Author Topic: Recommend affordable moisture meter for logs? (Read 3166 times)

Pord · « **on:** March 02, 2017, 02:22:37 pm »

Hi folks

I recently acquired an admittedly cheap Stihl moisture meter that eats new batteries in minutes and consequently is utterly useless. I'm looking for an alternative, but every option on Amazon seems to come with a significant number of very poor reviews. Does anyone have any recommendations, ideally sub £30? Or is that just an unrealistic price level? It's specifically to monitor the moisture content of my firewood pile as it seasons.

Thanks.

orchard · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2017, 03:39:50 pm »

If you can wait, Aldi sell one that's cheap when they stock it

Womble · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2017, 04:13:19 pm »

We use the red mesh onion bags. Each bag has a few logs in it, plus a label attached that gives its weight, and the date we weighed it. We then track the weight loss over time, and when the bag stops losing weight, we're basically good to go!

Bonzie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2017, 02:20:06 pm »

What a great idea!

chrismahon · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2017, 06:21:51 am »

We bought a cheap meter (£5) from Ebay or Amazon? As yours it flattened the first set of batteries very quickly Pord, but the second set were Duracell and they have been in 4 years now- just tried and they are still OK. Unfortunately there is no manufacturer name on the unit.

Foobar · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2017, 10:11:49 am »

I bought this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003CSNV2Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Been very good. I turn the beep off so as to save batteries.

Terry T · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2017, 06:02:10 pm »

I have been quite happy with my Stihl, batteries have been going a couple of years. Could it be worth sending yours back to see if they'll replace it?

Pord · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2017, 02:20:57 pm »

Thanks for the responses folks. I decided to send my meter back to Stihl. After some arm twisting they sent me a new one. Seems to be working fine, although yet again I had to replace the first set of batteries.

big soft moose · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2017, 11:14:54 am »

I've never metred logs - if its quality hardwood stacked somewhere dry it's generally burnable after about 12/18 months. If its crappy stuff like willow it will take longer

In fact even on the wood being dried for turning ive only ever used a rule of thumb (or by weight on half turned bowls)

Hamish Crofter · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2017, 05:39:55 pm »

I'm a professional chimney sweep and stove installer so have the conversation most days with folk about the importance of ONLY burning seasoned wood.
I'm afraid the truth is that 90% of moisture meters available are very inaccurate, some by as much as 25%. You need to spend upwards of £100 before you will get anything accurate enough to be worth using.
The best thing you can do is chop, split, stack somewhere airy and dry and wait a year, two or three would be even better. At that point they will be in a very good state to burn and you don't need to test them with a moisture meter.

Many people simply don't realise how damaging and dangerous it is to burn damp unseasoned wood.