Your favorite moisture meter and temp gage/probe

Hi Guys
Was thinking about a new thread just for your input an moisture meters, temp gauges, temperature probes, for stove top, on the flue, in the flue or anything that would go in this category.
What's your favorite brand?
Where you bought it?
Price?
Accuracy?
What to stay away from?
Maybe even make it a sticky for a one stop shopping ?

What do you think?
Thanks
TimK

 

If there is already a thread on this subject can you point me there

 

My moisture meter is the General Tools model from Lowes. See http://www.lowes.com/pd_36_0__?productId=3136919

I don't use it any longer so you're free to have it.

Probe thermometers are the most accurate for stove pipe temps. The coil type stove top thermometers from Woodstock are highly regarded for stove top temps. See this page for both (scroll down a bit): http://store.woodstove.com/home.php?cat=298

 

I think most of the surface temp gauges can vary a lot from gauge to gauge, even between exact same model/manufacturer. They can also be affected greatly by airflow, the stovetop gauge on my 30 reads about 150 low when the blower is on. I use the gauges only as a rough idea/quick glance, but have gotten used to knowing what the reading really is as compared to an IR gun. IR guns are so cheap and accurate it seems silly not to have one.

 

I picked up the gun style Harbor Freight IR thermometer last Saturday for around $20 on sale with the extra 20% off coupon. I checked it on boiling water and it read 213 and it goes up to 1000 degrees. That's accurate enough for my needs.

 

Exactly. How does the IR gun compare to your gauges?

I would like to know if there is a probe type available for single wall pipe. I have heard many times that the surface temp on single wall is roughly 1/2 the gas temp, someone must have measured that at some point to make that generalization. How can you measure gas temp on single wall?

 

I have:
General MM from Lowes- I've bent the probes trying to stab it full depth into oak and straightened them many times. They'll eventually break.
General IR from Lowes/Woodstock stove top/Lowes stove top(Imperial?)- All very close to one another.

 

PTC surface gauge and Tempoint Bacharach flue probe.. Both of my stoves use these gauges.

 

do you leave the temp probe in the flue all the time?

 

Yes, the probes stay in both stoves all the time... Easy to see the needle from across the room.. Plus the probe can be calibrated in boiling water..

 

Can you use that probe meter on single wall?

 

Yes you can use it on a single wall as well... Here's where I first use one of these probes , on my single wall pipe on my Paxo 60 gasification boiler.. They are dead nuts accurate and you can also check them by simply putting the probe in boiling water, should read 212 degrees. If nit you can adjust the probe to read correctly.. BrianK just brought one on here and said he tested as new in boiling water and it was right on.. What ever works for you...

 

I'm confused. I thought a magnetic surface temp thermometer reads about half what the actual gas temp is on single wall.

 

Are you confused? a magnet mount and a probe will not be the same temperature

 

I bought one of those to, because the other one I had only went to 625

 

I have a general tools moisture meter and a harbor freight, moisture meter.
They read the same, but I like the harbor freight because it powers up fast and fits in pocket nice