Mike Holt what Ask BONBON does better (review 1)

Two Different Tools for Two Different Jobs

Mike Holt has been the gold standard for code training since the 80s. His books, videos, and seminars built an entire generation of electricians and inspectors. Nothing here takes away from that. If you want to actually learn the NEC chapter by chapter, sit down with his material.

Ask BONBON is not trying to replace that. It is a field tool. You are on a roof in August, you need to know if the disconnect distance from that mini-split condenser is compliant, and you need the answer in 15 seconds. That is a different problem than studying for the Master's exam.

This post is about where Ask BONBON does the field job better, and where Mike Holt still wins. Honest.

Speed at the Truck

Mike Holt's app and search tools assume you have time to read. The illustrated code books are gorgeous, but flipping through 210.8 to find the right subsection while your apprentice is holding a GFCI in the rain is not the move. Even the digital versions lean toward study mode, not lookup mode.

Ask BONBON is built around a single search box. Type the situation in plain English, get the article and the answer. No menus, no chapter trees, no scrolling.

• "GFCI required for dishwasher" returns NEC 210.8(D) with the receptacle and outlet language broken out.
• "working clearance 480V panel" returns NEC 110.26(A)(1) Table with the Condition 1, 2, 3 distances.
• "romex in conduit derating" returns NEC 310.15(C)(1) and the adjustment factors without you opening a separate table.

Field tip: before you pull a permit, type the AHJ's local amendment language into the search. Half the rejections I see are amendments the inspector knows by heart and the contractor never read.

Plain Language Questions

Mike Holt's material teaches you the code's vocabulary, which is the right approach if you are studying. But on a service call, you are not thinking in code language. You are thinking "can I land this hot tub feeder on the existing 100A subpanel."

Ask BONBON takes the question how you would ask another electrician. It maps that to the right article, cites it, and gives you the answer with the reasoning. If you want the raw code text, it is one tap away.

Mike Holt's search wants you to know it is 680.25 before you start. Ask BONBON gets you to 680.25 from "hot tub subpanel rules."

Cost and Access

Mike Holt's full library, videos, and continuing ed packages run into real money, especially if you are buying every cycle update. Worth it for a serious code student or an instructor. Tough for a one-truck shop that just needs answers.

1. Mike Holt: deep, comprehensive, but priced for serious learners and code professionals.
2. Ask BONBON: cheap monthly, no per-cycle gouging, designed for daily lookups not training.
3. Free NFPA access exists but the interface fights you every time you open it.

If your goal is to pass the Master's or teach a CEU class, pay Mike Holt. If your goal is to stop second-guessing yourself on a Saturday emergency call, the math on Ask BONBON works out fast.

Cycle Updates Without Reading a Changelog

Every three years the NEC drops a new edition. Mike Holt does an excellent job covering the changes in dedicated books and videos, but you have to sit down and absorb them. That is real work.

Ask BONBON updates the answer based on whichever cycle your jurisdiction is on. You set your state or city, and the response respects that. Texas is mostly on 2023 NEC with local mods, parts of California are on 2022, some AHJs are still 2020. The app handles that lookup for you.

You still need to know the changes exist. But you do not need to remember which subsection moved from 210.8(B) to 210.8(F) when you are standing in a commercial kitchen at 7am.

Field tip: when an inspector quotes a code section, ask them which cycle they are enforcing. I have seen rejections written against the 2017 NEC on a job permitted under 2020. Knowing the cycle is half the argument.

Where Mike Holt Still Wins

Ask BONBON is not a teacher. It will not walk you through grounding versus bonding from first principles. It will not show you the illustrated diagrams that made Mike Holt famous. It will not prep you for an exam.

If you are an apprentice, a journeyman studying for Master's, or a contractor who wants to actually understand the code instead of just look things up, Mike Holt's material is still the best money you can spend on your career. Buy the illustrated book. Watch the videos. Sit the seminar if you can.

• Studying for an exam: Mike Holt.
• Building deep understanding: Mike Holt.
• Teaching apprentices: Mike Holt.
• Answering a question fast in the field: Ask BONBON.
• Daily lookups across multiple jurisdictions: Ask BONBON.

Use Both

The honest answer is most working electricians should use both. Mike Holt for the off-hours learning that makes you better at the trade. Ask BONBON for the on-the-clock lookups that keep the job moving.

The two tools solve different problems. Anyone telling you one replaces the other is selling something. We are not. Use what works for the moment you are in.