searching for a moisture meter and some are not cheap!!

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stanleyjohn

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
506
southcentral Ct
What do others use!I'm looking online and it seems Extech has a good selection!any opinion on these??.I like MO200 model but not sure how common the batteries are.The is a pocket size on model that does moisture and temp that uses triple size batteries.
heres a site that sells these meters,you may find cheaper looking around.

http://www.bosworthinstrument.com/moisturemeter.html
 
Clownfish99 said:
I have this cen tech moisture meter from harbor freight. Including shipping, should be about 20 bucks. Took about 3 weeks to get to me in the winter. Two pin is easier to work with than a 4 pin meter. I'm satisfied with it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96472

Im thinking about that model also!cant beat the price.Just wondering for 20 bucks how good it works!i have seen mixed reports
 
Friend brought one up for me from Harbor Freight. About $12. Works fine. I can't vouch for absolute accuracy but it sure tells me when the wood is too wet to burn.
 
I wouldn't use the Cenn Tech/Harbor Freight model for scientific accuracy. That said, when I put a 22% of less moisture split in the stove, I do not see/hear bubbling/hissing like you do with wet wood. Likewise, most kiln dried stuff reads 7-9 % with this meter. I like the meter because it is a cheap consistent measurement.

Although not fragile, don't drop a split on it.

Well worth the price.
 
stanleyjohn said:
Just wondering for 20 bucks how good it works!

Works well enough for firewood. Going on year 3 with mine.
 
3 years with my centech as well. There was a guy who was going to use continuity as a measure for dryness, never heard from him again? Spend the 20 bucks on the toy and get 20 bucks of fun out of it. You will test it to see how your "babies" are drying and when winter comes you burn what you got.
 
Thanks for all the info!I just ordered the $14.99 yellow cheapie moisture meter from harbor freight.From what some of you here have said about it,i think it will be good enough to get an idea on my woods moisture content.Dont know when ill get it but i presume they will ship ups ground.
 
stanleyjohn said:
Thanks for all the info!I just ordered the $14.99 yellow cheapie moisture meter from harbor freight.From what some of you here have said about it,i think it will be good enough to get an idea on my woods moisture content.Dont know when ill get it but i presume they will ship ups ground.

I just ordered one as well. Thanks for the reviews, everyone.
 
I ordered this same meter last Tuesday (7/29) and received it yesterday (8/5). It's cheap but it seems to work fine. In hind sight, I wish I would have bought the one with the digital readout for $10 more. Either way, I'm satisfied for what I paid.
 
Three in one go. Rockin'.

Use a drill to bore holes for the pins. The meter's reasonably well built, but don't force it.
 
Hope Webmaster dosnt get pissed!All this advertisment and sales and not a dime for him.
 
stanleyjohn said:
Hope Webmaster dosnt get pissed!All this advertisment and sales and not a dime for him.

He likes China. He won't mind. :cheese:
 
Good one Jags
 
stanleyjohn said:
Thanks for all the info!I just ordered the $14.99 yellow cheapie moisture meter from harbor freight.From what some of you here have said about it,i think it will be good enough to get an idea on my woods moisture content.Dont know when ill get it but i presume they will ship ups ground.



Good luck getting it. I ordered the log stacker brackets and a can crusher from Harbor Freight back on July 23. Called them about my order today to find out they dont even have a can crusher in stock and my log stacker brackets are someplace out in the chitty shipping wonderland. Quite frankly Harbor Freight shipping sucks. I had to get a part for a sure fire flashlight. Called sure fire three days ago and it showed up here today. I can say I will never order anything from Harbor Fright again. And dont bother trying to cancel an order ether. The person you talk to will give you some other number to call and the whole thing is just a pain in the a$$. Good luck though.
 
FIREFIGHTER29 said:
Good luck getting it. I ordered the log stacker brackets and a can crusher from Harbor Freight back on July 23. Called them about my order today to find out they dont even have a can crusher in stock and my log stacker brackets are someplace out in the chitty shipping wonderland. Quiet frankly Harbor Freight shipping sucks. I had to get a part for a sure fire flashlight. Called sure fire three days ago and it showed up here today. I can say I will never order anything from Harbor Fright again. And dont bother trying to cancel an order ether. The person you talk to will give you some other number to call and the whole thing is just a pain in the a$$. Good luck though.

<spitting beer in computer screen>

"chitty shipping wonderland"

freaking funny!
 
when drilling the holes, should the hole resonably match the pin size or can it be a little bigger?
 
Here's hoping we all slide through the “chitty shipping wonderland” .

I ordered one also.
 
FIREFIGHTER29 said:
stanleyjohn said:
Thanks for all the info!I just ordered the $14.99 yellow cheapie moisture meter from harbor freight.From what some of you here have said about it,i think it will be good enough to get an idea on my woods moisture content.Dont know when ill get it but i presume they will ship ups ground.



Good luck getting it. I ordered the log stacker brackets and a can crusher from Harbor Freight back on July 23. Called them about my order today to find out they dont even have a can crusher in stock and my log stacker brackets are someplace out in the chitty shipping wonderland. Quite frankly Harbor Freight shipping sucks. I had to get a part for a sure fire flashlight. Called sure fire three days ago and it showed up here today. I can say I will never order anything from Harbor Fright again. And dont bother trying to cancel an order ether. The person you talk to will give you some other number to call and the whole thing is just a pain in the a$$. Good luck though.

I just checked my order online!Says it shipped aug 7.Im crossing my fingers.Just rechecked!They are using smart post by fedx which means the good old US mail will be delivering it to me.
 
But honestly, when you guys get those meters, they are handy little contraptions. I think the first week I had mine, I split an eighth of my wood supply just to see what it read VS how seasoned I thought the wood was. You all will be surprised at what you see. I didnt drill holes, I just split it again.
 
Suppose I might consider a Harbor Freight type meter if I had to buy again, but years ago I bought I Wagner meter that you just slide over the wood, no pins, no forcing, no drilling. Test the ends, sides, whatever in a flash. It reads about 2" into the wood. A pin meter just reads to the depth of and between the pins. BTW, surface can be 15 and interior of a larger split easily can be 35

I bought this for my personal lumber work, as I harvest my own trees, use a Woodmizer to saw them into lumber, dry them in a solar dry kiln I made, plane the lumber, and then either sell it or use it, anything from construction to finish to fine furniture lumber.
 
GunSeth said:
stanleyjohn said:
Thanks for all the info!I just ordered the $14.99 yellow cheapie moisture meter from harbor freight.From what some of you here have said about it,i think it will be good enough to get an idea on my woods moisture content.Dont know when ill get it but i presume they will ship ups ground.

I just ordered one as well. Thanks for the reviews, everyone.

Well, I got mine this past weekend, but the wires that the battery attaches to were not connected to the meter. I've e-mailed Harbor Freight to get a return label; I hope it's not too much of a pain to get a replacement unit.
 
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