The SW aquarium hobby is very expensive and everyone is looking for ways to keep their expenses low. One thing most people buy first is a swing arm hydrometer such as the SeaTesT instead of the more accurate refractometers.
This Hydrometer is constructed well with good quality parts and good construction, but they are not very accurate. Reading will be completely off if any air bubbles get stuck to the swing arm. When I first started the hobby I purchased one of these to monitor my salinity(one of the most CRUCIAL aquarium parameters) and thought everything was great. A long story, but I ended up getting my water tested by an accurate Refractometer and the SeaTesT was off by .04 which is a big difference.
A friend of mine quit the hobby and gave me both of his Hydrometers. I cleaned all 3 thoroughly and tested the salinity with each. Each one gave a different reading and the combined range was .06 which is life or death for some aquarium inhabitants.
Summary:
Inaccurate, but at least they are inexpensive. If you haven't bought one yet, save up for a refractometer, it is worth the price difference. Much better to spend the $5 on something else more useful.
If you already have one, keep it as an emergency backup to the refractometer you are going to buy.
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