Ph tester recommendation

So my tester just broke while I was mixing up nutes. Was wondering if you guys could suggest some good ones. Don't wanna spend an arm and a leg if I don't have to but I also don't want to buy junk. I'm preferably looking for one with a ppm meter.

Sigh, there is really no such thing as a cheap or affordable quality "multi" meter pen..
I love Hanna BUT, can not bring myself to suggest their multi-meter pens! The probes are fussy and costly to replace if you don't keep them stored in proper storage solution.....They tend to shift out of calibration and calibrating all the time is annoying at least.

I LOVE their lab quality equipment and would not settle for anything else but....Their field meters for soil, at serious big bucks are the best....

I have never been a fan of Bluelab, many are, but I've had nothing but short term quality from them..The greenhouse's and Medical plant farms I've run, would not allow Bluelabs (I never asked why but, it has been a influence!)


So then.....For the small scale gardener. The best thing I have found that works all the time. Is extremely tolerant of probes drying out (Hanna and Bluelabs are NOT) from "I forgot" or even as stored for a year and then rehydrated briefly......THIS pen is BOSS! Easy to use. Auto temp, auto adjust in 2-3 easy button touch's and this pen has held calibration longer then any I have ever used!

This is still the makers brand and they used to be in the 28 dollar range until Sunleaves bought out the major production amounts produced yearly....The "Sunleaves" labeled ones are $10 higher in price!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HM-Digital-PH-80-HydroTester-Water-pH-Temperature-Tester-Meter-Pen-HMDPHM80-/351639482235?hash=item51df58af7b:g:O4sAAOSw9IpXxKA~

I can not say how much I like this pH pen! WAY worth the price and I will never switch away!

Do you really need a TDS meter? If so simply buy that 2 tone brown and tan one that's on every hydro stores shelves at the lowest cost.....works fine for years and years!

This is the one in Blue and black -
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-TDS-Meter-Digital-LCD-Tester-Water-Quality-Filter-Purity-Pen-Stick-0-9999PPM-/370863161421?hash=item56592ac04d:g:D50AAMXQgyZR82Fm

I find that avoiding the combo meters is far less costly to start and for sure down the road!

I have been using a liquid tester and it's working fine.....I have had over a decade of aquarium testing with liquid tests so I know how to use and read them. GH has a nice kit with PH down and up as well as a test vile and testing solution.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/General-Hydroponics-pH-Control-Test-Kit-GH-8-oz-Up-Down-Adjustment-Combo-/401140694683?hash=item5d65d93e9b:g:t2oAAOSwKtlWingg

As long as you get the PH within the gold range things are good and it's very easy to know when you hit 6.0 or 7.0 with the colors.

I use Hydrion 5.5-8.0 strips. They last awhile and never need calibration.

If you want a good meter that will last, you'll have to pay for it.

ismann said:

I use Hydrion 5.5-8.0 strips. They last awhile and never need calibration.

If you want a good meter that will last, you'll have to pay for it.

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I also have some strip testers as well for confirming things.

JustBlowingSmoke said:

So my tester just broke while I was mixing up nutes. Was wondering if you guys could suggest some good ones. Don't wanna spend an arm and a leg if I don't have to but I also don't want to buy junk. I'm preferably looking for one with a ppm meter.

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I use blue labs pens

I have HM ph200 it's digital and water proof. How ever the sensor are sensitive and fragile I broke 2 so far, 50$ to replace each. It was my fault I was warned to be careful, and I was not, but now I am lol.

Use to use hanna..great bit of kit n price to blow the rest out the water..same readings as the bluelab but the build on the bluelab is amazing and I find she stablizes faster on the read but hanna if ur just starting..bluelab when you see a return from the fruits of your labour...u start from the bottom then add bits to improve here n there..it's a hobbies after all.
make sure to get calibration solution. .I buy the single use strips in bulk then seal em n reuse for a few months n the bluelab auto cals n all so dead handy oh and storage solution but I'm sure docs alternative solutions

JustBlowingSmoke said:

So my tester just broke while I was mixing up nutes. Was wondering if you guys could suggest some good ones. Don't wanna spend an arm and a leg if I don't have to but I also don't want to buy junk. I'm preferably looking for one with a ppm meter.

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anything waterproof and a light up display ..... I hate when they don't have one.. I'm going blind

Milwaukee pH pens only cost 40 bucks been using it for 5 years calibrate only once every 4 months

I'd sooner go for the hanna she's great readings..same as my bluelab. and seldom was she calabria teddy. ..in fact she's dipped in some storage solution using incase but I measure everything per plant so get my shit spot of n if a spot down a drop of si to bring it up

I use the drops GH pH test kit.

Its cheep, no calibration required, no batteries to replace, its waterproof if the cap is on, No back light, but any light source will work its easy to read.

GDBud said:

I use the drops GH pH test kit.

Its cheep, no calibration required, no batteries to replace, its waterproof if the cap is on, No back light, but any light source will work its easy to read.

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Yeah that's it right there simple...

Uberknot said:

Yeah that's it right there simple...

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OK for the uneducated this is fine but when TRULY KNOWING the ph is better than saying I THINK it's this color. Fools use this, smart people use digital pens for precisely dialing in ph for proper nute uptake in all stages of growth.

Well I ended up going with the Hm ph80 recommended by dr.who. It works as should no complaints so far. I also now know that my last 10 dollar tester was way off. Anyways I also grabbed some test strips. I figured I can check those against my tester every here and there to make sure it's still calibrated. Anyway thanks for taking the time to help out everyone.

Lambasted 208 said:

OK for the uneducated this is fine but when TRULY KNOWING the ph is better than saying I THINK it's this color. Fools use this, smart people use digital pens for precisely dialing in ph for proper nute uptake in all stages of growth.

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Sorry Pal after more than 10 years using liquid tests it is very easy to know what the PH is....There is a learning curve like anything else and some folks get it while others never do.

The deal is the color never lies......but I can take 6 of those PH pens and get 6 different readings.

Uberknot said:

Sorry Pal after more than 10 years using liquid tests it is very easy to know what the PH is....There is a learning curve like anything else and some folks get it while others never do.

The deal is the color never lies......but I can take 6 of those PH pens and get 6 different readings.

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Wrong again dope no test strip will ever be accurate to the decimal and if you own a ph pen perfect 7.0 solution is the first step ass clown so NO you wouldn't get 6 different readings from 6 different pens if they were calibrated to start with your logic is dumb

The problem with ph drops is that if your nute mix has a colour to it that could potentially put out your ph results, no?
I'm using an essential ph pen which was cheap on Amazon. Meant to be good, it does the job and doesn't drift like my cheapy yellow and black one which broke after a month.

I use a PH pen and use strips as a double check. PH strips work just fine.

dargd1 said:

I use a PH pen and use strips as a double check. PH strips work just fine.

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Understand that digital for the most part are accurate they do strey and are not "always" accurate, some do need recalibrated from time to time. Using a digital then checking your reading with strips from time to time works for me.