To be honest I don't remember evering read anyone say a good thing about soil PH meters. They don't have a good rep for accuracy.
A meter (for example one from Milwaukee) will tell you the ph of the water that your using and is a very useful tool. With the meter and some Ph-up or Ph-down liquid, you can control the ph of the water.
The little drop test kits are a decent cheap option and, although not so accurate as a meter, they can be ok in a pinch. At least you can make your in going water in the range of about ph6.5.