ppm/ph meter

hey guys i'm on a major budget right now but all i need to get started with my hydro kit is a ppm and pH meter. they have one that does both, well, and doesn't cost all that much?! thx for any input

these are cheap...what ya all think?

TDS METER - 0-9990 PPM Water Quality TESTER - TDS-EZ - eBay (item 170261830719 end time Sep-23-08 18:00:00 PDT)


Hanna pH TESTER, METER Aquarium/Hydroponics/Lab - eBay (item 180289228473 end time Sep-24-08 18:00:00 PDT)



i kno i'm being massively cheap but i really have no money

With pH & ppm meters, you do get what you pay for, but if you're really stuck for cash, these are better than nothing! Buy calibration solutions, pH 4.0 & 7.0 and an EC standard so you can test and calibrate the meters to verify they are working properly.

yea i figured as much, but they'd work for a single hydro grow hopefully..3 months? i have those pH papers but i figure they aren't gonna cut it for the grow..thx for the advice on the solutions, i'll be sure to get those

With luck, they will get you through 3 mos. Mind you, I used to use the Hanna non-waterproof pHEp pen meters, which lasted on avg, about 3 mos. They are now sold as 'disposable' Hell, I coulda told 'em that.

Good luck with those, but when you can put about $100-120 into a meter, try a Bluelab Truncheon (not Chinese copies as found on ebay) for TDS and a Eutech pHScan1, both of which will last many years.

I have that ph tester... It needs to be calibrated pretty often, but gets the job done. I also let it dry out for like a year (lol) and it still works, maybe why it needs frequent calibration, should replace the probe i guess. I have an hm digital ppm (hm3 or 4) it works fine, good enough for hydro applications.

Al B. Fuct said:

With luck, they will get you through 3 mos. Mind you, I used to use the Hanna non-waterproof pHEp pen meters, which lasted on avg, about 3 mos. They are now sold as 'disposable' Hell, I coulda told 'em that.

Good luck with those, but when you can put about $100-120 into a meter, try a Bluelab Truncheon (not Chinese copies as found on ebay) for TDS and a Eutech pHScan1, both of which will last many years.

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Can't beat the Bluelab Truncheon meters for reliability. I have used the expensive in rez tri-meters but after using the Bluelab products I would never go back.

thx for the advice guys probably not gonna be able to get one right away, but maybe by the spring..i just have a hydro setup for a couple months so i wanna try one grow hydro before i have to give it back, dont' want to spend too much until i have a setup i can use more than once.

sure, know what you mean. s'okay, you're putting together the right kit, you'll do OK. Once you get things going, you may opt for more durable stuff, but the cheapies will get you going.

I bought a ph meter thinking it would get me through ONE grow... It didn't even work straight out of the package, and is sitting upstairs wasting money as we speak. It was a milwaukee 600 i think... the yellow pocket tester.

Sorry to hear it. That does much of sucking, esp if you have mail ordered and have to pay return shipping...

Al B. Fuct said:

Sorry to hear it. That does much of sucking, esp if you have mail ordered and have to pay return shipping...

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Yeah, the place I bought it from said no returns, and I have to take it up with the manufacturer... It's been sitting upstairs for about 4 months.

Needless to say, I bought a blue lab truncheon ppm meter, and a good milwaukee probe meter. cost about 200$ for both, but at least they work.

fuckers.

Hope you paid with a cc so you can just enter a dispute with your card provider, who will charge back the seller. Make it so the twats get paid by satisfying you.

Al B. Fuct said:

fuckers.

Hope you paid with a cc so you can just enter a dispute with your card provider, who will charge back the seller. Make it so the twats get paid by satisfying you.

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Good ol' Am Ex will do it for you everytime too

All cc providers have a disputes process. Don't be afraid to use it. It's often your only weapon against dodgy sellers. Simple fact is that if you're in the retail biz, you do take some responsibility for the products you sell. If you sell crap, you should expect returns. I'd never buy from a seller who told me up front that they won't accept returns.

Many jurisdictions have 'fitness for merchantability' laws which can be used to enforce such a concept, some which allow for you to collect damages.