Are branded refractometers better?

[Dinodanger]

Are refractometers like Red Sea and d-d better quality than cheaper ones off amazon and eBay?

 

[Redfoxtang]

I would say yes. I had one from Amazon that would not stay calibrated at all. Also after using it for some time the lens arm rusted so it wouldn’t shut correctly. I did rinse after each use as well.
Then got one from BRS and haven’t had an issue with it since. So I would say yes but then again maybe I got a bad one, just not sure!

 

[abw75]

I have a Red Sea and is terrible (not just me, but many complains about) as have to be callibrated before each measurement and after measurement re-test it with callibration fluid to see if still keeps its callibration;
Considering to throw away the RS and buy a DD (seems much better)

Never owned a non-branded;

 

[Waters]

I am the opposite....I have never owned a branded. My Amazon unit has the same issues as @Redfoxtang though.

 

[Reef.]

Yes they tend to be better, I have the d-d and it’s solid, holds calibration, only had to alter it slightly once and to be fair I think it was fine I just wanted to have a go at calibrating it.

 

[anth]

I have had the same d-d one for
3 1/2 years and only had to calibrate it once a few months ago

 

[alain Bouchard]

I have an unbranded one for 5 years. Still working great, had to do very minor calibration only 3-4 times over the years. The screw on the hinge is showing some rust, but after 5 years of regular use...very satisfied.

 

[Straasha]

I have the BRS branded one and have to calibrate it before each use. Very frustrating. I bought the Hanna Marine Salinity Tester and couldn't be happier.

 

[dadnjesse]

Look at the VeeGee. They cost more but they are dependable.

 

[ca1ore]

Whether something has a brand name on it or not is mostly immaterial. Very few (perhaps none) of the companies that slap on their brand actually make the refractometer. I suppose one might be forgiven for assuming that the brand name has done research into sourcing the device .... though equally, they may not have done. Anecdotal reports are mostly useless in determining quality and or reliability. I’ve had two .... one branded and one not. Both performed broadly equally and have, so far, exceeded 5 years of use. Sample size of one each .....

 

[Chuk]

I've had one for almost 15 years (I cant tell you the brand since the its worn off) and I think I have only had to calibrate it maybe 2 times. I check it before each use but almost never have to touch it. A year ago I bought one of the BRS ones that had an LED built into it since I hate running into the kitchen to get a bright enough light to read my old one. The BRS one needs to be calibrated each use and the light is a bit on the blue side so it makes reading the SG harder. I also have a third one for beer making and I calibrate that once a year, not totally applicable to aquariums but same technology - different range/ scale.
In summary I don't think the name matters a bunch they pretty much all work some are just more work than others. Just get or make calibration solution so you know if it needs to be adjusted before trusting it.