ph Testers

[OlderStoner]

I've just started a new grow from seeds and it looks like I'm off to a good start. I worry about ph so I bought one of those gadgets at the home store for $8 US. It is made in China, has a switch on it that lets me test lighting, moisture and ph. The light meter works pretty good as does the moisture reading. ph though has me worried. I have tested the soil and it all appears to be right around 7 which as I understand it is neutral. The needle on the scale hardly moves but it does show signs that it's actually taking a reading. So I tested some rain water and it too showed 7 for ph reading. Thinking this thing might be defective I squeezed some lemon juice into a glass and tested it. The needle went all the way to 5 this time. Which was a considerable move on this small scale device although I read the lemon juice should show something more like 2. So it does appear that at lest this thing probably does work.

Thinking I should get a better device I went one of the local hydroponic shops and their ph test meters started at $80 US and went up from there. I'm on a strict budget so I passed on this for now. I have seen ph test kits at home store for around $10 US where you actually put the soil into some testing fluid and compare the color to a chart. Are these types of tests worth it, are they accurate? What are some other reliable devices I could purchase for a reasonable price which would give accurate readings on the ph level?

 

[GreatLife4All]

pH meters are very flaky. Cheap meters even more so.

The issue seems to be that the cheaper the meter, the less accurate at the extremes. It doesn't take much to read a pH of 7. A pH of 2 will corrode and eat away most metals... and the electrode on a pH meter is metal. So when you go from a pH of 7 down to a pH of 2 - the meter will not be able to span such a large range... and thus you get bad readings at the extremes.

I personally would not use one of the cheap meters. It is very bad, IMO, to be led astray by a cheap meter...

I did use the titration set that you described above for many years without issue. It is not as accurate... but can be accurate enough to successfully grow.

 

[JJ Bones]

If your only in soil, stick to the drop kit. Simple, easy, accurate, no calibration and 800 tests.

I enjoy the meters, I like the ones that have water temperature as well.

In my experience the meters get messed up because of the owner. Many people buy meters and never treat them well, by this I mean that they never store them in storage solution, let the probe dry, hardly ever calibrate them.

These are tools, treat them right and they will do the same. Mistreat them and you waste your money.

 

[GreatLife4All]

In my experience the meters get messed up because of the owner. Many people buy meters and never treat them well, by this I mean that they never store them in storage solution, let the probe dry, hardly ever calibrate them.

Agreed - messed up at least one myself. Used electrode cleaning solution with too low of pH - never worked right after that. Broke the calibration screw on another... but it wouldn't calibrate in the two or three attempts before that.

But personally, I keep them in storage solution... I calibrate once a month... and the only time the probe has been dry was when it was initially delivered.

These are tools, treat them right and they will do the same. Mistreat them and you waste your money.

Totally agree. Still stand by my statement that the cheap models are junk. I would recommend the drops over a cheap meter - far more reliable.

 

[JJ Bones]

I also agree, the cheap ones are crap.