Siino Gardens
Well-Known Member
If going with bluelab I would buy it from a place that honors the warranty. My local shop will take anything back within 6 months to a year I believe without question.
Cheapest EC and/or pH meters THAT WORK
- Thread starter Honey Oil Riot Squad
- Start date
rollyouron
Well-Known Member
I have a Hanna and a Blue lab also. If you want cheap that works here you go. I've been using it for 5 weeks and it's works well. http://www.amazon.com/Mudder-Accuracy-0-00-14-00-Measurement-Drinking/dp/B00LBPSSR0
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Agreed but for most purposes growing they will be more than adequate. I only suggest this to newer growers or those who have money issues. I always suggest EC/PPM meter first and the best they can afford. I was an RN and had access to all kinds of equipment from dialysis. Including the best RO water imaginable.I work in a lab and at first for pHing I would just take hand fulls of these like 4 padded pH test strips home everydayWeirdly enough though I find that the GH pH tester drops work even better than any of the types of pH strips I could nab. But yet still, there's such a large degree of error from just eyeing the color.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Lucky guy! Mine has an EC of 1.5 or 750 PPM. pH of 7.8.HM. Works great. Costs only a little. I go around testing people's tap water for them now
My tap is an incredible 520 PPM. That is outrageously high. I wouldn't have known without the meter.
JT1
Member
To me this has been very important items and were so hard took so much work to research to find decent one so I think or hope that this can help any other person that really like me need to know for sure so here is my experience and I will show proof also. When I first started grow I got a cheap ph and ppm meter in 2013. The ppm meter has never ever been off so I got lucky. The ph never ever could read the same so I sent it back and got ph meter and may be every couple months checked it and re calibrated it at most .1 or so over or under and worked great for the couple years but just died by my fault a month or so ago so I thout not really to bad for using it every single day for the couple years so I orderd the same one and then thout why not try a differet cheap one again ofr at least a back up so I got one of those also and so far both new ones are perfect and all wasy all most exactly the same that seem like miracle to me so far so hoping they will both keep it up for a nother couple years. But man this just seems so weird to me to realize that I can remember so much about these 2 may be silly things but I some times can not remember what I am doing or even some times where I am or how I got there or how long it was that I remember last like for instance the ph meter that died because my fault was that I all ways leave it in a cup of water because they are supposed to stay wet but some way I must have filled it with h202 35% may be for weeks and I think it even ate the rubber away but I am pretty wure that I do that kind of thing a lot like I find my self pouring a brand new jug of milk in the drain and no idea why or mix a new bach of nutes in 5 gal container and go strait and pour it in toilet and no idea why I would do that. I have to say it has to be a miracle when I think about this that I am still alive like this for a few years but have to say even to me it is scary to think that there must be other people like this out there that just go in and out like this and no one know it because with 300 milllion people just in america I can not believer there is any way that I am the only one this hapend to. Well any way here are the ones I got and pictures to prove it because obviously trust is not good for much in this world any more.
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JT1
Member
the ph that worked perfect couple years and new one also
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096N8OWI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02
the ppm that has all ways worked perfect
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C0A7ZY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01
the ph that never worked
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DWGR20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
the new cheap backup ph that seem to work perfect
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W4PH6OC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096N8OWI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02
the ppm that has all ways worked perfect
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C0A7ZY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01
the ph that never worked
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DWGR20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
the new cheap backup ph that seem to work perfect
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W4PH6OC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
AND WE HAVE A WINNER!
So buy the best instruments and then you can count on them. I bought the Bluelab combo meter and literally wore it out over the course of several years of daily usage.
I bought another one and it's going strong. It's on its second replaceable probe, the first one broke and was replaced under warranty.
Unless you buy your weed for five bucks a quarter, buying cheap instruments is a fool's economy. If you CAN buy your weed for five bucks a quarter, what are you doing growing it?
So buy the best instruments and then you can count on them. I bought the Bluelab combo meter and literally wore it out over the course of several years of daily usage.
I bought another one and it's going strong. It's on its second replaceable probe, the first one broke and was replaced under warranty.
fandango
Well-Known Member
I drive a Mercedes going on 300,000 miles...could have bought a cheaper car and replaced it 3 times bye now
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Good mechanics buy Craftsman, Proto, Stanley. Hobbyists go buy shit tools from Harbor Freight. You are spot on with this advice.
since1991
Well-Known Member
Hannah/Milwaukee and Oakton used to make nice instruments back in the day. Now they make crap. And i mean that. I have a friend that has went through 3 of the Hannah black combo pens. Keeps.returning them. 3 duds they keep giving. Terrible shitty stuff. Ive bought almost every hobby pen/Meter brand out there and Blue Lab rules them all by far. Its not even close.The combo i own would of went to shit a long time ago if it were one of these other ones. They make them rite in New Zealand for some reason.
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
One big reason is that they keep a close eye on distribution. This is important for a pH probe because if they sit in the box too long, they'll wear out. Bluelab probes are fresh and have serial numbers so they can track thru their system. Fine work.
PURPLEB3RRYKUSH
Well-Known Member
My cheapie ebay $10 ph pen is still working after 10 months, as with my $15 TDS meter
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
HM Digital "AquaPro" ppm/temp handheld meter -$45
HM Digital "PH-80" Ph meter -$56
$100 for trustworthy digital and calibratable instruments.
Both were purchased from a hydro shop so you may likely find it cheaper than I did, but I needed it like right now when I got em.
Ph pen even came with calibration solution/7.0 storage solution and an extra wet pad for the cap.
After wasting my money on junk this has been the better $100 spent on my grow.
Both pieces are highly recommended for us frugal folk that need to trust our gear!
HM Digital "PH-80" Ph meter -$56
$100 for trustworthy digital and calibratable instruments.
Both were purchased from a hydro shop so you may likely find it cheaper than I did, but I needed it like right now when I got em.
Ph pen even came with calibration solution/7.0 storage solution and an extra wet pad for the cap.
After wasting my money on junk this has been the better $100 spent on my grow.
Both pieces are highly recommended for us frugal folk that need to trust our gear!
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
The problem with that Harley is that the test strips YOU used were really a far better quality then the extremely basic G&H ones this poor schlep is using! Medical grade test strips are medical grade price!
In the past I have found HANNA inst. to be the best maker of testing meters. I still have a very costly, lab quality, Hannah soil pH meter.......As a farmer and a medical grower. This unit is, bar none, the best REAL (portable) soil pH meter I have ever used!
I still have my Hanna multi meter but, don't hydro much at all any more.
You NEED a good pH meter FIRST!
HERE is a working pH meter for CHEAP that work's quite well.....BE SURE to keep the tip wet with RO or storage solution! Only $37.00!!
https://4hydroponics.com/hanna-instruments-checker-1-hi-98103
I never understood why people pay such attention to an EC or TDS meter! Simply follow the nutrient makers feeding charts and adjust use down or up as needed! Thats all EC or TDS is is the concentration of nutrient IN the water. The thing to remember is that water will HAVE an EC or TDS of it's own and you simply don't KNOW what makes that up as in contents! RO has nothing and is the best starting point FOR hydro - period . YOU put everything in (including your own buffers) and the plants do the best with RO....
Save your coins IF you decide to stay with hydro and spend them on this meter (if you REALLY feel EC/TDS matters to you) - the best there is for what it's made for. THIS IS YOUR GOAL
https://4hydroponics.com/hi-98129
So then - spend the $37.00 plus shipping and have a wonderful cheap pH meter that works and adjusts well.....just don't drop it in the res! LOL AND save the EC/TDS for later if you really want it!
Doc
P.S. As a farmer and a past manager of a Yew farm for a well known drug company.....I do not like BlueLab equipment.....I have had more problems with Blue lab over HANNA and that goes all the way back to College......By the way, MSU and it's extensions, use HANNA testing equipment (the last I knew)....Doc
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Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
I've seen 770 from well's - yellow and smelly - sulfur and decay smelly.
since1991
Well-Known Member
I got one of them aquapros. They can be had alot cheaper than 45$. Its decent. Its only "off" by about 40 ppm than the blue lab, which is negligible. I use it for backup. Ive had it many many years.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
I use a Hanna Primo 4. Never had an issue. It calibrates very easily. I cross checked it with one from our dialysis unit and it was so close to that $1000 medical instrument that it was negligible.