Refractometer Recommendations

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  • Greebe
    Member
    • Oct 2009
    • 78

    Refractometer Recommendations

    So I need a refractometer for testing my coolant. I would also like to be able to use it for testing my vineyard as well, so I was thinking of buying one that would read brix to about 30% or so.

    I don't want to spend a fortune on one just something that will be usable and fairly accurate.

    A lot of the ones I see say they are accurate to +/- .20% which would only be +/- .01 for a reading of 5 Brix which seems like that would be accurate enough.


    Any recommendations?

    Thanks
    Greebe
  • HSS
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2008
    • 628

    #2
    Hey Greebe, I'm not sure the refractometer will read both antifreeze and sugar content with any accuracy. I have one refrac for propelyene glycol, ethelyene glycol and battery acid with corresponding scales, then another refrac for sugars with a corresponding scale for sugar. There is no scale on either for other than specified.

    Patrick

    Edit: And a third refractometer for POE oil.
    Last edited by HSS; 10-31-2009, 06:19 PM.

    Comment

    • andy_b
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2003
      • 2401

      #3
      what are the specific gravity ranges of the items you will be testing?

      andy b.
      The danger is not that computers will come to think like men - but that men will come to think like computers. - some guy on another forum not dedicated to machining

      Comment

      • Greebe
        Member
        • Oct 2009
        • 78

        #4
        Hey I guess I should have been more specific. I am testing water soluble coolants for the lathe and milling machine. No glycol testing here.

        For the vitis vinifera (wine grapes) I test for sugar via Brix. For testing the coolant, Brix is used as well.

        andy_b--

        The highest specific gravity that I will test to is about 1.110 or 25.91 Brix. It looks like there are basically only two options for 0 and up readings. There are scales from 0-10 Brix and 0-32 Brix. I think that the only drawback to the 0-32 is that you loose a little accuracy but probably not enough to make any real difference.

        HSS--

        What brands are you using?

        Thanks
        Greebe

        Comment

        • Glenn Wegman
          Senior Member
          • Mar 2009
          • 503

          #5
          I had the same dilemma and was curious, so I bought both!

          I use the 0-10 as the coolant I use likes to live at 5-7.

          Comment

          • Greebe
            Member
            • Oct 2009
            • 78

            #6
            Have you ever tested them side by side to see if there is any difference in their readings?

            Comment

            • Glenn Wegman
              Senior Member
              • Mar 2009
              • 503

              #7
              I will when I get there today as I was going to tune up my coolant sumps anyway.

              Comment

              • Glenn Wegman
                Senior Member
                • Mar 2009
                • 503

                #8
                If you need the broad range, you will be fine with the 0 to 32. It's just graduated in slightly coarser increments , but the line is clearer so it is actually easier to read than the 0 to 10.
                Last edited by Glenn Wegman; 11-01-2009, 04:44 PM.

                Comment

                • HSS
                  Senior Member
                  • Feb 2008
                  • 628

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Greebe

                  HSS--

                  What brands are you using?

                  Thanks
                  Greebe
                  All of mine are Thermal Fluids Inc. (made in Chin-a) imagine that.

                  Comment

                  • Glenn Wegman
                    Senior Member
                    • Mar 2009
                    • 503

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Greebe
                    Have you ever tested them side by side to see if there is any difference in their readings?
                    Same reading on both.

                    Comment

                    • Greebe
                      Member
                      • Oct 2009
                      • 78

                      #11
                      Excellent. Thank you for taking the extra time to try that out.

                      I will go ahead and order on of the 0-32 versions.

                      Thanks
                      Greebe

                      Comment

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