Professional Soil Moisture Meter - Lutron PMS-714

Very well made and sturdy instrument. Definitely not cheap plastic rubbish. It's rated IP65 water resistant, and I can believe it, as the tubular case has o-rings sealing it at both ends. The probe (which can be unscrewed to make the unit more compact for transportation) is 10mm in diameter (quite large) and feels very robust. The point is extremely sharp. It's made of stainless steel with a nylon spacer, so it's not going to corrode in a hurry and is easy to clean. Taking a measurement is quick and simple. The reading settles very quickly and is stable and repeatable - hallmark of a quality measuring instrument. It has a 'hold' function so you can retain a measurement after withdrawing it from the soil. The display is large and easy to read in any case. The switches are good quality items which are likely to have a long life. I've seen the same meter being sold for more than twice this price, so I think this is definitely good value for money. Comes with a certificate of calibration for what that's worth, though it's not signed or stamped. Lutron is a Taiwanese specialist instrument manufacturer which has been in business for almost 40 years, so that's a pretty decent heritage. If I have one criticism it's the lack of a protective carry case. A hard plastic oyster shell case with a foam lining would be perfect. Being a long pointed item (although it does come with a rubber tip cover), it's quite difficult to find somewhere to house it safely. Most likely is to attach a lanyard to the hole in the base of the handle and hang it from a hook or similar. Before you buy, be aware that resistance meters like this one will give different percentage readings in different soil compositions (clay/sand/chalk) containing different nutrient levels, and at various degrees of compaction, so it's not an absolute measure of water content. However, it is very valuable to measure variations in the moisture levels over time. Determine how moist you need the soil to be on average by hand and take a reading, then use that as a baseline. Really useful for testing the moisture content of soil covered by bark chippings which is otherwise not easy to gauge. Too wet is just as bad as too dry. For my soil (loam/clay/chalk) around 15-25% seems to be a good moisture reading range. Your soil may well be different. I bought this to measure the soil moisture levels around the root balls of 27 medium sized containerized trees which I've recently planted. So far, it's working a treat. Recommended.

Bought this item a few months back. I have used other much cheaper testers before, but they, in my experience, have a limited life. I am particularly interested in testing citrus pot plants which need to be fairly dry before watering especially over the winter period. I am impressed by its build quality and it works very well showing the percentage of water present.in the pot. Easy to use and maintain. I am entirely satisfied with this item, although of course I am not in a position as yet to comment on durability., but personally, I am confident that I shall not be dissapointed

I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE METER. ITS THE COMPANY THAT SOLD ITI HAVE A PROBLEM WITH. TOTALLY NON-HELPFUL WHEN I APPROACHED THEM WITH ATECHNICAL ENQUIRY.WILL NOT, ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT USE THEM AGAINJMS

Very accurate, solid tool. On beginning you just need to use to % scale what it mean... But after that more than perfect.

Very good, easy to use, appears to be accurate enough.

Product received well packed, and information sufficient for instrument's operation.The price is competitive with other suppliersIt provides and indication of soil moisture content in line with basic scientific research or horticultural.agricultural use. Bearing in mind use in the soil, the screen is difficult to read as it does not take accountof the user looking down to extract results. For the price it is good value.Delivery timing was as usual excellent.