Favorite PPM/TDS meter?

Too many to choose from, about to say screw it and buy a Truncheon but before I do that I’d like to see what people are using on the cheap that is reliable.

I really like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Bluelab-716441-Combo-Meter-Germination/dp/B003PD2N8Q/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=bluelab+ppm&qid=1551739554&s=gateway&sr=8-9

buy a HM EC3 meter. 30 bucks or so. get an EC meter, not a ppm meter.

I bought an HM TDS EZ for less than $30 and it seems to work just fine. I diluted some 1000ppm calibration fluid down to 20ppm to check the pen for low ppm measurement and it read 19ppm which is close enough. I got this one just for testing my home made colloidal silver and checking the RO water I buy as it reads in single digits. Still using my 25 yo Hanna TDS pen for nutrient soln's and it works fine tho needs more frequent calibration.

EC, TDS or PPM pens all use the same method to get the same results but express it in a different scale. Like 0C and 32F. Same temperature just different ways to express it. -40 in either is exactly the same and just a bit colder than we got here this winter. I'm not talking wind chill but actual temp. Brrrrr.... !

Can print this out for easy reference.

not saying its 100% reliable but i have been using a $5 TDS meter for over a full year with no problem but go for a EC meter if you want people to understand your readings as TDS had too many differences between make and model. EC is consistent over every country i believe
dont cheap out on the Ph meter thats allot more important then TDS or EC

Whatever is cheap. TDS/EC/PPM isn't as difficult to quantify as pH. Save the money for a good pH pen as those you can't get cheap on.

I have a Truncheon, and its fantastic....Cant get super specific readings, but for what I do, its perfect...those things are bulletproof..
That being said, I also have, a super cheapy EZ TDS style, ten bucker, which seemed to work just fine....Until I got the Truncheon, and mixed a 600 ppm solution with the old meter, put the Trunchy in it and it MAXED out, which is 3.6 EC, 1800ppm on a 500 scale...

So, some cheap meters should not be trusted, impossible for me to say which however....I have tested others, and they were fine, but not the one I had....

I got a blue lab. Been happy so far. Consistent readings. Robust and easy to use

GH ph test solution...8 oz bottle for 13.99. that's about two years worth. learn how to use it and it's always accurate, never have to calibrate the little test tube....

Chip Green said:

So, some cheap meters should not be trusted, impossible for me to say which however....I have tested others, and they were fine, but not the one I had....

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That's what calibration soln's are for.

A lot of times it's low batteries that cause problems like failure to calibrate or widely ranging readings. Same thing happens with pH pens even tho the low battery warning isn't showing yet. Even try spinning the batteries to get a better connection between them.

Things come right out of the box broken too once in a while. Shit happens.

Renfro said:

Whatever is cheap. TDS/EC/PPM isn't as difficult to quantify as pH. Save the money for a good pH pen as those you can't get cheap on.

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Hey what do you reccomend I bought one of the cheap yellow ones off eBay today, might need to get a better one? I think youve probably seen the one I’m talking about. I’ve used it before and it seems to work okay. but I can’t remember much other than ph frustrating me lol. I have to start learning to do it though, even though my water here is good enough to grow in soil without doing it I want to learn so I can be ready for hydro someday.

Dragon Daddy said:

Hey what do you reccomend I bought one of the cheap yellow ones off eBay today, might need to get a better one? I think youve probably seen the one I’m talking about. I’ve used it before and it seems to work okay. but I can’t remember much other than ph frustrating me lol. I have to start learning to do it though, even though my water here is good enough to grow in soil without doing it I want to learn so I can be ready for hydro someday.

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I have seen a cheap yellow pH pen, used to have one. It worked good for about a year or so then it started drifting hard. Keep the probe moist at ALL times on pH meters. Never soak them in distilled or RO water, just tap water or the KCL probe storage solution.

My cheap PPM pen works fine

My cheap PH pen is constantly needing calibration and i just dont trust it. Should have bought a blulab or one of the better names i think.

Spend money on PH pen more than PPM imo, or do as Roger suggested and use the GH PH test drops. They work great and are cheap

I've had the Bluelab for ten years without a problem. It's around $100, but it's worth it.

I have the blue lab combo meter it’s nice but seems more fragile than my old Hanna combo meter, which was my favorite meter I’ve had. I like how Hanna combo meters only have one probe as imo the ph probe and the wire that go to it are the weak link.

Renfro said:

I have seen a cheap yellow pH pen, used to have one. It worked good for about a year or so then it started drifting hard. Keep the probe moist at ALL times on pH meters. Never soak them in distilled or RO water, just tap water or the KCL probe storage solution.

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I’d never heard that I always thought you slipped the cover back on and stored it away. So I take it you mean the probe tip should always be submerged in liquid(tap water or “ kcl probe storage solution?”while not in use? That would be kind of tough for my yellow cheap one to have only the tip submerged in tap without the whole thing submerged. Unless I like tied a string to one end and hung it above a glass of water or something.

Dragon Daddy said:

I’d never heard that I always thought you slipped the cover back on and stored it away. So I take it you mean the probe tip should always be submerged in liquid(tap water or “ kcl probe storage solution?”while not in use? That would be kind of tough for my yellow cheap one to have only the tip submerged in tap without the whole thing submerged. Unless I like tied a string to one end and hung it above a glass of water or something.

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You just put some storage solution in the cap and stand the pen up vertically in a pencil holder or jar.

neobes said:

I've had the Bluelab for ten years without a problem. It's around $100, but it's worth it.

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+1. Worth every penny, doesnt need calibration and built to last.

I always go Blue Labs for that type of equipment.

I did just pick up a $200 Hanna Combo meter from someone for $40. I need to calibrate it still, but it seems a little more complex than the blue labs ones. (Ie: press this button to switch to this mode, etc. Or maybe I just have to get used to it still, never really used it yet as I have a blue lab handy and calibrated.)

Dragon Daddy said:

I’d never heard that I always thought you slipped the cover back on and stored it away. So I take it you mean the probe tip should always be submerged in liquid(tap water or “ kcl probe storage solution?”while not in use? That would be kind of tough for my yellow cheap one to have only the tip submerged in tap without the whole thing submerged. Unless I like tied a string to one end and hung it above a glass of water or something.

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Yes, you can "temporarily" store them in tap water but it's supposedly not good to do that long term.

Use storage solution. You can also store it in a PH 4 or 7 buffer (read your manual it should say, I don't recall which it is.)