which moisture meter to pick, Main use will be checking on air drying lumber.

[cody michael]

I think these 2 are good candidates, has anyone used either? Or have a better option in similar price?


I think this is my 1st choice
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Meter%C2%AE-MD-812-Display-Digital-Moisture/dp/B008V6I840/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1423184835&sr=8-2&keywords=moisture+meter

Second choice
http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-Instruments-MMD4E-Moisture/dp/B00275F5O2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423184835&sr=8-1&keywords=moisture+meter

[Jamie Buxton]

The problem with the pin-type meter is that you have to make holes in the board every time you check the moisture level. And because the ends dry faster than the middle, you should be putting those holes in the middle of the board. So you're degrading the board. The pinless meters are more expensive to buy, but cost you less wood in use. I first bought a pin type, but eventually stepped up to the pinless meter. Mine's from Lignomat -- Ligno scanner D. It works well.

[Brian Henderson]

Excellent point. It gets worse because no matter where you test a thick slab, you'll never get a true reading on the core unless your pins are a couple of inches long and you hammer it in deeply. Pinned meters are cheap but in the long run, they cost you plenty of wood, unless you're a fan of wood filler.

[Scott T Smith]

Excellent point. It gets worse because no matter where you test a thick slab, you'll never get a true reading on the core unless your pins are a couple of inches long and you hammer it in deeply. Pinned meters are cheap but in the long run, they cost you plenty of wood, unless you're a fan of wood filler.

Very good information from Brian. One thing to be aware of is that pinless meters have a maximum depth of reading which is usually around 1/4" deep. Some models, such as the Lignomat Model D will read to 3/4", but that's still not adequate for a thick slab.

Merlin makes a meter for measuring 40mm deep (about 1-3/4"), but that's about as deep a reading as a pinless meter will provide. For an accurate reading deeper than that, your best choice is a pin type meter with a slide hammer attachment and insulated pins.

Lignomat has a meter that lets you choose two different measuring depths - 1/4" and 3/4", which is a good selection for most woodworkers.

[Michael Heffernan]

Cody, I have a Wagner MMC220 extended range pinless moister meter for sale that I'll be listing in Classifieds later today. A bit more than it looks like you want to spend, but it's a great meter. Reads up to 3/4" depth, so you can get accurate readings from stock up to 1-1/2" thick.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000063XI9/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=33852821035&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13914325906005530349&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_8vzn3rnw1t_e
I've had a Delmhorst J-2000 with insulated extended pins that could read up to 5" thick stock. But the issue is the pin holes. Was always tricky, if not impossible to find a hidden place to hammer the pins into the wood. I've found that the pinless meter works fine for most of my stock.
Check the Classifieds later today or PM me if you are interested in it. Excellent condition.

[cody michael]

thanks for the info, I really only have about 50$ max to spend and would really like to stay lower. I don't see myself getting a ton of use out of it to justify more, Mainly I just want to see when my air drying walnut is ready to be used. A pinless type would be great but I have had trouble finding any in my price range.

[Brad Seubert]

I would recommend spending alittle more money and getting something that will last.

I have your 1st choice and it only lasted a few months before it died.

I then went on to the pinless version of the general model that you posted. I ended up returning it since it never gave consistent results.

I ended up spending about $150 for a lignomat and wish I would have just done that from the start. Their basic pin type meter starts at about $100. I spent a little more and got a model that can do remote monitoring. Their customer service has been excellent and I am very happy with the purchase.

[Prashun Patel]

I have the General (your second choice). I can tell you that for a hobbyist who doesn't do this all the time, it's fine.

I'm using mine to test some dimensional beech and oak I had milled, as well as to test air dried bowl blanks in a variety of species.

On the bowls, I don't drill holes, I just press it in about 1/8". I do this in a few places, and the results are consistent and as I would expect. I've been using mine for a year, and the meter corroborates my instincts about when the bowls are dry enough. The reading stops going down after a while and gives repeatable readings.

I know this says nothing about its scientific accuracy and it does not tell the story of what's happening deeper inside and on thicker slabs, but I do think that for your average 4/4 or 1" bowl rough out, and you just want to know when it's ok to start milling, it's good enough at $20.

[cody michael]

I have the General (your second choice). I can tell you that for a hobbyist who doesn't do this all the time, it's fine.

I'm using mine to test some dimensional beech and oak I had milled, as well as to test air dried bowl blanks in a variety of species.

On the bowls, I don't drill holes, I just press it in about 1/8". I do this in a few places, and the results are consistent and as I would expect. I've been using mine for a year, and the meter corroborates my instincts about when the bowls are dry enough. The reading stops going down after a while and gives repeatable readings.

I know this says nothing about its scientific accuracy and it does not tell the story of what's happening deeper inside and on thicker slabs, but I do think that for your average 4/4 or 1" bowl rough out, and you just want to know when it's ok to start milling, it's good enough at $20.

great thanks for your input. that was my plan test it every month or so and see when it stops dropping.

[Jim Andrew]

Just save your money if you are not planning to spend enough to get a fairly accurate meter. A cheap meter is inaccurate, and is a waste of money.

[Prashun Patel]

Reading back all the negative comments on the cheap meters, I would add to my response, CAVEAT EMPTOR. Perhaps my experience is a red herring. I usually am in the camp of You-Get-What-You-Pay-For. Perhaps I got lucky that mine works well enough for my purpose, so far.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Excellent point. It gets worse because no matter where you test a thick slab, you'll never get a true reading on the core unless your pins are a couple of inches long and you hammer it in deeply. Pinned meters are cheap but in the long run, they cost you plenty of wood, unless you're a fan of wood filler.

Another yeah, but............... I agree with everything you say, up to a bit of a point near the end.

I have a Delmhorst, with the accessory slide hammer and various lengths of pins. Got it when I got some big slabs of air-dried QSWO - 8/4 that actually are a bit over 9/4. The slide hammer was critical - that is some hard wood. Tried the meter-attached pins once - the oak just laughed at me. A conscious decision: A trade-off between accuracy or MC readings v. some holes in the wood.

The pin holes left are no more of an issue than other small defects/cracks/splits in wood, either naturally occurring or due to pilot error. A bit of sawdust, fine sandpaper, CA glue, and they are gone by the time the entire finishing schedule is complete. "Gone" unless you are the person doing the inspection, but no one else ever sees those types of repairs. If I was doing, say, curly maple with a clear finish, there may well be an issue - never had to try the CA repairs on that, and hope I never do - that's not the situation where I need the meter.

YMMV of course, but I'm good with it.

EDIT: I am not suggesting this for the OP - least of all because it is way, way out of his target price range. Just responding on the topic of pins.

[Jamie Buxton]

Another way to gauge the water content is to use a scale. Pick one of your planks. Weigh it every month or so. It will lose weight more quickly at first, and more slowly as time goes on. When it gets to the point that it really isn't losing any more weight, it is as dry as it is going to get. Cost is zero if you already have a scale. Degradation of the wood by the measurement is zero.

[lowell holmes]

I bought a WAGNER and I don't regret it. It is 7 or 8 years old. I bought the MMC 205 meter.

[Matt Day]

if you have an iPhone, there's a meter sold by Ryobi. $30 and the reviews at a glance seemed pretty good - most negative reviews were about it not being compatible with their phone. Just another idea.

[Mike williams54]

Aren't pin type meters basically just an ohm meter? I've heard of people tapping nails into wood, then checking the resistance and using whatever formula they conjured up to get the percentage. If you're really strapped for cash and need a probably not super accurate reading. Just grab your voltmeter. They did this for firewood though.
Edit: a quick Google search brings up a lot of info on how to do this.
http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/using-a-multimeter-to-measure-wood-moisture-level.40033/

[Rich Riddle]

Just save your money if you are not planning to spend enough to get a fairly accurate meter. A cheap meter is inaccurate, and is a waste of money.
I followed this advice when looking at meters. The decent ones cost a lot so it seemed more practical to simply not waste cash on something known to fail.

[Mike williams54]

Well, it is far more complex than I thought it would be. Volt meter could work, if your a fairily competent mathematician/electrical engineer. Carry on. I'm looking into getting a moisture meter as well.
http://woodgears.ca/lumber/moisture_meter.html

[Larry Edgerton]

I followed this advice when looking at meters. The decent ones cost a lot so it seemed more practical to simply not waste cash on something known to fail.




I lost several thousand dollars on a floor job when my Mini Ligno was unbeknownst to me malfunctioning. I checked the flooring, but it shrunk enough that I had to tear it out and replace it on my dime.

I smashed it to about as many pieces as the dollars I lost and bought a Delmhorst. Should have bought that in the first place. Delmhorst has been good for 20 years now.

[Bradley Gray]

I also have the Delmhorst. 25 years and still ticking.

[ryan paulsen]

If you don't plan on using the moisture meter very often, would you consider the oven dry method? You will have to sacrifice some wood, but it's accurate and free.

[Reinis Kanders]

Good multimeter can also be used to measure wood moisture directly or crappy one can be rigged to measure it indirectly (that is what cheap pin type moisture meters do).
I am an EE so my fancy Fluke 298 does a pretty good job of measuring resistance of moist wood directly and then I just look up the moisture equivalent in the lookup table.

Woodgears has a good info about it http://woodgears.ca/lumber/moisture_meter.html
Cheap multimeters can be had for probably $10 on eBay.