OTC 4619 Professional Battery Hydrometer

I remember a day when these testers where super expensive. Now thanks to time and marketing they are so reasonable. If you do battery service on batteries that can be checked you need this tool. The specific gravity test is a much more accurate way of determining the condition of the battery. One thing to be mindful of. When you are done using it. Carefully take it apart and clean it. Over time the acid from the battery will dry it out and destroy it. This tool goes back to my youth in automotive service. It is well made and works very well.

great value, well made easy to read -- I think I will be quite happy with this tool. But it is fragile! I read every review here, noted the fragility so I made a nice little case for it from 2" PVC pipe but I still broke the thermometer when I went to disassemble it for cleaning the second time I used it. I think it comes apart easier than others reviews lead one to believe. A little careful rotation of the rubber parts on the glass breaks the rubber free and allow you to carefully slide it off for thorough cleaning. having read the float was quite fragile, I made sure it was laying horizontally and fully in the middle of the glass tube away from the rubber parts I was removing from the glass. but I wasn't thinking about the unsupported thermometer as I twisted that portion and I snapped the tiny tube. (yes I know mercury is dangerous, even the tiny bit in this tiny thermometer - I sealed the remainder with some hot glue because the little bulb of the thermometer penetrates the rubber tip so you have to leave the broken part to seal the hole from dripping electrolyte everywhere). Oh well, where my batteries are mounted, I don't have to deal with huge temperature changes and I can check my SG after the batteries have relaxed for a while on float charge.... the SG scale is quite easy to read but I still made an enlarged version and attached it to my case so I can easily differentiate the numerical value of my actual readings. And be advised the specific gravity of electrolyte varies by battery manufacturer, I was a little surprised to see that my SG target value (what my marine batteries come with) was just a couple tiny marks into the green.

I'm familiar with hydrometers. This old-school tester incorporates a glass hydrometer bulb (shipped in a foam wrapping for protection, foam is to be removed BEFORE use). Carefully remove the lower rubber tip - do NOT break the tiny glass thermometer,nor the glass hydrometer bulb. The tool incorporates a small thermometer with scale to temperature-correct your readings for accuracy. The correction is either added to, or subtracted from, the hydrometer float reading, based upon temperature as indicated. This is a non-electronic, old-school analog tool. It does NOT need any batteries BUT you will need adequate illumination, and sufficient visual acuity to read both the hydrometer bulb scale, and the thermometer correction scale numbers - which are quite small. This instrument cannot be use in dark areas without a flashlight, a LED headset is best. If you need glasses for near vision, that also applies. Be aware the hydrometer bulb can rotate/spin inside the fulid tibe so you may have to rotate the tool to read the scale properly. This is just "the way it is" with floating hydrometers - welcome to the science laboratory. We can't comment on the durability of the rubber bulb and tip - (appear to be natural rubber) . We assume like most natural rubber products, the bulb and tip will eventually dry and crack, and possibly at some point in several years, may become unusable. We plan to keep it in a sealed bag, in a cool, dark, protected storage drawer, and possibly treat the exterior rubber surfaces with protectorant spray after rinsing off battery acid. Package labeling states. Made in Taiwan. Internet indicates OTC Tools address as OTC Tools, Bosch Automotive Service Solutions, 28635 Mound Road, Warren, MI 48092 USA.

Purchased May of 2015 and have been using to check my solar system batteries. Initially worked great and was very pleased. But over the winter, the rubber parts on each end have cracked and deteriorated. It has progressed to the point where I'm unable to draw liquid into the hydrometer. I'm not sure if this has been caused by temperature or the acid, but my expectation is that the material used should be able to stand up to both. I've had other hydrometers, but none of them have had this level of deterioration on the rubber. Typically, I end up breaking the glass. If this was truly a "professional" battery hydrometer, the rubber should not breakdown to the point of rendering the unit unusable.

I check my batteries in my vehicles, boat and Solar storage myself and needed a Hydrometer. For the price, this OTC 4619 Professional Battery Hydrometer is a good buy and works for me to verify my batteries are in good condition with some other basic maintenance I do on them. I love the quality of this hydrometer and it should last me forever. The float came in the hydrometer in a foam wrap and the bulb needed to be removed to pull it out and remove the foam. Instructions for use are included on the back of the clamshell holder, which can be hung on the garage wall or kept in a tool box and be relatively well protected, just don't throw a wrench on it if you keep it in the tool box as it may be damaged.

Great product and its exactly the same as one I've had for 45 yrs. The old bulb got hard over the years of use and cracked and became none fictional.

This is a very nice item. It's on the big side. I have a 51R Honda battery (For a CRV) and these batteries do not have a-lot of water covering the very top of the lead plates, inside this battery. So you may have trouble getting enough fluid into the hydrometer, to float the bulb, to get a good reading. This is not OTC's fault, or Honda's. It's just a way to get more power out of a smaller battery. Ok-I have not used this device at this time. When it arrived, I knew it was too big, and tried to return it. Amazon gave me a full refund, and I did not even have to return the item to them! WOW. I was very impressed by this! (So why is this wacko Trump guy so mad at Amazon??) Just kidding, but anyway, just make sure the batteries your using this on, have enough liquid on top of the battery, to float the bulb, to get a good repeatable reading. Or use one of Amazon's smaller battery hydrometers. Yes-even the ones with the little float balls will work. Just check the size of the battery hydrometer, before u buy it. My 2 cents.

I first want to say that perhaps I am the one messing up. This hydrometer is great in the fact it includes the temperature gauge and the translated battery readings all in one. When I could get a good reading, it worked swimmingly. However, 9 out of 10 times using it, water droplets/battery acid would get on the inner sides of the tube and would not let the float bob freely in the hydrometer. The top of the inner gauge would click to the side where moisture was and I would have to try to flick at the outer glass in an attempt to get the inner reader unstuck and get it freely floating. Usually I would flick it and it would just jump to the other side and become clung to that side. When I could get it freely floating it would be significantly higher that where it was clinging to the sides of the hydrometer. Some type of hydrophobic coating on the inner sidewalls could possible remedy this.

Just what we needed to test battery acid level!

Me permite reparar baterias indicando el nivel de peso del acido. Si deciden comprarlo cuidenlo mucho ya que tanto el pesaacidos como la botella son de vidrio. cuando los adquirí tuve que realizar el cambio ya que me llegó quebrado el pesaacidos.

The first time I ordered this item , we sent it to our customer as it is without checking and the customer informed me that the glass is broken . Unfortunately the return window had closed by then . Second time I personally received the item and opened it in front of delivery executive and it was in broken condition again in the same spot . This time item is returned and I am now ordering for the 3rd time . Item seems to be delicate and not upto the mark. Will update rating once item is received in okay condition

Work as expected I suspect, "Plastic parts" used is of low quality It may not work for long. Better go for other products

I don't have a picture to post with my review. The battery I was going to use this hydrometer to check for state of charge and condition was not the type where the cells can be opened. The battery was the sealed type so I couldn't use this tool but I will put it to use in the future. It takes a little science to use one of these but it's not that hard to use. I owned one of these in the 1970's but it got broken and I never did replace it until now. With the newer cars if the battery is weak or less than 12v the car won't run thus one of these hydrometers is a tool box must have.