Mike Holt speed test (review 3)

The test: same question, three tools, stopwatch running

I set up a fair fight. Three common code questions a working electrician actually hits on the job. Stopwatch on the phone. No cheating, no pre-loading tabs. Mike Holt's website on one browser, Ask BONBON on another, and the 2023 NEC hardcover on the bench for sanity check.

This is review number three in the competitor series. Prior rounds covered the big code apps and the generic AI chatbots. Mike Holt gets his own post because he's the name every apprentice hears first, and his material is the backbone of a lot of continuing ed.

Goal was simple. How long from question to usable answer with the right citation.

Question 1: GFCI required for a dishwasher in a 2023 kitchen remodel?

Answer is yes, per NEC 210.8(D), which pulled dishwashers into the specific appliance GFCI list. Should be a fast lookup.

Mike Holt's site: I hit the search bar, typed "dishwasher GFCI," got a list of forum threads, a newsletter archive from 2020, and two paid course links. The correct 210.8(D) callout was buried three clicks deep inside a PDF excerpt. Total time, 2 minutes 48 seconds, and I had to cross check against the book because the excerpt was from the 2020 cycle.

Ask BONBON: typed "dishwasher GFCI 2023." Got 210.8(D) with the exact code text, the cycle year, and a note that the 2020 cycle required it for dwelling units only. 14 seconds.

Tip from the field: if you are on a remodel and the panel schedule predates 2020, assume the dishwasher circuit is not GFCI protected and plan the homerun accordingly.

Question 2: minimum burial depth for PVC under a residential driveway

Table 300.5(A), column for rigid nonmetallic conduit, under a driveway of a one or two family dwelling. Answer is 18 inches.

Mike Holt's site: searching "burial depth PVC driveway" landed me on a long article that was genuinely well written, but it walked through the whole table context before giving numbers. Good teaching. Bad when you are standing in a trench. 3 minutes 10 seconds to pull the specific row.

Ask BONBON: "PVC under driveway depth" returned Table 300.5(A) with the driveway row already highlighted. 11 seconds. It also flagged the 300.5(J) note about backfill materials, which is the one that gets people on inspection.

Here is where the philosophy gap shows up:

• Mike Holt is built to teach you the code so you understand why.
• Ask BONBON is built to answer the question so you can finish the job.
• Both are legitimate. They solve different problems.

Question 3: conductor ampacity for 4 AWG THHN copper in a 40 amp feeder

This one is a trap. 310.16 gives 4 AWG THHN copper at 85 amps in the 75C column, but 110.14(C) locks most terminations to 75C, and if you have more than three current carrying conductors you hit 310.15(C)(1) adjustment factors. The honest answer is "it depends on your terminations and fill."

Mike Holt's site: this is where his material actually shines. The search surfaced a video clip and a written breakdown explaining the 60C, 75C, and 90C column logic. It took 4 minutes to watch, but I came out understanding the reasoning better. For an apprentice studying for the journeyman exam, this is gold.

Ask BONBON: returned the 310.16 table row, the 110.14(C) termination caveat, and the 310.15(C)(1) derating table in about 22 seconds. No teaching, just the three articles I need to make the call on site.

Honest scoreboard

Speed, decisive. Ask BONBON averaged 16 seconds per question. Mike Holt averaged around 3 minutes 20 seconds including reading time. If you are on the clock, that gap matters.

Depth of understanding, Mike Holt wins. His site is built by an educator who wants you to know the code, not just quote it. For exam prep, continuing ed credits, or understanding a change between cycles, his material is some of the best in the industry.

1. On site, working hot or racing an inspection: Ask BONBON.
2. Studying for the journeyman or master exam: Mike Holt.
3. Training a first year apprentice on why the code says what it says: Mike Holt.
4. Settling a disagreement with a GC at 2pm on a Tuesday: Ask BONBON.

What I wish Mike Holt had

A real search. His content library is enormous and the search feels like it was built a decade ago. Half my wasted time was scrolling past forum posts from 2014 to find current cycle information. Tagging articles by code cycle and article number would fix most of it.

A mobile first answer view. His articles assume you are at a desk with time. Most of his actual audience is in a truck or on a ladder.

If you already own Mike Holt books or courses, keep them. They are worth the shelf space. Just do not use his website as your field reference, that is not what it was built for.

Bottom line

This was not a fair fight in one direction, and it was not a fair fight in the other. Mike Holt built a school. We built a field tool. Use the right one for the moment you are in.

Three reviews in, the pattern is consistent. The code apps that try to be textbooks slow you down on the job. The ones that try to be Google get the citation wrong. A reference tool for working electricians needs to be fast, specific, and cite the article so you can defend the answer to the inspector. That is the bar.