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PCE moisture meter

1K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  mmwood_1 
#1 ·
After reading through many pages and reviews, etc, I chose to buy a PCE-PMI 2 moisture meter. I'm wondering if anybody here has experience with their meters?
 
#2 ·
I normally buy KD lumber. If I suspect that the wood wasn't dried properly I'll check with a moisture meter. Mine is a "General" brand that one of the kids got me for $10 from Lowes.

Is the meter accurate? I have no clue. However what I do is to check a piece of lumber that has been in the shop for a while. Then I check the suspect piece. If they are within a couple of tenths, all is cool. If not, then I'll let the suspect piece reach equilibrium in the shop.

The meter has probably been used 2 or 3 times in a dozen years. I've since learned that the number doesn't mean as much as equilibrium.
 
#4 ·
Just trying to save you money. Let the wood that you buy sit in the shop for 3-4 weeks. Unless it was very green the KD wood should have reached equilibrium.

If you are a turner, you may need the meter.

Also what I was trying to say is that the numbers are far less than equilibrium.
 
#5 ·
Well, I've done without a moisture meter for the 27 years that I have been a professional woodworker. I have chosen to get one now for various reasons, I was not seeking opinions on whether or not to get one. I also don't really think that your experience with a $10 General meter is anything to judge by.



Anyway, I asked a very specific question because I was really trying to avoid having to read through irrelevant responses. Alas, it never works.
 
#8 ·
I hope you’ll come back and let us know how that meter works. I had been looking at non-destructive meters for a while, but even the pricey ones didn’t reach deeper than 3/4 or so and that’s not useful on a 3” square turning blank. Not only that, but the first 3/4 of an inch is likely to be drier than the middle.

Anyway, I hope it works out. Please keep us posted.
 
#12 ·
Thanks! It is my 'claim to fame'. A photo of it from my website went viral, years ago, and it's been seen and shared by millions of people. I get emails from all over the world about it. It's been featured in 3 magazines, 2 online and 1 in print. The thing is, the beautiful side photo that went viral causes almost everyone to think it is a bench.
 
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