Moisture Meter?

[CHARLIE]

If a guy wanted to buy a moisture meter and didn't want to "break the bank", what kind (pin, pinless or ?) and what brand would be the best for the money? :  I'm looking for some professional advice here. :P

[Tom]

Charlie, I have a Mini ligno C and it works good.  I carry it in my truck everywhere I go and haven't broken it yet.  It's a pin type.

I have been told that the Pin type is the only way to go when you are working with rough wood because the air space between the rough surface and the Pinless type will cause them to be inaccurate.  I have found the pin holes to be negligable and not propose a problem.

The Mini Ligno can be purchased from many wood working catalogues for less than $100 even though it retails for about $110.  I think I gave $78 for mine.

[Don P]

Mine is a Delmhorst G type. We had them fit it out with a slide hammer and 3" insulated pins so we could get accurate readings at the tips only and see moisture gradient in thick stuff as well as just surface MC.Even there it was under $400 if I recall, its paid its way in my book. It gets down to how much information do you need. The pinless although slightly less accurate allow constant checking up and down a board very fast, or I can take a long time to give you a profile all the way through a tree :D.

Then there's both ;D

http://www.professionalequipment.com/xq/ASP/ProductID.87/id.17/subID.135/qx/default.htm

[Papa Dave]

Charlie, I am glad you asked that question.  I need to buy a moisture meter, too.  So, by the time this thread is finished, we will be completely educated about the matter or candidates for the funny farm.  ;D

[CHARLIE]

I apologize for the long time it takes me to respond but my server decided to assign me a new DNS number and now I can't get onto the internet unless it's after 10pm on a moonless night.....but once in a great while I get lucky. Guess they're gonna lose a customer soon.

Anyway, I'm surprised that no one mentioned the Wagner moisture meter since that's about the only one I've seen advertised.

I appreciate the response from Brother Tom and Long Tall Texan Don_P and would like to hear some more opinions even if they agree with Tom or Don. I mean....before I can part with more than $50 I have to be sure it's the best.

I wonder why I've never seen any of those $19.99 specials on TV for a moisture meter.....where if you call the 1-800 number that evening you get 2 for the price of one and they'll throw in a complete set of Ginsing Kitchen knives and a yo-yo. ???

[Frank_Pender]

  Charlie,
   I am with Tom on this one.  I got the one that has the slide hammer, with both short and long pin interchange.    I paid about $225 for the whole package of goodies, but I got to kitchen knives with it. :D  I am sorry that it is down and the mill tonight.  but I will fine the model number for you on the morrow. ;D

[Don P]

Charlie, I was gonna post a pic of my meter but now you've gone and called me long and tall and Texan :D.




OK, I did wanna see if I could do 2 pictures. There it is busting some hapless kiln dried salesman. The meter read some shells as low as 12-15% yet about an inch in,sopping wet. Must have been a hot windy few minutes in there :D. If you look at the top of the pins they are attached by hollow knurled nuts. This makes pin type and length interchangeable. Digging out a broken 3" is a bear. The ones with the probes attached to the case work great for 4/4 I used one of those for quite awhile.

[CHARLIE]

Geeeeeeeeeeez Don_P.....that first picture looks like the Smoky Mountains!.  What in the 'tarnation (That's Southern fer...."entire nation") is a Texan doing in ahhhhhhhhhhh Virginny?  :

Thanks for the pictures.  I'm left wondering what the "speechless" salesman said when you showed him his kD wood was full of H2O.  Was he embarrassed or did he blame it on someone else. :-/

[Don P]

There ya go :D. That shot is off the neighbors porch, over our place. Our house is just behind the clump of white pines on the right hand hill. Mill's in the bottom. That's Jefferson Nat'l Forest in the background. Not much folding green here but we sure are blessed with the real kind.If you squint real hard I planted the pines just to the left of the tall mountain ;D

The salesman's first line was the truck must have gotten rained on..."well, no sir, as you can see the outside is dry and the inside is wet". It went from there to just about ducky :(. I don't think he's selling anymore. "The wheel of Karma turns slowly but grinds thoroughly."
It was a shame, from a milling standpoint they were probably the best machined materials I'd ever gotten
 For 4/4 I think I would be about as happy with either a mini pin or a pinless, they both read well to about 1/2" deep. If you're looking to meter thicker stock (turning blanks?) the insulated pins become invaluable.

[Papa Dave]

So Charlie, have you figured out which moisture meter to buy. I am still looking. Here in Tennessee, I figure we are at about 110% with all the rain we are having. ;D

[TnAndy]

I use a Wagner 609 pinless and have no complaints.  They even sent me a new book of corrections factors after I emailed them and told them my dog ate the last one ( true)..or should I say Former Dog....

Dave...I'm near Jonesborough..upper east tn....where are you ?

andy

[Don P]

Jonesborough...isn't that like,   a whole other country? :D
We used to sneak over there from NC when I was 18. ;D

[CHARLIE]

Got the mini Ligno DX model. It has pins and a meter instead of just lights flashing. Works pretty good....I think.  I don't have a way to verify if it's telling me the truth or not, so I just have to say...."Keep the baby Faith"....  errrr I mean.....  "Keep the Faith Baby" ...... Trust the meter.... :