fred bergman
ArboristSite Operative
any one have one? what kind , do you think it works ? at what rate % does the wood burn
moisture meter ?
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A $20 General brand will tell you everything you need to know.
This has been probably the second most discussed topic on this forum so you should get a good range of responses.
A $20 General brand will tell you everything you need to know.
This has been probably the second most discussed topic on this forum so you should get a good range of responses.
Wannabe123
ArboristSite Operative
Mine cost 79 cents, got it down at scumby's. They come in many colors and sometimes cool designs, band logos, sports teams, you name it. It's made by a little small time company called BIC.
zogger
Tree Freak
they work after a fashion but aren't scientifically accurate. how you would use one is think, just your wood, your conditions. OK, say you have a starting point on the interior of a fresh cut redoak, you might hit almost 40% on what it reads. Once after it is cut split and stacked, and you resplit a larger split and test the interior, if it reads below 20, ready to burn.
All species read different, other factors (all sorts of other factors) come into play, so don't regard your readings as highly accurate, but just as a reasonable ballpark figure.
I find them fun to use. They aren't necessary, but for 20 bucks, to check the status of your stacks, no harm. Once you have developed a feel for the wood and your own local drying conditions, you can correlate what readings you get with the normal criteria of cracks in the wood, weight loss, a graying color, and the universal clank test, slamming two splits together and seeing how the pitch changes.
Once you have a good, well cracked, high pitched "clank" piece of wood, split it, see what it reads. You will now have a low/high reading between fresh cut green and ready to rock.
If I can be loose with these auditory representations, new green wood thunks, a dull lower pitched sound, it eventually changes to the higher pitched "clank", well described before as the sound of two baseball bats clanking together. That's ideal.
My 2 year + old well dried oak heartwood reads mid teens average on my meter. It also "clanks". That's my wood, the temp and humidity that day, my other conditions, and all sorts of other variables, but it gives me a "good enough" indication as a backup to the other test criteria.
All species read different, other factors (all sorts of other factors) come into play, so don't regard your readings as highly accurate, but just as a reasonable ballpark figure.
I find them fun to use. They aren't necessary, but for 20 bucks, to check the status of your stacks, no harm. Once you have developed a feel for the wood and your own local drying conditions, you can correlate what readings you get with the normal criteria of cracks in the wood, weight loss, a graying color, and the universal clank test, slamming two splits together and seeing how the pitch changes.
Once you have a good, well cracked, high pitched "clank" piece of wood, split it, see what it reads. You will now have a low/high reading between fresh cut green and ready to rock.
If I can be loose with these auditory representations, new green wood thunks, a dull lower pitched sound, it eventually changes to the higher pitched "clank", well described before as the sound of two baseball bats clanking together. That's ideal.
My 2 year + old well dried oak heartwood reads mid teens average on my meter. It also "clanks". That's my wood, the temp and humidity that day, my other conditions, and all sorts of other variables, but it gives me a "good enough" indication as a backup to the other test criteria.
Where is White Spider when you need him?
windthrown
361 Junkie
No need, he has been in my AS iggy list for a long time now.
windthrown
361 Junkie
Most all MMs are set up for measuring Douglas fir, as that is one of the most common commercial wood species that they are used for. If you are only measuring firewood, being off by a few percentage points has no real impact. If you are looking at getting one for using for installing wood flooring, for carving wood or in a wood kiln, you would want one of the higher end ones that cost a lot of money. At the firewood end, most of the digital ones from China listed on Ebay or sold at El Cheapo hardware stores are fine. They range anywhere from $10 to $40 for about the same quality. The only difference is if you want a 4 or 2 pin tester. 2 pin testers are easier to use. Some years ago I bought a 2 pin tester on Ebay for $12 and they sent me a 4 pin one. I complained, and they gave me $5 back, so I have a $7 4-pin tester. It works fine for firewood. Generally, firewood is around 40% or higher when it is green. You want it to be at or below 20% before you burn it in any of the more modern EPA wood stoves (or in any wood burning appliance for that matter). You will get more heat if you let the wood dry even longer and get the percentage down farther. The most dry you are apt to get is about 8%, but that takes a log time, or a kiln. Lumber from houses that I have demo'd have readings of around 8%.
The farther north and the wetter climate that you are in the longer the wood will take to dry. In IL, it is going to take longer to dry wood that northern GA. Here in the PNW it usually takes one summer to dry slit pine and fir, and 2 summers to dry more dense split oak and locust. It varies a lot from year to year here though, and how small the firewood is split. It also depends on if you cover your wood and if you stack it properly. BTW: wood will burn at 40% moisture; but the energy required to turn that much water into steam will rob most of the heat that you would otherwise get if it were dryer. 20% is the generally accepted percentage for good heating from firewood. Most BTU firewood species rating charts use 20% moisture as a baseline, but some use 12%. A MM reading of 20% is acceptable and 12% is pretty ideal in my book, even with a cheap Chicom MM.
The farther north and the wetter climate that you are in the longer the wood will take to dry. In IL, it is going to take longer to dry wood that northern GA. Here in the PNW it usually takes one summer to dry slit pine and fir, and 2 summers to dry more dense split oak and locust. It varies a lot from year to year here though, and how small the firewood is split. It also depends on if you cover your wood and if you stack it properly. BTW: wood will burn at 40% moisture; but the energy required to turn that much water into steam will rob most of the heat that you would otherwise get if it were dryer. 20% is the generally accepted percentage for good heating from firewood. Most BTU firewood species rating charts use 20% moisture as a baseline, but some use 12%. A MM reading of 20% is acceptable and 12% is pretty ideal in my book, even with a cheap Chicom MM.
How cool is that??
I made the iggy list... don't I get a badge or something attached to my avatar??
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I made the iggy list... don't I get a badge or something attached to my avatar??
*
Stay calm Spidey, it's just another "are moisture meters useful" posting....lol.
Moisture can be anywhere from 20% and down for good burning.
On known dry woods, I messed around with a digital meter and measure resistance. Known dry stuff, standing dead elm, was cut and split 6 months ago was tested and had no continuity. Also checked a piece of pine that was cut ans split for over 1 year and no continuity. Silver Maple was split from 8 months ago varied from 3.5-4.5 ohms. And some standing dead, cottonwood I think, was 5.8-10.5 ohms right after being cut and split. It burns just fine.
You may have to PM him Spidey as I don't think he seen your reply.........
You may have to PM him Spidey as I don't think he seen your reply.........
PM who?? The guy with the iggy list?? Why?? Heck, that reply wasn't meant for him.
If he put me on his iggy list I figure it's his loss, not mine... it is his list (shrug)
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Ironworker
Addicted to ArboristSite
I split and checked my red oak with my cheap moisture meter and it was 26% in the middle and a lot lower as you got towards the ends or surface, perfect for me.
genesis5521
ArboristSite Operative
I have a cheap ($14.99) MM from Menards. It seems accurate, and it works just fine. I sample the wood at various points. When the moisture gets to 16% or less, it's ready to burn. I usually dry my firewood for at least a year.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...ools/moisture-test-meter/p-1710550-c-9163.htm
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...ools/moisture-test-meter/p-1710550-c-9163.htm
Agreed with all the above. I have used a cheap MM for years and once the middle of the split is below 20 it burns well. Closer to 12 is better but it takes an additional year for me to get my wood there. Most of my wood is sold after a year at around 16. I will not sell anything above 20
fred bergman
ArboristSite Operative
thanks
gtrr4
ArboristSite Lurker
I have the same one, works great
Same one here. Works great but remember it doesn't read true on frozen wood.
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