Ahh! That reminds me! I'll have to dig mine out and test the wood that has been seasoning outside for 3 1/2 years. Inquiring minds want to know.
Glad this topic posted. I just received a new meter from Stihl on Friday and was wondering how to check for accuracy. Poke the hands tonight...sweet. Thanks all
I think that just came out wrong and was not meant to be negative or anything. I need to get a moisture meter and will look at the ones at HF. I understand that with the new EPA stoves that dry wood is needed. I have a question, what is the level of moisture that is OK for burning?
Despite the naysayers, I find the MM an inexpensive and helpful tool, especially to those new to wood burning. It is another tool to add to the box. Greg
18-20% is great. Look at eBay and Amazon. I bought mine on Ebay, and cannot remember the price, but was less than HF. This is one tool where cheap is fine. Greg
Kimberly, once you do get a moisture meter, re split some of your splits and test in the middle of the freshly split side. 18 to 20% is fine, but lower is even better in my opinion. I was told at one time 15% or less for my stove, an Englander NC 13, and I have religiously tried to stick to those numbers.
Yes, ma'am .... Great advice ... The newer EPA stoves really like the dryer wood... Besides It's just hard to burn water... But there is always that point of till your ahead, you burn what you got. You just have to clean the pipe a little more often and tinker with the fire a little more often. But when your ahead of the game, you have a lot less to worry about....
I have one that I use mainly for checking moisture in hay before baling it. I pretty much rely on hearing how it "rattles" on the pitch fork, but knowing the exact amount is more reassuring to my crazy horse people customers.... No offense if there are crazy horse people on here.
They're great when you're first getting started, and you need to sort out which wood is ready to burn from the stuff that still needs a little longer. Even if you're already 3 years ahead of the game, it still pays to check once in a while. If there are any undetected factors that are preventing your wood from drying at the expected rate, you'll want to take care of those sooner than later. If I invested 3 years of my time watching oak dry, I'd be mighty pizzed to find out the wood I was finally expecting to burn was wetter than the day I stacked it. I've read many sob stories on here from folks who've rested on their 3 year laurels. Seems to start around this time of year too.
Well Im new at the getting three years ahead thing. Also new to the EPA stoves. I have to admit at being just a little shocked at the moisture content I've been using all these years. I've changed a lot of processes this year. The red oak I split this spring is dryer than the two year oak I have. It pays to have a cheap tool tell you which direction you need to go.
I remember about 4 years ago I was given a small amount of poplar or cottonwood. I'm not sure which one as it was bigger slabs of wood. It was so darn light that I was sure it was good for the stove. I decided to check the mc on the center of a fresh cut split and it read 23%! Due to its lack of density I was mistakenly comparing its weight to some of the denser woods I burn.
I should add. My cheap tool paid for itself in one day. Started this early fall cutting some small dead standing oaks. About 50% were dry enough to use immediately. Why split and stack just to reload and bring it in the house later. Off the wood wagon onto the splitter and down the hatch. I wish they were all like that
I'm with ya, sir. I had recently CSS'd some downed locust, bark was falling off- it had a sorta fresh look inside, but a few test stabs in a 1/2 doz different splits showed same result 19-20% MC... I'll take it!
Same deal here, but I've only got about 3 cords dry. I'll still be ahead of this year already before i get to my ptime woodcutting time right after thanksgiving through memorial day. I've got a mm, a liner, and the insert, but currently my fireplace is in use. Soon enough for me I'll have the insert in. If you really want to have fun with your MM, try it on cake, your hand, a glass of water. Been there done that
I brought home some 20 inch rounds of red oak from a scrounge, split it open and it was reading 18%. It was kind of hard to believe, so, I checked it a lot and used two different moisture meters, it burned real nice that winter
