't care. I've told people to wait because somewhat following it I still don't get a sense it's 100% there. That's regardless of autoranging speed, or AC bandwidth and flatness of response, strange issues with some ranges and modes. It had the range switch issue, a small number had breaking input jacks, you pointed out the lack of solidity of the SD card "slot"... It's not perfect. The shootout video is also almost 10 years old so his standards and perceptions may have changed, who knows.

True, but the CEM review was brought up.  People have no problems pointing out Dave's short comings with the meter.    I find it funny that some of the complaints he has with the CEM are found in his own product.   Of course people are going to jump in to defend it.  It happens with pretty much every meter I look at.   

I'm sure every meter I have looked at had some sort of problem/s.  The last bit from Dave's above review pretty much sums up my take on it.  Buy what you want or need. 

[thinkfat]

Could you please get off your personal vendetta against Dave for not having sent you the very latest hardware revision of the 121GW? And stop cross-polluting totally unrelated threads, if you have a nit to pick about the performance of the 'Dave Meter', stick to your own thread. Double standards ffs! If you cannot get your point across over there, going ad hominem here is not going to be of much help.

[joeqsmith]

Could you please get off your personal vendetta against Dave for not having sent you the very latest hardware revision of the 121GW? And stop cross-polluting totally unrelated threads, if you have a nit to pick about the performance of the 'Dave Meter', stick to your own thread. Double standards ffs! If you cannot get your point across over there, going ad hominem here is not going to be of much help.

I have no personal vendetta against Dave or his meter.   I remember when a member Wytnucls accused me of being on a witch hunt while I was looking at the Gossen.  I'm sure he didn't like all the problems I uncovered with it but in the end, it does sound like Gossen may have addresses one of my major concerns with the product.

I am very disappointed that they were selling old hardware out of Dave's store when newer hardware had been available for a least a two months.   Not at all what I would have expected from someone like Dave who has been so critical on DMMs and test equipment in general.

I certainly agree that the things I am pointing out that Dave brings up during the attached review like "It's got the other annoying aspect of having to remove the holster to change the damn battery on the thing. Crap"  are indeed  nitpicking.   Comments like these are what made the show entertaining.    Watching his review and comparing his comments with his own meter has  been pretty funny.    I'm sure a lot of you won't find the humor in it, but that's alright. 

[rsjsouza]

As someone that went on the derailment train, I apologize to the OP.

bought me the Uni-T UT61D today and must say I was very disappointed.  the test probes that came with were miserable and when I put the unit in the mA setting it emitted a sound that would not stop.  the display had poor view and at all I thought it was so bad that I returned it.

One thing that detracts from Uni-T as a serious brand is their insistence in naming their products but using wildly different specifications and, in the case of the "E" variant of the UT61, they even have two versions with different input protection parts populated. This is terribly confusing.

I personally think the UT61E is a good product for electronics and low power circuits - I could not find another in the same price range that aggregates the number of counts together with so many other features with very reasonable stability. Unfortunately, in the Uni-T tradition, the "D" variant is so different that a direct comparison is very difficult to be made.
 

[Prophet2020]

I, personally, would be irritated at spending the same amount of money and receiving a lesser product than another person spending the same amount. It should be at the very least labeled as older hardware, or sold at a discount. No excuses.

Why would you be okay with it? 

[nigelwright7557]

I paid $10 for a multi meter off ebay.
Does everything I need.

[floobydust]

I, personally, would be irritated at spending the same amount of money and receiving a lesser product than another person spending the same amount. It should be at the very least labeled as older hardware, or sold at a discount. No excuses.

Why would you be okay with it?

No manufacturer discounts old revisions of a product, that I am aware of. They just sell off existing inventory and phase-in the latest revision. You'd need serial number tracking to work backwards correlating what H/W rev. is on the shelf and many vendors can't do that - go backwards in tracking, even to notify customers.
To offer a "barnacle" or patched or refurb product is not usually done because of the labour costs to have someone take it apart, add the fix, test and reassemble.

UT61 is now on revision 9 or 10 13, who even noticed what they received? The crappier input protection of early revisions is beyond cheap and fragile. Uni-Trend doesn't say a peep.

I'm not sure why people expect the perfect golden egg to be sold.