Stick with hanna mate. Quality as far as im concerned.

Hanna combo is the best handheld IMO.

blue lab

BLUELAB!!

I like the blue lab combo meter too, but I like the Hanna better. Whatever you do don't get the blue lab pens. I've had 4 fail on me.
Garbage.

Totally agree with most posters so far. I use Blue Lab Guardians in both of my UC systems. I've tried Chinese knock offs (terrible), nutra-dip trimeters (not bad), but the Guardian hands-down the easiest, most accurate trimeter I've found so far.

Seems Hanna and blue lab are both top choice.Probably makes most sense to just get a new probe.

Myron L if you don't mind spending a bit more upfront for something that will outlast all the others.

I have both a Tri-meter and a Blue Lab Gardian. The tri-meter worked well but failed after 1 year. It was also sensitive to the lights when they first came on. The meter would go wacky for a few minutes while the lights heated up but then settled down and worked fine. Blue Lab guardian is 3 months old and seems very solid so far. Blue Lab has NO issues with the lights bothering it.

I have ran Bluelab pH pens in the past and will no longer buy them. I have gone thru 3 in the last 5yrs. All three got to the point where they were so far off they would no longer calibrate. Not sure if it was something I was doing wrong or not. I never left them in 4. solution like some say you should do. I would just lightly shake them off and put the top back on. All meters were used every day.

Just got a Oakton and it seems to be working great thus far.

No matter what you get I would suggest getting a couple cheap ass ones from ebay as backups.

blue to the lizzab over here - combo meter

med-man

I have a Bluelab combo meter (do not like it, it has to be calibrated every time I use it or it won't give consistent readings), a Milwaukee combo meter (like it OK), and separate pH & TDS meters from Oakton (like these the best).

I use Hanna...... Used Hanna for years and they usually last me well got a blue Hanna handheld and ph went wacky in it after 3mo... It's still under warranty but I took better care of it than any other but I guess one out of 5 and it's probe failed under warranty so it will get fixed others lasted 2-3yrs before probe went out have had two gro check ph/ppm wall mounts one lasted 5yrs and was still kickin when I got rid of it, other is 3yrs at the moment and work flawless, definaty trimeters pick up rf interference can't even use it within 15ft of a cheapie digi ballast or it will not read right and also 2nd the goes funky when room kicks on too..

I kept high end SPS coral reef tanks for many years and had lots of problems with Hanna meters. Their handheld Ph meter was horribly off even when calibrated numerous times (I had two other rock solid Milwaukee meters and the Hanna was always high by 0.5+). I got a replacement from Hanna and it was off too. I even took it with me to other reefer's tanks to compare and make sure it wasn't the Milwaukees....it wasn't. I finally just put the Hanna away to collect dust rather than sell it online. I won't sell something that I know doesn't work.

Then Hanna came out with their highly anticipated "Hanna Checkers" for alkalinity, calcium, and especially, the phosphate checker. Phosphates are deadly to stony corals. All of them were completely whacky and I could never rely on them. I even joined a group on a major reefing forum that was working with the rep from Hanna. A chemist sent me lab samples to test my meters with and I posted the results to Hanna. The rep even ended up admitting that they were unreliable. They have checkers for many elements on my last check. After all of this, I decided to put Hanna in my rear view once and for all.

I also tried the Nutri-Dip Tri-Meter on our commercial grow and I couldn't keep it stable. I sent it back to the company (their rep was very helpful) and he personally re-programmed the unit and calibrated it in their lab. It was very nice of them and they covered shipping. However, I never felt like I could rely on it completely and I always double checked with my Milwaukees and Oakton. The latter two were more reliable and I really only looked at the Tri-Meter for water temp.

PH: I am now, after 10 years of hydro growing, confident in my Milwaukee and Oakton Ph2 meters. They are easily calibrated and if they differ (which is only by 0.1 - 0.2 on occasion), I just split the difference and call it good.

PPM: Milwaukee, rock solid and still going strong after 8 yrs (knock on wood). I also have two of the meters that come included with the Zero Water filter. They are always on point with the Milwaukee. They very rarely require calibration, and if they do, they are only off slightly, if at all.

I always rinse my meters with RO water after testing and calibrating. I also store my Ph meters in 7.0 calibration fluid.

There are more expensive units than the ones I use, and I'm not one to cut corners or to save a few bucks when I know something is better quality and more reliable, but the meters I use have proven themselves to me and are reliable. A classic case of if it isn't broken, don't fix it. My $0.02

used to use hanna, then it started acting up, giving off reading. the guy at the hydro store couldn't fix it, said it was just bad. Bought blue lab guardian, best thing ever!!! Readings within seconds, not minutes, plus blue lab will replace malfunctioning equipment as long as you didn't let the dog eat it

I ghess Hanna used to be better my one meter that failed after 3mo I had to call and ship to Hanna direct as my local store told me Hanna requires customer to send in bad equip now... Bought a blue lab and another tri meter..... so all my UC's are read at a glance!! Also
sent in my Hanna for a backup requested a older model idk what they will do or send me back till then I do like this blue lab kinda nice how u can switch ppm scale from 500 or 700

In my experience I have found that the chinese copies of the bluelad trucheons are exellent value they work pretty good and as long as you keep the contact clean they stay pretty accurate. My advise would be spend the extra money on a good ph pen with spare probes and slum it with a cheap ppm. I also believe that seperate ph and ppm meters work better and for longer than most combo meters I have tried but this is just my opinion. I have tried alot and defo stay away from really cheap ph pens they a complete waste of time.

My vote is blue labs! I had a combo meter for 4 years it shorted the EC wire that I bought online. It was manufactured in 2004 bought in 2010. My hydro store did an over the counter exchange after a call and email pics of the receipt and the unit to blue labs corporate office. My hat off to both blue labs and south bay hydro for the service!