Maximum Weather Instruments is a manufacturer of premium weather instrumentation. Where most other weather station manufacturers have “gone digital,” Maximum still focuses on high-quality analog weather instruments.
While purchasing a single Maximum instrument can cost as much as a modern digital home weather station, it’s worth the money. Each device is still manufactured and tested for accuracy in Maximum’s Massachusetts plant. The sensors and parts are all extremely high quality, and the instruments are well constructed.
Although the company has been around for over 50 years, it only recently began to make a big push into the consumer market. You’ll find Maximum’s weather instruments in many businesses and schools, but as often in someone’s living room.
We highly recommend Maximum’s products if you’re looking for scientific-grade weather instrumentation. We’ve developed this guide to help introduce you to the brand if you’ve never heard of them before or if you’re in the market for a Maximum weather instrument and don’t know which one to pick.
What weather instruments does Maximum offer?
Maximum has a pretty expansive product offering. You can click on the instrument to skip ahead in this guide if you’d like.
- Thermometers
- Anemometers (wind)
- Hygrometers (humidity)
- Barometers
- Time and Tide
- Rain Gauges
- Preconfigured Weather Stations
Choosing a Finish, Dial Face Color, and Mount
One of the nice things about Maximum is the customizability. Most will come with the option of one of four finishes:
- Polished Brass (least expensive)
- Polished Chrome
- Satin Nickel
- PVD (tarnish-resistant) Brass (most expensive)
and either of two instrument face colors:
- Black
- Silver
Maximum offers wood mounts in either mahogany or oak in various shapes and sizes, so you can customize your Maximum weather station to match your home or office’s decor.
Editor’s note: Since so many options exist, we’ve chosen to highlight one colorway (typically the cheapest), the polished Brass with a silver face. Amazon doesn’t have every option available, so some of our recommendations show a different colorway.
Maximum Weather Instruments Thermometers
Maximum has two analog thermometers on the lower end and a higher-end combination thermometer and barometer. The Mini-Max can store high and low readings until manually reset, but it can only measure temperature in one location.
The similarly priced Criterion can measure temperature in up to three locations (including water temperature), but you lose the ability to store those readings.
- Electronic memory stores high and low readings until manually reset
- Readings in Fahrenheit and Celsius, with temperature minder to mark the current temperature
- AC adapter and outdoor temperature sensor with 60' cable included
- Adjustable temperature minder that allows users to mark the current temperature
- Add up to three optional sensors, including water temperature
- AC adapter and sensor with 60' cable included
The Mystic is a digital thermometer and barometer and is exceptionally accurate for a digital weather instrument. It can display current, high, and low temperature and barometer readings and the rate of change.
Even more impressive is its storage capabilities. The Mystic has a massive ten-year backup, so you’ll never lose your data — no matter how long you own this impressive instrument.
- Digitally displays current, high, and low barometer and temperature readings, and rate of change
- User-selectable units of measurement for temperature (°C, °F) and barometric pressure (inHg, mmHg, kPa, MB)
- Accuracy: +/- 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of +/- .08 of Mercury
- 10-year backup
Maximum Weather Instruments Anemometers
The anemometer put Maximum Weather Instruments in business back in 1968 — so you’d expect a high-quality product. Here, two analog anemometers are offered that require no power to operate and a digital AC-powered anemometer.
The Vigilant, the company’s first analog weather instrument, measures just windspeed while the Maestro adds a digital wind direction indicator to the face. In both cases, the maximum wind speed is 100 mph, which is more than enough unless you live on the coast.
- Vigilant displays wind speed and gust up to 100 MPH (also 160 km/h). Self-powered by rooftop sensor
- Features Maximum’s unique Gust Register, so you can monitor highest gust even if you missed the actual wind blast
- Ships complete with 60' cable, sensor and mounting hardware
- Does not need batteries or any additional power source
- Maestro displays wind speed, wind direction and the highest gust (up to 100 MPH and 160 km/h)
- A self-powered rooftop sensor measures the wind speed.
- The wind direction is displayed across 16 compass points using LEDs that run off the supplied AC power pack
- Leverage Maximum’s unique Gust Register to save the highest gust, which also allows you to monitor highest gusts even when you missed the actual wind blast
- Maestro ships complete with 60' cables, AC adapter, sensors and mounting hardware
You can think of the Merlin as the companion instrument to the Mystic Thermometer and Barometer above. It records trends and changes in wind conditions and has four different modes:
- Present: existing wind conditions
- Peak: Speed and direction of highest gust since the last reset
- Average: average wind speed and direction since the last reset
- Forecast: compares the most recent 12-minute average with the previous 12 minutes
If you’re planning on the Mystic, we strongly recommend combining the Merlin below with the Rainwatch below for an outstanding digital weather station with accuracy that is among the best in pro-grade weather stations.
- Digital wind instrument that can record changes, trends, and present wind conditions
- Four modes: Present, Peak, Average, and Forecast
Maximum Weather Instruments Hygrometers
Maximum offers two hygrometers, an indoor model called the ComfortMinder, and an outdoor hygrometer called the Stratus. While the price of the ComfortMinder isn’t as high as some of Maximum’s other offerings, don’t be fooled: it’s just as accurate. If you’re sensitive to changes in indoor climate, the ComfortMinder is a good buy.
The Stratus is Maximum’s outdoor model and comes with a sintered bronze enclosure for the outdoor sensor to maintain accuracy. The Stratus does require AC power, so make sure to place it near a power outlet.
- Measure indoor humidity and temperature
- Inside temperature readings from 20-110F
- Inside humidity readings from 10-100%
- Fully self-contained, no power source required
- Stratus provides an accurate, reliable reading of outdoor relative humidity over a scale of 0-100%
- A user-adjustable needle at the center instrument allows you to observe changes in conditions
- External sensor in sintered bronze enclosure
- Comes complete with humidity sensor, 60' cable and AC adaptor
Maximum Weather Instruments Barometers
Barometric pressure accuracy is one of our most common issues in testing home weather stations. The cheaper the weather station gets, the less accurate the barometric sensor gets, in our experience. However, that is not an issue with Maximum barometers. Even the cheapest model, the Predictor, is accurate within .16″ of mercury, and the top-of-the-line Proteus is accurate within a market-leading .08″.
Accurate barometer readings are essential to understanding what the weather is doing, and either of the Maximum barometers below is an excellent buy.
- Accurate meteorological grade barometer
- Accurate to ±0.16 inches of mercury
- Comes with a 5-year manufacturer warranty
- Precision German movement is displayed behind a cutaway dial
- Maximum’s highest quality, temperature-compensated aneroid barometer
- Accurate to within ±0.08 inches of mercury
- Equipped with a resettable pointer to track changes
- French-made, heirloom quality movement
Maximum Weather Instruments Time and Tide
Given that Maximum Weather Instruments is a Massachusetts company, it’s not surprising the company has also produced time and tide clocks. The Meridian features a quartz movement for accurate timekeeping and can be easily adjusted for different locations.
If you’d like a digital time and tide clock (especially if you’re building a Maximum digital weather station), then the Cronus is the time and tide clock to pick. However, keep in mind that it is only calibrated for East Coast tides so it won’t work elsewhere, unfortunately.
- Quartz movement for accuracy
- Simple mounting system makes it easy to remove from the wall for battery replacement or to adjust for different locations
- Matches design of other Maximum weather instruments
- Powered by one AA battery (included)
- Provides a digital display of time, date, and tide
- AC-powered, with a Lithium battery backup to maintain time and date during power outages
- 5-year manufacturer warranty
Maximum advises that the Chronus is set to Atlantic coast tide times. It will not be accurate for the Gulf or West Coasts or elsewhere in the world.
Maximum Weather Instruments Rain Gauges
Maximum only offers one rain gauge, but it’s a winner. The Rainwatch is one of the few digital rain gauges on the market with a tipping bucket that meets NWS specifications. That’s why you’ll see this in many meteorology departments in colleges across the country. A 9V battery backup protects your data in the event of a power outage, too.
- Measure up to 99.00" of rainfall
- Toggle between daily or monthly rainfall
- 9V battery back-up
- Self-emptying collector bucket is one of the few digital gauges that meet NWS specifications for size and accuracy
Maximum Weather Stations
If you have some flexibility, choosing one of Maximum’s pre-built weather stations might be a good option. Sometimes, it can save you money over buying the instruments separately. You can also “build your own” station: Maximum sells the mounting panels separately.
Maximum Mariner 2 Instrument Time and Pressure Weather Station
Instruments included in this station:
- Meridian (clock)
- Predictor (barometer)
Maximum Executive 3-Instrument Weather Station
Instruments included in this station:
- ComfortMinder (indoor temperature and humidity)
- Predictor (barometer)
- Meridian (clock)
Maximum Montauk 3-Instrument Weather Station
Instruments included in this station:
- Criterion (outdoor temperature)
- Maestro (wind speed and direction)
- Predictor (barometer)
Maximum Hatteras 2-Instrument Wind Speed and Direction with Barometer Weather Station
Instruments included in this station:
- Maestro (wind speed and direction)
- Proteus (barometer)
Maximum Sorcerer 2-Instrument Weather Station (Digital Wind Speed/Direction and Air Pressure)
Instruments included in this station:
- Meridian (clock)
- Predictor (barometer)
the Sorcerer includes the Merlin digital wind gauge and Mystic digital thermometer barometer. This also offers a bit of a discount over buying those instruments separately.
Maximum Weather Instruments FAQ
Below we’ve answered some questions about Maximum Weather Instruments that you might have.
Is everything I need to install my Maximum weather instrument included?
Barometers, clocks, and indoor instruments will have everything you need. Maximum recommends cable clips or ties to secure sensor wires for outdoor instruments. For wind instruments, you’ll need a mast.
Are Maximum Weather Instruments easy to install?
Most indoor instruments require simple mounting knowledge. Outdoor sensors may be more challenging, but no more than installing any other home weather station.
What is Maximum’s warranty policy?
Maximum offers a market-best five-year warranty on all instruments they sell, except for the Stratus humidity sensor, which has a two-year warranty.
Does Maximum offer repair services?
Yes! You can return your instrument to service anytime after your warranty expires. Maximum will inspect your instrument and restore it to factory specifications. You’ll typically hear back from a technician within three days of receiving the instrument with expected repair costs and timeline.
Wrapping Up
Maximum has an expansive line of analog and digital weather instruments, and we hope this guide helps clear up any confusion around their product offerings. If you own a Maximum weather instrument, we’d also love to hear about your experiences. Let our readers know in the comments.
