Moisture meters

[CS Bespoke Furniture]

Anyone recommend a good moisture meter for around the £20 mark. Won't be using it a huge amount but need it to be fairly accurate.

Any advice appreciated

Thanks
Chris

 

[custard]

I've heard that the budget "bang in the spikes" type are the ones to get. The non damaging, "lay them on the board" moisture meters cost a lot before they're accurate. Or so I've been told!

Good luck!

 

[porker]

I think you have to pay a fair bit for accuracy with moisture meters. I have a cheap one I used when I first got a log burner but in reality it only gives an indication. It's the type with two metal prongs. They basically measure resistance and the relationship with moisture content has a lot of variables including wood species. This is the one I got. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003CSNV2Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Paul200]

+1 for the budget spikey ones. I've got something called a 'DM1100' http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/29185916 ... pla&crdt=0 which was recommended by a surveyor who, in his own words, used to waste his money on the same thing with a big name on it.

 

[John15]

I have one of the cheap 2 prong ones and while it's probably not that accurate, it is consistent. So what I do is check the moisture of a couple of pieces of furniture in the house, then check the piece of wood I intend to use. If the reading is similar to the house furniture then I know it's OK to use or if it's quite a bit higher then I know to leave it another week or two.
Hope that's logical!!

John

 

[Alexfn]

I also have the Brennenstuhl ive found it very good. None of these ones that measure resistance are very accurate but they give you a good indication

 

[Doug B]

Picked one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/35180187 ... 2394849761 up last week at the merchants for a little less than this listing price, tried it out on known pieces of wood in the shop & was surprised to see it read roughly what I expected, it also gave consistent readings on quite a few off cuts of a recent project.

 

[thetyreman]

Picked one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/35180187 ... 2394849761 up last week at the merchants for a little less than this listing price, tried it out on known pieces of wood in the shop & was surprised to see it read roughly what I expected, it also gave consistent readings on quite a few off cuts of a recent project.

thanks, I've been looking for a cheapo one to get me started.

 

[n0legs]

When I retired my Protimeter I found I still needed a meter, but wasn't paying big again.
I got myself one of these and I can honestly say it's money well spent:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stanley-Intel ... SwWTRW1HTI

 

[owsnap]

+1 for the budget spikey ones. I've got something called a 'DM1100' http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/29185916 ... pla&crdt=0 which was recommended by a surveyor who, in his own words, used to waste his money on the same thing with a big name on it.

do not get these, I got the same exact one for a bit under £5 , it lasted about a month... cheap nasty tat.

I now got this one, it's pretty solid, just the complete oposite of that nasty little yellow thing.
http://www.everbuying.net/product1199962.html