KAIWEETS KT301P How does it work?   - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Felicity
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 03:12:14 am
content: https://kaiweets.com/products/kt301p-circuit-breaker-finderI’m looking at the KAIWEETS KT301P Circuit Breaker Finder and it really caught my eye because it’s digital with an LCD screen (I prefer clear readings instead of just beeps).It also seems to have some extra functions that many other brands don’t include. The price looks pretty reasonable, which makes me curious:How accurate is it in real use?Is it convenient enough for everyday work or DIY projects?Any real-world experiences would be super helpful.

author: NE666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 08:45:14 am
content: Despite their marketing department's protestations to the contrary (see the comparison table within the 'What is a Circuit Breaker Detector?' page of the website linked above), that's exactly how it will work; a tone generator, injecting a easily distinguished signal which is picked up via capacitive and/or inductive coupling.In general then, it will therefore work as well as, and no better than, tone generators that have been used for wire tracing for decades.This particular model has been reviewed by IMSAI guy on his channel:The the same device appears to be available from more than one supplier, each with their own branding (e.g. Kein Tools).Based on that review (and the one of the previous iteration of the same device), it seems like it may be of some use if you really have no idea which circuits are connected which breaker but there's no way I'd trust it ALONE to confirm 'dead'.

author: Felicity
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 01:37:15 am
content: Thanks a lot for the reply — that really helps me get a clearer picture of this tool.Over the past couple of days I compared a few options, including Klein Tools and Fluke, just like you mentioned. In the end, I felt the Kaiweets one gave me the best bang for the buck since it packs more features at a lower price. I went ahead and ordered it, and I’ll test it out once it shows up.Really appreciate your input!

author: SuperFlyEDSguy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2025, 04:01:08 am
content: Quote from: Felicity on August 27, 2025, 01:37:15 amI have the previous version by Klein Tools without the LCD showing the signal strength, and to be honest, all of these units just like their Voice-Data-Video (VDV) counterparts generally all work the very same way and with approximately the same level of results. The previous comment actually summed the theory up pretty nicely as these devices usually don’t make direct contact with the wires being traced, but rather using namely inductive coupling to transmit the signal wirelessly. So, the end result is an audible tone on your end that’s usually around 8kHz along with some sort of visual indicator. In your case, you’ll see the strength as a bar graph, that should correlate to the signal amplitude, which may actually come in handy to better find the correct breaker.These devices will help, but they’re not perfect, and that’s an unfortunate side effect of their theory of operation. I’ll elaborate more on this shortly. The “memory” function is supposed to help make these more precise, so be sure to “scan” the breaker box as instructed. The issue is that sometimes you’ll come across a couple of breakers and you won’t be quite certain which one is actually getting the signal. So, just kill the power and see what it shuts off once you’re “close enough.” Of course this could be a result of sloppy wiring work, which I’ve sadly had to spend way too much time personally correcting “amateur hour” type work. One example would be where wiring was used that “accidentally” connected to two disparate breakers as a result! Conversely, those circuits needing more juice could very well intentionally be using two breakers, e.g. kitchen appliances. That’s why I say that when used correctly, they all make a good starting point.Now, there may be absolutely no issues with the wiring, but you still may get a positive signal on additional breakers! It’s actually for a very simple reason, being that induction is used to transmit the signal, any wires coming too close to those being tested could easily be inductively coupled to the initial wires simply because they are routed too close together! This is almost going to be guaranteed to some extent when you have numerous breakers feeding into common conduit where the signal will “bleed” over to any other wires within said conduit.So, your new set should work just as well as most others on the market because they all essentially have the same basic design to one degree or another. I personally have had no issues with Kaiweets in the past and I was privileged enough to even test a couple of their products. I could say the very same for Klein Tools test gear. Interestingly enough, the only brand that I wasn’t satisfied with their entry level gear is Fluke as they were all over the place with their 17B+ for example. My Kaiweets HT118A blew it away with accuracy for both measuring capacitance and amperage, not to mention it was also nearly $100 less expensive! Even the Fluke 107 was miles ahead of the 17B+ concerning accuracy!All said, hardware-wise, you should be fine. The visual signal strength indicator may even put you slightly ahead, but I’ve never used one of those newer models personally. The main things you’ll need to remember is (a) to “scan” the breaker box as instructed, but sometimes additional passes could help; (b) to get to the point that you’re “close enough” and then confirm by killing power to the breaker and confirming this on the other end; and lastly (c) to take your time and think through why you may be seeing atypical results, if any present themselves to you. I’ve seen sloppy wiring jobs enough to know that it could explain some really bizarre findings. All said, you do that, and then ask for help if you do get “stuck,” and you should be alright.I hope this helps. Be well.