# Moisture meter



## jlnel (Sep 5, 2013)

Is this a good meter? in looking for using on pen blanks and small stuff.

General Tools Non-Invasive Moisture Meter, Model MMD5NP

- See more at: http://m.woodcraft.com/Product/2081543/31422/General-Tools-Non-Invasive-Moisture-Meter-Model-MMD5NP.aspx#sthash.OPScgJR6.dpuf


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## Mike1950 (Sep 5, 2013)

I have that meter- it works for me. I think you can get it a LOT cheaper


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## eaglea1 (Sep 5, 2013)

You can get them at Home Depot , here's the link
http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-Non-Invasive-Digital-Moisture-Meter-with-LCD-Display-MMD5NP/100651804


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## Mike1950 (Sep 5, 2013)

Sorry- I have the pinned one that looks just the same.


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## rdnkmedic (Sep 5, 2013)

I have the one with pins also. Works for me. Not sure how accurate it is but if you read a piece at 25% then 3 weeks later its at 12% I think you can assume that half the moisture is gone. I read the wood in several places and average the readings. When I get through drying a piece and my hands tell me it's dry, the meter confirms it. 

I think mine was like $35 at HD.


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## sprucegum (Sep 5, 2013)

Same one I have it seems to be pretty rugged I have pushed it pretty hard and have not broken it. They are 30 bucks on Amazon.
Woops I am wrong that one is $50.


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## Cody Killgore (Sep 5, 2013)

I have the pin version of that one too. I bought it at Lowes for $29. It works good but since it uses pins, it only reads as far as you shove the pins in there. I have had pieces read 18% or so on the outside, then when I check it with my pinless Lignomat 3/4" deep, it's 35%+. I end up using both pin meter and pinless to check each other. But I would say, for the price, the pin meter is a great deal. May not matter much if you are only checking small pieces such as pen blanks.

With the pinless lignomat sd, you really need a piece of wood that's flat and about 2" x 2-3" for the scanners to fully fit over the wood and for it to read properly. I can't speak for other pinless meters but that is something to keep in mind. I can't really check pen blanks with the pinless unless I put two or three pen blanks of the same wood together, but then you really don't know how accurate it is at that point.


*Edit:* Just looked at the pinless meter you linked on amazon and it is getting really bad reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-MMD5NP-Pinless-Moisture/dp/B001CXG7H4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Might want to stick with the pin meter or get a higher quality pinless.


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## del schisler (Sep 6, 2013)

jlnel said:


> Is this a good meter? in looking for using on pen blanks and small stuff.
> 
> General Tools Non-Invasive Moisture Meter, Model MMD5NP
> 
> - See more at: http://m.woodcraft.com/Product/2081543/31422/General-Tools-Non-Invasive-Moisture-Meter-Model-MMD5NP.aspx#sthash.OPScgJR6.dpuf



i bought that same meter when the first came out from low's for $9.95 , than the price just keep going up, now that is just a bit to much now ? use a couple of brad nail's and drive into the wood instead of the pin's on the meter, the meter pin's will break , drive the nail's into the wood than touch the pin's on the meter to the nail's , saves the pin's on the meter,


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## HomeBody (Sep 13, 2013)

I bought one that had a remote lead...the pins were on a block with a foot of wire to the meter box. The wire was as thin as hair and it failed. China 1, Me 0. Don't buy one with a wire! Gary


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## SDB777 (Sep 13, 2013)

I'll jump on the model from HomeDepot....it works pretty good, but it'll eat the 9v battery, unless you remove it.
Downside....if you reading the moisture levels on just the outside of the piece, you'll never really know how dry something is(or isn't). I typically will have a 'sacrificial' piece that I cut at the same time(usually a tad thick) that I can cut open and check the insides with the moisture meter....


Scott (pretty decent for the monies) B


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## jimmyjames (Sep 13, 2013)

del schisler said:


> jlnel said:
> 
> 
> > Is this a good meter? in looking for using on pen blanks and small stuff.
> ...



That's the method I use as well, the pins are only held in the meter with plastic and are fragile, the only thing different I do is remove the nail and insert the pins into those holes.


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