Wood Moisture Meters

[leftyscott]

Anybody use these???
I've seen them for sale online from abut $20 to $200.

I've always assumed the oak that I split/stacked in winter would be seasoned by next fall.

What I've noticed this year is my 2 year seasoned wood is burning much much better than my 9 month seasoned wood. This has me thinking my more recent wood is not properly seasoned. Typically, I have been cutting down only standing dead trees.

This year, I'm getting much more green wood thanks to the Jan. ice storm. I'm about done cutting for the year, as I have split/stacked 3-4 cords for 2009/2010 burning season.

Ticks get really bad this time of the year.

Thanks,

Lefty Scott

 

[iskiatomic]

Lefty, I cut a standing dead red oak yesterday. When bucking into lengths, chips are coming out DRY. I say perfect. Brought a round down to the house and split it, stabbed it with the moisture meter.......35+! Oak needs lots of time to season. This has been a huge learning year. Hearth.com has taught me many, many lessons.


KC

 

[taxidermist]

I bought the harbor freight cheepie and it works fine. I have cut stacked and dried red oak that was dead let sit for 10 monthe and split a 8" round and bam still 30+ mc Now if you split that 8" round it will be great to burn drys pretty fast.

 

[Bill]

I had a 5x10 trailer loaded with 2 year seasoned wood, had a tarp over the trailer. The wind blew it off one end and the wood got wet from melting snow, and did not burn as good as the same wood under the tarp. So that moisture meter can come in handy for many things. My EPA stove likes wood extremely dry.

 

[Spikem]

Any links to good moisture meters (and good deals on them)?

 

[Bill]

As mentioned above Harbor Freight, it's something you don't use often but comes in real handy, and the price is right, they have them on sale all the time.

 

[b121]

I agree with Smokey

I also have a Harbor Freight mositure meter and it works fine.

 

[sledhead41]

Got hf moisture meter today. Stuck it into Fresh oak no reading. Is the fresh oak to wet to read on meter ?

 

[Gooserider]

Got hf moisture meter today. Stuck it into Fresh oak no reading. Is the fresh oak to wet to read on meter ?

Which HF meter did you get? The one with the LED bar graph display, or the one with the LCD number readout? I have the LED bars unit, and found mine was a bit tricky to get a reading on. You have to really press the pins into the wood a good bit to get a good reading (especially with hardwoods like oak)

It is also best to split the chunk you want the reading on just before testing, as the number that really counts is the moisture in the center of the round - Note that it is quite possible for a round to read nearly zero on the exposed surface, and still be green in the middle.

Lastly, make sure you get the "POST Test" display when you push the read button - My unit has a red LED separate from the bars that should flash, then you should see the bars go from the low end to the high end, stopping at the correct reading - try the low (7-15%) scale first - if that goes all the way up, try the high scale (Note that I find a lot of my wood will register 15% on the low scale and not register at all on the high scale) If you can't get a reading at all, or even if you do, try rubbing a few drops of water (or spit) on the surface of the wood and repeat - that will get me a significantly higher reading - if it doesn't then there may be a problem with the meter...

Gooserider

 

[sledhead41]

I got the LED bars. I tryed it on fresh split, both the bars went all the way up. Meaning the wood is over 35% ? I tryed it on my house siding and get no reading till I spit on the siding , then both bars go all the way up.
Thanks, Don

 

[Gooserider]

I got the LED bars. I tryed it on fresh split, both the bars went all the way up. Meaning the wood is over 35% ? I tryed it on my house siding and get no reading till I spit on the siding , then both bars go all the way up.
Thanks, Don

Yup, that sounds about right, though the siding sounds a bit on the dry side - I would have expected it to be around 8-10% unless you've been having really dry weather lately. If you go off scale on both bars, it means you are over 35% The thing is you have to watch the meter as you take the reading because other than seeing the bars flash there isn't a way to tell over-range from under-range...

Gooserider

 

[sledhead41]

Very dry and 2 foot overhangs. Going to repaint as long as I have time.

 

[gzecc]

I have a cheap moiture meter. You can only use it for a relative reading. Always test on a fresh split (that day). Touch the two prongs to your moist fingers. You should get approx 35%. Touch it to kiln dried lumber, should be about 10%. Touch it to 1yr seasoned oak, should be about 35%. Touch it to fresh cut white ash or black locust and it will be about 30%.

 

[gzecc]

Don't think it matters. It sends an electrical signal through the material.