Bluelab Combo Meter for pH, Temperature & Conductivity in Water - Easy Calibration, Digital EC/TDS/PPM Tester for Hydroponics & Indoor Plants (METCOM)

The BlueLab METCOM is a nearly perfect instrument (at least in the short term). It does what it's expected to, within it's limitations. BlueLab doesn't claim it to be any more or less than it delivers. PH seems very accurate. I calibrate often and it never seems to need it, despite the fact the probes are in a nutrient tank 24/7 (I do give the probe a day a week or so in Kcl solution to hopefully keep it healthy). The TDS meter is fine for it's intended use - nutrient solution maintenance, but isn't precise enough to gauge the quality of raw/RO/DI water, you'll want a cheap pen for that, I use a Membrane Solutions TDS pen and it seems quite accurate down in the sub teen TDS levels (less than 20 bucks and comes with a nice magnetic case). The Thermometer is slow to respond (built into the TDS probe and has high mass) and ok as a very rough idea, but mine is about 3 degrees F high and it only reads full degrees (no tenths). Here my goto is the VEE GEE Scientific 83110 which is a great thermometer (see my review on that). The BlueLab thermometer is plenty accurate and repeatable to tell if you have a chiller problem or such. I don't like not having a comparison/backup for everything, so I just ordered a "2 in 1 Temperature pH Monitor" (Amazon of course) for about forty bucks (20 less than a probe from BlueLab), review in a month or so. (it's 7/21) This unit lets you check in on your Hydro system anytime you wish with the press of a button per reading, 3 hits and I've got PH, TDS and Temp, and I know it's all OK or if I need to look into a problem. No rinsing, opening tanks, checking calibration or any of that pen stuff, and zero risk you'll drop the pen in. The whole PH pen thing is just a PIA and discourages frequent checks. The pens are less precise in general unless you spend almost as much as you will for this handy device, and the probes are often not replaceable. Ph probes by design have a limited life. Always keep litmus paper or a dropper kit on hand, JIC. BlueLab products are moderately priced, very reliable and fairly accurate (but highly repeatable). That fits the needs of a lot of users. If you are a fit, this is a great solution, I am, and I will be using BlueLab instruments in the future.

I received my package today. I had originally bought a warehouse deal (WD) , but I was not satisfied with the condition of the product. (I've bought several WD's, and I've never had a problem.). The body was dirty, the probe had scale on it (which I learned today was normal), and there were no pH solutions to calibrate. (A 7 + 4 come with meter). The Amazon return, my first in almost 20 years, was quick and easy. I repurchased the meter new. I received it today (one day after purchase). Calibration was a snap. Do not be alarmed by scale on probe, as instructions say it is normal. (I didn't get that far!) Some additional things that you will need to purchase are (1) solution KCl to store your pH tip in and (2) Further, you will want to get calibration solutions of 7 + 4 as it needs two points of calibration. After doing a little research, (and being cheap) I decided to get 4 + 7 pillows to be mixed with distilled water to ensure that calibration solution is always fresh. It's worth noting that the probe should never be placed in distilled water alone. My primary purpose for buying the meter was to test home-canned product pH, and soil pH. The pros for this meter are: - ease of use - excellent instructions (videos, card guide). The cons are - buttons feel a bit flimsy - floppy probes -- building in a holster to the the monitor body to secure both probes would greatly improve ease of use. Having said all of that....I'm happy with my purchase.

I was not having any luck finding a decent & reliable ph meter. I wanted to wait a while before writing a review to make sure. The probe arrived with a little solution but it looked like the storage cap was not tightened enough but at least it did not arrive dry. The calibration solution was included in 20ml package, enough for one calibration but if you have a an empty bottle and you use distilled water when calibrating you can use the same solution a few times. It calibrated easily, probably one of the easiest calibrations compared to others I had, all you do is put the probe in 7.0 solution and press and hold CAL, thats it & the same for the 4.0 solution. After the first week the ph started drifting a bit but I was using it several times a day due to switching to different brand of nutrients for my peppers, I was learning a new routine and this ph meter made it so easy. I calibrated it again on day 6 and I'm thinking it was due to being new; it's held the calibration for about 24 days before it started drifting ( +.1 ) that was with me using it once a day and twice a day every 7 days when I change my water. It reads the ph fast and stays stable regardless of how long it stays in the solution. It also checks the temperature but I'm consistently in the sweet spot so don't use that feature much. The attached TDS/EC nutrient meter is a bonus, it reads all of them. I prefer using the 500ppm scale, but if you prefer EC, it's there too. It's convenient in my Aerogardens, fits in the holes perfect which is why I love it even more. I got a cheap bag to carry it around, I recommended something with a lanyard or strap so that you don't drop it if you have to carry the meter with the probe in water. I wash the probes in tap water after every use and change the storage solution after every 3-5 uses. I've never used distilled water although I'm sure it's better to rinse in distilled water instructions say tap water is perfectly fine. I recommend you get KCL storage solution and calibration solution 4 and 7 while your at it. If you don't have KCL solution you can use the 4.0 solution to store the ph probe while you get the KCL storing solution. If you have access to a hydroponic or grow store buy the calibration solution there it may be cheaper by a lot. This is overkill for what I have growing, definitely commercial quality but I love that it works, and it does what it does perfectly. I no longer double check the ph with other meters I trust these readings. I highly recommend this meter & Bluelab.

It’s always nice when something does several jobs at once. In the desert PH and temperatures are always a struggle for fish tanks, ponds, etc. this makes it easy to keep track of both. Very well made, high quality. And that usually means longevity. It’s a bit pricey but it’s worth it in the long term. Easy to read digital display, it will take a practice to get the hang of it but not too long.

Very disappointed with this purchase. When I received the box it looked as if I had gotten a returned item. The bluelab box wasn't even closed and the contents were haphazardly stuck into it. The smaller box inside of the box that held the very sensitive ph probe was also open. The solution that was meant to maintain the ph probes life was leaking all around the lip and had formed a crusty seal. The cap was only about a third full of the solution. At this point I was mad and was planning on calling amazon and getting a refund because you don't pay this much money to be sent crap that's been so mishandled. However, I didn't think amazon would send me crap so I decided to give it a shot and look past the ominous packaging. I proceeded to calibrate the ph probe according to the directions. Received the indication on the screen that calibration was successful and went to test the accuracy in various solutions. Tested it between multiple water sources and got multiple ph readings. So far so good. Tested the same water sources again that had not changed (cups of water) and got completely different readings. The cup that had read 7.2 a couple minutes ago was now 8.1. Not accurate and I can't use it at all. The EC/ppm probe appears to be accurate. Reads consistently between the different water sources. However, the temperature is wildly inaccurate. Confusing because its the same meter that measures ppm that takes the temperate.. Two cups of water, one at 65 and the other at 85, both read 77. I have no idea how that happens. I should have purchased this item in store where I could have seen that it had not been opened, returned, or tampered with. I'd like to think that this is the reason for it being inaccurate and not that blue lab makes unreliable products. I spent the money for a product that would provided consistency and accuracy. Waste of $$$ for something I can't even use now. Not happy with amazon to say the least.

There are several types of combo Ph meters out there, and this one is definitely one of the better ones. A lot of people have problems keeping calibration and accuracy in check, but as long as you clean and store the probes properly, those problems will not arise. Make sure to follow the directions and to read the description, there are several ways you can read nutrient PPM, so make sure whatever your nutrients say they are calibrated to, that this meter covers that and is set to that specific setting. These can go on sale for a very good price from time to time, so it's worth keeping an eye out for deals, and definitely jump on them when they happen.

I previously had a Nutradip Tri-meter for the past 5 years, and was really trying to find a meter the was up to PAR with how reliable and accurate it was across time. This meter has the same kind of probe as my last, so I purchased it. Out of the box yesterday, the PH calibration was incredibly easy, and it reads quickly without the reading drifting or taking long to read out. The EC/PPM/Temp probe is accurate, but I must admit I'm slightly dissapointed with how much bouncing up and down around the correct reading (referenced with another PPM meter). This could simply require a cleaning to fix, which I am ordering a cleaning kit for now. The EC/PPM meter cannot be calibrated, which strikes me as odd being meter meant for long term use. The EC/PPM meter is the only reason I've not given a 5 star rating. One thing to note is that in a Bluelab instruction video for this meter, it was stated that the EC/PPM meter must be submerged in equal temperature solution when calibrating your PH meter and taking PH readings because the Automatic Temperature Compensation relies on the EC/PPM meter as this is the device that measures temperature. I will continue to post updates in regards of reliability and accuracy over time. *1st Week's Update* Still functioning properly. Submerging the probe continuously in hydroponic nutrient solution. PPM meter is still a little bit 'iffy'...but it does seem that it has become more stable over the past week, for whatever reason. Well over 1-2 years into it's use and, despite needing to order a replacement PH probe, it is still working well. I feel needing a replacement 70$ probe after being submerged in DWC solution for the better part of 2 years is a statement to the quality of their meters. I still wish the EC meter could be replaced; as I dread the day it shorts and I have to buy a whole new monitor because of it! Nonetheless, this meter is reliable and accurate, just clean and calibrate once monthly.

Great

Buen producto

Me gusta porque me da confianza en sus mediciones, precisas y practicamente al instante. Dandote mucha tranquilidad saber que es el resultado es preciso. facil de calibrar y con un buen acabado y facil de usarsolo tienes que pulsar al botom de lo que se quiera medir ya sea la conductividad y tenperatura en la misma sonda. el ph se mide con otra sonda especidfica. muy buena compra, Ahorras mucho tiempo en calibrar la solucion de nutrientes para tus plantas, control absoluto. Un saludo

Good product. Better then the ph pens. There’s a limited amount of tests a ph tester can perform as they leach a liquid from inside. The pens reserve of test fluid is much smaller then the ph tester on this model. The ph probes are fragile and if you ever break one (which you probably will) the replacements are only 70$ for this model vs $120 for a ph pen. More upfront but also more features that plants care about such as water temp (not to cold, not to hot or your plants go into shock) and saturated nutrients measured in EC and ppm in both the 500/700 scale. You can also pick up a quality storage case by bluelab for only $40 to help protect your investment. Trust me after breaking my last ph pen from a clumsy drop you will want both a replaceable ph style probe type meter and the storage case to go along w/ it. Blue lab is the only water testing product that any good hydro store will recommend. You get what you pay for and if your doing hydro or organic growing an accurate ph is the difference between lifeless unproductive plants vs vigorous high yielding guerillas. Don’t forget to acquire some ph test storage solution as this is not included. Don’t bother getting any calibration fluid. Your local hydro store most likely will perform this for you at no cost. Be sure to calibrate at least every month/two months for accuracy.

The wire was broken

will never go back, brilliant solution that makes the metering process easy.