Luster Leaf1840 Rapitest Soil pH Meter

read many reviews online and ended up going with this brand and model. i amend my soil as most hobbiest to serious gardners do, i wanted to have a quick reference for hot spots (too acid or alkaline), when i notice a problem area or bald spot in my garden as to have a pH reference point. i have tested this against litmus paper and add soil to solution type tests and results very, very similar. i am not trying to be an agricultural chemist and for the money, this tool has been very helpful to me in my home vegetable gardening endeavors. i make sure and keep the tip clean and follow directions (not for liquids) and it has served me well. when stored in a ziploc, the indicator stays at a neutral 7 which is what i expect from it. i recommend testing on damp to dry soil as too much water will affect your readings. i reserve the upgrade to 5 stars until it makes it through the warranty period then i will update. i had a few areas in my garden that were struggling or no germination/poor growth and this little jewel showed me that a 5 pH existed. i amended to correct, indicator showed 6.5 and i now have no problems with these areas. i literally grow asparagus - zucchini and my yields are good enough to feed my wife and i, can some, and give some away to the neighbors with just a small home garden. i encourage everyone to get on board with grow your own.7/18/12 Well gardners, still working like a charm and thanks to some fortunate rain this year, yields have been good enough to give to our neighbors and we are canning now...will turn over to fall stuff soon...pH meter helped me again this year when i had problem with one of my large potted gardens which revealed a 7.8 pH which is much higher than usual and i composted well in those large pots and it was enough to correct. once versed in the pH readings and the corrective amendments, you are on your way...now, start retrieving your own seeds and heirloom them...enjoy your successes as well as failures and grow what makes you happy! i will now upgrade this model to a 5 Star rating.4/9/13 ~ getting ready for spring plant, and the pH meter is still working like a charm. hope everyone has a great yield this year and a great time doing it.

I bought a pH meter over a 3 in 1 meter because the 3 in 1's seemed to do so-so at several tasks whereas a ph only meter should be really good at the one thing it is supposed to do. Unfortunately, like other reviewers, I note it doesn't work. The needle does not give readings other than 7. I had a few samples from the lawn done by a lab and my lawn does not really have a pH of 7. Product is kind of labor intensive to use for a simple probe meter. It should more or less require you to stick the probe in the ground and get a reading. No, no, no, you have to prepare the soil, etc. Even doing that, meter did not work.

When I first bought this probe and did pH tests, I was disappointed in its accuracy and was ready to return it.I have access to pH standards at 4.00pH, 7.00pH and 10.00pH. Full disclosure, the standards have expired sometime between 2020-2021 but I have measured them with a fully calibrated digital probe and they are still within specified accuracy range. Now, the Rapitest probe cannot be used as is out of the box. The metal used on the probe oxidizes very fast and needs to be buffed prior to measurement. Keep in mind that the supplied scouring pad is useless as it does not polish the metal well. For each test I have used a very fine steel wool which produced a very smooth shiny probe (do not polish the tip of the probe, just the shaft). First, I measured the 4.00pH standard and the probe readout never came close to that value. It settled just below 5. Then, I proceeded with a 7.00pH and the probe readout settled just below 7. Now I realize, that the 10.00pH is out of range for this probe but I decided to test it just for fun. The meter settled way out of range after 9 as I would expect. In conclusion, the probe behaved in the right direction with regards to each pH standard but it did not measure the proper values.Since then, I have purchased and tested several pH probes of the same type and my expectations have dropped. I realized, that this type of probe does not produce accurate measurements, nor it is meant to. It is a guideline if the soil is acidic or alkaline. If a precise measurement is needed, be prepared to pay more money for a decent digital pH meter that uses a glass type probe and requires periodic calibrations. This probe can not be calibrated by the user but it can be tested against pH standards.By the way, for those who are trying to measure distilled water and expect to read a pH of 7 - do not. The distilled water is only neutral (pH 7) at the time of distillation. The moment it is exposed to atmosphere, it absorbs CO2 from the air and becomes acidic. I have used a calibrated digital pH probe and used up several expensive pH strips testing our tap water, filtered water, distilled water, and de-ionized water. They all came up in the range from 5-5.5 pH. If you see a 7 on the meter while measuring water, make sure you have polished the probe well, 7 is a neutral position for the probe.

very useful

Used the meter two separate times. I made about 12 probes the first use and 5 during the second use. Noticed a significant change in readings. The probe tip was missing; it apparently came off in the ground. The soil was not hard, rocky, or otherwise unusual. I was not expecting a high-end meter for the price paid, but did expect higher quality than obtained.

I have to say I think it works. I have followed the directions and feel that if you put as much distilled water as they want it will only read 7 from the distilled water. I found that if you mix just enough water to make a thick mud, it seemed to move the needle after almost a minute. I put it in a moist plant pot that had not been replanted in some years. I fell the existence of the fertilizer both past and present is the reason the needle went to almost 6.5.I plan to use it more and more as I am reclaiming some garden space that was once a burn pit, and lots of drywall was their. Come fall I will pay for another soil test from EDIS and see if it was even close. So far the sulfur seems to be working.