New Testing Equipment

[Mac60]

I know this has been discussed in detail in other threads, I have read through many of them but lot's of the post are a few years old so I'm wondering if anything has improved in the last few years as far as testing equipment.
I have been through 2 cheap PH meters this season and as always just when I need them to work they fail.
I'm planning on purchasing some new testing equipment. it seems that the general opinion he Vinmetrica SC-300 is the best equipment, but also the most expensive. To be honest I;m having a hard time justifying $485 for it.
What I need is a good PH meter and accurate way to test SO2.
Seems like I could get that with The Milwaukee pH Meter w/ATC 102 is $134.99 and the Economy Aeration-Oxidation Free SO2 Test Kit is $99
Is the Vinmetrica worth $251 more? should I just bite the bullet and get the SC-300?

Since joining this list I have learned much also learned how much I don't know and how lucky I have been over the years with my wine making. I think my attention to sanitizing everything was responsible for most of my success.

I was shown how to make wine from old school wine maker who claimed putting any chemicals in their wine would ruin it, he made wine naturally the way its made in the old country his equipment and conditions were not what I would call sanitary and his wine would generally get worse as it aged. I thanked him for getting me started but I knew I had to learn and do things a bit different than he was doing and especially keeps things clean and sanitized

I'm currently making 100 gallons of wine from grapes and have for the last 10 used only used PH meter, simple Acid test kit, Tritrates test kit and SO2 schedule, I have never had any issues with wine going bad. That being said I want to make consistently better wine. For that I need better and more accurate testing.

So Whats currently the best equipment for the money?
PH, TA & So2

Mike

 

[Boatboy24]

Like you, I had a hard time justifying the expense of the SC300. But I was frustrated with my pH meter (a device I spent almost $100) and was starting to seriously think about investing in the 300. During that time, I managed to get a very cheap pH meter that I've used with comfort and success for a while now. After having that a bit, I stumbled on a used SC-100 that filled the gap for me for a lot less than the SC300. pH and TA can be done with the pH meter, and I measure SO2 with the SC100. Still not a cheap device, but a lot less than the 300.

 

[Mac60]

Like you, I had a hard time justifying the expense of the SC300. But I was frustrated with my pH meter (a device I spent almost $100) and was starting to seriously think about investing in the 300. During that time, I managed to get a very cheap pH meter that I've used with comfort and success for a while now. After having that a bit, I stumbled on a used SC-100 that filled the gap for me for a lot less than the SC300. pH and TA can be done with the pH meter, and I measure SO2 with the SC100. Still not a cheap device, but a lot less than the 300.

Jim, What PH meter are you using, sounds like I'm right where you were.
Thanks

 

[Boatboy24]

Jim, What PH meter are you using, sounds like I'm right where you were.
Thanks

An 'el cheapo' from Amazon. $15.99 and it has been rock solid for over a year now.

 

[Mac60]

This is what I got of amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQJRSV6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 worked first time once now it jumps from 3.5 to 1100 in distilled water? I need to get something I can trust

 

[NorCal]

Ah...trust and pH reading are usually not two words you hear in the same sentence in my garage. @4score and I calibrated our pH meters at 4.0 and 7.0. My SC300 measured .2 pH different than his $150 pH meter, even though they both measured 4.0 and 7.0. We never did figure out which was right. I have more trust in my $15 meter than I do the 5 year old SC300. It could be that it is due a $72.19 replacement probe, but I think I'll stick to the cheap ones that calibrate to the 4.0 and 7.0 cal solution just fine, knowing that I may need to toss it each year or two.

 

[Boatboy24]

What I like about mine is that you 'dial it in'. In other words, put it in the calibration solution, then fine tune manually to set it to where it should be. Of course, this assumes that your calibration solution is what it says it is. Mine usually reads 0.02-.0.04 from where the calibration solution says it should. That's a very small adjustment to get it dialed in, IMHO. My pHep 5 would bounce all over the place and take 10+ minutes to settle on a number.

 

[Ajmassa]

I had an Amazon cheapo never stabilize then Milwaukee ph55 started acting up. Thought I was unlucky. But then I read up on actual proper use/care, not just the meter’s manual. Much more involved than I realized. And now that Milwaukee 55 is a rock solid All-Star! Tho it only reads out one decimal FWIW. I bought unresearched in a pinch, otherwise would have went for ph58 or ph102.
Wasting time fudging with a meter is brutal, and that burden now lifted is priceless.

 

[Boatboy24]

This is what I got. No longer available, but there are many like it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NL0BVAY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20