So... yesterday's Canada Post had 2 packages; it was package number B that REALLY made me go
SQUEEEE!!!As a result of goading by Kosmic (and because I felt a need for something
NEW on the bench), I bought a
MasTech MS8911 just to see if it was as much better than my MS8910 as people say...
eBay auction: #283341251476 : Delivered to Canada & through Customs in 8 days; 20 more days delay thanks to Canada Post.
First off... it does NOT use cheap CR2302s like the MS8910. It uses a CR2450, which is much larger and like 3x as thick. You MIGHT be able to booty-fab a CR2302 in there with some cardboard shims in a pinch, tho. Nice that the battery cover screw mates to a brass insert. Well-done, MasTech.
Fortunately for this article, I had some CR2450s I bought
by accident via unnatural prescience off Amazon a few months back.
A slight annoyance; not only is the box all in Chinese, so is the manual. Any English on them is clearly incidental... my guess would be that this particular unit was produced for Chinese Domestic sale.
Fortunately, the English manual is here on the MasTech website:
http://www.mastech-group.com/download_s.php?id=234 (and attached below
)
the MS8911 comes with very little; the manual above, a probe cover, spare set of probes and warranty card. It has good heft though; plastic feels like glas-impregnated nylon or polycarbonate as used in quality power tools.
The pics just don't do the screen justice; it is SO much crisper and clearer than the MS8910. Also, it has a proper lens over the fragile LCD; another thing that makes it feel more like a tool than a toy.
While fondling the bits, I noticed that the probe cover comes apart. Interestingly, there's a little chamber in there that seems made to be storage for the spare tips. Noice! No worries over losing them!
First usage; testing one of the 1206 SMD resistors I just got in.
HERE... here is where the MS8911 proves itself almost instantly. The MS8910 feels flimsy and toylike; the tweezers are weak and the sharp points deflect constantly rather than gripping the DUT properly. Parts CONSTANTLY flicked away because of missed grip; I am not kidding when I say that I am sure I lost more SMDs than I accurately measured with that thing.
More annoyingly, after using THIS LCR Tweezer, I can admit to myself just how BAD that 8910 was at actually GETTING a reading;
the MS8910 was SO finicky about exact probe placement that I WOULD ACTUALLY CRINGE when I had to try and readjust the tips to get a proper grip. I just KNEW the part was going flick away somewhere beyond the bench; lost to the Grelber's demesne for all eternity. In contrast, the MS8911 tweezers are firm and precise with virtually NO deflection; the forked tip grips easily and surely even on these 1206 size parts, and I had no fear of losing them even while using it as tweezers, turning and flipping the part over and over. While the tweezers are pretty stiff and require a fair amount of force, the build quality is the polar opposite of the MS8910; the control provided over the DUT is impeccable.
in full AUTO mode, testing takes about 3 seconds; good "as-expected" results from an assortment of random and known value resistors, caps and inductors.
I did some testing on parts in-circuit as well; while results often did NOT match marked components, it DID detect correct part type and give a reasonable value. The MS8910 rarely gave any useful results in circuit; most often just erroring out.
Once I get a chance to tinker a bit
using the MS8911 with manual in hand, I expect the low-voltage/hi-impedance modes will yield more useful results when testing in-circuit. Here's a few more shots of it testing various other parts:
1KΩ 1% DALE resistor from my "Standards" baggie: Same results as my 189.
Random unmarked Inductor:
22uF/31.5V MMLCC:
The MS8911 tweezers' grip on all the above components (and many more) was easy to manage and sure once gripped. It never errored out, and always gave valid results in ~3 seconds. When I have more bench time, I'll try it side x side against my Chinese Component Tester and my DE-5000. This tweezer appears to have a
Delta Tan reading in the secondary data field on Capacitance mode; I want to see how it compares to the DE-5000 as well.
Final word: Just from a few minutes playtime on the bench, I can see that the MS8911 is pretty much EVERYTHING the MS8910 promises but can't deliver. This tool is a joy in the hand, and I already regret the $20 spent on its predecessor. If you can find it for less than $50 delivered like I did, it will quickly become one of those tools you KEEP OUT on the bench, and it will bring a smile to your face every time you reach for it. mnem