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Accessories => Gadgets and Gizmos => Topic started by: Meatball on February 02, 2017, 07:55:57 PM

Title: Moisture meter
Post by: Meatball on February 02, 2017, 07:55:57 PM
Can anyone recommend a good moisture meter?  Thanks!
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: old sarge on February 02, 2017, 11:02:02 PM
Did a search of prior posts and some folks were talking about the DR. moisture meter from Amazon doing a good job at a reasonable price. Here is a link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008V6I840?psc=1&redirect=true&ref%5F=oh%5Faui%5Fdetailpage%5Fo07%5Fs00&pldnSite=1
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: Meatball on February 03, 2017, 01:24:59 AM
Did a search of prior posts and some folks were talking about the DR. moisture meter from Amazon doing a good job at a reasonable price. Here is a link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008V6I840?psc=1&redirect=true&ref%5F=oh%5Faui%5Fdetailpage%5Fo07%5Fs00&pldnSite=1
Thank you sir.... will look into it
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: LarryD on February 03, 2017, 01:27:03 PM
Clicked through as I have a $25 amazon gift card and wouldn't mind having one.  However, I then noticed that it says it measures 5% to 40% even though the picture shows 3%.  I hate discrepancies like that... they make me not trust a product.
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: Meatball on February 03, 2017, 05:16:41 PM
Clicked through as I have a $25 amazon gift card and wouldn't mind having one.  However, I then noticed that it says it measures 5% to 40% even though the picture shows 3%.  I hate discrepancies like that... they make me not trust a product.
Larry... I agree 100 percent! All the more reason to do the homework before buying. Its the little things that come back to bite you in the end....   I am speaking from experience.
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: old sarge on February 05, 2017, 05:32:02 PM
I just ordered the Extech MM050 and will compare it to the General MMD4E that I have been using.
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: Meatball on February 05, 2017, 06:54:55 PM
I just ordered the Extech MM050 and will compare it to the General MMD4E that I have been using.
I have had good luck with Extech hydrometers in my cigar humidors in my house.
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: old sarge on February 09, 2017, 07:35:59 PM
The Extech arrived today.  In the hand it feels better than the General; maybe because of the rubbery panels on it.  The pins are a tad shorter than those on the General and fatter/stouter which will mean a lesser degree of wood penetration but so minuscule as to be negligible.  Pin separation on the General is a tad greater on the General.  The Extech screen is black and white with large digits; the General has a green screen and the digits are a little smaller. Readings on a large piece of hickory were identical between the two meters. I do have to say that the General penetrated the hickory easier than the Extech as the pins are narrower.  I was in the local Lowes the other day and they had an older model General with yellow side panels mixed in with the newer models..  I don't know if they are a hard plastic or a more grippy rubber. So the older model may still be available. Is the Extech worth the price difference? For me it was. As I said above, it feels better in the hand. 

UPDATE:  So I had dinner and tinkered with both meters.  The pins are interchangeable between the two meters with no apparent reading difference. It is dark outside and the General is definitely easier to read being back lit .  The Extech is not back lit, at least not to an appreciable degree, if any.  Plus 1 for the General. The pins on the General (and now on the Extech) do penetrate the wood much easier so that the reading is from a slightly deeper portion of the wood while the Extech standard pins are rather difficult to push in.  Plus 2 for the General (tied if you have slimmer pins to swap out). Both meters have a board in the cover for calibration.  As purchased, the nod goes to General for pin penetration ease and screen visibility in the dark.  Extech feels better in the hand which is a silly reason to buy something that is used only periodically. Not so sure now that the price difference was worth it. Such is life.
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: Meatball on February 09, 2017, 11:29:50 PM
Thank you sir for the update. Appreciate It!!!
Title: Re: Moisture meter
Post by: old sarge on February 23, 2017, 09:00:26 PM
One final update regarding the Exotech 050.  There are no replacement pins made for it.  When you wear out the two sets it comes with, you throw the meter away.  That from their tech support rep.