Moisture meter

[Clover]

This subject has probably been asked a hundred times but I'm in the market for a reasonably priced moisture meter. This will be my first one and I don't know how far I'm going to get involved with selling wood and funds are tight right now (aren't they always). I will get a better one if I get into plaining (?) wood for resale later but just need a good cheap one to start. Lee Valley has a couple and I imagine eBay also. If someone can chime in on what they like that would be great. Thanks 

[Magicman]

Type "moisture meter" in the search box and be prepared to read.   ;D

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Unfortunately, there are some instances where being merely "somewhat close" in an estimate of MC is not good enough.  You often need to be quite accurate at times.  I suggest buying a meter made in the USA.  I suggest paying no less than $200.  I suggest a digital meter with needles and the option to add a remote probe later.  A good meter should last 20 years or more.  A good meter can be checked for calibration.  A good meter can be repaired quickly by a USA company.

[Den Socling]

So Gene is suggesting a Delmhorst J2000. 

[Magicman]

That left my Wagner pin less analog meter behind in the dust.  :

No matter because I do not dry or sell lumber anyway.  I only use it as "gee whiz" information for the customer. 

[Clover]

I found a Delmhorst J2000 on eBay, problem is once it's shipped to Canada with import fees and exchange it doubles in price. Canadian suppliers want over five hundred. They put their profit margins on top of the exchange rate, unreal.

I'm just looking for something to tell me when the moisture content is low enough to dry stack everything. These stickered piles are taking up a lot of room in my barn. And I want to move more in as things dry.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Check www.moisturemeter.ca/m/3/delmhorst
This is the Canada site for Delmhorst. They have the same meters often at a lower cost than in the USA.

Another company is Lignomat. 

In both cases, avoid cheap meters.

There are cheaper meters, but why buy something that is only half good that has to be replaced in a few years?  Get something versatile that will be useful as you grow. 

[Clover]

Thanks for the heads up on the Canadian web site. I did already look them up and that's WAY over my budget. I'd love to get a good one right now but unfortunately just no funds for that. I like the versatility of those meters as I am often working on homes and could use it for that to.  If this sawmill was generating money for me then that's what I would get. It's just that I won't be able to make a business out of this for a couple years so a cheaper one will work until then.

[Don P]

If you have a good scale and an oven you have the best "meter". The ag folks check my wife's scale annually although I use the old Delmhorst that must be.. its 24 now although VDACS never checks it and neither have I. I was in one of the Docs classes some years ago and he asked "who has the best meter?" "Your customer! :D"

[pine]

So Gene is suggesting a Delmhorst J2000. 

I thought he was talking about a a Delmhorst RDM3 or a Wagner MMI 1100.

[JasonRerras]

I just picked a Lignomat Versa-Tech.  I liked it because it has dual depth pinless reading and you can attach the slide hammer with probes for checking thicker stock; 3". Certainly not 'cheap' but it will pay for itself.   They're having a sale That ends today.

[Den Socling]

That VersaTec looks pretty nice. I like the features!

[Darrel]

The other day I told my wife that I needed a good moisture meter. So she googled moisture meters and came up with one for $13.xx from Harbor Freight. I said NO!!!  She asked why and I asked her if she remembered the socket set I threw over the fence into the horse pasture one socket at a time.

That was the end of that conversation. :D

[K-Guy]

For Lumber, you need a meter that reads the wood at high percentages, unfortunately there isn't a good meter that will do it cheaply. I recommend the Delmhorst J2000X because it reads to 60%. The regulat J2000 only reads to 40%.