moisture meter

[clr8ter]

What brand & model do you guys use, and where do you get them?

 

[thewoodlands]

I bought this off amazon, I would order the 2 prong and not the 4 that is pictured.

HQRP JT-4G Wood / Firewood Moisture Meter - Wood, Firewood, Wall Damp Meter 4-Pins and Home Inspection Tool



zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Don't have one and never used one. Don't think I will either but for some folks they seem to help. The very best is still to get 2 years ahead on your wood supply. The only thing better is to be 3 years ahead. This way you do not have to be concerned if your wood is ready to burn or not; it will be. There are very few shortcuts when it comes to burning wood. Poor fuel = poor results. Good fuel = good results. You won't burn second grade fuel in your car so why try to do it in a stove? Would you put poor fuel in your oil or gas furnace.

Good luck. I hope you did not take this post wrong. Zapny knows what I'm talking about.

 

[thewoodlands]

Don't have one and never used one. Don't think I will either but for some folks they seem to help. The very best is still to get 2 years ahead on your wood supply. The only thing better is to be 3 years ahead. This way you do not have to be concerned if your wood is ready to burn or not; it will be. There are very few shortcuts when it comes to burning wood. Poor fuel = poor results. Good fuel = good results. You won't burn second grade fuel in your car so why try to do it in a stove? Would you put poor fuel in your oil or gas furnace.

Good luck. I hope you did not take this post wrong. Zapny knows what I'm talking about.

Yes I do Dennis, one of the reasons I bought it was because last year my wood was not seasoned for a full year. It did help out last year, after testing I had to resplit my wood smaller so it would get down in the 20-22 percent range.

This year it spends more time in the case then in use.


zap

 

[Battenkiller]

I bought this one from Harbor Freight for $12 in the spring, just to satisfy my curiosity. Outside of cherry split - 10% MC. Inside of same split - 12% MC.

Curiosity satisfied. :coolsmile:

 

[Pagey]

I have the basic 2 pin from Amazon as well. I don't use it often, for like Dennis, I rely on properly seasoned wood. However, being a nerd/science type, it's nice to be able to know (within reason) what the moisture content of a particular piece of wood is. The moisture meter eliminates the guess work and satisfies my inner nerd.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

This is mine - from Lowes - $30 . It gives you a good idea of whats ready and whats not, if you dont have the good fortune to be 3 years ahead yet. ;-P

 

[Patapsco Mike]

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-mini-moisture-meter-67143.html

That's all you need. Any one will do.

It helps me. Sometimes I lose track of which wood was stacked when, and in the sun it all looks the same pretty quickly. I can usually figure it out, but I like making sure and sometimes there are real surprises. Some wood you can burn within just a few months. Other woods take years. Not everyone knows how much time each kind of wood takes to dry- I sure don't.

 

[fjord]

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-mini-moisture-meter-67143.html
That's all you need. Any one will do.
It helps me. Sometimes I lose track of which wood was stacked when, and in the sun it all looks the same pretty quickly. I can usually figure it out, but I like making sure and sometimes there are real surprises. Some wood you can burn within just a few months. Other woods take years. Not everyone knows how much time each kind of wood takes to dry- I sure don't.

Wood burning is an acquired art, taking time. Too many here starting out want "correct" answers immediately; forget it. Most here are heating only a tiny delta: "up from" the central fossil furnace set at 65 F anyhow. :roll:

All of your tech tools-- a M² that only penetrates a few mm, an IR gun, digital monitors, video probes, cat probes, spreadsheets on readings, etc, etc...--will never give you those "correct answers" you want. Get a simple stove thermometer, watch it to the manufacturer's specs, don't drop the fire too soon, then enjoy. That's what it's all about. Take the time to enjoy your wood burner and the fuel. Step back a lurk around your woodpiles. Learn over a short time ( no PhD in wood burning necessary) to discover when your splits are ready. Color (colour), weight, end checking, sound of banging two splits together, and the noise in the fire: sizzling and bubbling, then you know it may be wet or unseasoned, or........just burn it until the sizzling ceases. Been done without all those pricey tools for decades.

Best tool you can have ? Build a real woodshed: easy, cheap, practical. And a place for you to lurk with your fav beverage, admiring the hours of felling, skidding, hauling, humping, splitting.

Now, if you simply enjoy monitors, recording readings, doing analysis, fine. Diddle away. For many of us with too much to do, we harvest or scrounge ( rarely buy ) the fuel, work it up, split and stack, shove into our appliances , then love the warmth. Period. Now the flames...............