Finally some clamp meter reviews! I know I"m a year late to the comments but to be fair I've been nagging for clamp reviews for much longer than that. 😉
Agreed - DC current measurement is the most useful purpose of a clamp meter IMO and accuracy at low current range, say 25mA to 2A would be the most useful test for myself.
At 6000 counts and slim jaws, electronics guys can see battery DC down to 10ma without desoldering wires. I'd wish for a 6 amp range so it would replace the UT210E. Nice overlay on jaw internals Meister Darren. I backed-up just to see your attention to detail 👍
@@KeepOnTesting hey what type of meter should I get as a beginner HVAC technician? I'll be working in residential and possibly some commercial work. I was looking at this one or possibly the KAIWEETS 208D. Any suggestions?
@@jordanb3262Great question.. Either one would serve you well..I'd probably opt for the 208D simply because it's a little more robust for the commercial market.
Be great to see it's DC measurement as it's not that common on a clamp meter at this price. And TRMS. A lot of these inexpensive meters say they do TRMS, but simply don't, and could be a game changer for some. If someone buys one of these, or the DMM you reviewed yesterday, it would be pretty easy to dab some appropriately coloured paint on the input jacks as a bit of a reminder. Still, these Kaiweets meters look to be pretty good bang-for-buck. Also - love the tear downs!
I love my HT-206D. I bought one because it was the best value clamp meter with DC current capability and Max/Min. Overall a very handy and capable little unit.
@@bhushan9066 For my use I didn't need much accuracy so I've never bothered to test it, but being a clamp meter it's obviously not as accurate as a meter in series with the load and it does show erroneous values which you need to null out before using, but that's quite normal for clamp meters as far as I know.
i simply say really nice review on all the test meters and about that kaiweet wow stunning nothing to worry about the price all in tackle but lower functionsl option than the upgraded 208D and how i wish i can have one like that hopefully and always in safe darren i always support your videos
Thanks for reviewing this! I agree with your criticism of the screen and jacks, but I think a $50 DC clamp meter with good input protection deserves 4 stars. I'd have to try real hard to blow this meter up. I'm looking forward to the Kaiweets HT208D teardown and a comparison of the inrush feature. Isn't LowZ the low impedance setting for detecting ghost voltage?
Yes 👍 I was looking at the LoZ mode ( Low Impedance (Z) a low impedance input to the circuit under test..reducing the possibility of erroneous readings due to ghost voltage.) while attempting to explain LPF, I corrected my snafu in the text overlay..thx for calling it out. I understand I was hard on this one with the final rating..just too many little nagging bits for me to go 4 star. 🙃
It seems to be a very good tool for work at electrics in cars. The current ranges are proper for amperages occuring in cars. And: Simply clamping a cable instead to wire it up for serial connection is a very big advantage in car electrics. For electronic work it is simply lacking a 6A range. So, at leat for me, it boils down to the short backlight as the mayor flaw of this meter.
True it is easier for a serial connection but honestly I think it's more designed for working on large scale industrial/home wiring, you really shouldn't see a peak of 600 amps for more than a second in a car, and you know it's coming because you just hit the starter switch. Plus, AC is essentially nonexistant and for the most part this would be terrible to try and get around one or two wires to measure! Really seems designed for the trade electrician to me.
i always love those black-red combination, so gorgeous. 6000 counts clamp meter that has LPF-LowZ features for US $42? wow great job Kaiweets! 👏 yes, those input jacks should be color coded though.
Screen issue... I purchased two of these one had an issue where apparently the crystal oscillator (silver cylinder near the battery springs) would touch the metal plate below (ground plane?) causing the screen to blank out, fade, or just not turn on, but would work normally when giving the case a gentle squeeze (slightly bending/lifting the back housing/battery compartment that was pushing the oscillator down) Just wanted to post in case others had this issue and ended up here like I did! Great video! Fixed it with a minor adjustment but I wonder, could I have insulated between the oscillator and that metal plate below it? I imagine it's there for a reason... Always love some more knowledge!
Darren, does this meter measure ACV and DCV below 30mV? A number of Autorange DMMs or Clamp meters can only measure above 0.6V. I maybe wrong but I don't recall your video mentioned that. Thanks.
I love the teardown part of your videos as much as your presentation style. Those clamp meters are pretty small inside and have lot of functions thanks to modern cheap chips. Many "smart" meters have smaller functionality. But not the two KAIWEETS that are here to win :-)
Not bad at all. I have a UNI-T UT210E for doing DC clamp measurements on my bench. This looks to have way more features at a similar price. Kaiweets really gives you bang for your buck.
@@KeepOnTesting Normally, when you don't have adequate room to get the clamp onto the wire, that's when probes are used. It would sure be nice to know whether current can be measured using probes on this meter... but, I didn't do the review.😀
KAIWEETS!!! Only observation tho, you used the probe masters for most of the testing, I'm sure it was oversight. Would have been nice to see how the meter performs stock
Well only one way to find out!!! No no, seriously though. Whenever you exceed a manufacturer's recommended specs..you're walking in the danger zone ! You'll definitely cause a toasty havoc just how badly is anyone's guess.
Well Darren, that was quite interesting. I will be looking forward to seeing your review of the 208D. I’m not an electronics guy, I’m a wildlife biologist and use my meters to check power cords and battery cells, solar panels for our trail cameras, generator output, and some easy to do electronic repairs, etc. However, I do minor work around my home, mother’s, my kids and friend’s homes, I just have the regular multimeters. And see these clamp meters and was wondering what would be their benefit. It seems with these I can measure voltage and amps running through a power/extension cord… wiring, power cables for battery chargers, heaters, appliances and lighting without sticking my probes into exposed contact points and such, making things much safer for an amateur like me? Do I have things right or am I out in the field too long? 🤪 I’m really liking the looks of these meters, especially that 208D. But this one likely would fit my needs. All my best and I appreciate the help. George
Hi George, Spot on, using a clampmeter to measure high current is normally much safer than a regular multimeter, also they have a much higher current rating which increases both the usability factor and safety as well. Everyone needs at least 1 clamp in their electronics testing toolkit and KAIWEETS makes some of the best and most affordable. 👍
@@KeepOnTesting I appreciate the help because I'm out of my field. I'm looking forward to the video review of the 208D, and I get one of the two. I'm thinking it will come in handy and I'll likely use it a lot. Using it to check AMPS & Voltage on a vehicle alternator should be safer with this type of meter with no test lead wires hanging to get caught in the belt or fan blade. All my best Darren....
Looks like its priced from $40 to $50 - a better deal at around $40 but not bad considering todays crazy market its a decent value & feature packed for sure and should serve on almost any job. With a longer back light and louder beeper its a 4 star clamp-champ-!
Looks like a good clamp meter which does ac and dc amps . The most clamp meter does only ac mostly. This is very good feature and can diode , residtance , temperature and capicitance also. I do not understand why you give it only 3,5 stars . Why not 4 stars?
LCD Display was mediocre, low contrast and backlight turns off after about 12 sec. No color coded input jacks and bundled test leads were very weak.Also the Hz/LPF functions are rather clunky.Hence 3.5 Stars. Still, it's loaded, built to last and has great accuracy at a fair price for an ACDC Clamp.👍
I remember when these clamp meters first seemed to show up, always thought they were weirdos and too inaccurate to be useful. Seems Kaiweets has got it close enough though with this one Hope my meters show up in your mail on time! UPS said the 17th but who knows, right? Cannot *wait* to hear your thoughts on the SP-20D.
Interesting review. Seems to be a better performer than my Uni-T UT216C, although I think that is similar functionality to the HT208D. Nice set of calibration resistors you are using as well. Might have to get one of these and run it up on my current clamp table. Thanks for the review.
I'll be doing a mini review on them at some point.. They are really handy to have on the bench. Btw, If you ever need a Precision Voltage Reference Standard, Fred Chu (link in description) is one great engineer and a really atand up guy to deal with, worth every penny 😀 👍
@@KeepOnTesting Thanks, shipping and import costs tend to hurt when bringing into the UK. I do have an old DMM Checkplus, but I tend to test out current clamps and insulation testers at higher values in the instrument ranges. 👍
Nice!!! Honestly I would not use a clamp meter too much as a general purpose multimeter, so for me, it's much more important to bring the functionalities associated with the role of being a clamp meter. Thus for the usual test multimeter methods I wouldn't take the functions not associated with that functionality too seriously when judging (but indeed nice to have, anyway!). By the way, I am really curious, where do you store all of these tested multimeters (if you keep them at all)? :-O That would be worth to see once (in a video? ...), hehe :)
Great question...I have many hundreds of multimeters in electronic blue bins..stacked. I do keep most, sometimes for reference or just because they are great instruments..it definitely takes alot of space though 🤪👍 One day I'll do a walk through!
To me, this is a no-test: just showing the unit; for instance,i am at ZRO still when comparing it for durability, acccuracy etc with,say,a UT210D or a UT204+; these cost 30 dol/eur more, BUT if they are better,more accurate,precise and steady, and last 30 years, i don't know... i still do not know ,and i don't think i'll find the answer on youtube... it's all rush-rush...
You are kidding right ? These Kaiweets clamps are solidly built, industrial gear at an affordable price. I also think they are better built then the UNI-T clamps you mentioned. This was a review not a showdown. I'm not going to demo another vendors gear during a Kaiweets week.
@@KeepOnTesting had no idea about that K...week thing; but now i hear you now, when you say better built than the U.. ! surprise,surprise; well, yes and no, i just don't know... now i will definitely look into that some more, who knows,you just might be right ; thanks
Finally some clamp meter reviews! I know I"m a year late to the comments but to be fair I've been nagging for clamp reviews for much longer than that. 😉
Hehe..no problemo nag away.. 😊 Sometimes I need a reminder 😅 truth is.Tons more down the pipe. If you had anything particular in mind lemme know !
How accurate is the dc current test? Dc current test is not included in the video.
Agreed - DC current measurement is the most useful purpose of a clamp meter IMO and accuracy at low current range, say 25mA to 2A would be the most useful test for myself.
At 6000 counts and slim jaws, electronics guys can see battery DC down to 10ma without desoldering wires. I'd wish for a 6 amp range so it would replace the UT210E. Nice overlay on jaw internals Meister Darren. I backed-up just to see your attention to detail 👍
6A range would have been sweet! Thx for mentioning the overlay...😀
@@KeepOnTesting hey what type of meter should I get as a beginner HVAC technician? I'll be working in residential and possibly some commercial work. I was looking at this one or possibly the KAIWEETS 208D. Any suggestions?
@@jordanb3262Great question..
Either one would serve you well..I'd probably opt for the 208D simply because it's a little more robust for the commercial market.
Be great to see it's DC measurement as it's not that common on a clamp meter at this price. And TRMS. A lot of these inexpensive meters say they do TRMS, but simply don't, and could be a game changer for some.
If someone buys one of these, or the DMM you reviewed yesterday, it would be pretty easy to dab some appropriately coloured paint on the input jacks as a bit of a reminder. Still, these Kaiweets meters look to be pretty good bang-for-buck. Also - love the tear downs!
Thx Will 👍 I'm working on it..KAIWEETS is really making a splash in 2022!
I love my HT-206D. I bought one because it was the best value clamp meter with DC current capability and Max/Min. Overall a very handy and capable little unit.
How is the DC current accuracy?
@@bhushan9066 For my use I didn't need much accuracy so I've never bothered to test it, but being a clamp meter it's obviously not as accurate as a meter in series with the load and it does show erroneous values which you need to null out before using, but that's quite normal for clamp meters as far as I know.
@@rogerwilco5187 thanks for the info
@@bhushan9066 Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
@@rogerwilco5187 i use my UT220D every day on DC Amps and on Volts on my solar works
i simply say really nice review on all the test meters and about that kaiweet wow stunning nothing to worry about the price all in tackle but lower functionsl option than the upgraded 208D and how i wish i can have one like that hopefully and always in safe darren i always support your videos
Thx my friend...absolutely great test equipment from Kaiweets 😀👍
@@KeepOnTesting absolutely I agree with you
Thanks for reviewing this! I agree with your criticism of the screen and jacks, but I think a $50 DC clamp meter with good input protection deserves 4 stars. I'd have to try real hard to blow this meter up. I'm looking forward to the Kaiweets HT208D teardown and a comparison of the inrush feature.
Isn't LowZ the low impedance setting for detecting ghost voltage?
Yes 👍 I was looking at the LoZ mode ( Low Impedance (Z) a low impedance input to the circuit under test..reducing the possibility of erroneous readings due to ghost voltage.) while attempting to explain LPF, I corrected my snafu in the text overlay..thx for calling it out. I understand I was hard on this one with the final rating..just too many little nagging bits for me to go 4 star. 🙃
It seems to be a very good tool for work at electrics in cars. The current ranges are proper for amperages occuring in cars. And: Simply clamping a cable instead to wire it up for serial connection is a very big advantage in car electrics. For electronic work it is simply lacking a 6A range. So, at leat for me, it boils down to the short backlight as the mayor flaw of this meter.
Yes that backlight would make a huge difference as the small display is its weak point!
True it is easier for a serial connection but honestly I think it's more designed for working on large scale industrial/home wiring, you really shouldn't see a peak of 600 amps for more than a second in a car, and you know it's coming because you just hit the starter switch.
Plus, AC is essentially nonexistant and for the most part this would be terrible to try and get around one or two wires to measure!
Really seems designed for the trade electrician to me.
Impressive in terms of NCV. Great job, Kaiweets
i always love those black-red combination, so gorgeous. 6000 counts clamp meter that has LPF-LowZ features for US $42? wow great job Kaiweets! 👏
yes, those input jacks should be color coded though.
Oh yea..These are some of the best looking/ performing clamps at ANY price 👍
@@KeepOnTesting yes indeed. can't wait for the big bro HT-208D showtime, it must be interesting too. 👍🏻😃
Screen issue... I purchased two of these one had an issue where apparently the crystal oscillator (silver cylinder near the battery springs) would touch the metal plate below (ground plane?) causing the screen to blank out, fade, or just not turn on, but would work normally when giving the case a gentle squeeze (slightly bending/lifting the back housing/battery compartment that was pushing the oscillator down) Just wanted to post in case others had this issue and ended up here like I did! Great video! Fixed it with a minor adjustment but I wonder, could I have insulated between the oscillator and that metal plate below it? I imagine it's there for a reason... Always love some more knowledge!
Just seeing this now ..Great info !👍
Thanks Darren, good job 😀
Thanks for the thorough review!!
Cheers my friend!
Darren, does this meter measure ACV and DCV below 30mV? A number of Autorange DMMs or Clamp meters can only measure above 0.6V. I maybe wrong but I don't recall your video mentioned that. Thanks.
Hi Aaron..let me double check accuracy tomorrow and I'll report back.. 👍
I love the teardown part of your videos as much as your presentation style.
Those clamp meters are pretty small inside and have lot of functions thanks to modern cheap chips.
Many "smart" meters have smaller functionality.
But not the two KAIWEETS that are here to win :-)
Thx 👍 a bunch !
Not bad at all. I have a UNI-T UT210E for doing DC clamp measurements on my bench. This looks to have way more features at a similar price. Kaiweets really gives you bang for your buck.
Agreed Tron, they really are putting out some great gear! 😳
May I ask if you would get the HT-206D or the UNI-T UT210E for use on cars (hobby)? They are about the same price where Im from.
HT-206D ...I think it's simply a better clamp.
Good review! Appreciate it!
Thx my friend 👍
Thanks Darren 👍
Another great review buddy boy. like it👍
Cheers 👍 mon ami!
Would have loved to see how to use probes when measuring current.
Normally you wouldn't measure current using test probes on a clamp. That's what the clamp jaw is for. 😊
@@KeepOnTesting So, does this meter have the capability to employ the probes when measuring current.
@@KeepOnTesting Normally, when you don't have adequate room to get the clamp onto the wire, that's when probes are used. It would sure be nice to know whether current can be measured using probes on this meter... but, I didn't do the review.😀
KAIWEETS!!!
Only observation tho, you used the probe masters for most of the testing, I'm sure it was oversight. Would have been nice to see how the meter performs stock
Stock probes were OK but they are definitely the weak spot..
Hello Thanks for your video, does it have INRUSH capability???? Thanks again
Unfortunately not. No INRUSH on the 206D. LowZ & LPF only. The 208D does have the INRUSH support!
Tempted to get this as a back up to my UniT ut210E.
Sounds like a plan! Highly recommended 👍
Come on Kaiweets, colour code your inputs. Flashlight is definitely handy on a clamp meter 👍. Would love me some Kaiweets!
You got that right ✅️
Why does the box shown say HT208D on a HT206D review ?
I reviewed multiple KAIWEETS meters during the Kaiweets EXTRAVAGANZA...background displayed all of the test instruments not just the 206D
What do you think happens if you exceed testing 600 amp DC? Will it toast it?
Well only one way to find out!!! No no, seriously though. Whenever you exceed a manufacturer's recommended specs..you're walking in the danger zone ! You'll definitely cause a toasty havoc just how badly is anyone's guess.
thanks for the review, i have it now
Great clamp ! Enjoy 😉
Well Darren, that was quite interesting. I will be looking forward to seeing your review of the 208D.
I’m not an electronics guy, I’m a wildlife biologist and use my meters to check power cords and battery cells, solar panels for our trail cameras, generator output, and some easy to do electronic repairs, etc.
However, I do minor work around my home, mother’s, my kids and friend’s homes, I just have the regular multimeters. And see these clamp meters and was wondering what would be their benefit. It seems with these I can measure voltage and amps running through a power/extension cord… wiring, power cables for battery chargers, heaters, appliances and lighting without sticking my probes into exposed contact points and such, making things much safer for an amateur like me? Do I have things right or am I out in the field too long? 🤪
I’m really liking the looks of these meters, especially that 208D. But this one likely would fit my needs.
All my best and I appreciate the help.
George
Hi George, Spot on, using a clampmeter to measure high current is normally much safer than a regular multimeter, also they have a much higher current rating which increases both the usability factor and safety as well.
Everyone needs at least 1 clamp in their electronics testing toolkit and KAIWEETS makes some of the best and most affordable. 👍
@@KeepOnTesting I appreciate the help because I'm out of my field. I'm looking forward to the video review of the 208D, and I get one of the two. I'm thinking it will come in handy and I'll likely use it a lot. Using it to check AMPS & Voltage on a vehicle alternator should be safer with this type of meter with no test lead wires hanging to get caught in the belt or fan blade. All my best Darren....
Looks like its priced from $40 to $50 - a better deal at around $40 but not bad considering todays crazy market its a decent value & feature packed for sure and should serve on almost any job. With a longer back light and louder beeper its a 4 star clamp-champ-!
Clamp champ 🏆..You got that right Mike!
Looks like a good clamp meter which does ac and dc amps . The most clamp meter does only ac mostly. This is very good feature and can diode , residtance , temperature and capicitance also. I do not understand why you give it only 3,5 stars . Why not 4 stars?
LCD Display was mediocre, low contrast and backlight turns off after about 12 sec. No color coded input jacks and bundled test leads were very weak.Also the Hz/LPF functions are rather clunky.Hence 3.5 Stars.
Still, it's loaded, built to last and has great accuracy at a fair price for an ACDC Clamp.👍
Darren i have had this meter for sometime , mine is marked AB-Fastion, i think they are all Habotest meters in reality
This brand is habotest?
I remember when these clamp meters first seemed to show up, always thought they were weirdos and too inaccurate to be useful.
Seems Kaiweets has got it close enough though with this one
Hope my meters show up in your mail on time! UPS said the 17th but who knows, right? Cannot *wait* to hear your thoughts on the SP-20D.
Looking forward to those meters..!! 👍
Indeed KAIWEETS is doing a great job putting out very high end useful gear at really great prices..
I love the trigger action, are you feeling lucky punk .
Interesting review. Seems to be a better performer than my Uni-T UT216C, although I think that is similar functionality to the HT208D. Nice set of calibration resistors you are using as well. Might have to get one of these and run it up on my current clamp table. Thanks for the review.
I'll be doing a mini review on them at some point.. They are really handy to have on the bench.
Btw, If you ever need a Precision Voltage Reference Standard, Fred Chu (link in description) is one great engineer and a really atand up guy to deal with, worth every penny 😀 👍
@@KeepOnTesting Thanks, shipping and import costs tend to hurt when bringing into the UK. I do have an old DMM Checkplus, but I tend to test out current clamps and insulation testers at higher values in the instrument ranges. 👍
@@three-phase562 Roger that..I swear duties and tariffs are worse than taxes..ugh 🤣
How abt the accuracy when measuring dc current under 1 A?
It was very good..better than expected, down to about 20mA ..I've heard some grumbling about DCA with this unit but so far no issues.
@@KeepOnTesting Thankyou Darren.
Not bad, not bad at all. 👍
Nice!!! Honestly I would not use a clamp meter too much as a general purpose multimeter, so for me, it's much more important to bring the functionalities associated with the role of being a clamp meter. Thus for the usual test multimeter methods I wouldn't take the functions not associated with that functionality too seriously when judging (but indeed nice to have, anyway!). By the way, I am really curious, where do you store all of these tested multimeters (if you keep them at all)? :-O That would be worth to see once (in a video? ...), hehe :)
Great question...I have many hundreds of multimeters in electronic blue bins..stacked. I do keep most, sometimes for reference or just because they are great instruments..it definitely takes alot of space though 🤪👍
One day I'll do a walk through!
@@KeepOnTesting did u say many hundreds? how long u been doing this?
Very good I have one , could use a other one thax bro if it happens
You bet!
Kaiweets (😉) even added a "D" in there for you, really you had me laughing out loud there 🤣😂.
What a nice touch eh..hehe
It can measures miliampere ac current?
Yes indeed !
Thanks
@@KeepOnTesting how it can measure miliampere current
Thanks
I was hopeing the clamp would be tested on DC
Sorry mate..FYI its an excellent performer in DC current..might do a follow up one day
@@KeepOnTesting very kind I look forward to that.
a great one
ধন্যবাদ রিভিউর জন্য
😀👍
What is LOWZ
Low impedance mode, it removes ghost voltage usually on mains.
Bought the HT118A, now I wonder if should've waited for this review. Just to much good cheapo stuff.
So true...what a great time for the CHEAP-O Multimeter Realm!
Why can't normal multimeters beat clamps in max min?
Good question 🤔
👍
Rated as 3.5 without testing Low Z!
To me, this is a no-test: just showing the unit; for instance,i am at ZRO still when comparing it for durability, acccuracy etc with,say,a UT210D or a UT204+; these cost 30 dol/eur more, BUT if they are better,more accurate,precise and steady, and last 30 years, i don't know... i still do not know ,and i don't think i'll find the answer on youtube... it's all rush-rush...
You are kidding right ? These Kaiweets clamps are solidly built, industrial gear at an affordable price. I also think they are better built then the UNI-T clamps you mentioned. This was a review not a showdown. I'm not going to demo another vendors gear during a Kaiweets week.
@@KeepOnTesting had no idea about that K...week thing; but now i hear you now, when you say better built than the U.. ! surprise,surprise; well, yes and no, i just don't know... now i will definitely look into that some more, who knows,you just might be right ;
thanks
Bought one, a month ago.
Excellent!
Kaiweets not available in India....😬😬😬😬😬
Rishabh- is good enough😀
Well that's not good...I'll see if there's any supplier.
Give me tha Kaiweets clamp meter please
Looks arent as important as quality, accuracy, and durability if these are not there than looks mean nothing when it goes in the trash
Right on..that's why Kaiweets is such a great test instrument manufacturer !
@@Kevin-mp5of Kaiweets isn't the OEM but they do have unique firmware revisions and much better support.
No DUTY test. Bad
👍