Holy Moisture Meter Batman, Are those Readings Correct?!?

[Ralphie Boy]

So, I’m getting ready to move some wood closer to the house now that things are beginning to get cooler and I decide to check moisture levels in some of my wood, so I can more efficiently arrange my wood lot for drying.
The year old ash is reading, on a fresh split, anywhere from 12 to 17 %, Just about what I thought. The red oak I cut c/c/s just this past February is reading, on a fresh split, between 15 and 18%!?! The honey locust that was c/c/s the same time as the oak is reading 23 to 27%. The hackberry, c/c/s the same time as the oak and locust, is reading 24 to 28%.
Now, it was a long, hot, dry summer, and the oak is split a tiny bit smaller than the rest, but red oak that dry in that short a time, while you can still wring the water out of the honey locust and hackberry, who’d ah thunk it??

 

[NextEndeavor]

I cut several loads of black locust and two loads of honey last Feb 2012. BL doing great at 15 %, completely different story with the honey still at 25. Everything stacked for lots of air circulation thanks to large yard plenty of room. That honey must be as slow as oak.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

What meter are you using?
Just wandering?
Sean

 

[cptoneleg]

I think alot depends on how long the tree was dead- and or was it a live tree= I believe my MM is very acurate

 

[oldspark]

Yep my cheapie HF MM has never gave me any reason to question it, I am so far ahead on my wood now I may never use it again. Partly do to Hearth forums being so anal about it.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

What meter are you using?
Just wandering?
Sean

The standard issue from Lowe’s. I don’t really doubt its accuracy, I just found the readings interesting.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I think alot depends on how long the tree was dead- and or was it a live tree= I believe my MM is very acurate

All the trees were very much alive when I cut them. I have no reason to believe the meter is off by much if any, I just found it surprising the oak was so dry so fast.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I cut several loads of black locust and two loads of honey last Feb 2012. BL doing great at 15 %, completely different story with the honey still at 25. Everything stacked for lots of air circulation thanks to large yard plenty of room. That honey must be as slow as oak.

Yep, some black locust cut with in a couple of weeks of the other wood is reading about 14 to 17%

 

[cptoneleg]

Maybe Batman can explain- I have Cherry c/s/s last Feb that isn't ready yet.

 

[oldspark]

Maybe Batman can explain- I have Cherry c/s/s last Feb that isn't ready yet.

That's interesting, the Cherry I cut a while back dryed in the pickup on the drive home.

 

[scotvl]

Sounds like my short experience with locust so far. Year old BL big splits down to 14-17% (can't wait to try it) and 18 month old honey Locust medium size splits above 30% and going to sit another year at least. So it looks like BL is the king of firewood, grows fast, splits nice, drys fast and burns long. Too bad for me I've only found it last year for the first time in my 30 year wood heating career and haven't been able to get any more this year.