moisture reader
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Well, I would reflexively say "no". China = cheaply made (typically) and you are likely to be buying another one in short order. Plus, these are not that accurate - the resistance of different wood types varies a lot, and these cheap moisture meters are not going to give you a very accurate reading over different types of wood species.
There is a sticky at the top of this forum for using an ohmmeter/multimeter instead to determine moisture content. I would always recommend this method instead, but that is just me - others will have different opinions. A multimeter is apt to be more useful for other tasks as well.
There is a sticky at the top of this forum for using an ohmmeter/multimeter instead to determine moisture content. I would always recommend this method instead, but that is just me - others will have different opinions. A multimeter is apt to be more useful for other tasks as well.
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
newburner
Burning Hunk
Granted, I have little experience burning wood but I have the Lowes general too. I'm not sure how accurate it is but I'll say this..
If it reads 25% or more, the wood won't burn. If it reads 24% or less, the wood burns. I guess that's all I need to know!
If it reads 25% or more, the wood won't burn. If it reads 24% or less, the wood burns. I guess that's all I need to know!
Excavator
Feeling the Heat
It will burn above 24% and make a mess in the chimney but will burn. I have 2 of the Harbor Freight meters and they work rather well if you keep good batteries in it
newburner
Burning Hunk
All moisture meters do is measure the resistance across the pins and this take some very simple circuitry. Since there is no extra circuitry they can add that distinguishes one type of wood from another, there is no reason the more expensive meters should be any more accurate then the cheap ones, however it can sometimes take a fair amount of pressure to stick the pins in the wood so it usually better to get one that is very sturdy and can hold up to the forces that are sometimes applied to it. This is what I believe is usually the difference between a cheap meter and a more expensive meter. That being said, I have encountered many products that sell cheaply made tools or devices with inflated prices, and people often get lured into paying more thinking they are getting a better product simply because they are paying an above average price. This is where pier reviews come in handy when buying products.
As far as the accuracy of these meters is concerned, they really don't have to be super accurate. Most are well within 2 or 3 % give or take and that is plenty if accurate for our purposes. You can get huge inaccuracy by not splitting the wood and measuring the freshly split face. Also there will always be a fairly large degree of variance between splits on the bottom, middle, and top of the stack, as well as wood that comes from branches or bottom of the truck of the trees.
What you are looking for is an overall average, not an exact number.
As far as the accuracy of these meters is concerned, they really don't have to be super accurate. Most are well within 2 or 3 % give or take and that is plenty if accurate for our purposes. You can get huge inaccuracy by not splitting the wood and measuring the freshly split face. Also there will always be a fairly large degree of variance between splits on the bottom, middle, and top of the stack, as well as wood that comes from branches or bottom of the truck of the trees.
What you are looking for is an overall average, not an exact number.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
I paid about US$35 for mine. I am sure it says MiC on it somewhere. After one year I have a pretty good idea what my spruce splits will measure without the meter. I have enough different varieties of birch up here that I am sometimes surprised by those.
If i were to move somewhere new, especially back east where they have all those different varieties of wood, I would certainly keep a MM around. Other cues are very very useful to the experienced burner: does it ring like a bowling pin or a sandbag? Is there checking and splitting? What color is it? What does it smell like? Is the bark peeling or fallen off? All these are useful, but species specific.
I don't worry too much about correcting the meter for wood species. If I see 16% per gizmo I know my wood is going to burn well. However, temperature correction I do not ignore. If I carry in a split when it has been below zero for a week I know it has to thaw out before the MM reading has any meaning at all.
If i were to move somewhere new, especially back east where they have all those different varieties of wood, I would certainly keep a MM around. Other cues are very very useful to the experienced burner: does it ring like a bowling pin or a sandbag? Is there checking and splitting? What color is it? What does it smell like? Is the bark peeling or fallen off? All these are useful, but species specific.
I don't worry too much about correcting the meter for wood species. If I see 16% per gizmo I know my wood is going to burn well. However, temperature correction I do not ignore. If I carry in a split when it has been below zero for a week I know it has to thaw out before the MM reading has any meaning at all.
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