Moisture meter

[buzywoodliff]

Anyone find a good, dependable, inexpensive moisture meter for the hobby woodworker??

Thanks

[beenthere]

good, dependable, inexpensive

Do they go together?  Doubt it.  ;)

[pine]

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.

[square1]

good, dependable, inexpensive

Do they go together?  Doubt it.  ;)

You know the old saying: Accurate, Long Lasting, Cheap - Pick any two.

[WDH]

I think that you get what you pay for when it comes to moisture meters. 

[buzywoodliff]

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?

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

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.

[buzywoodliff]

Thanks for the input, hope the new year is treating you all well.

Peace

[WDH]

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.   

[jdtuttle]

I've had good luck with Lignomat. Not too expensive and works well.

[xlogger]

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.

[dean herring]

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?