REOTEMP Garden and Compost Moisture Meter (36 Inch Stem)

NO SIRVE !!!!! En primer lugar las instrucciones dicen: remover cinta roja Y NIO HABÍA TAL CINTA. Después dicen calibrar usando la muestra de suelo húmedo. Lo hice y NO RESPONDE, intenté varías veces a diferentes humedades y la aguja en el indicador siempre está entre 2y4, NI SE MUEVE, ni se puede calibrar. ME LI DEBEN CAMBIAR!!!!

Works ok. Not as accurate in reading soil moisture as I had hoped. Nice long stem to reach the roots of plants.

Out of the box the meter is already usable (about right for my indoor plants) without calibration. Compare to other cheap soil meters that I've used before, this one is definitely well/over built. The only thing that I don't like it is the battery compartment, after removing the 4 screws, you'll find the battery holder at the back, not easily accessible. It should be rearranged and place in the front.

MM17 Moisture Meter I use this meter primarily to keep tabs on my lawn irrigation system performance. This evaluation is based on 3 weeks of use. Durable construction: The meter/electronics/battery box is made from 0.1” (10 gauge) thick aluminum - very substantial construction. It has a stainless steel probe, 5/16” diameter x 17” long making it useful for lawn, plant or compost use. I expect little problem with rust or corrosion. And I don’t have to bend over too far to make lawn soil readings. Sensible design: The meter indicator is a dial and pointer style which means it can be read in bright sunlight, unlike the digital LCD indicator types that either wash out in sunlight or cannot be read at an angle other than head-on. The meter face is visible from above the instrument which means you don’t have to lie with your face on the ground to make lawn soil readings. Special feature: User calibration - Ideal moisture content will vary among soil types and the kinds of plant life growing there. So no one moisture meter can tell you what is too “dry” or “wet” for your conditions. The calibration feature lets you determine what the meter should read for conditions you deem to be “good”. To calibrate, I dig a test hole to the depth I want to test and see how well soil sticks to my skin. When I find a spot that looks about right, I probe close to the spot and calibrate the meter to mid scale, leaving enough dial space to indicate plus or minus deviation on future readings. The 1 Yr warranty is better than some cheaper meters. Negative: Made in China. No problems yet, but, just sayin . . . things I can’t see may limit durability. From here, it is my hope that the sensitivity of the MM17 will remain consistent.

Despite other reviews saying that they're a waste of time. I found it Very useful in recording my lawn moisture content over a wide area. The instructions say calibration is required when first using (using The screw), but experimenting I found that it was fine straight from the box.