Mike Holt feature comparison (review 2)

Two different tools for two different problems

Mike Holt Enterprises builds training material. Ask BONBON answers code questions on the job site. Comparing them head to head only makes sense once you know which problem you are solving at that moment.

Mike Holt's catalog is built around study: illustrated textbooks, exam prep, continuing education, code change seminars. The graphics are the best in the industry and the explanations are written by someone who has clearly pulled wire. Ask BONBON does not try to teach you the Code. It assumes you already passed your exam and just need to find NEC 210.52(C)(1) while standing in a kitchen with a super asking when you will be done.

If you are prepping for a journeyman or master exam, start with Mike Holt. If you are on a ladder at 2:30 on a Friday and need a clear answer, that is where Ask BONBON earns its spot.

Search speed and phrasing

Mike Holt's digital products, the Code app and the online library, are organized like a book. You navigate by article, page forward, read the commentary. It works, but you have to know where you are going. Typing "bathroom receptacle" into a table of contents does not get you to 210.8(A)(1) unless you already know that is where it lives.

Ask BONBON takes plain language. "Do I need GFCI on a bathroom exhaust fan" returns the controlling language from 210.8, the exceptions, and the relevant definitions from Article 100. You do not have to translate your question into Code vocabulary first.

• Mike Holt: structured navigation, excellent for studying a topic in depth.
• Ask BONBON: natural language, excellent for one question, one answer, keep moving.
• Both cite the actual NEC section. Neither should be your only source on a sign off.

Depth of explanation

This is where Mike Holt wins without much argument. The illustrated Code books explain why 250.122 sizes the equipment grounding conductor the way it does, walk through the math on 220.82 load calculations, and show you the box fill count on 314.16 with a picture of the actual box. For an apprentice or a journeyman filling gaps, that depth is worth the money.

Ask BONBON gives you the rule and the citation. It will tell you a 20 amp circuit in a dwelling bathroom needs GFCI per 210.8(A)(1) and AFCI per 210.12(A) if it serves the bathroom receptacles on a shared circuit, but it is not going to spend four paragraphs on the history of AFCI adoption. That is by design. In the field you want the answer, not the backstory.

Use Mike Holt at the kitchen table on Sunday. Use Ask BONBON in the panel at 3pm Monday. They are not the same tool.

Code cycle coverage

Mike Holt publishes new material every cycle, usually with a dedicated code changes product for 2023, 2020, 2017, and so on. If your AHJ is still on 2017 NEC, you can buy the 2017 book. If you are in a 2023 jurisdiction, the 2023 product is there. The downside is you are buying a new book every three years.

Ask BONBON is built to let you pick the cycle your jurisdiction enforces and returns answers against that cycle. A lot of electricians work across county lines where one town is on 2020 and the next is on 2023. Having both in one place without a second purchase matters when you bid work in multiple jurisdictions.

• Check your AHJ's adopted cycle before quoting any answer from either tool.
• State amendments override the base NEC. Neither tool replaces your local amendment sheet.
• Article 90.4 reminds you the AHJ has final interpretation authority.

Price and who each one is for

Mike Holt's full Code library, illustrated books, and exam prep packages run into real money, several hundred dollars depending on the bundle. For an apprentice studying for a license, that is a good investment that pays for itself with one passed exam. For a licensed electrician who just needs fast lookups, it is more than most people want to spend annually.

Ask BONBON is a subscription priced for daily use. It is not trying to replace a library. It replaces the PDF you keep trying to Ctrl+F on your phone while holding a flashlight.

How to actually use both

The honest answer is most working electricians benefit from keeping both within reach, for different reasons. Mike Holt for the deep study, the code change classes, the CEU credits your state requires. Ask BONBON for the hundred small questions that come up between rough and trim.

If a question is going to come up more than twice this year, learn it from Mike Holt. If it comes up once and you need to move on, ask BONBON and cite the section on your inspection notes.

Neither product replaces the NEC itself, which you should have on the truck in whatever form your jurisdiction accepts. Neither replaces your AHJ. Both are faster than flipping through a paper book with dirty hands, and that is the bar in the field.