14 replies to this topic

[Ticino Vintner]

So I have done many searches, read many reviews and it seems that no matter what ph meter I buy it will live all the way to its inevitable fate of laying on the floor broken in a hundred pieces. From what I have read it does not matter if I spend $50 or $300 they all suck the same. So I set my budget at the $50-$100 range considering I may have to replace it every year or two. So I would like to ask all of you which PH meter will piss me off the least while lasting the longest without spending a fortune?

This will be for fresh grape winemaking.

[fmestas]

Extech pH110! After going through about 4 other meters from Milwaukee, Hanna etc. all with quality issues, I finally purchased the Extech about 4-5 years ago. Haven't had a problem since. It calibrates much more easily and quickly than the others and thanks to the re-fillable buffer solution it maintains the calibration for longer. It's slightly higher than the price range you indicated, but I think it's worth it.

[Tom NW]

Last year I got a Hanna 2210 bench top. I had similar frustrations with hand held models that you imply. The biggest change I noticed in my readings was getting a magnetic stirrer. Without the stirrer running, I tend to have a little drift. Since I started using a stirrer my readings stay constant. It was not an expensive stirrer either. My kids found it online from a guy in the mid-west that makes it for beer ferments. I think it was around $35.

[Joe_Sallo]

I have one of the first Hanna pHeP5's they made it has to be at least 8 years old. It's on it's second probe but they are replaceable. I like it, it's accurate enough for wine or beer and it's worth what I paid for it. I use Hydrion buffer capsules to calibrate, that's the cheapest way to calibrate an inexpensive meter.

[Ticino Vintner]

Extech pH110! After going through about 4 other meters from Milwaukee, Hanna etc. all with quality issues, I finally purchased the Extech about 4-5 years ago. Haven't had a problem since. It calibrates much more easily and quickly than the others and thanks to the re-fillable buffer solution it maintains the calibration for longer. It's slightly higher than the price range you indicated, but I think it's worth it.

That was actually one I was considering. I just want something that is hassle free, easy to maintain and has an accuracy of somewhere in the ballpark.

[Tomer1]

Ph100 or 110. Accurate and reliable. Keep the electrode wet in storage solution and recalibrate before testing.

[BobF]

I'm perfectly happy with my MW102 ...

[poni]

i got this one http://www.waterfiltersonline.com/detail.asp?product_id=hmi-ph-200
No problems, and haven't had to change the electrode in 2 yrs! It snaps to the pH measurement right quick! so far so good!

[Calamity Cellars]

http://valleyvintner...ategory_Code=pH
Bought one of these in 2009 and have had zero problems and loved it. Earlier this year I thought I needed a new probe so I ordered one but then found out it was bad buffer solutions. This is the best value in high quality pH meters out there...there is a reason it is sold out.

[rawlus]

I use a Hach H-Series H138 minlab ISFET pH meter, best purchase I ever made. There are a few manufacturers making the solid state ISFET type meters. Rather than a bulb that must remain wet and deteriorates over time, ISFET uses a microchip and a contained reference liquid.

Best aspects for me:
Small and portable, I can carry the meter and 3 calibration reference solutions in a small package
Can be stored dry indefinitely
Requires only a drop-sized sample, like a refractometer
Self-calibrating and supports maybe a half-dozen or so reference standards
My own results have been very consistent and repeatable. Something that I did not always get with traditional type pH meters, I questioned the accuracy of my measurements because results were always sometimes inconsistent or it repeatable, drawing all results into question.

Hach has a few of the h-series, the 138 is the most accurate but the other two lower priced units should still deliver good service.

[Wade's Wines]

Just looked up the Hach H138 pH meter. Very cool! More than 2x the price I paid for my benchtop model, but with a dry-storage probe, pocket size and durable I'll bet it's worth the difference. Maybe when my benchtop dies....
Mine's easy to use, but this sounds much easier and uses less wine or juice by far.

[bret]

http://valleyvintner...ategory_Code=pH
Bought one of these in 2009 and have had zero problems and loved it. Earlier this year I thought I needed a new probe so I ordered one but then found out it was bad buffer solutions. This is the best value in high quality pH meters out there...there is a reason it is sold out.

I have the same one, and I'm happy with it. I also have the "mini stirrer", also sold by Valley Vintner, and I think using that makes a big difference, at least with titrations.

-Bret

[Ticino Vintner]

Thanks for all the recommendations, I am still undecided but I have a few months before I really need a ph meter so that will give me time to see if I might find one on sale.

[Ticino Vintner]

I was just about to buy the Oakton PH2 when I decided to go to youtube and check if there are any videos of the PH2 and the Extech PH110.
I liked what I saw from the PH2 even though most of them where coming from "medicinal herbal" growers, then I saw the Extech video of them just sticking the meter right in the ground to get a PH reading of the soil. Sah-Weeeet! I know, I know, there are other ways to use normal PH meters to test soil but that includes more testing equip (glass jar) and a few extra procedures. All of which I dont care for, the ability to not only test my wine with amazing accuracy but also my soil had me sold. I pulled the trigger and am now an Extech PH110 owner. I cant wait for it to arrive and test it out in the vineyard.

[mokadir]

I have the Hach ISFET type also, about 5 yrs old, similar to the newer H138. Very reliable, though I did have to replace the reference electrode after about 3 years.