COMPARISON · MULTIMETERS
Fluke 115 vs KAIWEETS HT118E: Which Multimeter Offers Better Value?
Fluke 115 vs KAIWEETS HT118E is a rare matchup where the cheap meter has the longer spec sheet. The HT118E cost roughly a fifth of the Fluke's price on Amazon when we checked, yet it adds microamp and milliamp ranges, temperature, 20,000 counts and a higher printed CAT rating. Buy it for HVAC flame sensors, parasitic battery drain and bench electronics. Buy the Fluke 115 for field service on drives, lighting and motor circuits, where you need True RMS that the maker documents and AC accuracy that holds up digit for digit. We bought and tested the 115 on our own bench; the HT118E is desk research.
By the OhmSavvy Research Team ·
Disclosure: OhmSavvy earns a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. How we're funded.
Fluke 115
4.8★★★★★The same Fluke reliability as the 117, in the same body, without the electrician-specific extras (NCV, AutoVolt, LoZ).
KAIWEETS HT118E
4.2★★★★☆A budget 20,000-count meter with a 200 µA range (KAIWEETS doesn't claim True RMS) and no relative mode for low-ohm work.
Specs side by side
| Fluke 115 | KAIWEETS HT118E | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8★★★★★ | 4.2★★★★☆ |
| Accuracy | True RMS | ±(0.08%+5) DC V; True RMS not stated |
| Safety rating | CAT III 600V | CAT III 1000V / CAT IV 600V |
| Auto-ranging | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Field technicians, general electrical and electronics work | Beginner Arduino and µA checks |
| Display | 6,000 counts + 33-segment bar graph | 20,000 counts |
| AC response | True RMS (Fluke) | Not stated by KAIWEETS; our catalog lists True RMS |
| DC volts accuracy | ±(0.5% + 2) | ±(0.08% + 5) |
| AC volts accuracy | ±(1.0% + 3) up to 500 Hz | ±(1.0% + 25); bandwidth not stated |
| Max voltage | 600V AC/DC | 1000V DC / 750V AC |
| Current ranges | 6 A and 10 A only (1 mA best resolution) | 200 µA, 2,000 µA, 20 mA, 200 mA, 10 A |
| Resistance | Up to 40 MΩ | Up to 100 MΩ |
| Capacitance | Up to 9,999 µF | 20 nF to 2 mF (2,000 µF) |
| Frequency | Up to 50 kHz | Up to 10 MHz, plus duty cycle |
| Temperature | No | -20°C to 1000°C, thermocouple included |
| Non-contact voltage | No | Yes, with sound and light alarm |
| CAT rating | CAT III 600V | CAT III 1000V / CAT IV 600V (KAIWEETS) |
| Battery | One 9V, about 400 hours | Included; type and life not stated |
| Size / weight | 167 × 84 × 46 mm, 550 g | Not stated for the meter alone |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Fluke 115 is hands-on tested by OhmSavvy; the KAIWEETS HT118E assessment is desk research. How we research.
Key differences
- →Small currents: the HT118E has 200 µA, 2,000 µA, 20 mA and 200 mA ranges; the Fluke 115 goes no lower than its 6 A range, with 1 mA as its finest step.
- →AC voltage: Fluke documents True RMS and ±(1.0% + 3) up to 500 Hz for the 115; KAIWEETS publishes ±(1.0% + 25) with no frequency band and, in the sources we read, no True RMS claim.
- →DC voltage: on paper the HT118E is far tighter, ±(0.08% + 5) against ±(0.5% + 2), with 20,000 counts against 6,000.
- →Extras: the HT118E adds temperature, duty cycle, non-contact voltage, a flashlight and lit input jacks; the 115 has none of them.
- →Safety rating: KAIWEETS prints CAT III 1000V and CAT IV 600V for the HT118E; the Fluke 115 is CAT III 600V.
- →Both carry a 3-year warranty, so the length of cover doesn't separate them.
Microamps and milliamps: the HT118E's clearest win
The Fluke 115 is built for amps, not fractions of them. Its current input tops out at 10 A, and its finest step is 1 mA, so anything that draws less than a few milliamps reads as zero or close to it. The HT118E has four ranges below 1 A, starting at 200 µA. That single difference decides the purchase for two big groups of buyers: HVAC technicians checking flame-rectification current, and anyone chasing a battery that goes flat overnight.
Worked scenario: a furnace flame sensor and a car's overnight drain
Take an illustrative flame-sensor reading of 4.00 µA in series with the sensor lead. On the HT118E's 200 µA range the published accuracy is ±(0.5% + 5 digits). At 20,000 counts a digit on that range is 0.01 µA, so the tolerance is 0.5% × 4.00 + 5 × 0.01 = ±0.07 µA: the true current lies between 3.93 and 4.07 µA. The Fluke 115 can't take the reading at all; 4 µA is 0.000004 A, and its display shows 0.000 A.
| Illustrative reading | Fluke 115 shows | KAIWEETS HT118E shows | HT118E tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.00 µA flame-sensor current | 0.000 A | 4.00 µA (200 µA range) | ±0.07 µA |
| 35 mA parasitic drain, key off | 0.035 A, ±3.4 mA | 35.00 mA (200 mA range) | ±0.23 mA |
| 8 A space-heater load (AC) | 8.00 A, ±0.15 A | 8 A on the 10 A range | ±(1.5% + 25 digits); digit size not stated |
The drain row shows the Fluke can read milliamps, just coarsely: 35 mA appears as 0.035 A, and its DC tolerance of 1.0% × 0.035 + 3 × 0.001 = ±0.0034 A is about a tenth of the reading. The HT118E on its 200 mA range works out to 0.5% × 35.00 + 5 × 0.01 = ±0.23 mA. For a parasitic-drain hunt, where you pull fuses one at a time and watch a reading drop by a few milliamps, that finer step is what you're paying for. Our guide to measuring parasitic battery drain walks through the fuse-pull method.
Mains AC on motors and drives: where the Fluke 115 earns its price
More counts don't mean more accuracy. On an ordinary 120 V outlet the two meters come out almost level. The Fluke 115 on its 600.0 V range: 1.0% × 120.0 + 3 × 0.1 = ±1.5 V. The HT118E on its 200 V range, where a digit is 0.01 V: 1.0% × 120.00 + 25 × 0.01 = ±1.45 V. Its extra digit is swallowed by a 25-digit error term, eight times larger than the Fluke's.
The real gap is what each maker leaves out. Fluke states that the 115 is True RMS and that its AC accuracy holds up to 500 Hz, and to ±(2.0% + 3) up to 1 kHz. KAIWEETS gives one AC figure with no frequency band, and neither its product page nor its Amazon listing, as we read them, calls the HT118E True RMS, even though our own catalog entry lists it that way. On the output of a variable-speed drive, where the fundamental shifts and harmonics ride on top, the 115 has published specs for the job and the HT118E doesn't. Until KAIWEETS confirms True RMS and a bandwidth, treat its AC readings on electronic loads as indicative, not exact.
What the extra money buys
Which should you buy?
| Job | Better value | Deciding spec |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC flame-sensor current | KAIWEETS HT118E | 200 µA range; the 115 has no µA range |
| Supply and return air temperatures | KAIWEETS HT118E | Thermocouple included; the 115 has no temperature input |
| Car parasitic drain | KAIWEETS HT118E | 20 mA and 200 mA ranges |
| Drives, LED lighting, switch-mode loads | Fluke 115 | Documented True RMS with a stated AC bandwidth |
| Motor-run and supply capacitors | Either | 9,999 µF vs 2,000 µF; both cover typical run capacitors |
| 12 V and 24 V DC systems, battery banks | KAIWEETS HT118E | ±(0.08% + 5) DC volts |
| Arduino and logic-level PWM | KAIWEETS HT118E | Duty cycle and frequency to 10 MHz |
For low-current work beyond these two, our roundup of the best multimeters for measuring microamps ranks the HT118E against meters with published burden voltage. If you're choosing between Fluke models, the Fluke 115 vs Fluke 117 comparison covers what the 117's electrician features add.
A higher printed CAT rating isn't the whole story
Choose the Fluke 115 if…
- ✓You troubleshoot variable-speed drives, LED lighting or other non-sine loads and need documented True RMS
- ✓You want tight AC accuracy: ±(1.0% + 3) against the HT118E's ±(1.0% + 25)
- ✓You want a meter we have bought and tested ourselves, with fully published specs
Choose the KAIWEETS HT118E if…
- ✓You need microamps or milliamps: flame sensors, sleep current, parasitic drain
- ✓You want temperature, duty cycle and non-contact voltage on one dial
- ✓You want the most DC precision per dollar: ±(0.08% + 5) on volts
The bottom line
On value, the KAIWEETS HT118E wins for most buyers: microamp and milliamp ranges, temperature, 20,000 counts and tighter DC accuracy at roughly a fifth of the price. The Fluke 115 is worth the premium if your work is mains troubleshooting on drives, lighting and motor circuits, where documented True RMS, a published AC bandwidth and our own bench time with it count for more than extra functions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the KAIWEETS HT118E True RMS?+
The sources we checked don't say. KAIWEETS's HT118E product page and its official Amazon listing describe 20,000 counts, AC and DC voltage and current, and the full function list, but neither calls the meter True RMS, though our own catalog lists it that way. The Fluke 115 is True RMS per Fluke. If True RMS matters to you, confirm with KAIWEETS before buying.
Can the Fluke 115 measure a flame sensor's microamps?+
No. Its current ranges are 6 A and 10 A, with 1 mA as its finest step, so a signal of a few microamps reads as zero. The HT118E's 200 µA range resolves 0.01 µA, a figure derived from 20,000 counts because KAIWEETS doesn't print it. For a Fluke that reads microamps, see the Fluke 116 or 87V.
Does CAT IV 600V make the HT118E safer than the Fluke 115?+
On paper, the HT118E is rated for more locations: CAT IV 600V covers the service entrance, while the Fluke 115's CAT III 600V stops at the distribution panel. A printed rating is only as good as the testing behind it, and KAIWEETS lists CE, RoHS and FCC rather than a named safety lab. For panel and branch-circuit work, both ratings are enough.
Which has the better warranty, the Fluke 115 or the HT118E?+
They're level at three years each. Fluke gives the 115 a 3-year warranty, and KAIWEETS offers 3 years on its product page, described on the Amazon listing as 36 months of after-sale service. So warranty length doesn't decide this comparison; the measurement functions and published specs do.
Which meter is better for 12 V automotive and solar work?+
The HT118E, on paper. Its DC volts accuracy is ±(0.08% + 5), so a 12.60 V reading is good to about ±0.015 V, against about ±0.083 V on the Fluke 115. It also has 20 mA and 200 mA ranges for parasitic drain and a 10 A range. Both handle a typical 12 V system's voltages comfortably.
Has OhmSavvy tested both meters?+
Only the Fluke 115. The owner bought and tested it on our own bench, which is why it carries our Hands-on Tested badge. The KAIWEETS HT118E assessment is desk research from KAIWEETS's product page and its official Amazon listing. Every tolerance on this page is arithmetic on published specs, and the example currents are illustrative, not our measurements.
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