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What PH meter would you recommend?

tentgrower

New member
I'm looking for a more reliable PH meter and am considering a Blue Lab Combo Meter Plus. It's a little spendy but I'm tired of $50 meters failing after 3-6 months with proper care and need something more reliable. I just had a bad experience with Hanna Instruments and wound up returning 2 PH meters in a row @ $98 each due to drifting readings and slow response time. I no longer have faith in Hanna making a solid product and am leaning strongly toward the Blue Lab.

A shop near me sells them and will personally warranty a replacement in the store if the unit fails within 5 years. The probe is only warrantied for 6 months, but that seems fair. $226 out the door. Is it really worth the cheddar or is Blue Lab just over hyped and over priced?

What do you guys think? I'm buying on Friday...

Thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

tentgrower

New member
Wow sorry about that. I copied this post from another forum and pasted but it kept showing up blank. I guess it pasted after all...
 

Earlmarne

Member
After running a few middle of the road( under 100) meters I started picking up the 5 dollar ones off ebay a few at a time and a bottle of calibration liquid. Dang things last as long as the spendy ones.
 

Lrus007

Well-known member
Veteran
i had worst luck with them. few returns many fluids ect.
know what my PH is on everything now so is not needed.
but i got the test strips worked very well. dip look and toss.
just a thought and would be cheaper.
Lrus007
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Jellas. $16 off amazon.


It comes with 4 and 7 calibration powder packets for mixing your own calibration solution. Drifts about .2 points in around 6 months time. If you get a bad one, the company will ship you a new one with great customer service.
 

Gazoo31

Member
Personally I’d try a cheapie. I’ve had blue lab and Hanna. Drops are more reliable than either. I’d prefer blue lab over Hanna if it would hold calibration longer but I get about 4-5 uses before it’s off .1.
 

Bobby Boucher

Active member
I haven't found much difference between the $5-$150 pens. They work. Using and maintaining them however was too monotonous an endeavor for me to try and keep up with every day.

I bought myself a bluelab wall mounted continuous monitor/doser after my neck started failing on me and it feels like it has cut my workload in half. $350 was a small price to pay the convenience. No rinsing, no storage solutions, no capping, no manual ph adjustments, no kneeling around for what felt like forever waiting for the pens to pick up a reading.. Would have saved me a lot of time, money, and neck ache on the backend if I bought 'er when I set up instead of having to cycle through every different brand of pen out there after either dropping them or letting them dry out.

Just my 2 cents.
 

frostqueen

Active member
I've bought quite a few ph pens in the last 15 years. Expensive Bluelabs and Hannas, etcetera. The best pen I've ever had is one of these. I was going to just use it as a standby, but it has lasted two and a half years now and still soldiers on. My Bluelab, on the other hand, took a shit in six months, and my Hannas never made it a year without new electrodes... which cost more than the entire cheapo pen does. If you want to treat yourself to a fancy expensive meter by all means do so. But in my experience it's really not worth it.

Here's the thing: ANY piece of shit ph pen will work just fine, unless you have automated your system and need constant ph monitoring. The only thing you need to be sure to do is quickly check to see that it is still calibrated. I do a quick dip into 7ph testing solution to make sure; it takes less than 30 seconds. It stays really consistent and accurate with this shit-pen. I make a slight adjustment every few weeks via a screw in the side of the meter.

TL;DR: if you put a crappy ph pen into calibrating solution and it says 7, it's just as accurate as a Bluelab that says 7.

Just my experience. YMMV.
 

OakyJoe

OGJoe / Wiener und kein Allemann
Veteran
After running a few middle of the road( under 100) meters I started picking up the 5 dollar ones off ebay a few at a time and a bottle of calibration liquid. Dang things last as long as the spendy ones.

just grabbed an auto calibrating one with solutions for under 10 bux which i tested next to my Hanna ones... works fine :)
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Used the Bluelab combo for 5 years of continuous use. The only issue was a probe and that was my fault.

Their support sucks balls (from when I used pens) but they are otherwise reliable.

Drops or paper are solid. Good to have them around if something goes fucky.
 

overbudjet

Active member
Veteran
Can't go wrong with a bluelab combo have mine for more than 5 years no hiccup just change ph probe when required, for me around every year.
 

Dropped Cat

Six Gummi Bears and Some Scotch
Veteran
Jellas. $16 off amazon.


It comes with 4 and 7 calibration powder packets for mixing your own calibration solution. Drifts about .2 points in around 6 months time. If you get a bad one, the company will ship you a new one with great customer service.




Seems legit, great price point.

I use drops and even if I get a Jellas I will confirm
with the drops from time to time.

Good thread
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
overbudjet, out of curiosity... what's the ticket on a new probe each year?

Dropped Cat, that's exactly what I do. I used drops for a few years, then finally sprang for a Hanna. Used it for a few years until the probe died and discovered the new cheapie generation of pH pens.

A plastic bag and tight rubber band are recommended for waterproofing the cheapies. Waterproofing is the only thing I really appreciate in the more expensive pens. That, and I still need one with .xx accuracy at some point. lol Definitely not cheap.
 

NeWcS

Active member
I use these for ph and ec. Was sick of buying Bluelabs once a year. Now if I have an issue I just have to buy a new probe. Not a new meter all the time.
As stated, you can also get a cheapo meter. Just get calibration solution to check it.
The key is storing your meter properly. I always store my pH pen in 4.01ph solution. It never dries out(which is the #1 reasons pens go bad)and always is cal'd
https://smile.amazon.com/Milwaukee-pH56-Waterproof-Replaceable-Resolution/dp/B007Z4HZ8O
 

starke

Well-known member
I have Blue Lab pens for ph and ec and also have the combo monitor. The pens have served me well for the last two years but when I began mixing nutes in 30 gallon batches I opted for the combo meter since the probes stay in the solution and have far quicker reaction times than the pens, especially the ph probe.

I've never used other brands, expensive or cheap as the Blue Labs have fit the bill.
 

knuckles

Active member
Veteran
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This one.
 

mdgg4

Active member
Why is everyone shitting on Blue Lab? I've had my Blue Lab now since 2014 with no probs. Fucker done dry out on me more than once and keeps on ticking. See I think the trick is to only use Blue Lab calibration solutions. Some people might use other brands which might fuck shit up, my 2¢

PEACE!
 

Dankdude

A figment of your imagination
Moderator
Mentor
Blue Labs, hands down.
As long as I calibrate it once a week, it never fails me.
I agree, I use only Blue Lab calibration salutation to calibrate.
 
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