Harbor Freight Moisture Meter

[logbutcher]

This thread is a proper case of the inmates running the assylum (sp.).

You do realize that both methods of "measuring moisture in firewood are equally named as "M²" ! Now, that deserves a Lobotomy thread or a whine.

My bro from VT nailed a fascinating thing to do---the multimeter as moisture tester. Hey, nothing else to do in our short summer. I will try it.opcorn:

 

[Wood Doctor]

I'll try to conduct a proper experiment this weekend to include pics, beer allowing.....

Frankly, I have a feeling that it will work, but I await your test. It makes sense to me, provided the multi-meter is in good shape.

The idea behind any scale is to first establish the extremes. A dead dry length of wood must conduct practically no electricity and have almost infinite resistance compared to water.

A really green log would have much more conductivity and supply the opposite end of the scale. Any log with some moisture would fall in between the two readings. The dead dry log sets about 5% to 10% moisture because even air has some moisture. The green log sets about 60% moisture. That varies from one species to the next, so maybe a pan of water sets 100%, moisture.

Heck, it's worth a try.

 

[CrappieKeith]

Great idea on the multi meter....really!
I see more folks that can't get heat out of their wood.
Typically it's due to wet wood.
I had one customer exclaim...we have the best wood for burning...cut it down last thursday!
If folks really want the most amount of btu's per lb. they should burn their wood at it's dryest potential...air dry of course.
15-20% is the ideal range.

If you buy wood having a meter can save you in the end too.Don't accept anything that's wet unless you are buying ahead to allow the wood to dry.
I see more people not taking responsibility for putting up dry wood.:deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse:
It is physically impossible to make great heat with wet wood or better yet to gain the 8000-8700 btu's per lb available at 18-20%moisture.

What's a 20$ or better yet a 50$ investment to insure you are getting or have dry wood to burn?
Peanuts is the answer when you look at the long range pay back of burning wet wood over dry wood.

The issue of this thread is not how long does a HB moisture meter last...
or even will a MULTI METER work? In my mind it comes down to having the right tools for the job. Job ...yes burning wood is a job.
It can be a job that is done easily or one that becomes a nightmare.

We all get to our end game one way or another....it's just that some of us take a lot longer to get there.:bang:

 

[Taxmantoo]

I have a good multi meter and never thought of trying this, you say put one probe on each end of the wood? but the moister meters have both probes going into the same end?

I'm sure the moisture meter has two probes at a fixed distance from each other. Resistance across two points 1/2" apart will be about twice as much resistance as across two points 1/4" apart.

 

[Circle B MN]

I'm sure the moisture meter has two probes at a fixed distance from each other. Resistance across two points 1/2" apart will be about twice as much resistance as across two points 1/4" apart.

The distance between the probes is certainly a factor. Perhaps a non conductive jig of sorts would be required to maintain a uniform "gap". It's been raining here for a week so I don't have a lot of test subjects at the moment. Stand by to stand by.....

 

[Wood Doctor]

The distance between the probes is certainly a factor. Perhaps a non conductive jig of sorts would be required to maintain a uniform "gap". It's been raining here for a week so I don't have a lot of test subjects at the moment. Stand by to stand by.....

Will do and I have infinite patience. Floods are everywhere around here. Entire towns have been almost wiped out. Rivers have reached all-time peak levels.

It's going to be a trial an error process, but it might work. Trying to get conductivity measurements across a 16" length from end to end may be impossible, but it is worth a try. No moisture meter that I know of does this.

But heck, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[Circle B MN]

I think that measuring end to end of a 16" stick would not be accurate. My idea would be to use the Moisture Meter as I do now. Select a sample stick, split it open, and measure the content in the center of the stick, with the probes at a preset and constant distance, say 1". Measurements takene closer to the ends produce a drier reading, where as the center should be an example of the true dryness of the wood.

This experiment may require a substantial amount of beer to complete. Donations are appreciated..

 

[Torin]

I think that measuring end to end of a 16" stick would not be accurate. My idea would be to use the Moisture Meter as I do now. Select a sample stick, split it open, and measure the content in the center of the stick, with the probes at a preset and constant distance, say 1". Measurements takene closer to the ends produce a drier reading, where as the center should be an example of the true dryness of the wood.

This experiment may require a substantial amount of beer to complete. Donations are appreciated..

Too far to ship. Ended up having some in your honor.