i bought it a year and a half ago for 27 euro. it was a love at first sight. after that i bought 5 more other habotest models and i loved them all too. (even if i had already about 10 other multimeters) very good review, keep walking!
Dude that's the most thorough and professional review of a DMM that I've seen. And the fact that you spice it up with some quirks here and there to keep us watching. Love from India. PS: I bought one
Nice review, Thanks Darren, was initially thinking of buying BK precision 2709b, but it's very expensive, was searching for cheap multimeter reviews, found your channel, ht118a suits my electronic needs, would have been a huge waste buying branded one since I don't use it for high power, Kudos for your channel👍
Darren, this looks like a decent multi-meter for the money. I like the orange glow back light, and lighted input jacks I was surprised that it passed the LED tests, being that it's only powered with two AA batteries.
There is a simple hack to keep the backlight on indefinitely. If you have the earlier firmware. Inside, top right, are three wires, red, black, white going to the display. connect a new wire from the white to the left leg of the flashlight LED. Now the display backlight stays on with the flashlight. If, like me, you think the flashlight is useless, snip the right leg of the flashlight led. Now the backlight times out with a short press of the backlight button and STAYS ON with a long press.
I just got my kaweets ht118a which is basically the same than the habotest, and they are shipping the version 1.5 of the board. Now the backlight stays on all the time and you can use it with the flashlight on
New Subscriber here Darren. Great looking reviews and always entertaining. Just a quick question. I have watched your Uni T 191T review many times and I am still undecided which one to get if this Ht118a from Habotest or the more expensive UT191T. Everytime I watch your reviews I want to buy that particular product I am watching hence you have a great convincing power. So back to my question what do you think should I get, I will mainly use it for automotive applications, particularly checking resistance, continuity and voltage. Thanks again for always providing us conscise reviews. Kudos to your Channel. Love lots from the Philippines.
Hi Erwin, without a doubt go for the UNI-T 191T..its built to last, rugged housing that will survive those bumps and falls. Great Input Protection ..etc. I really love this meter, its perfect size and balance for me. Alternatively, the UNI-T UT89XD is another great choice, although its manual Ranging but still has that rugged design although not as well built internally as the 191T. The Habotest is a great meter but I don't think its anywhere near as tough or resilient as the UNI-T. Btw Thanks for the kind words.. I would love to visit the beautiful Philippines one day!
Hey Darren, just wanted to thank you for all these detailed and great reviews, homers are also fantastic :)) I don't use multimeter much, but recently I bought myself a UNI-T 89XD. Its good but after I saw your reviews, I wish I had bought Habotest 118A :( Thanks again, mate. Wish you all the best in the world.
@@kresimirpranjic4898 More features on UT139C , display is better on the Habotest..also cheaper. Tough call, I would probably opt for the Habotest if it came down to price vs performance ...
Great review, ordered and arrived today... Quick update: Manufacturer must be watching your video, because the backlight doesn't turn off on whatever version they are currently shipping! Stays on forever, or until the meter shuts off.
Thank you for your channel, I'm just a hobbyist and order a klein MM300 then went on You youtube to check reviews. I saw yours and you said you wouldn't recommend and after seeing you're test I can see why. Then I saw your list of recommend cheap multimeter saw this review compared to the klein and wow! So I cancel the Klein and got this one from Amazon, it was $28 and they had a $13 off coupon so got this bad boy for $15!!!!! So not only did I get a way better metter than the Klein but I save $15 on top of that. Thanks a milliion!
New potensial meter : TASI TA801C Look like the compact version of Habotest HT118A at halfprice . Head to head to winapex et8101. Used external memory to store data. Freq in voltage n current. No bargraph. Some good meters released this year. Thanks. Keep on buying n reviewing n testing...
Thanks for the heads up..I just ordered 1 for review! Looks interesting as you say..I don't see any mention about data logging but it still looks promising! Keep On Testing!
The chips are so good on these cheap ones, accurate and that very nice display with dual values/bargraph.. so cool for The people who does not want to spend 500 monies on a meter
I just got one on Amazon. This thing is badass for the money. Longevity will tell the tell but for now I'm real happy. My real cheap multi the digital display is unreasonable
I liked your channel. I would like you to help me in which multimeter to choose. Uni-t UT890C, UT890PRO, UT89X, UT89XD or the HABOTEST HT118A or whatever you think is better in this range.
Hi Ricardo..Manual RANGING I'd choose the UNI-T UT89XD , Automatic RANGING...HABOTEST HT118A...fyi, UT89XD is probably the best built out of the lot..but the HT118A has more features.. 😄 👍 Let me know what you decide...at the end of the day..all great multimeters.
I just got the exact same multimeter, except it's branded Kaiweets. I agree, the 20 second auto off backlight would be a deal breaker, but mine turns on and stays on till I turn it off. Maybe Kaiweets brand had it tweeked a bit before launching. My only "complaint" really is that I thought it would weigh a bit more and feel more expensive and rugged in the hands. Other than that, 2 thumbs up!!
Nice review! If this one was a branded Fluke, how much do you think it will cost in CAD? What Fluke model can be in direct comparison with this Habotest? To me, it seems to be the best bank for your buck! There's a good chance that I will buy one!
Excellent channel! A question: have you seen/tested the Habotest HT113C? It is even cheap-o-er than the 118A, but has very similar, though not exactly the same, specs.
Great review! I have just received it and im really happy. Its newer version and has permanent backlight without turning off which is great. In the video there is board version v1.2, mine is v1.9 and has also few different components on board (but i dont know how they are called, im not electrician :).
An Amazon reviewer for the Kaiweets version writes "the 600 milliamp fuse blew with just 0.5 milliamp going through it. The college instructor verified the unit was used properly and the circuit was configured properly, and that it was the multimeter that had malfunctioned. The replacement fuse costs more than the meter itself. Opening the unit up to inspect the fuses revealed the unit was not constructed properly for the fuses that came installed and this problem will likely happen again." Do you see any circuit flaws with the fuses in the unit?
Sounds like a like a load of "hogwash" to me! There's nothing wrong with the internal circuitry. They use standard 5x30mm fast blow fuses and you can easily fit 5x32mm in its place. 12 ceramic fuses will set you back 10$. I think this is just a lame attempt at dissing whats a very well made and affordable multimeter for the masses. I think the student was either high on solder fumes or was bored and needed to manufacture some fabricated story to get a refund from Amazon.
Is this the best dmm under $50? The review was very positive. Also, how important is the missing inner shielding? Do any comparable dmm have shielding + the quality of this? Could you make your own shielding?
Sorry for the late reply. This is definitely one of the best buys in the CHEAP-O MULTIMETER Realm!! Shielding is important but if you are using it on the bench you should be fine .
Nice instrument, nice review. The only feature I don't like is that it defaults to AC. Please note that the date code 1912 means 2019 (year) 12 th week , not January 2. The PCB (and not the meter) was fabricated on March 2019. This is the standard date coding that is used for ICs and other stuff.
Awesome review, because of this review I bought one, its very impressive even when compared to my way more expensive wavetek 27xt. When you opened it up I didn't see any calibration pots, I can calibrate my other meter , is there any way to calibrate this one? Also since I love it so much is there any available protective case available for it? Well done on the review, this was a great purchase for me. Thanks
Unfortunately not. No user calibration pots. You can definitely buy a 3rd party multimeter case to protect your beauty but no HT1118A specific case is available. Enjoy the multimeter it's a great test instrument! Thx for the kind words!
Great video, thanks for review. i have a old 1999 count dmm and some functions not working anymore so Currently looking a good deal multimeter to buy. Which should be better habotest 118A, aneng 8008 or unit ut89x. Prices in my country ht118aand ut89 25$. Aneng 18$
Thanks for the list and reviews, huge help for picking a dmm. Looks like a nice unit. I almost bought a more expensive one with way less performance...
I have one of these. if you read the manual it cautions you not to use it on voltages higher than 230VAC. if that's the limit than this meter can not be rated CATIII or IV. I would not use it on Industrial 480 power systems. The meter is well built, though I did have to open it up and re-solder a circuit pad because it was interminate. .
Good point..Let's face it most dmms in the CHEAP-O REALM aren't going to do heavy mains ..nor should they..used for household voltage (120/230) max depending on your geography and you'll be just fine.
@@KeepOnTesting Cat III and Cat IV ratings are a safety rating. The manufacture is basically saying that the instrument will not cause a Arc Flash incident at voltages up to 600 VAC when properly used. If you are not aware of how dangerous a Arc flash incident can be take a look at some of the video's on You Tube. yes I like the versatility of the instrument but I only will use in on my electronics work bench and deffently not on tube equipment.
@@jimnunn9232 I'm well aware of CAT Ratings. Hence, HT118A is perfectly safe for household mains CAT II. Most multimeter vendors claim higher CAT than what the multimeters are actually capable of safely doing. Never use any CHEAP-O Multimeter for anything above mains 1 or 3 phase CAT II and you'll be fine.
Wow! Amazing review!! Would have been nice to see the version C with double AA load test review! I believe version A does not have it... None the less Thank you for this awesome and fun review!!!
Fuck this would be perfect if it had one or two 5-10MOhm resistors, and some MOVs. Would actually fulfil the CAT ratings :) Just add 3 dollars more and you have pretty much multimeter on par with the best boys.
Excuse me Mr.Darren Walker. Can you please help me to choosing my first multimeter?? Either richmeter rm219(zt219) or habotest ht118a. Rm219 have 19999 count and habotest have 6000 count. I don't know if i really need that Rm219 more count. From what i noticed Habotest doesn't have relative button,range button. And again i don't really know if i really need those button. Will i get a hard time without those button sir???. I want to use it for repairing broken stuff such as measuring fan capacitor,checking not working pcb,checking smartphone component that not working properly,etc. What is your opinion Mr.Darren? Should i choose rm219 ($23) or ht118a ($26). Or maybe you have another recommended multimeter?? As you can tell, yes i am a newbie with no experience here. Please excuse any mistakes as English is my second language. Thank you.
Its possible their is support for a future rev that will incorporate BT functionality. Or, the display might be used on multiple multimeters so it's a segment that's not utilized in this multimeter..which I think is more likely as I don't see any BT module or space on the pcb.
At 13:13 into the video, I see you were measuring the Hz and duty cycle. Since the Hz was about 60, I assume you were measuring standard "house current." The manual for the Kaiweets unit says that for Frequency/Duty measurement, the voltage is limited to 10V, and anything above that may damage the unit. What does the Habotest manual say? Also, the Kaiweets unit has a NCV Live probe on top of the unit, so you can hold the unit next to a line to see if it is live. You can also use the red probe, as illustrated in the video.
NCV is non contact voltage yes, but Live test is probing with 1 probe for a single contact point voltage test On the meter there is NCV and Live in the same spot indicating it does both, which it does
@@KeepOnTesting just found a weird e-Bay listing. It's for a UNI-T UT139C for $7.99 including shipping. Here's the link; www.ebay.com/itm/UNI-T-UT139C-True-RMS-LCD-Digital-Auto-Range-Multimeter-AC-DC-Tester-Meter/392328022180?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 It's probably a scam but I threw $8.18 their way anyway. Just thought you'd like to check it out. Yup, it was a scam.
Is the Habotest HT118A and Total TMT 47504 exactly the same meter? If so than I will go with the Total meter as I like it's Teal-White combo body more than that of the Habotest's. If not than I will stick with Habotest. Therefore kindly resolve my doubt as soon as possible so that I can purchase the appropriate one before it goes out of stock 🙏
Thank you for the review Darren! I just bought the Kaiweets 118A for $29. My backlight stays on, and can use with flashlight on. Also, on Amazon reviews are saying you can no longer access the internals to change the fuse. On mine you can. I think they just don't know how to get that grippy cover off of it to take the screws out.
im confused. kaiweets look identical with habotest ht118a. both have different website .hope the performance is the same. habotest is cheaper a bit than kaiweets in malaysia
Hi. Is there any similar multimeter like ht118a? For example peakmeter pm18a ? But pm18a has no bar graph. Do you know another multimeter brand and model like ht118a? There are many KKmoon HT118A, Kaiweets 118A . Your multimeter's board HT118A-V1.2 İ saw another version (Kaiweets) was HT118A-V1.3 Do you have any idea? is there any difference?
Yes there is a difference..the new rev. pcb supports the audible diode and I believe no timeout for the backlight, although I haven't verified the latter. The AstroAI M6KOR is another variant..I'm awaiting on AstroAI to ship me a unit.
Hi Darren, a lot of thanks for all theses reviews, very useful for a beginner like me. This Habotest seems really reliable and a very good choice. A simple question about all these 3 Volts multimeters : Is it possible to use the voltage of a lithium battery (between 3,3V and 4,2V when fully charged)?......surely better light on the screen and higher beep, very little discharge for a big Ah capacity, but any problem for the electronic card and the screen with this little higher voltage? Can it be a possible choice or is it better to keep both alkaline 1,5V batteries? Michel from France.
Hi Michel.. Many thanks...😉 Yes, you can certainly use a Lithium cell instead of a regular alkaline battery. In terms of performance and possible long term effect I don't have any data to effectively point to. I say go for it ! 😀👍
@@KeepOnTesting Thanks for your quick answer Darren , "I 'll go for it" and first try with one half-charged cell (storage voltage, 3,8V) and then slowly up......I live not far from the english coast....and if that smells like a little burnsmoke across the Channel to your home, you will know it was a mistake!! Greetings!
HI Darren, love from india. Will You be doing reviews of meters from 50 TO 100 USD. And also one more question, which alcheapo multimeters has the best input protection. and by cheapo I mean below 50 USD. based on that I will buy it promptly. yu really give very convincing reviews, I base my buying decisions base on your reviews.
Hello my friend! Yes indeed I will be doing some multimeter reviews I the $50-150 range in September 😀👍 CHEAP-O w best input protection..Great question! ...normally the two don't coexist however the UNI-T UT39E+ had one of the best...dual PTCs, spark gap protection, ceramic fuses and a very clean pcb layout ..20,000 COUNT CHEAP-O !!
@@admahecha Might be a simple issue such as the battery pcb terminals not making contact with the battery assembly. Alternatively, it could be a faulty or damaged selector pad on the rotary selector switch failing to initialize the multimeter. Unfortunately shipping can be really tough on test instruments so thats usually the culprit. Let us know if the replacement puts a smile on your face 😊
Hello - can you tell me can this meter read down to 1 mV? I've tried to find something that says what it's resolution is but can't find the info. Thanks. And thanks for your video.
Hey Darren, hope all is well. I was just curious if this multimeter has a beep in diode mode? Any others you could recommend that have a diode beep? Thank you man!
Hey Luis , my sample did not but since then the updated firmware does include the audible beep in DIODE mode. Also the other branded HT118A versions, KAIWEETS, RICHMETERS etc ..all have the beep.
Yes indeed..same exact meter except for 1 function. The Kaiweets will beep in Diode mode if the diode is good. Not sure why Habotest negated this handy feature.
Does it have adaptor for 2 pin standard k-type temperature sensor or just proprietary k-type ? Very good review! 👌🏻😁 i am oscilanting between this and uni-t 139C. Habo looks nicer but i belive the 139 is better what do you think? 139 also has no adaptor for k-type 🤦🏻♂️ and i really need that
The Habotest has no KTYPE Adapter. Just a standard Jack input sensor temp probe. You can buy a separate KTYPE Adaptor on Ebay or Ali though. 👍My preference is definitely the HABOTEST 💥
UNI-T UT890D+ that I recently reviewed has the good diode beep function. Also the Kaiweets/Richmeters HT118A also have this feature. Finally, the UNI-T UT89XD includes an audible diode beep as well. A great feature to have on a multimeter! 😃👍
I bought a Kmoon HT118A 4 months ago, used it for two weeks then put it aside. I picked it up recently but found something wrong. When the dial is set in the 5 light blue gears , ALL lights(top, whole screen, 4 input jacks) are blinking and beeping sound. Everything seems normal when the dial is in the 4 orange color gears and the red NCV/Live. Do you have any idea what might go wrong?
What about shorted diode test in this multimeter ht 118a give short beep in case of good diode and shorted diode because if you touch two probs in diode mode give short beep is this normal
Türkiye den selamlar unit ut139c ile bunda kararsızım, Türkiye'de 10 dolar fark var ,hangisini önerirsiniz özellik ve uzun yillar kullanım acisindan teşekkürler