Looking to get myself a wood moisture meter. Any recommendations on which one? Was just going to pick up a Stihl one. Don’t mind spending out on a good one but nothing too expensive!

Oh and happy new year to everyone.

Regards,

Gareth

I bought a meter off eBay that looks identical to the Stihl one. One of the pins has pushed in and doesn’t register anymore. Crap.
If you’re wanting it for wood you burn I wouldn’t bother. You know if the wood is dry enough with the weight when you pick it up.

Not much help I know.

Happy New Year pal. 🙂

Stack wood this year, burn it next year.

Unless you just want a new gadget, that’s completely understandable!

You can just by looking at wood if it’s dry or not….

or you could try passing a current through the log and then measuring the resistivity. higher moisture = lower resistivity.

hope this helps 😉

I got a cheap stihl-a-like either ebay or amazon, it actually seems to work reasonably well (I have checked by weighing bits of wood over several weeks/months, mass loss is consistent with moisture reduction).

Having said that, I don’t really use it now, it’s usually obvious enough by feel how dry the wood is. And only measures the outside anyway unless you split a piece each time. But having the meter did help to learn the feel of wet/dry wood.

Knock two logs together, you should get a nice note, rather than a dull thud, though I’m not sure whether it’s a D Or C flat.

Got one that came with the stove, not even opened it and put the batteries in it. For burning, I don’t think a cheap one will tell you anything that your senses can’t.

If you are looking for furniture making, you probably want something more expensive or a better timber supplier.

I’ve got one of these. It works fine but if you leave the batteries in they go flat

Thanks all. I’ve been producing firewood for almost twenty years so am pretty competent at seasoning wood. I just thought that I might get one as, like most things, one take it to another level and can become quite a geek!

Happy new year folks,

Gareth

Gareth, ignore the grumpy knowitalls!

They are handy things to have around. My cheap £10 eBay one has been fine. I use it several times a year to test different seasoning techniques. They’re rarely calibrated but for relative analysis they’re fine.

Curiosity got the better of me after I dismantled a holzhausen to see how well it had dried the wood. I bought a Stihl one, they are much smaller than they appear in pics, about the size of a credit card. I’ve been randomly checking the drying rate of of other holzhausens to decide on their optimum shape.

Thanks Stoner and mcmoonter. Like I’ve said I’ve been producing firewood for quite a while but since reading that Lars Mytting book I fancy going a bit more in depth with the whole seasoning process and experimenting with different methods of stacking etc. Slightly spurned on too by recently treating myself to a lovely Wetterlings splitting maul as a leaving present to myself.

G.

I had a cheap one off eBay that was fine until it stopped working for unknown reasons – no idea how accurate it was but as Stoner says, they’re good for relative comparisons.
Sister has just bought a Stihl one which seems very good.
I’m now working at least 12 months in advance of when I need the wood so not bothered with a meter as I know the wood is going to be dry by the time I actually use it.

BTW, MM thanks for the heads up on the Laars Mytting book – got it for crimbo, excellent reading.