Help me calibrate my General moisture meter

[Stegman]

Looking for some help from other General moisture meter owners. I bought one last year and was pissed because it was obviously reading too low. I tested some newly split wood and it was reading in the low teens.

I read another thread that said when you hold it to your palm, it should read about 34 percent or so. I do that to mine, and it reads around 24-25 percent.

So I'm just looking to confirm what other owners get when they test it on their hand. I want to be able to use it, and figure I can just add X percent to whatever the reading is to get an accurate idea.

Thanks

 

[etiger2007]

Funny you have posted this as Im questioning the accuracy of my meter. Ill test and reply

 

[etiger2007]

I have an A.W. Perkins MM and my palm read 32.6 % It probably would have measured higher but im sure im dehydrated from all the beer this weekens, lol. I feel my meter reads high or maybe in my location I need longer to season.

 

[Treacherous]

I'll give you some feedback this weekend on how mine reads. I thought it displayed in the 3x% range when I tested it on my hand in the past.

 

[cygnus]

Are you sure you are on the 'wood' setting? Otherwise, it has a masonry setting that might change it a bit...just not sure which way that might skew things.

 

[albert1029]

I get different readings on the palm almost everytime I test it approx 28-40%...from what I've learned in the forum, readings on fresh-cut rounds and seasoned splits seem right on....

 

[swagler85]

just checked mine and it was 34% pressed hard into my hand. But with lightly pressed against it was reading 26%

 

[albert1029]

cygnus may be right...on masonry reading get a more constatnt 24-25%....

 

[DexterDay]

Palm should be mid 30's (average moisture).

Are you burying the prongs into the wood. My General read good (but Low) when inserted a little. But always read higher when buried in the wood. .
The ends do bend easily. But with diligence, you can "wiggle" it in there.

 

[ohlongarm]

Palm should be mid 30's (average moisture).

Are you burying the prongs into the wood. My General read good (but Low) when inserted a little. But always read higher when buried in the wood. .
The ends do bend easily. But with diligence, you can "wiggle" it in there.

The prongs not only bend easily,they snap off,good luck getting the replacemant prongs,over a month and still haven't received mine. The factory won't sell them to you and Lowes just keeps telling you they haven't come in yet. Total joke.

 

[Stegman]

Double checked and, yes, it's on the firewood setting. Some readings from today:

• My hand: 24 %
• A 2x4 stud inside my garage: 9%
• A round from a red maple that was cut down about 5 weeks ago:18%
• A rotten split: 44%

So based on the hand and red maple measurements, I think I'm going to need to add about 10% to whatever my readings are to get an accurate picture. Sound about right?

 

[Kenster]

I've had my General about four years and feel like it's right on, certainly in the ball park for our purposes. Like as has been said above, you need to get the probes into the wood, not just barely puncturing the surface.

 

[Stegman]

I've had my General about four years and feel like it's right on, certainly in the ball park for our purposes. Like as has been said above, you need to get the probes into the wood, not just barely puncturing the surface.

How far we talking? An eighth of an inch? A quarter of an inch?

I'm skeptical that this is the issue because I doubt that people are burying the probes into their palms. They're touching them to their hand just like I am, and they're getting readings that are 10 percent higher than mine.

 

[Treacherous]

I get 32% reading on firewood setting when tested on my hand.