Im thinking about trying the apera brand ph meters this go around. They have good reviews and the probe tips are replaceable. And different styles are available for different applications.
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Essentials is a good pen brand. Had mine around 4 years now yes you have to recalibrate maybe every 6 months or if you let the batteries run out but never had one break never had a complaint with the product.
I ordered the apera ph pen. If bluelab ends up warranting their pen for me i will have it for sale for cheap. I just couldnt wait any longer for bluelab to beat around the bush about making it right. Also ordered the oldschool ph drop kit as well for backup next time this happens.
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I always keep a drop kit as back up because of the usual issues with pens. I looked at apera pens a while back, the replaceable probe is attractive but it costs almost as much as their cheapest pen. You can still get a duffer if itās been sat on a shelf too long and dried out, same with any of them. I am still tempted though and might get one to try at some point. The drops get to be a pain at times but they are at least accurate 
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Wtf am I doing wrong here? I put it in the 7 ph solution, it calibrated, then clean it, put it in the 4 ph, and the reading is nowhere near 4?? Wtf? @Grohio did u ever have any luck?
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Exactly this. Iām pissed for how much this pos cost.
Did it take a cal point at the PH 4 solution as well? How far off was it initially? Do the cal there too. It should automatically figure out the correct cal point and it will tell you.
Then, subsequent readings?
When I did it with the 7, that calibrated, then with the 4, it didnāt even change readings, like its not working. Obviously something gs messed up
Ok, so you did a cal at 7. Then you did a cal at 4.
But when you subsequently tried to take a reading it did not read PH 4 as 4. Is that correct? What did it read at PH 4? What does it read at PH 7?
Doesnāt sound like it took the calibration.
Is there anything else that happened? E.g. the pen was unused for an extended period of time (e.g. 6 months)? Solution dried out? What is the storage solution that you are using and what does it read on the pen?
When at ph7, it read ph 7.2. Then when I put into the ph 4 solution, it read 6.9ph, and then when I tried to calibrated it, it went back to the 7 and wonāt register the 4
Brand new out of the box, which is why Iām perplexed here
Hmmm, yeah something is wrong there.
Do you have any vinegar or PH down nearby? Try measuring that and let me know.
And, what is your storage solution?
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I have the bluelab probe storage solution on the way, so for now just factory solution it came in.
Donāt have an answer for you but the reading is certainly not correct. This suggests something wack with the probe. There should be a liquid in the glass bulb, not dry. Run through the troubleshooting in the manual one last time, ensure youāve read the bit about āhydrationā. Its seems like the ions in the probe solution are depleted or something else happened before you received it.
When you have the storage solution, hydrate it for 24 hours.
Alternatively, long shot. Rinse the probe. Cal it at 7. Place it in the PH down for awhile (overnight) and check back occasionally to see if the reading has changed at all.
At that point, if no success, Iād return the unit or call Bluelabs for troubleshooting. Sorry, donāt know at this point.
edit: can you give us a photo of the glass bulb at the tip of the probe?
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No worries.
Typically with something straight out the gate with these issues = returning to Amazon.
Not worth the frustration. Iāll find a less bitchy meter that will work just as well 
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I wouldnāt necessarily give up on that other than frustration. The bluelabs are usually one of the better consumer grade probes. PH probes can be tricky if they act weird, require some regular attention, and, particularly, you donāt know how they were handled by the reseller or how long it was sitting around.
I have the bluelab pen for, idk, maybe three years or so. Still works like a champ. But Iāve also had much more expensive scientific grade probes act wacky and it was mostly due to air bubbles in the bulb or all of the ions leach out (why you donāt store them in distilled water). Was recoverable though. Never let them ever dry out though.
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Nods totally hear ya. Busted out and old standard ph meter, the testing ph solutions are accurate - the bluepen meter, not so much.
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My bluelab did this once. After soaking in storage solution for 24 hours, it calibrated.
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The best ph pen is the one you didnāt buy
I usually favour Bluelab but iāve had it with the dam things nowadays, too much wasted time and money, cheap drops are betterā¦unless you are colour blind
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