Thank you for your kind words. If you go to the ProbeMaster webpage that showcases the Kit I purchased, you will see, directly under the price, 8 different variations you can choose from, including variations that have straight plugs. probemaster.com/8000-series-test-lead-master-kits/

Price is the thing, right? If you ignore the shipping charges, the price isn't too bad. But even with shipping to Japan it was bearable. I also bought their Speedy Bends kit some months back, which is a set of 3 plastic tools which help you bend the leads of axial components. Really great for the SE Reloaded kit, which is why I included that in the recent Giveaway. All said, Probe Master makes some good stuff!

I didn't try rubbing the 121GW's stock probe tips with abrasives like ScotchBrite , but I did use 100% IPA and that didn't improve surface conductivity at all, proving that oil and debris are not the issue with the UEI probe tips. Cost does matter though, so for people who can buy the Brymen gold plated probes, that would also be a great alternative, although you wouldn't get all the accessories that are included with the ProbeMaster kit I reviewed. I agree that UEI dropped the ball when it comes to offering use better probes.

@@JDW- It's indeed not a matter of an oily or greasy surface. My guess is that the nickel layer is just very passified (and has formed an oxide layer or a layer of chemical reaction with another substance), maybe due to additives in the nickelplating (additives to speed up the process or to enhance the shine or something like that). A chemical like sulfuric acid of reasonable concentration also might remove that passive layer but that is not a substance I'd recommend people to mess around with when some scotchbrite (like the green back of a kitchen sponge) does the same thing. Even the cheapest probes like you get with cheap aneng meters start to function sufficiently with that. It's not on the level of a decent gold plated probe, but it never will be. For electronics, gold plated probes are the best, and they should've come with a supposedly top tier multimeter like the 121GW. Especially as Dave is pretty much the godfather of the stroke-continuity-test importance.

In my review video of the 121GW, I showed Dave’s reply back to me on the EEBlog forum, where he said he changed the probes for reasons of logistics and practicality. While I can appreciate and fully understand that, the fact remains that the product suffered a bit, when compared to to the probes included in the initial 121GW offering. So it seems, Dave was willing to make that sacrifice. I will try your scotch brite idea and see if that changes anything.

@@JDW- Yes I saw Dave's reaction in your other video. I can understand that supply problems are a valid reason (when a customer has ordered and paid, you have to ship), but logistic reasons like opening the box is imho a bit of a lame excuse. He did that for the first few years, which I assume are the years that the meter sells best, and having made a video about it where he literally says that the viewer should take gold plated probes in account when choosing a multimeter gives me the opinion that he should just man up and put in those extra few seconds to open the box and include the gold plated probes if supply issues aren't a problem now anymore. To get an idea about the amounts we're talking about: his current stock is 37pcs according to his website. So even if that's a weekly stock, imho it's still doable in a lost hour on a saturday afternoon. I always have a suspicious mind so I wonder if there are things at play that he's not telling us (like UEI potentially not liking it that probes from a competitor are being shipped) I'd like to hear back if the scotch brite trick worked for you on those UEI probes. If so, maybe Dave could open every box he sells and give the included UEI probes the treatment 😂🤣

Yes, and after this video, I bagged and stored those UEi probes away. I don't anticipate I will be using them again. To be honest, I never had a set of probes as bad as those. If you watched my 121GW review video, you will see that I show the stock probes on my other meters like the Fluke 116. Those aren't as perfect as the Probe Master when doing the continuity tap-test, but almost! And when it comes to that infuriatingly lone UEi probe stain relief, I've not see that before either. They are all around badly designed probes. And it's rather unfortunate for the 121GW meter because it originally shipped with Brymen gold-plated probes.

Thank you for your kind words. If you expand the text description under my video and look at the section named "BUY FROM PROBE MASTER," you will see links to my recommendations. Specifically, I show a smaller and less expensive kit, as well as the same kit I purchased. When you compare both of those kits I recommend, you will notice that both have the "8043S- Rt Angle Safety Banana Plug" selected, which is for compatibility with the 121GW. You will also note that I have a length of 48" selected in the popup menu on those respective product pages, and you can change that to end problem wire length you like between 24" and 120", which is amazing! Lastly, if for some reason you don't want "right angle" connectors for your probes to connect to the 121GW, note that 8028S is a straight connector that is fully compatible with the 121GW. That is an option you would need to select before you buy, but I prefer the right angle 8043S connectors (what is shown in my video). Please let me know if this answers your question.

Thank you for the explanation. I think I now know what to look for and I will probably buy the same kit as yours. The 9010 series is modular and probably not what I need. It seems that Porbe Master does not offer a stackable version of safety banana plug. I may need one in the future… 🤞🏼

I'm afraid I don't know what you mean.

I've never had header issues with my JAMECO breadboards. The most recent header kit I purchased was from Amazon. You can see me show that kit in my ROM-inator video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ebxzn6Z9zKjRZp8.html Header & Jumper Kit (affiliate link): amzn.to/3tQoCi8

I purchased my kit direct from ProbeMaster, not Amazon Japan. Amazon Japan prices are insane for that product and make no sense at all. Too bad too, because it would be easier and faster if the kit was officially sold on Amazon by the manufacturer. Instead we have rip-off artists who buy the kits from the USA, then sell them on Amazon Japan for prices no one would pay.

I can only "assume" you are asking "what makes the ProbeMaster probes different from the stock probes included with the 121GW multimeter." My answer to THAT question is the gold plating, perhaps, makes the biggest difference, seeing that both the stock 121GW probes and the ProbeMaster probes use soft-and-flexible silicone insulated leads. Not only that, but as you can see in my video, you get a lot of tip accessories with the ProbeMaster kit that you don't get when you buy the 121GW.