I got one of the Kegland ones to see me through after my good pH meter crashed. So far its fine, good value for money, ordered a new probe with the meter.
New probe for mine is around $400 but it does a bit more than just pH, the price you pay for lab gear can be scary.
Most important to store the probe properly, at a minimum keep it wet in distilled water or better yet electrode storage solution, calibrate before use, don’t stick them into samples that are too hot (personally - over 40oC is a no-no)
My good one tells you when the probe is getting too old, with a basic unit how long it takes to calibrate is a fair indicator, as they ware they take longer and longer to calibrate. Do the ~7pH, then a ~4ph two point calibration, then go back to your 7pH standard, if it isn’t spot on, it might be time to replace it.
Mark