New handheld DMM in town...

[MarkF]

It's a Kaiweets KM601 available on Amazon for $50 USD
Any thoughts? 



I see it's making the rounds of test benches:

   https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBreadboardca/videos

   https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDefpom/videos

[ataradov]

All those big colorful display meters look great on 3D renders and they all look like shit in real life. Too dim and even dim visible only when you look at them at one angle.

I also don't understand the appeal of those buttons. Never in my life I thought "boy, turning range switch is such a downer". And auto function is the last feature I want on a meter. Who is this even for? How often you are not sure what you want to measure?

[MarkF]

I guess it would be okay for a beginner or non-engineer.

I'll just stick with my Fluke 87V.  (whole different ballpark though.)

[floobydust]

What I look for first is spacings and protection. The PTC trace run is pretty close to COM, and then worse at the header pads- tiny HV spacings I would call a fail given the Cat. III 1,000V/Cat. IV 600V claims that are obviously fake.
There's no stand for it, oddball 6x30mm fuses (pic taken from review), likely poor contrast with so much on the LCD, and 9.999mA is the lowest current range I think. Same as Hobotest HT116.

USD $50 is way too much. More of the cellphone motif, no I'm not holding it in my hand forever.

[Fungus]

It's a Kaiweets KM601 available on Amazon for $50 USD
Any thoughts? 

At that price? No way in hell.

I see it's making the rounds of test benches:

Kaiweets are well known for sending "free samples" to youtubers.

The previous version of that meter got plenty of glowing reviews on youtube but was garbage in real life.

eg.

[MiroS]

It's a Kaiweets KM601 available on Amazon for $50 USD
Any thoughts? 

Mine is - ignore and drain the water ...

[rsjsouza]

Apart from a curiosity, IMO $50 is too much for this multimeter.

[joeqsmith]

Kaiweets are well known for sending "free samples" to youtubers.

The previous version of that meter got plenty of glowing reviews on youtube but was garbage in real life.

I think KISS recently received some free products from Hioki and Omicron as well.  I've watched a few of his videos.  He's one of the few reviewers actually doing something with the products they send him.   Compared with the open box, show the bits, blab for a half hour about how great it is, point to the PTCs and call them MOVs, point the the op-amps and call them LCD controllers, give it 5 stars, rinse and repeat.   
He should do very well.   

I suspect you won't find too many reviewers getting free samples calling the products garbage.   

[bdunham7]

I suspect you won't find too many reviewers getting free samples calling the products garbage.

I wonder if you could succeed with a YouTube channel where you actually do trash products, the idea being that the 'free samples' would be sent to you by competitors. 

[Fungus]

I think KISS recently received some free products from Hioki and Omicron as well.  I've watched a few of his videos.  He's one of the few reviewers actually doing something with the products they send him.   Compared with the open box, show the bits, blab for a half hour about how great it is, point to the PTCs and call them MOVs, point the the op-amps and call them LCD controllers, give it 5 stars, rinse and repeat.   
He should do very well.   

It's true that he does more than simply open the box and point at them.

He also openly admits that they're free samples.

I haven't heard him say anything bad about them though. The only thing that I've seen him trash is Fluke.

(not that I've watched more than half a dozen of his videos)

[joeqsmith]

I wonder if you could succeed with a YouTube channel where you actually do trash products, the idea being that the 'free samples' would be sent to you by competitors. 

I'm not sure how do you define successful but from a business, making money aspect, I would be the last person you would want input from.   I consider my tiny channel a success if it has helped anyone make better choices.   

I think KISS recently received some free products from Hioki and Omicron as well.  I've watched a few of his videos.  He's one of the few reviewers actually doing something with the products they send him.   Compared with the open box, show the bits, blab for a half hour about how great it is, point to the PTCs and call them MOVs, point the the op-amps and call them LCD controllers, give it 5 stars, rinse and repeat.   
He should do very well.   

It's true that he does more than simply open the box and point at them.

He also openly admits that they're free samples.

I haven't heard him say anything bad about them though. The only thing that I've seen him trash is Fluke.

(not that I've watched more than half a dozen of his videos)

I watched that Fluke rant.  It seems to be something reviewers like to do.   I certainly took many swings at them based on my initial experiences with my first Fluke product but that all changed once I started to run their products.   They have proven over and over to be one of the top players.

Even when that Canadian AGV hardware store safety fuse swapper had posted the big rant on Fluke, it seemed they couldn't read the manual.  I've seen some dumb reviews but that one was right up there.  Entertaining, but I like watching the three stooges.

[wn1fju]

I just received my Kaiweets KM601.  I paid $43.50 with free shipping on eBay.  Or at least that is where I thought I was buying it from.  It came via Amazon delivery two days later.  My thoughts....

The specifications, of course, are pretty mediocre.  Best case is DCV at +/-0.5% (+ 3 counts).  My unit consistently reads about 0.3% low on DCV and ACV.  The Ohms, DCI, ACI, Frequency, and C values are much closer to nominal, comfortably exceeding the specifications.

The specifications are given over an 18 to 28 degree Celsius range.  Since my lab is usually about 17 degrees, I put the unit in the oven for a few minutes and raised its displayed internal temperature to 23 degrees.  Against my 10 VDC standard, the voltage reading went from 9.970 V to 9.978 V.

The buttons and user interface are OK, but it can be annoying to keep pressing the button to march through the functions.  Also, the ambient temperature is displayed in Celsius and doesn't appear that it can be changed to Fahrenheit (it will show F if you are in the temperature function).  The test leads are pretty much junk as one would expect at this price point.

Although I have metrology-grade equipment, I didn't have a portable DMM.  What I like most of all about the KM601 is its size - it will fit in your pocket.  It's a nice piece to have if you need to check things around the home and aren't concerned about ppm accuracy!

[joeqsmith]

It appears he has a few Fluke rants now.  This is the one I had watched.  He had written me about the tests I run and he mentioned safety.  I attempted to clarify what I was showing but that doesn't always sink in.   7:14 it's clear that he didn't grasp it but that's fine.   The only reason you don't see me with a new Fluke is they don't offer a meter that suits me.     He talks about the cost but I look at the Fluke 189 that my friend had gave me.  Say it cost $700 new and is 30 years old.   Can I afford the $25/year?   I tend to look at the longer term and as long as I buy a tool that I know I will use for the long run, I don't have a problem.   Funny is just two days ago, friends UNI-T was acting up and they asked for help.  Bad switch contacts.    Then again, the free meters from HF are about as robust and accurate as my first Fluke. 

[EEVblog]

Kaiweets are well known for sending "free samples" to youtubers.

And they are bloody persistent. Banggood levels of persistent.
I think I have another one on my mailbag bench even though I told them not to send it. I don't think I'll open it.

[EEVblog]

Although I have metrology-grade equipment, I didn't have a portable DMM.  What I like most of all about the KM601 is its size - it will fit in your pocket.  It's a nice piece to have if you need to check things around the home and aren't concerned about ppm accuracy!

If size is what you want, get a proper pocket meter. I've done a two part shootout.

[Caliaxy]

It appears he has a few Fluke rants now.

They are expensive. And they don’t send free meters. Baaad Fluke.

[EEVblog]

It appears he has a few Fluke rants now.  This is the one I had watched. 

I thought this video was new so I commented. Turns out it's a year old.
Here is my comment on his rant about Flukes being overpriced:

Fluke meters are expensive for many reasons, none of which has anything to do with protection:
1) Lifetime warranty
2) Build quality and proven measurement confidence. Those that don't understand the concept of measurement confidence have never work in a professional field that takes metrology seriously.
3) Longevity of production. What other maker still has the same model available after almost 30 years? For many clients, e.g. military, this is a BIG deal. Again, if you don't know why that's important then you've never worked on military stuff.
4) Made in the USA
5) They pioneered the field the field of digital meters and became the defacto standard. They don't *have* to make cheap meters, they have a massive professional client base that demand their meters.
6) They maintain world class calibration labs and standards.

[Fungus]

Here is my comment on his rant about Flukes being overpriced:

Fluke meters are expensive for many reasons, none of which has anything to do with protection:
1) Lifetime warranty
2) Build quality and proven measurement confidence. Those that don't understand the concept of measurement confidence have never work in a professional field that takes metrology seriously.
3) Longevity of production. What other maker still has the same model available after almost 30 years? For many clients, e.g. military, this is a BIG deal. Again, if you don't know why that's important then you've never worked on military stuff.
4) Made in the USA
5) They pioneered the field the field of digital meters and became the defacto standard. They don't *have* to make cheap meters, they have a massive professional client base that demand their meters.
6) They maintain world class calibration labs and standards.

He's right about the crappy "standard" leads though. 

[Refrigerator]

.....
4) Made in the USA
.....

IIRC some fluke meter production is outsourced to china?

[bdunham7]

IIRC some fluke meter production is outsourced to china?

Yes, they're a global company.  They build a line in China for the Chinese market, they have Brymen OEM some of their clamp meters in Taiwan and their 113-117 line is made in Malaysia.  But most of those products aren't really all that expensive.  Their premium industrial line is made in the USA (at least assembled still) and has the 10 year lifetime warranty, those are the ones generally regarded as 'expensive'.

[bdunham7]

Here is my comment on his rant about Flukes being overpriced:

I think he's simply butt-hurt because Fluke doesn't mail out free samples to random vloggers.

[Algoma]

And they are bloody persistent. Banggood levels of persistent.
I think I have another one on my mailbag bench even though I told them not to send it. I don't think I'll open it.

Dave needs an small industrial shredder in the bunker for safe destruction of sub-par products that dont meet safety standards.

[Fungus]

Their premium industrial line is made in the USA (at least assembled still)

I'd love to know how much is actually made there these days. Is it just putting the PCB in the case and screwing the back on or are the PCBs and individual components manufactured and assembled there? It's hard for me to imagine them manufacturing things like resistors and LCDs in the USA but I'm a huge ignoramus.

Any insights from the forum?

[Fungus]

Kaiweets are well known for sending "free samples" to youtubers.

And they are bloody persistent. Banggood levels of persistent.
I think I have another one on my mailbag bench even though I told them not to send it. I don't think I'll open it.

Wasn't there a device where you did a terrible review of it and they put it on their web site anyway?

ie. They didn't even look at the video they just went with "As reviewed on EEVBLOG!"

[tautech]

.....
4) Made in the USA
.....

IIRC some fluke meter production is outsourced to china?

There are a range of China ONLY models too.
Good sound basic DMM's they are too and at reasonable prices.