Digital PH testers?

[Chris45]

I'm finding it hard to get an accurate reading for a PH test using both low and high range drops, and I'm not in a place that the coop ships to 😞

Therefore a digital meter looks attractive to me. I checked eBay and there are a few options: Ebay link

Has anyone used one of these? If so, which if any of the above would you recommend?

[Patrick_G]

I have one of the cheap digital meters. It seems to work ok, but I end up doing a lot of redundant checking with Tetra Strips when the reading feels not right. In hindsight I’d spend a little more. 

[Colu]

I use a blue lab digital pH pen accurate to 0.1 they are more expensive I found cheap meters aren't very accurate 

[Mmiller2001]

Do yourself a favor and spend some money on a decent one. This is the cheapest I would go.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ENFOHN8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_B0WPFA0MNKHW6G4TWSH1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Edited April 25, 2021 by Mmiller2001

[Ryan W]

7 hours ago, Mmiller2001 said:

Do yourself a favor and spend some money on a decent one. This is the cheapest I would go.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ENFOHN8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_B0WPFA0MNKHW6G4TWSH1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The Apera’s aren’t bad pens. I’ve used that exact model for about 13 months for ph’ing my nutrient mixture for my recreational growing needs. It worked great and then after about 11 months it’s calibration started drifting by .2 and it just didn’t want to calibrate the 4.00 solution. The 7.00 solution always calibrated fine. I ended up having to use it like an old car. Having to figure out certain tricks for it to read/calibrate correctly and at that point, what’s the point of the pen? I actually contacted Apera about this and their solution was to try to sell me $35 worth of their calibration solution. It got me nowhere so I ended up buying 3 different brands of solution and they all performed exactly the same giving me the exact same readings. Conclusion: the pen was faulty. Which, I tried telling Apera but they didn’t seem to care. When it was reading accurately, it was a great pen to use and held calibration very well. I calibrated it monthly.

As far as the Blue Labs recommended above, your mileage may vary. I’ve never used them personally but I’m part of a few online groups that grow recreational plants very very well and Blue Labs isn’t really the end-all-be-all either. They get a ton of praise but I’d put them in the same league as the Apera’s. Blue Labs may have better customer service also but, again, I haven’t had any personal experience with them. Lots of people use them and love them though.

I actually just had to buy a new pen myself. I had to take a hiatus from my legal recreational growing due to a move and I needed to replace my ph pen. I ended up purchasing the Apera PH60 (the next model up from the PH20 recommended and that I used). I haven’t had a chance to use it yet (or calibrate it) but I do have better expectations for it than the PH20. Time will tell.

Having said all of that, in my experience and opinion, for $50-$100 Blue Labs and Apera are about as good as you can get without getting into low-end scientific equipment which is significantly more expensive than either the Blue Labs or the Apera. I see that you are in Australia? Your links are in AU and I think that’s Australia (I’m sorry if I’m wrong). I’m not sure of the availability or price of these pens in your country but if you can afford them (or your regions equivalent brands), I don’t think it would hurt to spring for those brands.

Having said all that again, from talking to many people in my recreational growing groups, a lot of people also have great luck and results using essentially the same pens you’ve linked to. Just luck of the draw is all but I don’t have time to rely on luck for most things so I like to try and spend more for assurance. Again, your mileage may vary.