Milwaukee Refractometers are not good

youcallmenny1

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I did lol, but I've also used both.
Ok, well, glad you're found again! Either way, if it works it works. No offense but my suspicion is that people not getting accurate results are not using the tool accurately. Regardless, we all need to find the tool that works for us. Simply discounting MI refractometers though when so many of us use them routinely to great effect isn't a great look.
 
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Miami Reef

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Ok, well, glad you're found again! Either way, if it works it works. No offense but my suspicion is that people not getting accurate results are not using the tool accurately. Regardless, we all need to find the tool that works for us. Simply discounting MI refractometers though when so many of us use them routinely to great effect isn't a great look.
I did use the Milwaukee perfectly. I cleaned the unit every single time and I calibrated it with RODI water. The unit simply has an accuracy of 2PPT. Why is that hard for you to accept?
 

youcallmenny1

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I did use the Milwaukee perfectly. I cleaned the unit every single time and I calibrated it with RODI water. The unit simply has an accuracy of 2PPT. Why is that hard for you to accept?
It's not. As I said earlier, either you're using it wrong or it's defective. Is it hard for you to accept that your experience is not the case for many of us?
 

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I think it's mostly about your title that you are giving people the impression that it's not good.

I have the Hanna Salinity Checker, APEX, Refractometer, Tropic Marin and the Milwaukee.

Out of everything on this list, I cross check all the time with the Refractometer and Tropic Marin and it comes up the same on all 3. So, when you say they are not good, that is just your opinion and not everyone else and I use it on 6 tanks every two days. I actually know what it is going to read before I do it since I check every two days for years.
 
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Miami Reef

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I think it's mostly about your title that you are giving people the impression that it's not good.
That is exactly what impression I am trying to display. It’s my opinion that it is not good in the accuracy department. It is good in the ease of use though.
 

RBZ

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If I wanted ease of use, I could use the Hanna or APEX, reliable No.
Is the Milwaukee reliable as the GOLD Standard Tropic Marin, YES. I test weekly do you?
So, again it's not ease of use that makes people use it, it is reliable as you can get for hobby grade.
Have you tested these over a period of time or just frustrated with it and want to bash it?
 

mindme

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I've had mine about 5 years now. I calibrate it every now and then with brightwell calibration fluid.

It's accurate, my ICP tests always come back with really close to 35ppt. Always less than 1ppt difference.

I have considered getting one of those floating ones however as I'm told they don't need calibration.
 

thatmanMIKEson

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I did use the Milwaukee perfectly. I cleaned the unit every single time and I calibrated it with RODI water. The unit simply has an accuracy of 2PPT. Why is that hard for you to accept?
Same, i always make sure the glass temp matches the sample, but with the inconsistencies on correct calibration(rodi vs distilled water) and the green calibration solution always tested off for me. I decided to use the Hanna HI98319 with the foil calibration fluid and the temperature factor i feel more confident with this tool. It also matches my refractometer and TM float .

I'm not bashing Milwaukee, I just don't use it as much anymore and keep it with the recycling.....lol :zany-face:
 

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RBZ

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I've had mine about 5 years now. I calibrate it every now and then with brightwell calibration fluid.

It's accurate, my ICP tests always come back with really close to 35ppt. Always less than 1ppt difference.

I have considered getting one of those floating ones however as I'm told they don't need calibration.
As a double check the Tropical Marin is great.
As a daily, stay with the Milwaukee.
 

Breadman03

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I struggle with refractometers, and spend months looking for a floating hydrometer without success. The Milwaukee has been great for me and matches what my ICP report states.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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IMO, we as reefers are fortunate that reef aquariums do not seemingly require particularly accurate salinity measurement, since many of the devices reefers use are not especially accurate.

IMO, the Milwaukee is a case in point. By Milwaukee's own specs, a reading of 35 ppt might be anything between 33 and 37 ppt.

Let's put that in a different perspective...

What does that range mean for the components of that 35 ppt seawater?

magnesium 1206 to 1353 ppm (would folks be happy with that claimed accuracy???)
alk 6.6 to 7.4 dKH
calcium 396 to 444 ppm

It semes to me that many folks complain if a test has these sorts of inaccuracies
 

gbroadbridge

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To the people who don’t understand my opinion, would you feel comfortable recommending this tool (which is pretty expensive for a refractometer) solely for convenience?

It’s obviously not accurate. Is it accurate enough for a reef tank? Does it even need to be accurate? Probably not, but I’d say salinity is one of the most important parameter you can test for. If your salinity is off, everything is off.

And if you are using 2 part which raises salinity, you need to be able to track the trends to lower back the salinity. It’s not a tool for a reef tank IMO. +/- 2PPT is not good. For me, accuracy over convenience any day.
Mine's in a junk bin in the garage. One of these days I'll get around to tossing it.
 

Seachelle

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I recently got a new Milwaukee and I calibrate it every time, but it's always off by .003 ppm. I just know this and shoot for 1.028 or 1.029. I've read this is a common issue with them. It's aggravating when you pay that much for a Refractometer but it beats squinting and trying to read the lines on my other one.
 
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Miami Reef

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IMO, we as reefers are fortunate that reef aquariums do not seemingly require particularly accurate salinity measurement, since many of the devices reefers use are not especially accurate.

IMO, the Milwaukee is a case in point. By Milwaukee's own specs, a reading of 35 ppt might be anything between 33 and 37 ppt.

Let's put that in a different perspective...

What does that range mean for the components of that 35 ppt seawater?

magnesium 1206 to 1353 ppm (would folks be happy with that claimed accuracy???)
alk 6.6 to 7.4 dKH
calcium 396 to 444 ppm

It semes to me that many folks complain if a test has these sorts of inaccuracies
This ^

Thank you, Randy!
 

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