$50 Multimeter better than a Fluke? Kaiweets KM601 Review
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- How does a $50 multimeter from Kaiweets stack up against a Fluke?
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In this video I review and show the build quality and test against my trusty Fluke 110 (which is my benchmark for multimeters)
To buy this multimeter, use the below link and discount code.
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⏱️Chapters⏱️
0:00 The Kaiweets KM601 Digital Multimeter
1:18 What you get & the user manual issue
2:30 Ruggedness & battery compartment
4:17 Other accessories included
5:38 Powering on the meter and functions
7:24 Accuracy compared to the Fluke 110
10:42 Final thoughts
12:13 Outside in sunlight
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It looks very sexy, nice screen. I'm still a licenced electrician but never bought a Fluke. I didn't think a few decimal places on 240v or 415v would make much difference in the big scheme of things. I have a number of different meters, meggers and no contact voltage detectors. In saying that, I am always interested in new toys. Lol. Cheers for sharing Hayden. 👍🤓🇦🇺 73
Hi please share your multimeters that you use
lots of great multifunction units coming out - I still have my Fluke 77 I got in the mid 1980's - still going strong - but there is always room for some cost effective ones to throw in the go bag
I was all set to get the cheaper multimeter until I saw the last few min with the washed out display in daylight which is were I would use it most of the time . Still a good cheap for inside worship use and the display was bright in the right conditions . Thanks for the review
Looks like a cool little meter. I should at some point upgrade to something that measures true RMS
Thanks for the review - I've just bought the newer version, the KM601s which has the option of battery powered or rechargeable. More importantly, the test leads plug into the face panel (not the edge) and there is a flick-out stand like your Fluke. Also the function button allow navigation through the functions in either direction. I haven't tried it in the bright sunshine yet but here in the UK we aren't too worried about getting to much of that - lol
where can you find the 601s that's battery powered? i can only find it a rechargeable option
I have one something like that but uses watch batteries, I like yours better. Thanks for the look Hayden.
Hi Tom, Thanks for the video. I have a Fluke 77 and 87 and wonder if the Kaiweets leads properly fit the Fluke? Fluke leads are inordinately expensive. Thanks, Val
If I had to place a bet which meter was showing the correct actual voltage, it would be your Fluke even though it's 10 years old. I have a Fluke 87 (no suffix) that's at least 20 years old and was used in an industrial environment, never calibrated and I put it up against my brand new Fluke 289. The reading were identical. Identical. You can't beat that with a stick!
I will stand by my comment that fluke makes probably the best multi meter on the market. My 87 has been in, around, and under the hood of cars and trucks for the last 20 years, and I would trust it to measure anything accurately.
Digital meters with A to D converters do not drift like older Analogue stuff used to, they either fail or they give the correct reading...
After 10 years electrolytic capacitors will start to dry out, it would most likely refuse to switch on than give inaccurate readings
But in 15 years of building circuits, unless you're dealing with precision voltages for a comparator or feedback pin, generally it doesn't matter if it reads 1.05v or 1.10v that's what potentiometers are used for, fine tuning
I've had flukes fail just like every other brand, cheap modern multimeters are all decent unless its a dollar store version. They all use the same circuit designs and are usually made in china unless you buy the more expensive made in America models then they are the same with an american flag on it.
My 87 is welll over 20 years old, was even left outside on the rain FOR A YEAR (Cottage)
It somehow still works and IS PRECISE!
I just ordered one of these using your link and they are cheaper than Amazon. Thanks for the information.
Glad I could help!
Great video. With that big display, what is the battery life?
Hayden have you ever send in For calibration. Thanks for the video well informed the other meter looks pretty neat
Thanks for the nice review. I have a Fluke 87 that I bought years ago, and it has been a fine meter. Recently though, while turned OFF, it will start to make weird noises and the display looks like it wants to fire up. I guess it is time to send it out to have it looked at. I find it very strange that while off, it is making noises. As mentioned below, a cheap meter that you have is better than an expensive one that you don't. -- de n1kpz ( dennis ) in NH. on the East coast of America. 73 OM
sounds like it tested a ghost and has never been the same.
How many amps can you test with it?
Hi, nice video. If you just turn it on and start measure AC voltage, it will detect automatically that or you must switch to AC mode with FUNC and then SEL button ?
It does detect that automatically ;D
How fast is it to actually measure - I've been noticing that my current meter takes a bit of time to read.
Actually reasonably quick. The only thing I haven’t measured it current. On auto sense it’s pretty quick too
It's nice and all, but being an automotive tech, I already have a fluke. I also consider the fluke as being one of the best multi meters on the market. I think I will just stick with my fluke, and my oscilloscope that's inside my scanner.
I like some features that I don't have so I used your coupon code... watching reviews is dangerous! Lol. Thnx for the coupon code. 😉👍
Watching reviews is extremely dangerous, thanks mate
Anyone used this how practical are those buttons in use. But it looks nice with that big screen and it's got a nice hard case to protect it plus a pouch too. Is it touch screen?
How many hours would the battery last?
I bought a cheap fluke 107 meter a few years ago and it works alright. Lately it’s been acting up so I just bought this one on Amazon as a backup and a new set of leads for my fluke. I can’t justify $800 for a proper fluke, I don’t need that kind of accuracy.
Fluke 101 is $43
Interesting review, thanks. Why wouldn't I buy one- i shouldn't have to print out an English manual and I want to be able to see the display in direct sunlight which according to your review may be rather difficult.
can we connect this to computer?
Amazon $219 Fluke 115 Digital Multimeter, Amazon $46 KAIWEETS KM601 Digital Multimeter Voltmeter Smart Electrical Tester 😎 Most excellent hobby meter. 🥰Thank you.
excellent video, thanks for sharing. Cheers
Nice job Hayden 👍
Thanks for most comprehensive review.
As of may 2024 , I want to buy a accurate but budget ($ 50 Max) dmm for SMD component / voltage testing .
I think Kaiweet , multicomp ,anenag ,UNI-T all are chinese OEM .
Can you pls suggest the best amongst this breed ?
Though colour smart screen is sexy it must be consuming large power and prone to damage .So I will stick to AUTO / manual dmm with backlight colour lcd .
pls.suggest. Thanks
I purchased one out of curiosity as the "mobile phone" styled form factor is quite appealing. The 601 is a useful meter in a fun package that does appear accurate when compared to my Fluke 87 V and 189 meters. I do have some concerns though. The internal construction does not have separated compartments for fuses nor does it use reinforced safety fuses. Additionally, there are no MOVs to control mishaps which can result in a fuse explosion. I recommend being vary cautious using this meter with high voltage mains. I also found this meter to be extremely slow on reading capacitance and that small capacitors, below 1 uf, seem to be quite inaccurate. Finally if you use this meter with high voltage, please use the outer case to provide some containment protection. Mishaps can happen. I do like the review.
I've just looked at the claimed specs of CAT IV 600V and to be honest I think it's a joke. Having done proper formal assessments of test equipment to EN/IEC 61010 in the past, I wouldn't go near anything hazardous with this meter. Proper HBC fuses are not cheap and correct layout with creepage and clearances to support the higher Measurement categories becomes very onerous. The fact you mention it might need a separate enclosure and transient voltage protection suggests it falls well short of the requirements and doesn't meet the LVD. It is probably dangerous and should not be on sale in the EU or UK and even recalled.
i hate phones
yeah, without the proper sand filled safety fuses it will blow up in your face if you blow a fuse on high voltage
I bought one of these a few months ago. The only thing I don't like is that it won't read high frequency AC pretty much at all.. Granted most won't, however a lot of even cheap MM I'ved used will still give a reasonable read on high frequency.. This MM pretty much doesn't function after a few 100 hertz.
I don't always watch a video about multimeters, but when I do it's produced near the Outback.
Been a Barrister for a wee bit 'o time. I need a tool to measure the intelligence quotient of the courtroom opposition. Judges too. Where do I stick the probes? Do you think this will work?
Btw, what does the Count refer to in multimeters please? 4000, 6000, etc.
Yes, it refers to the number of digits in the display.
I have a KM601s, and it has a full English manual included.
There is a 116 model as well. I can’t really spot any difference. Thanks for the review
10A vs 600mA
I bet it won't last long than a fluke. I am using a fluke since 1998 and it is still going strong. Get it calibrated every 2 years, just replace the batteries. The only issue I recently started facing is the display.
I bet you can not know how long it will last.
One thing I have missed that is important. The fluke meter is a category lll meter. How about this new meter here? I may have missed the marking on it. I might like to use the new meter in the shipyard I work at, but the category lll rating means the fluke has a rugged rating that I like.
Tbh, even if this meter was marked as CAT III, I wouldn't put it anywhere near any high-enrgy circuits. Just because it might be marked CAT II or III plus a voltage rating doesn't meant it is safe to use on such installations.
A good price too..cheers mate...
Another youtuber said the batteries are in a separate compartment to protect from leakage.
Just received my KM601. The display is absolutely illegible outside (you literally cannot see a thing on the screen!) and gets noticeably dimmer/less legible in any bright light. I will be sending it back.
Same drawback with the display on my 208D, these pretty color displays are best reserved for indoor use. Outside under the hood of a car in daylight you need a third hand for shielding 🙃
I’m 100% for the Fluke but I like the modern design on the Kaiweets
On my Fluke 115 the stoping nose of the functions button (rotary button) broke, although I never used it really rough. So I can turn over the off position. Replacement parts for that (I really tried) been a pain in the ass! I got sent from here to there, I guess it's easier buying some spare parts for space shuttle from NASA! Backlight is just a bad joke, as you can see also here in this video. Now got GVDA GD128 which is the same as Kaiweets 601, and enjoy super display, and overall sure same measuring quality as Fluke 115. Do I need a Fluke? No!
I'd buy both.
For what I need it for it's better than a fluke. I like the neoteck pen 1 better tho. I don't need a fluke because I don't go over 277 volts normally so nursing home maintenance I usually don't even need to use the leads I just use the ncv. The pen is better because it fits better in my pocket and I can use it 1 handed even using the multimeter.
Can you change the temperature to Fahrenheit?
Yes you can change the temp from celcius to fahrenheit
@@HamRadioDX any clue how?
N6OCT
Keep pressing the Auto/Fun button until you get to the temp measurement and it will show both at the same time according to the manual
@@HamRadioDX of course, the temperature also shows on other screens but in Celsius, I was wondering if the can be changed.
I didn’t see that in the manual. I may of missed it though
I truly hate the auto function. Mine will not select manually volts ohms continuity. I have a HT112B
Most resistors that size are +/- 5% btw
You received the wrong manual. My manual is in English. It's nearly too small to read so I downloaded the file from Kaiweet.
Would have been good if you would have swapped the leads to see if the difference was in the internals or leads.
Lead length within reason will make no discernible difference to a voltage reading.
well cool, proper star trek
Lol you're funny. The Fluke meter is made to withstand very large drops. That's why it has that yellow rubber booth it's very thick for a reason. It's the opposite your el cheapo meter is the one that will break first if dropped. Either way though very entertaining video. Thanks.
El cheapo doesn’t always equal el crappo… you’re welcome
0:07 they asked you if they wanted you to review their multimer????
I have this particular model, and while I do like it, it's only because it fits in my pocket, has min/max capability and uses standard 4mm probes. It's my second one because the first one died within the year. I expect this one to fail also. My Fluke 97 on the other hand will undoubtably give me many more years of excellent service. Evey time I test a capacitor with anything less, I want to throw everything else against the wall. Including the Kaiweets. You would have to compare it against the crappiest Fluke (115) to even come close. The 115 or any of the other low end meters Fluke offers does not represent Fluke. You may want to change your title to better represent that thought.
You should ask Dave Jones what he thinks, lol. He actually gave a good layout as to why fluke commands the price they do. Personally I think the cheaper meters are “good enough” and in some cases better.
Haha yes… Dave would be a good guy to interview too
@@HamRadioDX I did forward to Dave your interview with Dick. He liked it.
Better than the multimeter you don't have.
Very true!
So many companies on Amazon selling that exact model. I bought one from Camway, and the next day they had none left!
All smart multimeters like this one have a fatal weakness: the screen is difficult to see outdoors.
In this multimeter, the rechargeable battery is used. Someday (about 4...5 years or less, the battery will fail, what should I do? Furthermore, it only uses one button to switch tasks, it will be damaged quickly.
Additionally, this type will definitely drain the battery quickly.
I do not like AAA's as they do not have that much capacity. The backlight on this meter is going to draw a lot of current from the batteries. AA's would have been a much better option. I suspect that's why they gave you two sets of batteries with the meter.
Price is good. It looks a bit thinner which is good. Looks more robust than a fluke. It needs a hook or easel so it can sit somewhere. Most mine sites in WA only allow cat 3 or cat 4 meters. But overall it would be good for the car or toolbag. Wheres the fuse located? Would be good if it had a transistor tester. Cheers Hayden.
I haven’t pulled it apart yet to search for the fuse. I might do so in the next few days. Thanks James 👍
If robust means fireproof, my Fluke 88 proved very robust 😉
It was in a fire and the case melted down enough to expose some of the innards. Display clouded up from the smoke and intense heat. The rotary switch fused together and didn't rotate, but cutting away the plastic slag to get it rotating again showed it was still completely operational, and fully in calibration.
Still using it to this day.
Tried to see if I could get a replacement housing by contacting Fluke, but never even got a response from them. In that regard, Kaiweets customer service was actually far better when I got in touch with them, and they were very responsive.
A 252 euro Fluke 115 vs a 45 euro shipped meter.. excited to see if it holds up against a top class meter.. For me as a newbie the Fluke is definitely overkill. i would never go above something like a Brymen BM235 that's even to much for now. perhaps in a few years the Brymen would do..Considering my age and the level of knowledge i will probably never need a fluke hahaha
It's not like the fluke can do special or complicated tests and you also don't need more knowledge to use them. They are just known to be precise and of good quality
@@jahndo i understand what your saying..
That meter is only good if you can't afford a Fluke lol. Could you do an active to earth in continuity mode to test the robustness of it and to check your safety switch?
I wouldn't buy the Kaiweets or a Fluke. Kaiweet meters, you get what you pay for. Fluke meters, you're paying for the name. There are other brands that function as well as Fluke and at a much lower price.
@@nealhatfield6579 can you provide other brand and model is better where i can research. Thanks
@@michaelchu802 Depending on your location there are several brands. For example, in the US, we have Greenlee which is a rebranded Brymen meter, we have Klein in the US. Again, not knowing where you live, I would look at EEVBlog (Brymen rebranded) meters, Brymen, Greenlee (rebranded Brymen), Amprobe, Extech, Klein, and Innova among others. Most people, including hobbyists don't need all of the bells and whistles. A basic meter that measures voltage (AC/DC), current (AC/DC), resistance, continuity, diodes and capacitors is more than enough for the vast majority of people needing a meter. I would look for meters available in the country you live in, find the best brands in your area and then buy the meter you can afford with the functions you want.
Don't buy a cheap meter that is a clone of a thousand other Chinese brands because they are generally not reliable and this Kaiweet happens to be one of those meters.
Don't buy a meter for the fact that it says "TRMS" or "True RMS" unless you need it. When I say "unless you need it", the hobbyist, home user or amateur shouldn't need it. a regular RMS meter will work just fine. I have a TRMS meter (Fluke 89V) I use at work and I have an RMS meter (Klein MM400) at home, which is an RMS meter which works just fine for what I do.
Remember, you get what you pay for. Cheap Chinese brands in most cases will be unreliable, have a short lifespan, or have little to no customer support.
Know this, most meters are made in China, however if you buy a reputable brand, those Chinese manufacturers are required to meet the specifications of the company that they are contracted with and must meet those specifications of quality, reliability, accuracy etc... Remember, even Fluke has meters manufactured in China.
A meter is only as good as the person who is wielding it.
@@strangelylookingperson I understand where you are coming from and agree to a point, however, I am from the school of buy the best you can afford. If someone can only afford is one of these cheap Chinese meters, then by all means get one. Remember, you usually get what you pay for. You don't need to break the bank in order to get a really good meter and very few people need all of the bells and whistles. Most people could get away with voltage, resistance and the rare use of capacitance and diode testing, but those last two are really in most cases not used by the majority of meter users.
Anyway, cheers.
Hobotest HT116 identical
this is weird it looks exactly like my astroai 10000 count meter
I don't need precision, I don't repair electronics.
But to have a multimeter that is laying to me is just insulting.
a fluke has repeatable specs from one meter to the next i.e. a very high accuracy
Repeatability and quality control is very different to accuracy.
Kaiweets is very fast in auto mode when measuring resistance, much more expensive multimeters don't have that speed
Why the back cover when the entire unit is already wrapped in the bumper?
You can lend over that fluke to your grandchildren and it will be as accurate as the day you bought it, spend the money on a better meter. I have a 117 and 10 other multimeters, I always end up going for my 117 because I trust it.
Bought a used Fluke 117 a few years agao and checked it against a voltage reference. 5V reference read 5.000V on the multimeter. Not bad at all.
What is the build quality like? Seems to be from china. Kind of wary of it... I do need a multimeter though.
Even Fluke is made in China now.
Fulke is best.... 👍👍👍
Direct comparison is like a blasphemy. It may be a good meter for it's price. Not necessary to compare to industrial pro meters.
Voltages moving all over the place just by touching the probes or by moving it around...MEH...It means that it's not grounded properly, nor shielded. THAT's a huge NO.
This is not a meter that should be used on 250volts as it has little input protection ,may be ok on low voltage stuff. suggest you open meters under review
Unless you're a professional that requires a high quality multimeter for non stop daily tasks and you have lots of money laying around and want to spend them on something, I suggest you to pick something else. Even the most basic Fluke models that have barely any functions cost over $150 and for just a little more, you can get yourself a multimeter with almost all the functions available to a multimeter. For instance, a good quality multimeter from other brands that cost $250-$300 will have nearly everything and it's Fluke equivalent will cost you around $1500, if not more. So, it's all about what you do, what functions you need and how much you're willing to spend. Keep in mind that the people who use Fluke all around the world are a very small % and the rest of the people are doing just fine without Fluke (yeah, imagine that). Don't jump on the hype train, unless of course you really want to and while Fluke is probably the most famous and most expensive brand, it's not the only professional brand out there that offers high quality products.
this comment would be a lot more helpful if you named some brands! i need one for electronics, and the cheap DMM's I've always bought never worked for longer than a few weeks.. i wanna pay for sth that'll last, and being a noob I've heard that Fluke's are durable. any brands, or maybe even specific units, you'd rec? mainly small electronics work, if that matters
Your assessment of the meter fails to show any understanding of the safety aspects of the meter. For a start, the reason for the screw in the back which is required to be removed to change the batteries is a requirement of EN/ISO 61010-1 which is the safety Standard for test equipment and similar devices. It requires amongst many other things that potentially hazardous live parts may not be be accessible without the use of a tool.
Accuracy is not within the remit of the standard and is a commercial concern.
How silly of me
-3 Ω of at an 1 kΩ resistor and -1V difference to the 238,3V on the Fluke is quite accurate? That is just a point of perspektiv. Yes, this might be the case for any ordinary stuff in your household and some small DIY projects. But if you are going for some advanced measurements of electronic devises and parts this "smart" multimeter will just become an indicator of some high or low voltage or some current flow. In such cases i won't trust any of the numbers this multi is showing me, because i don't know how much they are off of the real value or a really accurate measured value.
If it is just off on some simple measurements, it only gets worse on the important ones. All that fancy smart-features like colored display, indication lights and its smartphone like appearance and the auto mode are just to blend.
A Multimeter's main task and purpose is to measure as accurate as possible and not to be a disco light or Knight Rider.
@Luzifer 4m0k 'A Multimeter's main task and purpose is to measure as accurate as possible?'
Actually I don't really agree with this statement. Surely a multimeter's main task will depend on what sort of work you are doing with it!
As I do 99% repair work, for me the main function is to give me a voltage, resistance or current reading, I don't care if it is accurate within 1% or whatever because I probably don't know exactly what the reading should be anyway - usually I just need to know if a power rail is present or not, is the voltage in the ballpark of being what I expected or not, what current a device/circuit is drawing and again does it seem 'about correct' to me.
I want to know If a transistor or Mosfet is biased on or off, does an IC have Vcc, is an oscillator driving a buck regulator or SMPS running (I don't really care what the exact frequency is but is it oscillating at a 'reasonable' frequency), and do I have a short circuit X Y or Z or not?
WTF do I need an absolutely accurate meter for to do any of that? And yet I am making use of using a multimeter day in / day out to make me a living. I'm not just using it to 'mess about with some small DIY project' or 'ordinary stuff in the household' as you say. Nope I'm usually using it for complicated stuff like repairing a computer motherboard or graphics card down to component level, and often with no schematics to go by - just component datasheets to assist me. From your opinion I should not be able to do that with anything other than a super-duper super-accurate super-expensive-how-ever-many-digit mulltimeter. I can inform you that you are totally wrong.
if anything is important, to me, it is how fast does the meter react in continuity mode - I need that to be as near to instantaneous as I can get.
@@LearnElectronicsRepair I like a fast continuity beeper also, for sweeping connectors with a hundred fine pitch pins to locate nodes. I test by flicking the probes together and checking for the audible indication no matter how brief I can make the contact.
Have you checked what accuracy a Fluke has?
And notice that you can not compare the voltage measurement here because he did not measure at the exact same time. It can fluctuate A LOT, it can go 30 V up or down within a second.
Kaiweets will never ever better than Fluke
If KW can sell at the same price ranger as Fluke, KW can kill Fluke without any questions.
Those meters are only $20 on AliExpress. Looks like there is a big markup once they leave China.
What an Amazon rip-off!
This meter response too slow.
.997 vs correct is a 100% fail
The batteries are AA and NOT AAA!!!
The reason why the battery compartment is screwed on rather than clipped on is when you drop it, you won't lose the batteries when the cover flies off. Probably less of a chance when there is a protective cover over the battery door.
Don't measure your skin resistance dude!!
Why are you testing a quality item against China Ju__k a bit pointless, if you want quality that you can rely on pay the extra, I purchased my Fluke 75 when I was 20, and I am now 78, and it still works, so what can I say!!!
So you've owned one and believe it's junk?