ZTS – Mini Multi-Battery Load Tester Mini-MBT

The ability to specifically test both 1.5V Alkaline and 1.2V NiCd/NiMH (as well as 9V button and 3/3.6V Lithium) makes this a very handy unit to use. Granted, other general-purpose testers can usually do 1.2V batters the same as 1.5V Alkaline, however, they normally just provide a slightly lower reading. I would not bother using any battery tester unless it tests under load, like this one does, unless you just need a few AA's for a remote or something very light. Both the above reasons- testing over 15 battery types and under loading conditions, are why I gave a 5-star rating. I use 4 NiMH cells to power this tester, and seem to get the same results as if Alkaline ones were used. I have enough rechargeable that I can swap out all four with freshly charged ones, and test the set that was in it, to make sure my readings stay accurate. Given that it has a testing lead, I would have liked to see a continuity test or bulb/fuse checking function. I have a multimeter I use for this, so it is not that big of a deal. Also, I do not like the power auto-off alone: I think pressing the button on the unit should also turn it off immediately. The only difficulty I have had and a related trick I would suggest is this: Try putting the test lead on the center of the negative end of a battery, and if the result is abnormally low, try placing it more toward the outer edge to get a truer results. I think sometimes through lots of use and maybe due to the internal chemistry of some batteries, the conduction is not always consistent across the entire negative side. I own one I have used for a few years, and just purchased one as a holiday gift for a loved one- Highly rated, and a better value that those <$5 testers where the terminals tarnish and no load testing is performed.

This small inexpensive US-made battery tester does some real magic (not just measuring static voltage or current, but some more complex interplay w/ some internal calculations), to give you a reliable picture of battery state of charge. Even though small (AAA) thru large (D) batteries connect to the same point, the tester is somehow able to discern the true state of charge, despite the battery size difference. It can also test 9v, NiMH, NiCD, and Lithium. Unlike another reviewer, I have found its readings to be highly "repeatable" if you hold the battery and test probe steadily and firmly. I agree with another reviewer that it would be nicer if it had 10 LEDs instead of 5, i.e. if it gave you state of charge in increments of 10% instead of 20%, but nevertheless it is really very useful just as it is. If you need to test button cells and coin cells, then get the larger brother to this model, the ZTS MBT-1, but otherwise, this mini one will do for most people.

I went back and forth between this model and the "big brother" model of the same brand (which is literally double the price). For the money, this unit does its job, but seems overpriced given that it excludes all button/coin batteries. I rationalized that, for 50 bucks more, just to be able to evaluate button/coin batteries (which can be had for pennies), it didn't make sense to spend the extra $$. If in doubt, the button/coin batteries could be replaced 50x over if even in doubt, rather than spending the extra $$ to test them. That being said, this is FAR more accurate and useful than non-load-applying testers. Anyone using this unit (or any similar load unit) should be aware that the first time testing a battery, you may get a reading of say, 80%, only to then get a reading of 60% a few seconds later. This is due to the fact that an actual load is being placed on the tested battery, which may show stronger than it is the first test, but give a more true value in subsequent tests within the next few minutes. A battery showing 40% or less is basically dead. Even something showing 60% is going to be of little use (IMHO, based upon my having gone through an entire box of batteries I'd saved "just in case" there was some use left in them). But having a battery cycle between 100% - 80% is not unusual (unless it's brand new, in which case, you'd expect it to show 100% regardless). The only reason I knocked off a star was because I have received a few completely inconsistent readings (100% one time, 60% the next, then back to 100%). Best I can tell, it wasn't because of probe placement, but I can't be sure if I'm being honest. But that really shouldn't affect the load measurement. I'm really disappointed that for 45 bucks this thing doesn't do any button/coin batteries, but I'm just not going to shell out 100 bucks just to add that functionality (along with a few lesser-known battery sizes). I'll keep it because it does far better than most of the junk on the market, but would be nice if it were more consistent, or the price covered more common batteries, to include at least the most common button/coins.

Great battery tester in a small package. This does a load test on the battery you want to evaluate, which takes maybe two seconds to run (so it's not instant). This gives you a much clearer picture of battery health, and the readout is simple to understand. Yes, it does require batteries to work. Since it needs to run a load to test your battery, it needs power from somewhere. That load test is critical, however--instant battery testers only measure voltage, which is not a true measure of battery health. Ever have one show as good, and then watch it wilt under the first load you put on it? This tester will tell you the truth about those batteries the first time you test one. Who is this for: someone who uses a lot of batteries, has a drawer full of 'em in fact, and is tired of instant readers giving overly optimistic readings on batteries ESPECIALLY RECHARGEABLES! This unit isn't cheap, but is worth it to these kinds of folks. Who this is not for: someone who owns maybe five batteries. You really aren't going to get your money's worth, and this tester will probably annoy you anyway. I will say that the mini one is great. You may want to spend the bucks on the bigger one if the batteries you want to test are outside this unit's capabilities, but this one will do for most people.

First impressions: hallelujah, an easily opened clamshell container. In fact I'll plan to store the device in the plastic container as it recloses well and should protect it from drawer battles. The device feels reasonably sturdy in the hand. The back door covering the 4 AAA batteries (not included) opens easily but closes securely. The case seems to be made of a durable plastic but I wouldn't want to test it with a concrete floor drop. I had purposely saved a few batteries of reasonably known usage. A new AAA, a fully spent CR2, and a partially spent CR2. I tested all three and it took it about 5 seconds each, the leds raced back and forth then stopped on a charge level. All batteries tested as expected. Testing is a two handed operation as you have to hold the positive pole of the battery on the appropriate pole on the tester, then press the attached probe against the negative side of the battery (except the 9V for obvious reasons). There are no adjustments for testing, just press the battery to the appropriate point and it tests. One added observation is the device I received has an additional point for measuring 3.6 V Li-Ion batteries. I'm including a pic of the tester in it's container. I couldn't find anything reasonable without spending substantially more money. Given the number of batteries I go through and indiscriminately toss out I think this is a good investment. Overall this is a very nice device and would highly recommend to a friend.

I do a lot of battery testing and I wanted to figure out which my 5 battery testers was the best. So I used them all to test several dozen AA NiMh batteries and then organized the data on a spreadsheet. My conclusion was that the ZTS – Mini-MBT was the most reliable and easiest to use. The rest of my battery testers turned out to be pretty useless, so the second most reliable way I found to test the batteries was a Fluke 115 DVM and a 1 Ohm power resistor (but that was inconvenient).

I do not write reviews often. You will not find many by me. I lost my old Radio Shack battery tester. I had modified it inside to use a 100 Ohm resister to test a battery with a load. I wanted to make sure my batteries were really good or bad. I looked for a replacement and I figured whatever I got I would need to modify it so it would not just test the volts in a battery. I was so happy to find the ZTS Inc. MBT-Mini Multi-Battery Tester! It tested the battery with a load. I was extra surprised to see the unit was Made in the USA! I bought the unit and it arrived the next day. I pulled out my box of batteries to test. Wouldn’t you know it in the box was my old beat up tester LOL. Anyway, I decided to test this new unit against the old unit. Well, my old tester was off a bit and not accurate - and the new battery tester I bought worked like a charm. Very easy to use and I am able to read the results quickly and clearly. I like this new unit so much I am planning on buying the upgraded model. Oh, it is model ZTS Inc. MBT-1 Multi-Battery Tester. I am an Amateur Radio Operator and Retired. I will be taking this unit to my next club meeting. In our hobby we are always testing batteries LOL. In closing - read the included instructions!

A super 'little' battery tester in every way. I must say there are some very nice reviews here already written on this unit and it's 'bigger brother', so I will keep this short (which is unusual for my reviews). :-) Suffice it to say, I use a ton of batteries, AA's, AAA's, 9 Volt and have shifted away from alkalines as much as possible and have embraced rechargeable batteries. Overall, they are more expensive than alkalines, battery to battery, but figure you can use the rechargeables several hundred times (IF you maintain them properly, and that is another topic for another time); but financially, to me at least, it just makes sense to decrease my alkaline battery usage and embrace rechargeable batteries. I have been using this charger now for over a year, and it still functions as well now as it did when it was new. The learning curve on this unit is very short...and it has yet to disappoint me. I use it, realistically, about twice a week to determine the life left in my gizmos before I leave the house..I don't want them failing me out in the field, nor do I want to have to carry a bunch of spares. The MINIMBT tells me, before I leave, whether I have enough power to do what needs to be done and if it tells me my batteries are weak, I make sure to leave home with fully charged ones. I just really like this battery tester...and I cannot even think of one complaint, major or minuscule, to write about. Whether you use alkaline batteries or rechargeables, this unit is something you should always have on hand and take the minute or two to check the charge of your batteries BEFORE you leave home! I give this unit a full 5 stars and yes, I purchased this unit; I did not receive it in exchange for a review.

It load check batteries not just the voltage and is a good addition to those who use rechargeables. I feel it could be a little better in layout and but otherwise, great!

It's easy to use and accurate. We have used this for a few years in one of our locations and we're getting a second one for a another location.

Ist OK Preis etwas zu teuer

Fa il suo lavoro ed è molto carino come oggetto

Great service and was just as advertised