cheap moisture meter at big box store?

[Echatham]

i was at the big blue home impovement store yesterday getting some sandpaper and stuff... and i seen a moisture meter for $30.  I know when i was looking to buy one for bowmaking i was looking at $100+.  this one had a resolution of + or - 0.1%   and an accuracy of + or - 3% on wood.  it was advertised as a tool to determine if the wood in your basement would mould.  that accuracy doesn't seem like it would fit the needs of a bowyer..... what do you guys think? pass on it?   wish i could find it on the website but its not showing up.

[Roy from Pa]

Buy the best and only cry once:)

[Troy D. Breeding]

  Good one "minus "T"

[wood carver 2]

Roy's right. I bought one that cost less than $30 and it doesn't seem very accurate.
Dave.

[Echatham]

what's a "good" model i can put on my wish list?

[kennym]

This one?

 http://www.lowes.com/pd_78059-56005-MMD4E_0__?productId=3136919&cm_mmc=SCE_gps-_-gps-_-gps-_-3136919&CAWELAID=1024196475#BVRRWidgetID

Gets good reviews looks like, but it would be nice to test against a ligno.....

[Roy from Pa]

I have the Ligno...

[Echatham]

Kenny i think thats it.

[Eric Krewson]

If you get really hooked on this bow making stuff and plan to be in it for the long haul I would get off my wallet and get a Wagner pinless meter. Much more accurate as they read deeply into the wood instead of just  giving a surface reading like a pin type meter.

I bought a Wagner pinless 17 years ago, it served me well until last year when it started giving me inaccurate readings. For 100 bucks Wagner made it like new again.

These things are pricey but worth it in the long run.

  http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-MMC205-Shopline-Pinless-Moisture/dp/B000063XI7/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1368795749&sr=8-6&keywords=moisture+meter+wagner   run

[Roy from Pa]

Ouch, Eric:)

[Eric Krewson]

I did a little checking and found a Ryobi pinless moisture meter cost less than $40 so they can be had cheaply but........I did a little more checking and found the Ryobi moisture meter is a piece of crap. Again you get what you pay for.

[Robertfishes]

I have 2 meters a Extech pinless meter and the same meter kennyM posted a link to above above, I just checked a  2 x 6 x24 piece of Goncalo Alves ..the pinless was 8.8% and the pin meter read 8.4% this piece of wood has been stored in my house in A/C or heat for 3 years. I know Eric has a lot of experience with drying wood and what ever meter he has is a good one for what he is doing. I hear the Ligno meter is also a very good one for bow building. I really should have a better meter. If you buy a riser block from a well known vendor like KennyM, OMC, Rosewood or Binghams Then it should be ready to go. I always assumed that the vendors have checked the MC of the board before they cut it into riser blocks. I have bought 8/4 boards from online wood suppliers (that are not bowyers) that were said to be kiln dried.. some had up to 50% MC and some were 6-8%.,.I only buy blocks from Bowyer suppliers now or in person at a supplier and I take both of my meters with me

[BigJim]

You must be careful when buying wood. Very few suppliers will admit to owning a moisture meter so they can simply claim that it has been drying for a while with out having to lie to you.

Very few moisture meters will test the majority of exotic woods available and for the ones that do test them, you will need there adjustment numbers.
The wagner is nice but is still limited to wood of specific gravities  of .30 - .70  (bocote, cocobolo, all ebonies, osage, ironwoods, purple heart, and goncalo alves are all over .70 and can't be acurately read with this.) can be difficult to know for sure unless you have the history of the wood.
Ligno has a list of woods and there numbers of adjustment for there meters. not even they have all the numbers either.
Best of luck, BigJim

[George Tsoukalas]

You want a meter that will give you a range of at least 5-15%. I have the Ligno and have used it for many years. It has pins and gives only a surface reading.

To get inner reading I just work the wood and use the meter.

 As I work the wood from removing the bark right down to the first stringing, I check the readings. When I get a reading that is too high, I stop and let the wood dry.

Jawge

[Eric Krewson]

My Wagner came with a conversion table for just about all woods, not just woods in the 30-70 specific gravity range.

[Robertfishes]

the Extech Pinless meter I have has a material table that came with it. after you turn it on you chose a number 1 thru 9. some examples are...eastern cedar is a #4, Koa is a #5,  hickory and pecan are a #7 , rosewood is a #8. I wish there was a way to to compare my meter against a "know standard" like I do with my lab equipment.