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What moisture meter do you use?

Started by Robert Owens, October 04, 2015, 06:42:43 PM

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Robert Owens

I want to buy a moisture meter and not sure on reliability of the various brands. My past experience is just with the analog meters and am familiar only with the delmhorst and lignomat brands. What do you guys use and are you happy with the reliability of it?

Bandmill Bandit

 I use  the Lignomat and so far have been very happy with it.

It small and mine came with a pretty decent case that keeps the metre well protected.
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Magicman

Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

deadfall

Just got my first one (at a thrift store).  You spend a buck for one of these things and you don't expect to have to replace the battery to get it to work!


I know it's not a high end meter. I see it going for $35 at a tool site, and $24 at that big site that undersells everyone.
W-M LT40HD -- Siding Attachment -- Lathe-Mizer -- Ancient PTO Buzz Saw

============================

Happy for no reason.

hackberry jake

delmhorst. I've been pleased with it so far.
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

woodworker9

Lignomat for 15 years.  Very happy with it.
03' LT40HD25 Kohler hydraulic w/ accuset
MS 441, MS 290, New Holland L185

Kbeitz

I just bought a DMioTECH  off E-bay...  $20.87
I dont know if it's good or bad.
Never used one before...
I'll let you know how it works....

Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Knute

Lignomat, Several years and no problems.

Glenn1

Vacutherm IDry, Nyle 53 Kiln, New Holland Skid Steer, Kaufman Gooseneck Trailer, Whitney 32A Planer

Magicman

Quote from: Kbeitz on October 07, 2015, 07:52:40 PM
I just bought a DMioTECH  off E-bay...  $20.87,  I dont know if it's good or bad.  Never used one before...I'll let you know how it works....
What are you going to compare it with?
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Robert Owens

Thank you all for the replies. I just want to make an educated purchase that will last me for quite a few years.

YellowHammer

 
Quote from: hackberry jake on October 07, 2015, 08:02:11 AM
delmhorst. I've been pleased with it so far.

I use one also, easy to use.  Accuracy is very important, and Delmhorst will factory recalibrate on request.  This way I know it's always dead on, no guessing. 
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

fstedy

I use  the Lignomat for 10 years and so far have been very happy with it.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
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Kbeitz

Quote from: Magicman on October 07, 2015, 09:25:22 PM
Quote from: Kbeitz on October 07, 2015, 07:52:40 PM
I just bought a DMioTECH  off E-bay...  $20.87,  I dont know if it's good or bad.  Never used one before...I'll let you know how it works....
What are you going to compare it with?
I had to start somewhere... I had none and never used one.
I just hope it works...
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

longtime lurker

The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

bkaimwood

Wagner, because it was readily and easily available at the local big box store cheap...turns out its pretty accurate, has been compared to some of my woodworking friends meters, and after close to 2 years of abuse, still works like new...I would like to get one that doesn't use pins though, so I'm interested in this thread...
bk

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Kbeitz

Wow.... I just checked the price on the Wagner MMC 210....
Guess what I bought is junk....

Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Magicman

Not necessarily.  Compare it side by side with a top end model and see what it does.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

dtody

I got one at Rockler for $50.  says +/- 3% error factor which isn't great when you're looking around six to nine percent.  I air dry so I'll measure on cutting then wait to next year to measure again.  When I have hundreds of stacks I might upgrade. 

hackberry jake

I have thick (8/4) wood in the kiln right now and the slide hammer with the longer pins are sure coming in handy.


 
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

teed

Sounds as if I want one without the spikes of really good quality, it is Wagner that I should buy
On my homestead, I mill with.
Logosol B1001 bandsaw mill
Woodland mill HM122 bandsaw mill
Logosol F2 with Speedsaw E5 chainsaw mill
Logosol Farmers with Stihl MS391 and MS661

WDH

The Wagners are good pinless meters.  Mine has operated flawlessly.  It is a density meter, so you have to know the specific gravity of the species that you are measuring.  Wagner supplies a chart with this info for most commonly dried species. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Kbeitz

OK...... Newbe here....
What am I lookin for...
I just go my new meter  DMioTECH  ...
I never used one before and I'm sure I dont know what I'm doing.
I milled a Hemloc today that was standing dead timber. Right after I cut I checked the %.
I got anywhere from 20% to 30% all on the same board.
What % do I look for? Is there a chart somewhere.



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Furu

Delmhorst RDM3 is a nice meter but is not inexpensive but what is that is good quality.

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