Mike Holt search comparison (review 3)

What Mike Holt's search actually is

Mike Holt Enterprises runs one of the biggest electrical training operations in the country. The free search on mikeholt.com pulls from forum threads, article archives, newsletter back issues, and product pages. It is a website search, not a code lookup. You type a term, you get a list of links ranked by whatever the site's search engine thinks is relevant.

That is useful when you want to read how other electricians have argued about a code section, or find a graphic Mike drew for a training module. It is less useful when you are standing in an attic at 4pm trying to remember the exact fill limit for a 3/4 EMT with 12 THHN conductors.

I have used Mike Holt's material for years. The training is solid. The search tool is a different product than what most of us actually need on the job.

Speed on the job

Time the workflow. On Mike Holt's site, you load the homepage, find the search bar, type the query, wait for results, scan a list of forum posts and article titles, pick one, wait for it to load, then scroll to find the part you want. On a good connection that is 20 to 40 seconds. On a bad connection at a commercial site with concrete walls, it can stall out entirely.

BONBON is built for code lookup. You ask a question in plain language, you get the answer with the article citation. No forum digressions, no clicking through three pages of results to find a 2011 thread that half-answers your question.

Tip: if you are pulling permits, cite the article and year. "NEC 314.16(B)" means more to an inspector than "I read it on a forum."

Accuracy and code year

Mike Holt's forum threads span two decades. A thread from 2008 discussing NEC 210.8(A) is describing a version of the code that no longer exists. GFCI requirements in dwelling units have expanded significantly, with the 2020 and 2023 cycles adding coverage for basements, laundry areas, and indoor damp locations. A 2013 post will lead you wrong if you do not catch the date stamp.

The articles on the site are better maintained, but still not always tagged to the current cycle. You have to know enough to check the date, cross-reference the current NEC, and sometimes read the errata. That is a skill. It is also time you do not have when the GC is asking why the inspector flagged your work.

• Mike Holt search: mixes forum opinion, legacy articles, and current material
• BONBON: pinned to a specific NEC cycle you select (2017, 2020, 2023)
• Manufacturer sites: spec accurate but silent on code interpretation

What you get from each

Mike Holt wins on depth of discussion. If you want to understand why NEC 250.122 sizes equipment grounding conductors the way it does, or you want to read three master electricians argue about parallel conductor ampacity under 310.10(G), the forum archive is genuinely useful. It is a library of trade reasoning.

BONBON wins on speed and scope of answer. You ask "GFCI required in a garage with a single receptacle for a freezer" and you get the current 210.8(A)(2) answer with the exception language. No debate, no scroll, no guessing which post is current.

Different tools. A journeyman studying for the master exam should spend time in Mike Holt's material. An electrician on a service call needs a lookup that answers in five seconds.

Offline, jobsite realities

Most commercial buildings have dead spots. Basements, elevator shafts, mechanical rooms, the back of big box retail. Mike Holt's search is a website. No signal, no search.

This matters more than people admit. I have burned 10 minutes walking out to the parking lot just to check one article on a site with no Wi-Fi. BONBON caches the code text locally so the lookup works whether or not you have bars.

Tip: before you leave the shop, confirm which code cycle the jurisdiction has adopted. Some counties are still on 2017 while the state next door runs 2023. Wrong cycle, wrong answer.

Honest bottom line

If you are a working electrician who needs to answer a code question in the time it takes to pull a tape measure, Mike Holt's search is not the right tool. It is a research tool, built for study and long-form reading, and it does that job well.

For fast, citation accurate lookups pinned to the code cycle your AHJ enforces, you want something purpose built. BONBON is that. Keep Mike Holt's training videos and articles bookmarked for the evening study time. Use a code-specific tool when the meter is running.

1. Use Mike Holt for study, forum wisdom, and trade context
2. Use the actual NEC code book for authoritative citations when filing permits
3. Use BONBON for fast field lookups with the correct code year