EDIT: Actually the 61E+ is now selling for $82 on AliExpress, virtually same as this meter. I was thinking the 61E+ was quite a bit cheaper. So I guess the upshot between these meters is you can have precision or accuracy for the same price, just not both.
My question is why would you ever buy a Uni-T? You can get the 61E's accuracy in a Zoyi for much less money (the ZT-219/Aneng 870) and you can get a genuine CAT III meter from Brymen with input jack alert, etc., for the price of this meter.
The only interesting thing I see in the Uni-T lineup is a data logging meter for about $80 (the 61E). I don't think any other brand can match that.
(nb. Zoyi have some Bluetooth meters but I don't know if the protocol is known/hacked)
I know the UT61E has an army of fans though so that's just me.
I'm not a Uni-T fan by any means, but I have a thing for buying meters that interest me. Call it a compulsion, an addiction, whatever, but I've been accumulating handheld DMMs for 40 years. I hadn't counted recently but just did a quick inventory of those at hand, and I stopped counting at 22.
I have a few different Uni-T products (AWG, thermal camera), but the only Uni-T DMM I own is a 61E+, and really the only reason I bought it was its popularity, not its specs (although it certainly isn't bad for bench use). I know "serious" electronics folks can be a bit snobbish about our equipment, but you can't deny Uni-T's popularity and market share among hobbyists -- particularly the 61 series. Sure, I have several much better meters, but that's irrelevant to its suitability and value for a hobbyist's bench.
Kerry Wong posted this video:
about his experience using the 61E+ as his primary meter for one year, saying at 0:36 (and I quote) "I really like this meter, and it's definitely a meter I will use on a daily basis." He also did this video:
comparing the AN870 and the 61E+, and it was really no comparison. He concluded with "Personally, I'd pay the premium for the more expensive Uni-T UT61E+ if I had to choose one or the other." Yes, the AN870 has temperature and a lower price, so of those are driving a buyer's motivations, then it's a no-brainer at ~$30. But the 61E+ beats it in virtually every other category.
BTW I also have an AN870, which is certainly a decent meter for the money, but as soon as you handle it you recognize it's very cheaply made. The 61E+ has a much higher fit & finish. In fact I have several Anengs and Zoyi/Zotecs, again for the price they're interesting and useful budget meters. I also have Flukes and Brymens, the latter being my favorite brand of handhelds (in fact just ordered a BM869s this week). But I'm interested in meters that interest me, regardless of price point. If this new 117C actually had 61E+ accuracy but with 60K counts for essentially the same price, I'd probably feel compelled to get one. Now I that I realize it really took a step backward on specs compared to the 61E+, especially now that the 61E+ is essentially the same price, it's less interesting and I doubt I'll pick one up. But you never know, I do have this DMM monkey on my back, after all.
I don't understand why they wouldn't take a fairly proven (if not perfect) design like the 61E+ and add the precision to it for $25 more.
Your idea of a proven and perfect design certainly differs from my own. I like that 200MHz frequency counter function it has.
Oh let me be clear: I do NOT think it's perfect, far from it. Hence my saying "if
not perfect." And by "fairly proven" I refer simply to it's aforementioned popularity among hobbyists -- it has definitely proven itself a popular and capable meter for it's price point with that demographic. I wasn't implying that it's robustness (to use your favorite term) or suitability for professional electrician use is proven at all. Again, far from it.
EDIT: reformatted since the inline YT links expanded into previews that screwed up the formatting...