Anyone find a good, dependable, inexpensive moisture meter for the hobby woodworker??
Thanks
Quotegood, dependable, inexpensive
Do they go together? Doubt it. ;)
What is your definition of inexpensive? You want pins or pinless?
You can find some that are quite good (no fancy bells and whistles) Delmhorst J4 new for low $200's on Amazon. Used on ebay, there are a couple now, slightly used (what ever that means) for prices ranging from under $70, $129 and $150. Of course the Delmhorst RDM3 is a good bit more with fancy bells and stuff.
Quote from: beenthere on January 23, 2015, 02:04:03 PM
Quotegood, dependable, inexpensive
Do they go together? Doubt it. ;)
You know the old saying: Accurate, Long Lasting, Cheap - Pick any two.
I think that you get what you pay for when it comes to moisture meters.
You get what you pay for pretty much applies to everything..... And I purposely didn't use the term "cheap". Lol
What little bit I know about them, the pin type are less expensive, and I think they would be fine for me anyway.
I was hoping to get something decent for 50-100 dollars.... Am I way off?
How important is it to know the moisture content accurately? If the meter is off a little bit, will it ruin a project and mean a loss of hours of work as well? Probably "Yes" and so you do need to spend money (no less than $200) for a meter. I prefer one made in the USA as the calibration will be appropriate for our species, pus parts and repair will be very easy.
Thanks for the input, hope the new year is treating you all well.
Peace
I have a Wagoner pinless MMC210, and it is fast and easy to use. You have to correct for wood specific gravity, but Wagoner supplies you with a chart. This one costs just South of $400.
I also have a Delmhorst J2000X with a slide hammer and 1" pins for use in the kiln. This one will run just South of $500.
The Delmhorst J-4 without the slide hammer is about $260.
I've had good luck with Lignomat. Not too expensive and works well.
After looking at prices this morning you are right WDH, you will spend at least $400 for a good pinless. I want one myself but not in a hurry to get one, so I wait awhile maybe I'll find one on ebay or craigslist. I've need to start on building my kiln first for now. After a pm with doc, I thinking more about building a kiln and connect it to my OWB as a heat source. Anyone here done that? So any suggestions on the structure will be appreciated.
I am getting really confused, the more I read about weighing lumber using electricity, the more I am confused. Is there a simple but accurate way to check?