pH/TDS pen recommendations?

[iwltfum]

My $20 TDS pen is taking longer and longer to give me a number that isn't wildly changing after about a year of use. I've been using pH drops, which has worked fine in coco gh three part, but with my new DWC's i want a more accurate reading.

Should I get separate meters or go with a dual (multiple) function meter?
I want anything I buy to last longer than one year like my previous TDS meter (with everyday use)
Looking for recommendations on brands and models of meters that are high quality

Thanks everyone!

 

[Tead]

IMHO....
Ya know... you can spend a lot on a very nice system... or you can just dump $30 on a cheap set and consider yourself lucky if they last more than a year. I do the later, but I'm always envious of the prior.

 

[iwltfum]

Dually noted tead.

I guess I would have no problem using the same cheap TDS pen as a replacement, but, in the past, I've run into some issues with cheap pH meters. Like after a couple of weeks, it is far off enough where it starts to affect the plants. I'd rather rely on drops that are hard to read than a meter that reads wrong, so I went back to the drops.

 

[TheRoach]

try this one, it is awesome! (a little pricey too, but well worth it)

 

[vastok]

Whatever brand or style even type you go for ....always have a back up, also over 50% of dwc/coco posts are guys who can't work their tool correctly ...just saying ...lol

 

[TheRoach]

Yes, that's true, a back up is very important. I use one of those kits that come with drops that turn different colors depending on ph.

 

[iwltfum]

Thanks for the replies friends. Gives me some things to think about.
I will always have a bottle of drops on the shelf. Hate to rely on batteries alone, esp those little disk ones that there seem to be a million of

@TheRoach
I had my eye on the hanna stuff. I think that's what I'll probably go with.

@vastok
can't work their tool correctly as in keeping it stored correctly or something else that I'm not aware of?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Bluelab makes some of the best meters. It took me years before I finally bit the bullet and got the Bluelab Guardian combo meter. The cheap meters 'save you money' but when you have a few mishaps because of false readings and can't trust the tool anymore, it's mentally stressful. In the long run you don't save money. It only takes one wrong reading to completely screw up your plants. I know because I've done it more than once.

 

[jojo677]

One thing I learned the hard way (several times, unfortunately) is to regularly calibrate your meters. Buy a gallon of distilled water and mix up a batch of something with a known pH/TDS and label/date it. Test/recalibrate every week or two and that gallon should last you a long time. Then there's cleaning the meters and proper storage. The issue with these last items is that most of the cheap manufacturers don't give you any info on it. I went the cheap way for both meters, but sometimes I wish I didn't.

I find that Amazon & forums have the best reviews. Read them in depth (for the few in-depth reviews where people know what they're talking about) and shop around for the same model at a better price. But I guess that's why you're asking here! Sorry for the rant, I don't have any specific models to suggest...