WH51 Soil Moisture Sensor

I have tried sooooo many different moisture meters from really cheap crap with double metal rods that show light intensity, moisture, and soil pH which is always inaccurate, single metal rod by XLUX company which are very reliable and very accurate but you have to poke the soil in multiple places which damages roots, to expensive ones by Blumat that cost $90 per each meter which is way overpriced and it only shows the moisture without any graph 📈 or remote Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities, and bunch of other ones that were always showing wrong readings, until someone told me to try these Ecowitt WH51 and WH51L sensors. The WH51 model is great and shows moisture levels from the top 7 inches of soil which is great for all types of pots up to 7 to 10 gallons. You can and should also buy their Wi-Fi Gateway that gives you access to the moisture meter data from anywhere in the world and it comes with graphs that show previous days, weeks, months readings that you can compare and dial in your watering habits for better performance. You can add up to 8 devices per each GW1100 Wi-Fi Gateway and it comes with an app, as well as their website and you can set up alerts to come in through the app, as well as get an email alert when soil goes below your indicated level which is very very useful. Now when it comes to raised beds and 20+ gallon containers I had to purchase the WH51L model which comes with a probe attached to 1 meter long cable which allows you to use them in deep pots/beds/containers and they can also be connected to the same GW1100 Wi-Fi Gateway. The WH51L model had just came out 2 weeks ago and is only available on Ecowitt's site, but I was able to buy them 2 weeks prior to them being available for sale and it turns out both of these models are very accurate. The Wi-Fi gateway also has a temperature and humidity and pressure sensor which gives you readings of the room where the gateway is located. I plugged in mine inside my grow room next to my grow tents to monitor the temperature and humidity inside that room to make sure my grow tents are in an optimal environment. I can't say enough good things about Ecowitt! Customer service is very helpful and very responsive. The only thing I did not like is that they are based in China and you can't really call them and the only method of communication is via email but like I said they are very helpful and responsive, however, they'll respond within 24 hours. If you haven't tried this company yet, then don't waste your money on anything else and do yourself a favor get this Wi-Fi Gateway along with the moisture meters because you won't be disappointed. I was very surprised that they are very inexpensive in comparison to other meters who have half the functions or even quarter functions and work so great and the battery lasts way over a year. I mean when comparing to the Blumat meter that cost $90 it's like comparing apples to oranges because for $90 it should be able to do more, at least have remote capability but it doesn't even have that option. In my opinion it's extremely overpriced and these Ecowitt devices without a doubt are blowing away Blumat meters. I hope this helps 🪴🪴 UPDATE: It's been 1.5 years since I got these sensors and the batteries gone from 1.6v power which is completely full batteries to now 1.5v and a couple of them at 1.4v which is almost full and still at 90% capacity. I haven't disconnected the batteries once and I use them continuously cycle after cycle and the only thing I do is I rinse them in between cycles and then insert them into the new container and change the name in the app and voila. Just amazing! 🤩

I have five of these operating around my home. I live in an area with extremely poor soil conditions that subject my slab-on-grade home to extreme foundation movement if I don’t keep soil moisture consistent season to season. During long, hot summers my soil dries out and causes my foundation to shift dramatically. I bought a couple of these sensors in late summer 2019 to gauge long-term trends to determine ideal soil moisture conditions. After a year of gathering data, I found a good range for soil moisture to minimize foundation movement. I purchased three more (and a WN51) to stake along the perimeter of my home to monitor my soil moisture in real time. By getting this data I’m able to determine when I need to run the soaker hose and irrigation system around my home. While my foundation still moves, I’ve noticed a dramatic difference associated with keeping soil moisture levels within 5-7% of their target. I realize this might not be the targeted use of these devices, but I believe their reliability in my application serves a ringing endorsement for others looking to monitor the moisture levels in their planters in real time. The user interface is average. The app, without a full PWS, seems less than functional. I almost prefer the web-version to the app because it only shows me the active data. This, ultimately isn’t too important to me. If I could export daily data as a .csv, I’d like that ability but it’s not a deal breaker as my primary use is observation of long-term trends. For those with privacy concerns, it’s easily addressed by connected the hub to the internet via a secured guest network. If you’re not already running all of your smart devices on their own secured network away from personal devices, I suggest you do so. I’ve got a couple notes for prospective buyers: 1) I think I prefer this model (WH51) over a similar moisture meter (WN51) made by Ecowitt. These seem more granular in their ability to notice subtle differences in moisture and react much faster to changes in moisture levels. 2) Use a good lithium ion battery. At least two of my sensors have functioned for almost a year without needing to change a battery. They’ve operated in temps from 20-110F. 3) Spend 5 minutes calibrating your devices to the type of soil where the meter will be placed. Mine are primarily in Texas black clay and they require some calibrating tweaking from default. Also, in relation to the first point, the WH51 seems to have a much larger range from 0-100% saturation than the WN51. No clue why, but I like the more precise ability to measure incremental changes in moisture. I’ll update my review over time with any additional notes or issues that may arise.

These little sensors are awesome. I use them to help me determine when I need to water my lawn vs just running things on a set schedule. I find they're pretty consistent across the handful of sensors I have. They're also great on batteries, I'm using a mix of lithium (not rechargeable) and rechargeable NiMH batteries in them and they both seem to work well and have lasted most of the season without needing a replacement. I don't trust alkalines to not leak, but they would work fine too. The one criticism I may have is that they are fragile, if you accidentally kick or step on them they will snap at the interface of the body and electrodes and require replacement. My clumsy self has destroyed a couple of them. In a planter or vase or whatever, you would never run into issues, however I think there's probably a way to design them to be "safer" and less prone to breakage in a lawn or garden bed that would have someone walking around, with a flexible material at the interface of the body and electrodes. They would be 5 stars if not for this small issue you may never run into. I don't seem to have any connection issues and they show up consistently in my ecowitt app. They just "pair" quickly and easily and the signal seems pretty strong. Their overall design is nice and they don't look out of place in a lawn or garden, really. The weather caps seem to keep any water intrusion out and they have been outside in downpours with no issues.

Sensor łączy się nie tylko z dedykowaną bramką WiFi. Połączył się z moją stacją sbs-ws-500 i dobrze pokazuje wilgotność gleby w ogrodzie. Wskazania mogę obserwować zarówno na stacji jak i w aplikacji Ecowitt. Polecam.

This review evaluates the “WH51 Soil Moisture Sensor” made by ECOWITT. The product was shipped with no excessive or wasteful packaging. What’s in the box: one (1) WH51 soil moisture sensor, and an owner’s manual. I will preface this review by saying that I’m a Country Boy whose entire life has revolved around flower and food gardens. Any gardener will tell you that the quality of your soil is instrumental for crop growth. I recently purchased an Ecowitt WittBoy weather station that supports a multitude of add-on sensors, this soil moisture sensor being one of them. For years I have done away without using a moisture meter due to wildly inaccurate readings I would get; so I was eager to try this unit out. First impressions: The overall quality of the meter looks very good, with a durable hard plastic ABS casing. The end cap unscrews to house an “AA” battery (not included, lithium recommended). The weatherproof end cap is further protected by a slide-on rubber cap. It is imperative to note that this is not a standalone sensor; you need an Ecowitt monitoring hub. The set-up was easy: install a new battery, open the Ecowitt APP that you set up with your monitoring hub, and add the WH51 sensor. Within a minute the sensor calibrates and sends real-time data back to you via your monitoring hub/APP. I bought this sensor to specifically monitor my hanging potted plants. I tested unit one of my pots by placing it as instructed. After acclimating (about 10-20 minutes) the sensor reported that the soil moisture content was 33%. To check the accuracy of the sensor, I installed an old-school analog probe in the same pot. After acclimating (about 10-20 minutes) the analog probe reported that the soil moisture content was 35%. The sensor appears to be accurate within reason. The WH51 sensor removes the guesswork about when and how much to water. My only suggestion to the manufacturer is to include a lug to tie a tether with a tag so that you don’t lose/forget about the sensor when you dump the pot! Since this really doesn’t take away from the usability of the product, I will not deduct any stars for it. In order to determine long-term meter durability and accuracy, I intend to monitor this product over the next 4-6 months. Should anything change over this period, I will update this review accordingly. Cost-effectiveness and value: Overall I am very satisfied with the product; it is compact, portable, and easy to use. At a current price of $32.99 (plus a $3 off coupon), it is of great value. In summary: the “WH51 Soil Moisture Sensor” made by ECOWITT is well made, compact, accurate, and easy to use. It delivers all this at a reasonably low price. This product is a must-have for the avid gardener. I would recommend this product without reservation. Pros 👍: ✔ Well made from quality materials. ✔ Very easy to set up and use. ✔ Sensor reports back every 60 seconds (as configured by your monitoring hub). ✔ Uses one (1) AA battery. ✔ IP66 water resistant rated. ✔ Removes the guesswork out of when to water. ✔ Accurate. ✔ Great price point, good value. Cons👎: ✘ None! Manufacturer Suggestions 🖐: ✔ Provide a lug to tie a tether marker to avoid loss.

Dyr men den fungerar perfekt!

Très bonne qualité

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