Are UNI-T Multimeters any good? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Daniel_H
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 13, 2013, 11:39:33 pm
content: Hi, I'm new here so please excuse any errors if I make them,but I was given a UNI-T UT107 Multimeter as a gift and I have never heard of the brand so I have no idea of how reliable they are, It feels pretty solid but that doesn't mean it is accurate as my Fluke 28.I was wondering what you guy's though of this brand...

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 12:26:40 am
content: Some uni-t's are better than others, they are low end but not totally crap. That particular one is not the best no autoranging (only worth 25 bucksish), very poor resolution. Even so, good to throw in the glovebox or have banging around up at the cottage.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 04:16:54 am
content: I agree.Uni-Ts have their place in the food chain. That meter probably should be used for anything other than battery operated things. Keep the probes out of the wall socket.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 04:20:30 am
content: Quote from: Daniel_H on May 13, 2013, 11:39:33 pmNot even close to being in the same game as a Fluke 28.Uni-T are cheap bottom of the market stuff. The "name brand" of the cheap market so the speak.Quality varies widely between models, so it's often hard to make a general statement about Uni-T quality.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 06:29:36 am
content: Uni-T is one of the two principal multimeter makers in China, the other one being Mastech.The company is privately owned and based in Hong Kong, with manufacturing done in mainland China.Since their main market is China itself and emerging economies, their equipment is built to a price, with varying levels of quality.In general, the quality is acceptable, considering the low price.The ones I own and can recommend for electronic bench work are: UT71B/D, UT61E and UT120C.Be aware that input protection on most of their devices has been minimal, without much respect for updated international norms.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 09:56:46 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 14, 2013, 04:20:30 amAnd their customer service is total crap.And definitely without exception do not stick the probes into the mains, it could be a life changing experience.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 12:16:52 pm
content: I have tested my UNI-T multimeters on mains (240VAC), on all possible selections. UT71B/D and UT61E survived without a whimper of protest, even the pocket-size UT120. No life changing experience yet.Having said that, input protection is minimal and staying away from the mains is a good idea.I don't know who you tried to communicate with, but their customer service has been great for me.

author: Mar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 12:29:14 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on May 14, 2013, 12:16:52 pmi buy a UT203 few days ago and while searching about it .found this video on UT120i c its yours ... you seem confidante in itme too i surely test the ac main on UT203 and modified sine wave 230v and generator with 245 voltage too .. its ok ..

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 12:30:15 pm
content: Try to do the same in amps range.

author: gocemk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 01:30:38 pm
content: I also own a Uni-T UT61E and so far i'm very happy with it( and this is not my only multimeter, although is one of the cheapest i own.) First thing i did when i got the multimeter was plugging it into the mains on all ranges, and the meter survived, no problem at all.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 01:42:29 pm
content: Quote from: ddavidebor on May 14, 2013, 12:30:15 pmThere are no fuses in the 120C. Just a self recovery 250V 400mA overcurrent protector (WH250 400) (Polyswitch).It is rated for 250V, so should be able to handle the mains on it, but I don't want to damage the meter, in case it doesn't.I don't expect anything drastic to happen though.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 04:11:47 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on May 14, 2013, 12:16:52 pmThat doesn't mean much. All theses pesky safety standards the UN-T's don't adhere to are about exceptional, but not impossible, conditions. Meet one of these exceptional conditions with your UNI-T and you might be no more.

author: Mar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 05:23:55 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on May 14, 2013, 04:11:47 pmu have one of those and die in your conditions ... ? and this exceptional conditions only apply on Uni-ts ??

author: Matje
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2013, 10:30:10 pm
content: Quote from: Mar on May 14, 2013, 05:23:55 pmYou might. More likely you will get hurt, e.g. nasty burns on the hand that held the thing or even a lost finger or two.Quote from: Mar on May 14, 2013, 05:23:55 pmNo, to all meters, of course, but the Uni-Ts are not build that well regarding safety.Fluke has a nice document called "ABCs of multimeter safety" which explains this stuff quite well.

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2013, 08:33:13 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on May 14, 2013, 04:11:47 pmThe kind of exceptional conditions where you wouldn't want to be holding your corded drill, your corded hedge trimmer, your hand mixer, and all sorts of other handheld stuff that plugs into the mains outlet either.

author: Mar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2013, 09:03:23 pm
content: Quote from: Matje on May 14, 2013, 10:30:10 pmi agree .. but .. when we talk about same price units that's not always true .. any way we cant just say that they dont get the safety requirements because we hear that its not good .. its better to test it before judging . no one has it and say that about it ..all reviews for reasonably good price talk good about it ..

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 15, 2013, 10:08:22 pm
content: It is better to assume that any multimeter that is not a Fluke, Agilent, and possibly Brymen, is not safe until shown otherwise. I have not see one, not one Uni-T that actually has proper input protection. I will believe this meter owned by the OP is not safe for mains until I see the insides. This will be a belief based on the track record of the manufacturer.

author: aurelleostean
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2013, 08:07:15 pm
content: Hi, I also have a Uni-t UT71d, and I used it with good results in the first few days after I got it. All is good if you upgrade from a noname multimeter that was used just for fun, The specifications sheet is very good but in practice the older noname multimeters in my workshop is better in some respects like continuity tester, readings / second, display contrast, build quality(my case fluke like body). All is good if you have the pacience to work with it after you found out that a cheep multimeter is better in some cases then your new multimeter. So... oneday i started voltage adjustments on my Hameg HM305-1 scope and got to the 185VDC testpoint, but by mistake got the multimeter probes on the 1950VDC(drawing coincidence...my bad) . You can guess what happend next... the multimeter dies with few beeps, no smoke. I turned it off and on again but the display shows full 8888 on all selector positions. So my multimeter is now dead and i guess the problem is in the chip under the LCD(got the schematics from the forum on the Volcraft similar multimeter), but i can not find a supplier for this part, and a repair at Uni-t is out of the question. I am now thinking to buy a new multimeter, but this time it will not be a Uni-t and not because it broke on my bad, but because its slow and its poor design. My old noname multimeter will do just fine in the next few days. Regards, Leo

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2013, 09:31:13 pm
content: The continuity test is slow on the UT71, but it is latched.The meter has a fast display mode when it is required, with a count of 4,000 instead of 40,000. It is activated at start-up.You are the first person I hear from, who complains about display contrast, when the meter has one of the best displays in the business. Too late now I guess, but a new battery would probably have fixed your problem.The built quality is reasonable, as a 40,000 count bench meter. I wouldn't dare throw it in a toolbox though, like some people do with their Flukes.Take the meter completely apart and look for some visual damage on all components. If the main IC is toast, contact Cyrustek for a replacement.Good luck finding another meter with the same features, for a reasonable price.

author: aurelleostean
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2013, 07:15:28 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on November 14, 2013, 09:31:13 pmHi there and thank you for the reply.I apreciate that you like the multimeter this much, but I also bought it because of my likes on the specs and good comented on it. If I wanted a 4000 counts multimeter I would buy a good 6000 count one at that price range and not this one, but I wanted to have a 60000 count one and this ut71d was all I could buy at that time. I wanted to buy the Fluke 87 but ended buying ut71d.When the multimeter sits on a normal bench and you read the display there are strange rays from center down of display cover to up and you can not read good on the display. At first i got used to the ideea but in time it gets anoying. Your picture shows the display with backlight on and in not what the display looks like in daylight or workshop ceiling light, unless you work in the dark. I was forcet to place it closer to me, and when you have a big pcb to measure components on viewing the display will be harder. The multimeter feels solid in the hand but I didn`t put it in my toolbox without his textile bag.The battery was not an issue as it was replaced, the display indicated that with low bat sign a while ago.A major factors in buying this unit, if i remember corectly, was the 0.01 resolution on the resistor scale, overall accuracy, pc software and i hoped that everything else will be just as good. Any way i am looking for a new multimeter now and the fact that i killed it has nothing to do with it.There are no visible defective parts on the pcb, the only thing i suspect broken is the first chip that receive input signal from probes. In the mean time i am looking to buy, as you said a resonable priced multimeter with similar features, good overall accuracy, maybe less features but the ones it will have will be the ones i use most.Regards, Leo

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 15, 2013, 09:18:09 pm
content: Yes, UNI-T meters are good to a point but as you found out sometimes cheaper isn't better. If you live in the US then consider getting the Amprobe AM-270 for around $90. It is a great meter with great input protection:http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/amprobe/multimeters/am-270.htmOr if you are outside the US then iloveelectronics on this forum has sold and probably can still sell you a Brymen BM257 for under $135 (price might be a bit different now) shipped to your door. It is a great meter with all the features you might need except it will not light up LEDs nor test LEDs.There has been quite a bit of discussion here on the forums for both, much of it from meOh yes...Dave liked the BK Precision 2709B and for good reason.If you want to spend more than $150 there are other good options too

author: markce
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2013, 11:37:45 pm
content: UT-107 is aimed at automotive. So it's not the general purpose one. Then why would you complainabout not very extensive protection?A Fluke 28 (rugged, industrial) is quite a different animal, pricewise also, no comparison.

author: TopLoser
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 15, 2013, 11:42:26 pm
content: Just got a new load of 'customer returns', not the most reliable metersUsually I can't be bothered to check them out, I just skip them. I'll keep a log of what I find this time and post it here.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2013, 06:54:48 am
content: Which ones are you talking about?Farnell only seems to sell the UT531, which is a bottom of the range insulation meter, with some basic DMM features.

author: TopLoser
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 16, 2013, 10:44:13 am
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on November 16, 2013, 06:54:48 amTenma / UNI-T spot the difference time

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2013, 02:57:01 am
content: Quote from: aurelleostean on November 15, 2013, 07:15:28 pmI was in the same situation. I wanted a 87V but couldn't justify the price at the time. I bought a UT71D, and more recently needed a second meter with similar accuracy so I finally bought an 87V.My 2c about the UT71D:Pros:-Out of the box DC accuracy is excellent. Within 3 counts of a Fluke 87V (@20000 count).-AC accuracy is not too bad either.-AC bandwidth is excellent (100khz+)-Peak function is far more useful than an 87V due to the higher AC bandwidth.-Frequency counter shits on the 87V..., counts higher on the same voltage as the 87V. 60Mhz @ 1Vrms is no problem.-Capable of AC+DC rms measurement.-Backlight is very bright and even.-Datalogging. Implementation is basic but does the job.-Look and feel is decent for the price.Cons:-Backlight can only be enabled for 30seconds at a time.-No touch hold.-No averaging capability.-There seems to be an issue with frequency response flatness when measuring AC. Mine takes a ~3% dip around 25-40khz then over-reads slightly as it approaches 100khz.-The display update rate in 40000 count is slow (2 updates per second). Autoranging on AC is dog slow and it takes a long time to settle on DC mV and AC.-You can put it into 4000 count mode via a power-on option which makes it super fast (~7-10 updates per second) however it does nothing to speed up the auto ranging or settling time.-It displays garbage readings on the display while autoranging-The resistance measurement must not use the dynamic range of the ADC effectively because only has about 4000 counts of real resolution. This is undocumented and a major trap if you are unaware of it.-Capacitance measurement is affected by parasitics. And slow.-Continuity is hopelessly slow.-It beeps every time you press a button or rotate the selector. Beeping can only be disabled globally (through a menu, about 10 button presses) which silences the continuity beeper and lead/jack alerts as well. I don't like how the 87V beeps on button presses either but at least they give you a power on option to shut it up.-Flimsy split jacks for voltage/common. Current jacks are a beefier split type which are acceptable.-Very power hungry. 9mA~ on most ranges = poor life out of a 9V battery.-Abysmal input protection.-Calibrated by a myriad of trim pots, so long term stability is going to be worse than a digitally calibrated meter like a Fluke.It is really like a $50 meter with better resolution/accuracy on voltage/current modes and data logging. All the other functionality (resistance, continuity, capacitance, etc) is poor. It makes a good secondary meter if you already have an 87V or similar, but it will piss you off as your main meter. If you want a serious 40000+ count meter look for a second hand Fluke 187/189.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2013, 04:57:18 am
content: Quote from: TMM on November 17, 2013, 02:57:01 amFor people who live in the USA, an used Fluke 87V on ebay goes about the same price as a UT71D +/- $20 USD depending on your patience level.I realize for those outside the USA, new Fluke products are significantly higher due to exchange rate, taxes and shipping (including Canada).

author: aurelleostean
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2013, 08:20:07 am
content: TMM, in my opinion, is right about 99.9% and that's because he forgot to mention the DC and AC overshoot. TMM thank you!. Regards, Leo.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2013, 11:52:18 am
content: -No touch hold.Few meters have it. Mostly a Fluke feature.-No averaging capability.Few meters have it, minor detail.-There seems to be an issue with frequency response flatness when measuring AC. Mine takes a ~3% dip around 25-40khz then over-reads slightly as it approaches 100khz.No, tested with Rigol DG1022, tracking is perfect.Autoranging on AC is dog slow and it takes a long time to settle on DC mV and AC.No lag on DC mV. Can take up to 10 seconds to settle on mV AC due to true RMS AD626, just like the Fluke with the AD737.Read this thread:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-87v-ac-current-measurement/msg328373/#msg328373-It displays garbage readings on the display while autorangingOnly while ranging up on AC, 2 to 3 secs for a steady reading. Probably due to AD626 again. DC range change is fine.-The resistance measurement must not use the dynamic range of the ADC effectively because only has about 4000 counts of real resolution. This is undocumented and a major trap if you are unaware of it.Not on mine, steading 40,000 count resolution on resistance. Measurement goes up to 400MOhm instead of 50MOhm on the Fluke.-Capacitance measurement is affected by parasitics. And slow.You need to elaborate on this one.Most meters are slow on big caps as it takes time to charge them. Tested with a 2200uF cap, 5 seconds for steady reading, 2 seconds for a 68.3nF cap (40,000 count). Range goes up to 40mF, compared to 10mF for the Fluke.-It beeps every time you press a button or rotate the selector. Beeping can only be disabled globally (through a menu, about 10 button presses)6 button presses actually. Long press on 'Range' to enter menu, toggle the same button 3 times to access 'beep' setting, press (-) to stop the beep, press 'Exit'. Setting is kept in memory after shut off.-Very power hungry. 9mA~ on most ranges = poor life out of a 9V battery.5mA on resistance and capacitance measurement. 3.5mA on DC volt. 2.5mA on Hz/%. 8mA on volt AC, uA/mA/A ranges. 5mA on diode testing. What is the consumption on the Fluke?-Abysmal input protection.PTC, 1000V crowbar circuits on most functions and A/mA sense protection. The latest ones have HRC fuses. I wouldn't call that abysmal. Aurelleostean put 2000V DC on his and it just died with a slight whimper.-Calibrated by a myriad of trim pots, so long term stability is going to be worse than a digitally calibrated meter like a Fluke.The upside is that yearly calibration is easy and free with the trimpots.It is really like a $50 meter with better resolution/accuracy on voltage/current modes and data logging. All the other functionality (resistance, continuity, capacitance, etc) is poor.I don't agree with your sweeping statement, except for continuity which could have been be faster.It makes a good secondary meter if you already have an 87V or similar, but it will piss you off as your main meter. If you want a serious 40000+ count meter look for a second hand Fluke 187/189.Few meters are perfect and the 187/189 is not one of them. Horrendous battery life and read the thread about leaking capacitors.The Fluke 87v is a 6000 count meter with a higher resolution available on all ranges, except capacitance, frequency and peak hold.

author: aurelleostean
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 09:03:23 am
content: Hello! I got news about my ut-71d and I decided to buy myself a new multimeter , Brimen BM867 . I chose this meter as it seems best for me and the work that I do, I have it for two months now and I like it. I have been looking for fault in the meter ut-71d and I concluded that measurement chip is faulty , I ordered a new one from china ... and the other day I managed to replace it . Original chip was ES51966P , but I put ES51966A because it was the only one I could find at the time. The device operates normally and I have not noticed any problems. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that there is nothing else defective and everything works normally . The device deserves credit for surviving the shock of 2000V with "minor" damage . So now I have decided to keep ut-71d in the bag of tools and Brimen for the desk. I think the multimeter BM867 is more suitable for me, and as a personal opinion I think it is superior to ut- 71d overall. Regards, Leo.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 10:00:39 am
content: Kudos for fixing your UT-71D.The Brymen 867 seems well built, with decent features, but it costs twice the price of your 71D.I can tell you from experience, that the UT-71 meters are very stable and have very little drift over a one-year period. As far as I know, nobody has long term drift data for the Brymen yet.It seems that the triple display on the 71 is slightly sharper than the 867. Can you confirm?For bench work, the 71D is less bulky, comes with internal/external logging and a RS232 USB cable, at no extra cost.Enjoy them both!

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 03:08:29 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on November 17, 2013, 11:52:18 amHow have you tested this? Try putting a low value pot in series with a high value resistor - e.g. 100ohm multiturn in series with 33K resistor. Then adjust the pot.I find that the quantization levels of the ADC are 8-10 counts apart and while it shows readings in between this is only between the ADC is fluttering between two quantization levels and the meter is doing some averaging.If you have a stable reading at say 33.050K, try adjusting the pot to get a stable reading at 33.051K. It doesn't happen. It will go from being stable at 33.050K, to fluttering between 33.050-33.060K, to being stable at 33.060K (or something similar to that, i just pulled those values out of the air).I discovered this when i was measuring a bunch of resistors in order to match them and the exact same values kept coming up suspiciously often. It is also absolutely hopeless if you want to measure a resistor under 1ohm. Even after you delta out the leads the resolution bug gets you.Quote from: Wytnucls on November 17, 2013, 11:52:18 amUT71 battery life is probably worse than a 187/189. 9mA current draw with the backlight off.Don't get me wrong it is a reasonable meter for the price but i don't think it represents any better value than a Fluke 87V (even though they are in a completely different price bracket). Even if on paper they look very very comparable, when you start to use it you realize that extra money is well spent because it doesn't have all the quirks and stupid bugs that the Uni-T does.edit: Oh and the other week i was measuring resistors using a wien bridge with the UT71D and noticed this in my results:So now we are suppressing small negative voltage readings? I guess they were embarrassed about the noise performance of the ADC. Seems like every other month i notice another issue with this meter.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 04:05:42 pm
content: I'll test the ADC quantization on the ohms range when I get home, but even if it is reduced on that range, does it really matter, since the guaranteed accuracy is far worse at 0.3%+8LSD, on most ranges? I can't think of an application where one would want or expect a high resolution on the ohms range.From the Cyrustek ES51966 datasheet:When oscillator is 4MHz, voltage/current can be counted up to 44,000, and resistance can be counted up to 42,000.I don't usually compare the UT-71 to any Fluke meter, as the latter belongs to a far superior quality bracket. All I'm saying is that, for bench work, the Uni-T provides loads of reliable features, with few competitors at that price point.

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 04:13:39 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on February 13, 2014, 04:05:42 pmWhen you need to match two or more resistors but the absolute value isn't important.I needed two 6.8K resistors matched within 0.1% so i got out a tray of 1% metal films and found the resolution of the meter to be worse than that - about 0.14% @ 10counts resolution measuring a 6.8K resistor.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 04:46:42 pm
content: The Cyrustek ES51966 is one of the best and most reliable Taiwanese DMM ADCs. So good in fact, that it was chosen by FLIR to equip their first high-end multimeter.If you find some shortcomings with it, FLIR or Cyrustek would be delighted to hear from you, I'm sure.When I want to match or measure resistors to a high precision, I tend to use an LCR meter.

author: aurelleostean
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2014, 04:55:47 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on February 13, 2014, 10:00:39 amSalut, and thank you!I am sorry to disagree with you but the ut71d is 153 Euro and bm867 129 Euro plus taxes, you can check on tme.eu .As I see it the screen of the bm867 has more contrast, better viewing angles, stronger backlight, and not the other way around. The ut71d has a sharper display if you have the meter close to you face, but I prefer the display of the bm867 as it is more suitable to my needs. I think the ut71d was build for people that have more then 2 meters in height or for those that put the meter on the floor to read the display, in fact not even on the floor but on a chair at the same height as your bottom. On the bm867 the tilting bail is longer and you can actually read the meter display sitting on the chair and not in your feet, and in my opinion the tilting bail of bm867 is almost perfect. Yes the ut71d comes with a usb cable, that is useful to record data on pc and so on... but I do not use it, and the fact that you do not have a cover for the big, pointy corner hole the usb interface leaves behind when you are not using it, to me it is pretty annoying. Hope this helps! Regards, Leo.This is a super fake picture of the ut71d:http://images.batronix.com/products/multimeter/UNI-T/UT71D-oblique-l.jpgThis is what you see most of the time:http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/ZRZCtl0x4Rk/hqdefault.jpghttp://i.ytimg.com/vi/vk7S-cJs4KM/0.jpghttp://img202.imageshack.us/img202/4346/28577144.jpgThis is how a photoshoped bm867 display looks:http://www.netes.com.tr/upload_x/genel/BM-867-33B3A43A457FE9186416E985FC41B2BE.jpgThis is how I see it:http://www.google.ro/imgres?start=130&espvd=210&es_sm=122&biw=1280&bih=628&tbm=isch&tbnid=GA7qmkQi_BxLqM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eevblog.com%2Fforum%2Ftestgear%2Fbrymen-bm869-review-by-the-eye-of-the-industrial-electrician%2F&docid=9Hhvx4VfmH2HnM&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eevblog.com%2Fforum%2Ftestgear%2Fbrymen-bm869-review-by-the-eye-of-the-industrial-electrician%2F%253Faction%253Ddlattach%253Battach%253D18069&w=900&h=675&ei=qUX-Uv_QGqbmywPgtoCgDA&zoom=1&ved=0CF8QhBwwHjhk&iact=rc&dur=1173&page=7&ndsp=24

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 14, 2014, 05:44:12 pm
content: Wow, such price discrepancies here. The UT71D is readily available on ebay for around 120 euro or $160USD shipped to your door. Using TME as a price guide is a bit useless as they have some of the worst prices for Uni-T and some of the best prices for Brymen. But this still does point out that the BM867 is nowhere near twice the price of the UT71D. The only reason to buy a UT71D over a BM867 is to get temperature and internal logging. I would rather buy a BM867. For everyday use it far out performs the UT71D in speed, build strength and safety. Yes, the UT71D comes with a PC cable and software which costs $50USD more from Brymen.If I were looking for a bench meter that does almost everything and I was never going to use it for high energy and didn't care about the slooooww continuity test then I would consider the UT71D better buy.I am a bit biased against Uni-T because my UT71E came out of spec with readings more like 0.4% accurate rather than 0.05%.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 06:53:36 am
content: The 71D can be had for 114 Euros delivered to your door in France.http://www.ebay.fr/itm/New-UNI-T-UT71D-Intelligent-Digital-Multimeter-/121183663433?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c371bf549Well, obviously, the 71D is not for you. I think it is the most useful meter one can get for low power bench work, at that price point. But I don't expect everybody to agree with me. I don't have a problem with the bale or the screen and there is a work-around for a fast continuity. There is nothing wrong with the BM867, if you can put up with the reduced 1 kHz AC bandwidth (100kHz on the UT71) and especially if you can get it with the logging contraption, for a similar price, but I doubt it.The Brymen with the logging cable, VAT and postage costs about 210 Euros. In my book, that's nearly double the price of the 71D.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 03:43:38 pm
content: Actually, I would buy a UT71D if I did not have a logging multimeter and had another good one for safety. It is a good buy if its limitations are taken into account.It is also hard to pin down the end prices for things when we are talking to people all over the world.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 03:52:46 pm
content: TL; DR, you get approximately what you pay for; usually less but sometimes a little more.You pay $50 for a meter, you get less than or equal to $55 worth of meter.You pay $400 for a meter, you get less than or equal to $440 worth of meter.There is almost never an occasion where you will spend $50 for a new meter and get $400 worth of meter. That isn't how selling things works.