Looking to buy one and they range from $550 down to $11. Please give me your opinion on what I should be looking for?
Moisture Meters
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I bought one from Amazon for around $20. So far, it seems to be doing just fine, but I have only had it for a month. It has no problem telling me which wood is the trouble wood, and the furnace confirms it.
http://www.amazon.com/DUSIEC-Handhe...qid=1361148188&sr=8-2&keywords=Moisture+Meter
http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-mini-moisture-meter-67143.html
This is what I bought and all I did was change the batteries out for Duracell it works good.
Pete
This is what I bought and all I did was change the batteries out for Duracell it works good.
Pete
I have the Harbour Fright meter. I think it works okay, but having never used any other (more $$) meter, I have nothing to compare it. You have to push the probes in to the wood as far as you can to get a good reading, but it was cheap and as far as I can tell, accurate enough.
Peace,
- Sequoia
Peace,
- Sequoia
I'll have to look on Azamon for better batteries. Fry's Electronics (best place around here for batteries) didn't have the size, and all Harbour Fright had was a card with assorted sizes of button batteries.
Peace,
- Sequoia
Peace,
- Sequoia
at the risk of becoming known as a total curmudgeon ..... what's the point of MMs for firewood ? It's either ready ,or it isn't . If Your MM says "nope ,it ain't ready " then what ? Jeez guys , just stack it for 2-3 years and it'll be good .
Curmudgeon rant over
Curmudgeon rant over
Cause everyone else has one so I wanted one too.at the risk of becoming known as a total curmudgeon ..... what's the point of MMs for firewood ? It's either ready ,or it isn't . If Your MM says "nope ,it ain't ready " then what ? Jeez guys , just stack it for 2-3 years and it'll be good .
Curmudgeon rant over
Because not everyone has the luxury of a full on 2 year in advance supply for a number of reasons...better to burn safe than burn sorry.....seriously, it is just to make sure as a newer burner that the look and feel of ready wood is really ready...I started this thread wondering why some MM were 550 and some were 11bucks....so far no one has given that answer and so for under a fin I can just make sure the wood going into the stove is good to go at least until I get a better feel for things.at the risk of becoming known as a total curmudgeon ..... what's the point of MMs for firewood ? It's either ready ,or it isn't . If Your MM says "nope ,it ain't ready " then what ? Jeez guys , just stack it for 2-3 years and it'll be good .
Curmudgeon rant over
From what I have seen most come from China, so you may as well get one direct from China on Ebay for $11 with shipping. Get a dual probe, easier to jam into wood than 4 probes. The HF one looks good enough. I have never seen one in the HF store here though, so shipping would be $7 more..
As for wood being ready or not with time, that is not always reliable in the PNW. I have some stuff that has been out there for 2 years and it is not "dry" yet. My alder is dry after 8 months, but I want to check it anyway.
As for wood being ready or not with time, that is not always reliable in the PNW. I have some stuff that has been out there for 2 years and it is not "dry" yet. My alder is dry after 8 months, but I want to check it anyway.
So,does the MM make wood "season " faster ? To have properly burning wood is all about planning beforehand . If You CSS your wood with enough time for it to dry properly,a MM is not needed . If You don't , the MM will tell you to wait until the wood is ready to burn .
In short , work towards having the luxury of having decent wood to burn .
All this talk about moisture meter forced my hand! This morning at my local hardware store I had to buy one, a General MM1E. The two ranges are 7-15% and 16-35%. It uses a 10 LED display.
Most of my stacks are between 12 to 15%. Some touched 11%. A real impulse purchase, thanks guys!
Most of my stacks are between 12 to 15%. Some touched 11%. A real impulse purchase, thanks guys!
Ralphie Boy
Minister of Fire
Ok curmudgeon. All I was doing is asking a for a little bit of advice from people that had experience. I am sorry I am not an expert like you, it takes time you know. Your rant against my question is not helpful here, it is not wanted here, when you see a question you do not like because you think we are idiots, you must know that you have the option not to answer it...just skip by it and chalk it up to an idiot asking an idiotic question....someone as experienced as you are must be able to exert a bit of self control by now I would think?!
Or a felt tip penYou know whatr I'm gonna say: "The best device for checking the moisture content of your firewood is a multi-year calendar."
Ralphie Boy
Minister of Fire
Your point being ?
I didn't call you a name ,or insult you . If You took offense , I publicly apologize . Feel better ?
Jack Fate
Feeling the Heat
Now may I open a CAN worms here
I did this a few weeks back,but ask here for details here this is what I was told
readings need to be taken on fresh splits ,read on inside
wood needs to be like room temp not Cold
I have the same model ,instructions don't tell you this, at least the ones I got didn't
cheers
No I do not...every once in a while someone comes across with a holier than thou attitude. That is just not helpful. This site has been awesome and 99.9% of the posters here are truly well meaning people here to help....guess you are just in a bad mood or in that .1%Your point being ?
at the risk of becoming known as a total curmudgeon ..... what's the point of MMs for firewood ? It's either ready ,or it isn't . If Your MM says "nope ,it ain't ready " then what ? Jeez guys , just stack it for 2-3 years and it'll be good .
Curmudgeon rant over
The moisture meter is good for people like me that are in their first year of burning with 2 year stacked wood available, some of which is oak and some of which is locust. Threw the locust in the furnace, and it burned like CRAP. Actually, buffalo chips would have burned better than it, so strike that. It burned horribly, if at all. A moisture meter later, I found out that locust split and stacked since August 2011 still had 37% moisture content. The oak from the same time period had 24% moisture. So, oak it is now. Ran out of my poplar and other crap wood, so I need to burn something that didn't dry in 6 months to a year.
If/when I get 3+ years ahead, I will be more than happy to use the moisture meter for target practice.
Yeah, but before you get on Nixon too much, he has been really helpful on here a lot of times. So, both of you go to your corners and wait until I say you can come back to play. lol
My Boss is a curmudgeonat the risk of becoming known as a total curmudgeon ..... what's the point of MMs for firewood ? It's either ready ,or it isn't . If Your MM says "nope ,it ain't ready " then what ? Jeez guys , just stack it for 2-3 years and it'll be good .
Curmudgeon rant over
Don, I'm not trying to be arrogant . Nor do I think that I'm in any way superior to you . I was just trying to say that firewood takes TIME to season . a MM is useless in that regard .Season Your wood for 2 -3 years ,and you'll be happy ,so will your flue .If I rubbed You the wrong way , I'm sorry . The internet makes it hard to come across the way we intend at times .
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