I need a TDS meter, any recommendations?

grossgumshoe

grossgumshoe

Active Member
whats up everybody, i need a tds meter and i was wondering what everybody else uses cause i don't want to get a shitty one. anyhow i would appreciate any recommendations (and model numbers) that you may have
 
Al B. Fuct

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
grossgumshoe said:
whats up everybody, i need a tds meter and i was wondering what everybody else uses
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The Bluelab Truncheon is as good as they get.



No moving parts, not even a power switch. Auto power on & off by dipping in the tank. No LCD to go bad- display is by a bar of LEDs on a calibrated scale, which you can read at arm's length in any lighting condition. I have one which is now more than 7 years old.

Bluelab also make a pH Truncheon. Much as I love the TDS Truncheon, I can't recommend the pH version. I bought one last year and had to return it- twice. I had 3 of them fail in rapid succession before I gave up on them.

The TDS version, on the other hand, is utterly bulletproof. Shop around, prices vary.
 
grossgumshoe

grossgumshoe

Active Member
i picked up one of those truncheons today at the local hydro store.. seems to work exactly like its supposed to. Thanks for the help guys!
 
B

born2killspam

Well-Known Member
A while back I got one new for 25$ on ebay from a drinking water accessory seller called Filter Direct.. The buy-now price was $50, but it was obvious that waiting a few hours would save 50%.. Dunno if its still out there, but the pen never led me astray, and 8 years later it still works..
This one has a hold button that can easily be pressed in bad lighting etc, it goes beep to confirm that its display is held to examine later..
 
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Kludge

Kludge

Well-Known Member
Al B. Fuct said:
The Bluelab Truncheon is as good as they get.



No moving parts, not even a power switch. Auto power on & off by dipping in the tank. No LCD to go bad- display is by a bar of LEDs on a calibrated scale, which you can read at arm's length in any lighting condition. I have one which is now more than 7 years old.

Bluelab also make a pH Truncheon. Much as I love the TDS Truncheon, I can't recommend the pH version. I bought one last year and had to return it- twice. I had 3 of them fail in rapid succession before I gave up on them.

The TDS version, on the other hand, is utterly bulletproof. Shop around, prices vary.
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It's good to hear you suggest that one, it's the one I was looking at, but I was wondering about the calibration. The other meters I looked at have to be calibrated; is that because they are pH meters too?
 
MrHowardMarks

MrHowardMarks

Well-Known Member
I had a blulab tri meter, it stopped working after three years :(

The truncheon has been on my wish list.

I need to get a new one, I have a seperate pH meter, how does the truncheon compare to the tri meter?

I'd imagine it's just as good, what did you pay for it at the hydro store?
 
WWgrower

WWgrower

Well-Known Member
This is the place Iam at now. I am going to take the plunge and get a meter or as Potroast calls them monitor for my grow. I plan on getting a constant In-tank monitor. I figure on e-bay to spend around 150. Has anyone else on here had any luck with these. After a few years am tired of crouching next to my grow breaking my back and messing with taking measurements. Seems a lot easier to just look at the led display and instantly know where I stand. Anything to make my life easier is better for me and my girls! $0.02
 
Johnnyblaze326

Johnnyblaze326

Active Member
ok that takes care of the single use tds meter -- now what about a single ph meter .. I know Al b Fuct said not to buy blue labs ph meter ...what do other people recomend getting ..(ONLY PH METER NOT COMBO)
 
Al B. Fuct

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
The pHScan1 has to be the most reliable pH meter I've ever used. They require electrode replacement every 2 years (like any other pH meter), but that's no big shakes as it is user-replaceable. Unscrew the old one, fit the new one, soak it in plain water for 24 hrs and it's off to the races.
 
Johnnyblaze326

Johnnyblaze326

Active Member
Thanks AL B .. ill have to try it out ..looks like a decent product..Ill let ya know how it goes with the meters for me when i start my journal ... just Bought the Bluelab TDS meter that will be at the door soon
 
Al B. Fuct

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
Cool beans, jb. :) You'll be happy with the Truncheon. They have a well-deserved rep for reliability and long service life.
 
MrHowardMarks

MrHowardMarks

Well-Known Member
Al B. Fuct said:
They require electrode replacement every 2 years (like any other pH meter), but that's no big shakes as it is user-replaceable.
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-I got mine because, at the time, I worked at an aquarium store. They thought it was broken. ;)

I've replaced the electrode twice since then, three times total, had it since 2000.

I bought a blulab tri meter, because I thought that my meter was getting a bit too old to be reliable, but it still works great, I check the accuracy every month.

The tri meter, on the other hand, didn't last that long.

The TDS was acting erradic, and the pH pen was completely fucked. I asked about replacement sensors and I was told you had to buy the whole pen. You know anything about that? I currently have a tri meter with both pens not working.
 
Al B. Fuct

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
I'm sorry to hear that about the tri-meter, but this is the typical story for all integrated meters, at least about the tip replacement. If it's not user-replaceable, you either have to buy a new meter or send the old one for probe replacement.

Bluelab got the TDS Truncheon right, from day 1. They ballsed up the pH Truncheon- I had 3 of them die before I gave up and bought new probe tips for my Eutech meters.
 
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