Quality PH meter/pen

fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
Hi, im getting thought together on upgrades for when this grow is done and over with. Right now, im looking for a nice ph meter/pen. I came across the bluelabs ph and ppm meter on ebay. Did a google search and read some good reviews so i figured id post here to get some updated reviews on it because the ones i read were years old. Anyways, the one im talking about is linked below.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bluelab-pH-and-PPM-Pen-Meter-Combo-Kit-blue-lab-tester-meters-calibration-/200884643015?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2ec5a864c7

i can get both ph and ppm, and the combo kit for 210 with shipping.. is it worth it? what else do you recommend? Im a soil grower, prolly never will switch to hydro just because i like the simplicity of soil, and im still working on mastering it and getting 1gram a watt or near that anyways.
 
JonnyAppleSeed420

JonnyAppleSeed420

New Member
Blue Lab has a wall mountable unit that does ph, ec,cf, ppm, and temp. Its a little more costly but everything is replaceable on the unit. Well worth looking into.
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Ok, lets see here. I guess I would start with a question......If you are growing in soil , , why do you feel you need a pH meter?
Bottom line is that soil self adjusts pH to plant needs! This of course would be somewhat contingent upon you using a QUALITY soil premix or that you are mixing your own "Subs Super soil" style mix. Even growing with a QUALITY synthetic (Most QUALITY synthetics for soil are pH neutral) the need to pH adjust is rare at best!
If your organic then there REALLY is no need to pH your soil !!!!
With that said then I'll go on to this....A pH pen for liquids is not going to do that much for you is it? You see what would matter here is the pH of the soil......So , , if you REALLY still want a pH meter. You should look to one for soil! Do yourself a favor and DON'T spend your hard earned dollars on a cheap pH soil probe from a gardening store (rather inaccurate)!

I should add this fact here: 99% of all hand held pH, TDS/PPM, EC and temp meters are built for the hobby/greenhouse growers and they are made to be affordable and functional and should never be considered as "LAB QUALITY EQUIPMENT"...They do work just fine for those things and will fit most everyone's needs!!!

Now then. Some manufacturers of Lab quality equipment do make these "inexpensive" Hobbyist grade meters. They are HANNA, OAKTON, and for the most part, BLUELAB....Now then the one you have found on Ebay is listed at $150. Thats ok but it's not for soil!
I would say try this one from HANNA as it does everything the other does AND more for only a little more and is more of a "pro" model that packs lots of feature's into a unit that covers all types of growing media.
http://www.labdepotinc.com/Product_Details~id~385~pid~6284.aspx
IF you only want one for soil applications that is easy to use and carry , , then look at this one.
http://4hydroponics.com/bluelab-soil-ph-pen
Generally speaking unless your an advanced grower mixing your own nutrients to specific concentrations or chelating your own synthetics. Then I don't see the need for you to have a TDS(PPM) pen or multifunction meter anyway.

Now then to all you NAYSAYERS on soil not needing pH.....The water going in will be x.y pH and coming out it will be y.z and all the while your soil WILL be right about 6.5 give or take a factor of as much as only.2.
If you need to understand how and why soil self pH's then you ALL need to read this (and for sure if you don't believe me)!!!! THIS is the book I would say is a must read for anyone wanting to grow organic....
http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp/1604691131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377898347&sr=8-1&keywords=Teaming+with+Microbes+The+Organic+Gardener's+Guide+to+the+Soil+Food+Web.

So, now I have given knowledge and that is the key for anyone to make their OWN decision!

P.S. Milwaukee meters are fine. In fact I have a pocket pH meter from them for "on the fly" readings at work....Those readings are then qualified with a HANNA HI2215-01 LABORATORY meter.

I hope this helps you and others to make a sane choice.
 
fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
Ok, lets see here. I guess I would start with a question......If you are growing in soil , , why do you feel you need a pH meter?
Bottom line is that soil self adjusts pH to plant needs! This of course would be somewhat contingent upon you using a QUALITY soil premix or that you are mixing your own "Subs Super soil" style mix. Even growing with a QUALITY synthetic (Most QUALITY synthetics for soil are pH neutral) the need to pH adjust is rare at best!
If your organic then there REALLY is no need to pH your soil !!!!
With that said then I'll go on to this....A pH pen for liquids is not going to do that much for you is it? You see what would matter here is the pH of the soil......So , , if you REALLY still want a pH meter. You should look to one for soil! Do yourself a favor and DON'T spend your hard earned dollars on a cheap pH probe from a gardening store (rather inaccurate)!

I should add this fact here: 99% of all hand held pH, TDS/PPM, EC and temp meters are built for the hobby/greenhouse growers and they are made to be affordable and functional and should never be considered as "LAB QUALITY EQUIPMENT"...They do work just fine for those things and will fit most everyone's needs!!!

Now then. Some manufacturers of Lab quality equipment do make these "inexpensive" Hobbyist grade meters. They are HANNA, OAKTON, and for the most part, BLUELAB....Now then the one you have found on Ebay is listed at $150. Thats ok but it's not for soil!
I would say try this one from HANNA as it does everything the other does AND more for only a little more and is more of a "pro" model that packs lots of feature's into a unit that covers all types of growing media.
http://www.labdepotinc.com/Product_Details~id~385~pid~6284.aspx
IF you only want one for soil applications that is easy to use and carry , , then look at this one.
http://4hydroponics.com/bluelab-soil-ph-pen
Generally speaking unless your an advanced grower mixing your own nutrients to specific concentrations or chelating your own synthetics. Then I don't see the need for you to have a TDS(PPM) pen or multifunction meter anyway.

Now then to all you NAYSAYERS on soil not needing pH.....The water going in will be x.y pH and coming out it will be y.z and all the while your soil WILL be right about 6.5 give or take a factor of as much as only.2.
If you need to understand how and why soil self pH's then you ALL need to read this (and for sure if you don't believe me)!!!! THIS is the book I would say is a must read for anyone wanting to grow organic....
http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp/1604691131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377898347&sr=8-1&keywords=Teaming+with+Microbes+The+Organic+Gardener's+Guide+to+the+Soil+Food+Web.

So, now I have given knowledge and that is the key for anyone to make their OWN decision!

P.S. Milwaukee meters are fine. In fact I have a pocket pH meter from them for "on the fly" readings at work....Those readings are then qualified with a HANNA HI2215-01 LABORATORY meter.

I hope this helps you and others to make a sane choice.
Click to expand...
ok so why does my nuted water ph NOT matter? i would like to get more advise on this issue. thus far i havent been testing it so for all i know it can be high as hell. i use my well water.... i would think i need to ph test it...
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
OK...Here we go.
THE SOIL IS LIVING,,,all sorts of microbes/fungus's and bacteria LIVE in it. When you grow in soil, you are in a sense "feeding" the soil and the plant is a byproduct of the interaction between the living things in the soil! This is because those living things adjust the nutrients in the soil to be MORE available/useful to and by the plant !!! (there are even microbes that live on the ROOTS of the plant that help bolth the plant AND the soil).
Synthetics try to "short cut" the symbiotic relationship between the soil - microbes - plant by providing a "plant ready" nutrient formula...Yes that works and it still self pH's by the nutrient added being "neutral". Yet synthetics "harm" the microbes in that soil making the self pHing less effective, BUT still it self adjusts to plant needs!

If you would read the book I listed - Teaming with Microbes, ALL of your questions will be answered.
I'll qualify my statements by saying this.
I have a BA, an MA and I'm Going to be writing my Doctoral thesis by the end of the College year, all from Michigan State University AND all are in horticulture!!
I work in the field as a Horticulturist for a Drug manufacturer in cancer drugs from plants (Yews).
I have grown MM for longer then many here have been alive.

SO then,,,,for you,,,the pH of the soil is the factor your looking for......GET a SOIL pH tester and go from there.....OR better yet,,,get the HANNA muli meter I suggested just to be safe...Hell then you can see the pH of the water in/out AND the soil....you'll soon see that if you do that,,,,,,,the soil self pH's!!!!!!
 
JonnyAppleSeed420

JonnyAppleSeed420

New Member
fir3dragon said:
this one? i was also looking at it lol.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BlueLab-Guardian-Monitor-pH-Temp-EC-Conductivity-Meter-Hydroponic-Blue-Lab-water-/200679995709?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb975b93d
Click to expand...
Yup that's the one...I wish mine was new. Awesome unit if you can pay the price. Soil is a funny subject because there are guys that build their own soil and require little to no adjusting and get stellar results. Over the counter soil that has not been amended can still have large swings in PH. Once you understand soil you really won't need this tool but they are nice to have around...that's for sure. Good Luck
 
fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
OK...Here we go.
THE SOIL IS LIVING,,,all sorts of microbes/fungus's and bacteria LIVE in it. When you grow in soil, you are in a sense "feeding" the soil and the plant is a byproduct of the interaction between the living things in the soil! This is because those living things adjust the nutrients in the soil to be MORE available/useful to and by the plant !!! (there are even microbes that live on the ROOTS of the plant that help bolth the plant AND the soil).
Synthetics try to "short cut" the symbiotic relationship between the soil - microbes - plant by providing a "plant ready" nutrient formula...Yes that works and it still self pH's by the nutrient added being "neutral". Yet synthetics "harm" the microbes in that soil making the self pHing less effective, BUT still it self adjusts to plant needs!

If you would read the book I listed - Teaming with Microbes, ALL of your questions will be answered.
I'll qualify my statements by saying this.
I have a BA, an MA and I'm Going to be writing my Doctoral thesis by the end of the College year, all from Michigan State University AND all are in horticulture!!
I work in the field as a Horticulturist for a Drug manufacturer in cancer drugs from plants (Yews).
I have grown MM for longer then many here have been alive.

SO then,,,,for you,,,the pH of the soil is the factor your looking for......GET a SOIL pH tester and go from there.....OR better yet,,,get the HANNA muli meter I suggested just to be safe...Hell then you can see the pH of the water in/out AND the soil....you'll soon see that if you do that,,,,,,,the soil self pH's!!!!!!
Click to expand...
save the long ass posts lol. I'm getting mixed results on this. If I'm organic I shouldn't if I'm not I should.. Then I read no, then yeah... I'm just going to do it to see if I get better results. But I'm still on the market for a meter or pen.
 
topfuel29

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Your right about the Milwaukee I've had good luck with mine going on 5 years.
It's more than paid for it self. I really would like to get a more expensive one like what Dr. Who was talking about, but every time I see the price...
Very true, You get what you pay for. Usually most of the time LoL.
 
Doobius1

Doobius1

Well-Known Member
I dropped my Bluelab ph pen and broke the probe. Was disappointed to learn the probe is not replaceable and emailed the company in New Zealand to let them know. They replied quickly and are sending me a brand new pen no charge. Great customer service
 
G

grorite

Well-Known Member
bluelab is great that's what I have. only used it two times tho. to check my tap then when I added nutes the first time. other than that its a waste. go cheap on ph if in soil and just get the GH liquid kit that's all you will need. as long as your not too high over 7 and lower than 6 your good to go.
 
fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
grorite said:
bluelab is great that's what I have. only used it two times tho. to check my tap then when I added nutes the first time. other than that its a waste. go cheap on ph if in soil and just get the GH liquid kit that's all you will need. as long as your not too high over 7 and lower than 6 your good to go.
Click to expand...
I do currently got a cheap ph meter but it needs calibrated and I don't got no solution lol anything household I can use? Like vinegar or something
 
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