Time to buy another Gadget (Moisture Meter)

[widetrackman]

Just dawned on me I am going to need a Moisture Meter of which I know not much about. All I know is some are pinless some are pin type. Looking for a good one; Brand and quality and cost I have no clue. Would like to keep under $400, lower would be better if it would do a good job. Can you use the same one for air drying and with a solar kiln? Prefer not to have to buy two. Suggestions would be appreciated.

[doc henderson]

I have been happy with a pin-less Wagner.  I have an old 220 but they are no longer available, and sold for just over 100 buck.  I have but have not really used a Wagoner 900 level meter, but it was over 500 bucks.  it has more bells and whistles.  the classic/standard  for kiln drying is a pinned Delmhorst meter.

[Southside]

I use a pinless Lignomat and have been very happy with it.  Tested it against a pin style Delmhorst and we both read within 0.1-0.2 consistently of each other.  I can live with that. 

[Magicman]

I have a Wagner.  Here is this review for what it is worth: LINK

[YellowHammer]

The Delhmorst J-2000 is considered a gold standard, it has temperature corrections, species corrections, internal calibration checks, and can be sent back to Delhmorst for a formal NIST traceable calibration if there is ever a dispute.  

They are available from Amazon 

Delmhorst J-2000 6% to 40% Pin Digital Wood Moisture Meter - - Amazon.com

[Nebraska]

I have a second hand mini Ligno and a nameless  inexpensive  other.  The readings are close enough not to matter much. As I am usually  just deciding if a stack of wood is dry enough to use on a project or burn in the stove.
 

[firefighter ontheside]

My lignomat pin type is pretty accurate for 4/4 boards, but now that I'm kiln drying thicker stuff, I went ahead and got the delmhorst with hammer probe.  I like them both and recommend both.  If you buy the delmhorst, consider buying it from Nyle.  They are a forum sponsor.

[Magicman]

 


I bought this one from Wood-Mizer 20 years ago soon after I bought my sawmill.  Of course at that time I thought that I was going into the lumber business and that I would need it.  Before that first year was over my business profile had taken a 180° turn and I was in the sawing business instead. 

Now if you really want one how about this?  LINK

[longtime lurker]

I've used a Delmhorst J4 for the last ten years. I have to manually do various corrections... It  just tells me a moisture level, I correct for species and temperature myself.... it ain't hard.

Pinless meters are good on thinner cross sections and being pinless make no marks but I've always felt pinned was better. And at some point you either need to cross cut boards or bang in the slide hammer type pins to get a core reading in thicker stuff.

[Nebraska]

For a core reading  on thicker things I drill two 3/32 pilot holes and drive two stainless steel nails  the right distance apart to the mid point of the of the wood in question. Just pick a representative piece in the pile, and monitor it as it dries.  I in no way came up with this idea on my own, I gleaned it from reading here.  but it is a way around a slide hammer  long pin set up if you don't  need to  dry large amounts of wood.  Wish I could remember  who mentioned it. 

[doc henderson]

The old one in @Magicman link, looks like it can do dental x-rays too!        

[Cedarman]

I've used the Wagner pinless L606 for over 2 decades with no issues.  Use it on cedar only.
Have never calibrated it, but when it reads 8 to 10% it is dry enough for indoor use.  I like the way I can move it across the board and it will show the variations between ends , middle, sapwood vs. heartwood.