The ones that are considerably stronger, and a "winner" at HF, are not black, but a darker compound and not at all shiny or colored. The black ones, colored ones and shiny looking ones have all failed in short order. Honest to goodness, the I've not had a single one of the other series fail. I throw all the packaging away, but I thought I recall them even stating that they were XX% stronger than their standard socket. I looked on their website, but can't find them.
I hope they bring their higher line, but still an honest bargain, back. Although I'm known as the HF basher, I try to give an honest assessment. My first tirade about their extremely dangerous strut compressor apparently was true and on the mark. They long ago dropped that product like a hot potato and their new strut compressor looks completely different. I strongly feel you can find true "winners" there but you can also buy stuff that isn't worth taking if it were given to you free of charge and is just plain dangerous.
I have a bad habit of dropping voltage meters since I don't have 3 hands. The cheap ones seem to work fine, but are almost always history with their first meeting with the concrete floor. Anyone bought the (extremely expensive for HF) higher priced one with rubber padding and a stronger case? I think it lists for something like, gulp, $39.95. However, as many of the others that I've dropped and broken as soon as I get them, if their higher end one is good and will last me, I'll save me a 20% off coupon and buy me one the next time they are on sale. I don't want 20 of the cheap ones (they eat batteries awfully fast too) and I don't have time to run to buy another when I'm working on something. So, who has one of the high end multi-meters from HF?