Moisture Meters

[Mike Mulback]

Hello, I know measuring firewood wont require a state of the art tester for moisture readings.
I have the harbor freight (Pittsburgh) unit that Stihl has their brand name on-so it must be a 1/2 way decent unit,
Are there any others in that type of price range. thanks in advance

 

[Deleted member 135597]

I got one from lowes. I think it's made by general?

 

[Deleted member 135597]

http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-Instruments-MMD4E-Moisture/dp/B00275F5O2# this is the one I have.

 

[svk]

I also own the general brand.

 

[lindnova]

The Harbor Freight one works fine, but goes through those little lithium button batteries quick. The batteries cost almost as much as the unit.

Get one with AAA or AA common batteries. I hear good things about the one from Lowes.

 

[zogger]

Whut? Moisture meter not needed, just go old school. Clank one old farmer together with one old logger. Which ever one comes to first, ask them if the wood is dry enough to burn yet.

Then run like heck, before they get to their feet and start chasing you...

 

[Hinerman]

http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-Instruments-MMD4E-Moisture/dp/B00275F5O2# this is the one I have.

Same one I use...

 

[KiwiBro]

If you need to check your firewood with a moisture meter, something is still wet.

 

[sledge&wedge]

Whut? Moisture meter not needed, just go old school. Clank one old farmer together with one old logger. Which ever one comes to first, ask them if the wood is dry enough to burn yet. Then clank them both on the head with said wood so you don't have to run away too fast.

Fixed.

 

[sledge&wedge]

I bought a Dr. Meter on Amazon a while back just cuz it was cheap and I needed to add one more item to my cart to get free shipping. It seems to work fine, though I don't rely on it for anything. As I believe @Ironworker and I discussed another moisture meter thread, just leave it c/s/s for two years and you'll never need to check it with a meter.

 

[Mike Mulback]

Well the reason i wanted a second opinion on moisture content because its so low it doesn't register on the meter.

 

[trukn2004]

I got my mositure meter off of amazon, dont remember then name. It runs on two AA batteries and does a pretty solid job. I just cut and split a standing dead ash tree and a live rock or sugar maple. The ash cosistently metered at 15-18% and the maple was reading 36-38%. I think it is a great little tool to have for not too much money, but getting ahead and letting the wood sit is always your best bet if you can.

 

[olympyk_999]

I wanna know what Whitespider has to say about moisture meters...

 

[stumpy75]

I have a General too. I use it to check on my wood, but it's really a toy. Yes, it does give readings relative to the initial reading you got when the wood is 1st cut, but I don't think it's too great of a tool to check on moisture if you don't have a baseline. Some Mulberry I just cut is 38%. It will dry fast in the summer sun, and the meter will show that drying. But is the 38% a true reading of the moisture in mulberry? Probably not, as most of the meters are calibrated to measure softwoods.

However, I do know that when it gets to about 20%, it will be good to burn. I can also tell by hitting two pieces together and listening for the distinctive clink instead of a thud.

 

[svk]

To echo others, a cheap MM is probably not 100 percent accurate but it's a heck of a lot better than guessing. It also helps you gauge which splitting and drying methods work best in your area.

Also in regards to battery, the General takes a single 9v which lasts forever.

 

[Mike Mulback]

I have gathered a good amount of info here, and my elchepo meter tells me quite a bit about what its testing,
I had a Pinyon pine tree cut down and from the readings i now know it was probably standing dead at 18% internal readings compared to fresh cut healthy mesquite tree at over 50%. I take readings on some stuff i have here Kiln drying on the roof and it goes down a percent or 2 every couple of weeks. I have stockpiles that dont even register on the meter for next seasons burn.

 

[Tree Feller]

I thought i had to have one so I got it, used it for one season and now find it a waist of time I just burn it in the order I cut it! i'm not sure it really matters if its 18% not 15% or whatever? With our hot summers here it drys fast enough I don't worry about it anymore I just burn it!

 

[KiwiBro]

To echo others, a cheap MM is probably not 100 percent accurate but it's a heck of a lot better than guessing.

And nowhere near as good as learning the art better rather than relying upon yet another device to displace knowledge and experience.

It's like buying a chain grinder to do the 1 1/2 loops of chain used in a year because it is a "heck of a lot better" than hand filing.

Not having a dig at you personally, just lamenting the self-fulfilling dumbing down prophecy in all this approach that places consumerism above the importance of sincere endeavour to learn skills before they are lost for good and the ignorant phalanx that society becomes will be even further dependant upon worshipping at the consumerism alter.

</rant>

 

[svk]

And nowhere near as good as learning the art better rather than relying upon yet another device to displace knowledge and experience.

It's like buying a chain grinder to do the 1 1/2 loops of chain used in a year because it is a "heck of a lot better" than hand filing.

Not having a dig at you personally, just lamenting the self-fulfilling dumbing down prophecy in all this approach that places consumerism above the importance of sincere endeavour to learn skills before they are lost for good and the ignorant phalanx that society becomes will be even further dependant upon worshipping at the consumerism alter.

</rant>

Ok then. You seem a little cranky this morning.

Let's follow your mandate further-why don't we just eschew all technology and go back to living in caves? You can judge how dry wood is as you break it over your knee.

 

[KiwiBro]

Ok then. You seem a little cranky this morning.

Let's follow your mandate further-why don't we just eschew all technology and go back to living in caves? You can judge how dry wood is as you break it over your knee.

That would be wasting the opportunity to club some wooden sense into the Neanderthal bearing baubles of the technological age.
</ironically typed on a laptop>