LaMotte3581 Mobile WaterLink Spin Touch Lab

Best device around!

as a certified pool service technician - this is not only the future of water chemistry management, it is a HUGE timesaver!I have used all manner of DPD & other photometer water testers and though they are all quite good - the WATERLINK SPINTOUCH is by far the best! the variety pf test discs available (some are even MULTI-use) makes it perfect for any and all water applications - but the BIGGEST advantage is...TIME!!this device tests so many different factors at once in just 60 seconds! it also saves that data, and can even send it via Bluetooth to your phone.the other testers can take up to 15 min start to finish - add that to just 10 stops a day, they add over TWO hours to your schedule....and I dont know about you, but i hate wasting time & the SPINTOUCH is worth its weight in GOLD!!

This works great for our pool cleaning business. It is very accurate.

I've had the spin touch since 2019 and in theory it has a lot of potential, in practice it is a seriously flawed product.The good:1) Relatively easy to use, the included package is housed in a nice case, with the fill syringes and everything you need other than the consumable disks.2) Ok customer service..The not so good:1) Very flaky software and calibration process. The first unit I got could not be calibrated and finally LaMotte shipped me a replacement unit. Lots of cryptic error messages that you would need to be a software engineer to interpreted. All in all not a ready for consumer product.2) Calibration will usually fail, and you have to repeat 3 or 4 times usually to get it to "pass".. Doesn't inspire confidence that your readings are accurate.3) Disks are expensive. Usually buy in boxes of 50 and now days are anywhere from $150 to $200. You go through them fast when dealing with pool issues and I'd say 10% are wasted due to obviously incorrect readings (eg disks are probably contaminated somehow). Additionally the disks can be hard to fine and were completely unavailable for a long period during the pandemic.All in all I wouldn't waste my money. This is an expensive product, the constant calibration problems tend to make you unsure of the accuracy and it is much less "turnkey" that it appears. I have recently stopped using it as it became too much of a hassle to deal with.

Good

Keeps logs and has complimentary software online and with a mobile app.Comes with calibration disk and free firmware updates online.

No where in the advertising on Amazon did I see that you need to order test disks separately. I spent way too much time trying to figure out how to use what turned out to be a check disk. If it turns out to be a cool testing device I will amend my review. Right now the review is to save others the time and frustration of receiving the unit without having everything needed to have it work.

My comparison is with the Taylor test kit and Leslie's accublue test kit.My most precise measurement of my pool water chemistry has been with the Taylor test kit but the process is tedious hence my search for an easier way.I found the accublue test kit and immediately loved the ease of running tests and cell phone integration through their app. Problem was that the tests were not precise nor accurate. Also, specific tests such as calcium hardness and total alkalinity were constantly off from my comparison with the Taylor test kit as well as tests run off same collection sample at multiple local businesses that ran water testing for free.I finally ran into this test kit but ignored it for months due to its price but then I realized that it'll be paid for in 2yrs compared to my current subscription, so I decided to try it out.There are detailed instructions on how to run your tests, how much water to put in the discs and what not to touch. Failure to observe these directions lead to faulty results. Example, if one touches the top or bottom of the discs, or the sensors inside the machine, the results get faulty. Even cleaning the sensors with the wrong cleaner leads to faulty results. Putting in too little or too much water sample into the discs also throws off readings. By carefully following instructions for running tests, I've gotten more precise and accurate results that has been comparable to my results from the Taylor test kit and from my favorite local free pool water test center.There is cell phone and PC integration with this device via the WaterLink app, but it is poorly done. I have not been able to initiate the tests from either my phone or PC. It appears I'm only able to send results to the app on my phone.For the cost of this device, the cellphone integration should be much better than it is. It is however the best device out there in terms of the number of parameters that can be tested (which depends on the type of test disc purchased) as well as the accuracy and precision of the results.