A moisture meter is a measuring tool used to assess the water content of a wooden material before using them for various projects. Monitoring the moisture in wood can help prevent structural issues and decay, as well as reduce the risk of molds.

Basically, moisture meters work based on the principle that the electrical conductivity or capacitance of wood changes along with its moisture content. These meters use probes or sensors to measure these changes and provide an accurate reading.

Types of Moisture Meters

There are two main types of moisture meters for wood: 

• Pin-Type Meters: These have two metal pins or probes that are inserted into the wood to measure moisture content at specific depths. They tend to provide more accurate readings but may leave small holes in the material.
• Pin-less (Pin-Free) Meters: These meters use electromagnetic waves to measure moisture content without damaging the wood’s surface. They are non-invasive but may provide slightly less precise readings.

Features and Functions

Here are some of the features and functions of moisture meters:

• Moisture Content Display: The tool displays the moisture content in percentages.
• Species Corrections: Some advanced models allow users to select the type of wood species being measured, as different woods have varying innate moisture content.
• Temperature Compensation: Some meters compensate for temperature variations to provide more accurate readings.
• Data Logging: High-end moisture meters may have the ability to log and store moisture readings for later analysis.

Buying A Moisture Meter

Here are some of the best-selling moisture meters on top e-commerce platform Amazon (in no specific order):

• Pin-Type
  • MMD4E Digital Moisture Meter by General Tools
  • Wood Moisture Detector by Giant Viking
  • Proster Wood Moisture Detector
  • MT18 Moisture Detector by RDINSCOS

• Pin-less
  • MT-28 Moisture Meter by RDINSCOS
  • Orion 930 by Wagner Meters
  • ET140 Moisture Meter by Klein Tools
  • Wood Moisture Detector by Povlen