Moisture Meter - Best Option(s)?

[Everest123]

Pulling this out of my solar kiln thread as I think it's a different topic.  I'm looking to have a quick and accurate way to measure the moisture content of rough sawn lumber as it's drying in my kiln.  Currently I have:

General Tools MMD4E pin meter - My reading with that have always seemed about right, but obviously measurements are highly variable depending on pin depth and WOW is it hard to push in those pins all the way.  I damaged one already :(

Dr. Meter MD918 - I'm deeply suspicious of this one.  I always calibrate it and set the appropriate wood species before very use, but the readings are high variable.  Swings up 5-6% are the norm depending on time and temperature in my kiln.  I let the unit acclimate inside the kiln for up to 30 minutes, but I'm still suspicious of the measurements.

My objective is to be able to take quick measurements of rough sawn lumber in the kiln.  I'm working through the oven method, but long term I'd like something quick and reliable.  

I've searched through many excellent threads here and after reading through them all, I am seriously looking at a two options and would value your thoughts / experience:

Delmhost J2000X - Seems to come highly recommended and I'd pick up the hammer attachment.  

Wagner Meters Orion 930 - I saw several threads mention this one.  I like the concept of a pinless meter, but the calibration and my experiences with the MD918 have left me a little gun shy.

For my purposes and limited experience level, what would you recommend?  Have I missed any solid options reviewing this forum?

-Jeff

[123maxbars]

Delmhost J2000X all day, never lets me down, 

[scsmith42]

I have several meters, including a very deep reading Merlin.

The Delmhorst J2000X is our go-to meter.  Fast and accurate.

[K-Guy]

Being that our business is kilns, in my 20 years there are only 2 brands I recommend Delmhorst and Lignomat pin type meters. The pin type meters allow you to get core and shell readings that give you a better idea of what is going on in the wood.

Full disclosure, we are a Delmhorst dealer.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Buy a meter that is made in USA.  It is easier to get repairs.  The J2000 can be used with the hammer probe attachment so you can measure moisture gradients as you drive the needles deeper.  Also it has memory, species correction, and temperature correction.  It is what you need in a kiln drying operation, so compare any other meters with this one to make sure you have all the features.  One subtle advantage is that many people have this meter, so your customer might have it.  If your customer has a foreign made meter and cheaper, their readings are not very reliable.  I suggest you put in advertising or purchase confirmations that MC will be measured with a J2000 to avoid erroneous readings from cheap meters.  

P.S.  you get what you pay for.

[Everest123]

Thanks folks.  I just ordered a J2000 w/ an extra probe attachment for deeper penetration.  The extra probe is a 26-ES.  I'll report back when I get it and can try it out on my lumber.  I have a deep abiding suspicion that I have some MEGA dry lumber in that kiln. And if so I'm throwing away the two junk meters I have now.

[K-Guy]

@Everest123 

One note, there is a J2000 and a J2000X the X model reads to 60% and the other 40%. Make sure you get the one you want.

[Everest123]

@Everest123

One note, there is a J2000 and a J2000X the X model reads to 60% and the other 40%. Make sure you get the one you want.

Everything I've seen here suggests the J2000, so I went with that one.  I'm really only interested in the readings below 15% so I'm not sure the upper range concerns me too much.  Did I make a misstep here?

[K-Guy]

You can do more damage in the early stages of drying because it is easy to overdry the wood. While at the upper ranges a moisture meter will not be 100% accurate, it does give you an idea of how fast you are drying. The other choice is oven samples. Most here say J2000 but mean J2000X

[Everest123]

You can do more damage in the early stages of drying because it is easy to overdry the wood. While at the upper ranges a moisture meter will not be 100% accurate, it does give you an idea of how fast you are drying. The other choice is oven samples. Most here say J2000 but mean J2000X

Well. . . .poop.  Should I plan to return the J2000 and order a J2000X?  That distinction is not clear here or even on the manufacturer website. They both seem to be very good....but I can return it when it shows up I guess.

[K-Guy]

That's up to you. I only sell the X model, that's made for us kiln guys.

[Everest123]

That's up to you. I only sell the X model, that's made for us kiln guys.

Well drat.  That's super frustrating, hopefully I can return this thing when it shows up.  Is there a reason that extra 20% flexibility matters for kiln operations?  I would think validating the sub-10% moisture content would be the most critical - but again I've made mistakes at every step here. . . .so. . . . .ha.
-Jeff

[Everest123]

So I called Delmhorst directly just now and ... got a human on the phone within 1 minute ... WOW. But beyond that he told me that a J2000 would be fine unless I wanted to track the drop in moisture content over 40%, which apparently some kiln operators do so they can optimize when the place wood into the kiln.  For me, I air dry for several weeks down to the 25-30% range, and then place the wood into my kiln.  So I'm struggling to understand why that extra 20% is critical.  Please educate me.  He also indicated that the accuracy for those higher readings was not as good and offered "relative moisture data" but really wasn't intended for full precision.  So now I'm more confused than ever.  I also can't find a J2000x available on-line anywhere - can anyone point me in the right direction here?

[Everest123]

Contacted the distributor - switched the J2000 out for a J2000X

[jwoods86]

I highly recommend Wagner Meters Orion meters. If you're worried about calibration, they are the only meters that can be calibrated in the field. I've read a lot of reviews about the Orions and they seem to be the most accurate wood moisture meters on the market. Customer service is amazing as well. You'll get a person and tons and tons of helpful information, I know because I've called a few times. I own the Orion 910 because I don't need too many features such as their 950 that has Bluetooth and calculates EMC. 

[kantuckid]

A good meter serves a convenience purpose no doubt, but as a non-commercial wood guy I use a gunpowder scale to measure for my own purpose. I cut my sample, weigh it in grains and microwave it long enough to remove all moisture, then re-weigh. It's a simple grade school calculation and accuracy wise as good as it gets.
I've also got a cheapo Chinese electronic scale I use for anything from under a lb up to 76 pounds which I bought on ebay for under $5. It does metric-grams/kilos or USA lbs/oz to decimal points. I have never tried it on wood mostly we use it for foods or such but I suspect it's as accurate as many cheaper WM meters. I have used the best versions in school settings and can't afford or justify those so a scale and microwave are my tools.

[Everest123]

The microwave idea is interesting.  I will investigate.  My J2000X arrived today and I quickly set it up and dove into taking measurements.  Maple that's been air drying for about 10 months, 11.5% consistently.  Ash and Poplar in my kiln are measuring between 6.5 and 7.4%.  Black walnut I but about 2 months ago and have been air drying, 16.5%.  This aligns with my expectations and the measurements are very consistent between boards.  So I believe this meter.  

I'm tossing my cheapo pinless meter.  It's not accurate, clearly.

-Jeff

[YellowHammer]

The J-2000 series meter has a shunt calibration feature that shunts a known high accuracy resistor into the circuit that is equivalent to 12% moisture content.  Hit two buttons, and if the meter displays 12%, its still dead on accurate.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Although the meter is accurate and the calibration feature is fantastic, the issue we have is that the relationship between resistance and MC is not the same for every piece of wood.  It varies with temperature, and with species, plus even within the same species, there is variation.  Add to this that in drying, the shell is often drier than the core, so the depth of penetration of the pins is a factor.  However, after making temperature and species corrections,if there are no shell to core MC differences, you can rest assured that any meter reading between 6.5% and 28% MC is within 1/2% MC, with many times the reading within 1/10% MC, of the oven dry value.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Using a microwave oven for drying is discussed in DRYING HARDWOOD LUMBER.  Essentially., you need a microwave with a rotating tray, a medium low setting, and a balance or scale that weighs to at least 0.1 grams.  Then you put one moisture section in the oven, turn it on medium low, and dry it for about %20 minutes.  Then weigh it, dry it for one more minute, weigh.  If the two weights are the same, then it is oven dry and; if not the same, continue drying.  Caution...if you leave the room, it is possible that the wood will get too hot and begin to smoke.  This ruins the sample, plus the odor hangs around forever.  It can damage the microwave too.  So, medium low power is used to help prevent smoking.  Do not rush it and use a higher power setting.

If you weigh the piece and say that it is oven dry, when there is still a small amount of water in the piece, your MC calculation will be smaller than the true reading.

[Escavader]

My favorite is the wagner with the four foot wand it reaches right in the packs where the stickers go.ive had it for 20 years they are pricy but takes the guess work out of whats inside the packs