Cheap Chinese Soil Moisture Sensors
We some sometimes get questions such as: "Hey Tim, why shouldn't I just by a Chinese $5 soil moisture sensor off Amazon?"
My response is usually: "Go for it, and let me know how it works out for you".
I recently got an email from a customer in Texas that does a great job of answering the above question:
"If anyone ever asks why your soil moisture sensors are better than the cheap ones from Amazon… Bottom one lasted 4 or so months. Top was still working, but on its way out. They’re cheap enough to just swap out with another one, but I’ll likely be buying more of yours just so I don’t have to mess with ruggedizing more of these.
I’ve never seen anyone post stories about these wearing out like I’ve seen, so it’d be good if you’d share what I saw this year. I actually still like these from a cost (short term) perspective, but the cool factor of ruggedizing them myself has worn off and I want something more reliable for my application. Yours are the best I’ve seen for my application and well worth the price (which is much less than what other sensors would cost). Thanks for continuing to offer great products."
Robert in Bryan, TX
Cheap Soil Moisture Sensor after 4 Months of Use.