The goal of this article is to explore wood moisture meters, a tool used for percentage based moisture measuring in wood. In essence, this tool is used to determine whether the wood is dry enough to be used for specific woodwork, but more on that in the Buyer’s Guide section.
Apart from providing you with Buyer’s Guide, where we will explain the uses of a wood moisture meter and describe the factors you should consider if you decide to obtain one, we will review ten wood moisture meters we consider the best.
We hope this article will help you find new information regarding the wood moisture meter, as well as provide you with sufficient data that will help you choose the one that is best for you.
Best pinless moisture meter Best pin type lcd moisture meter
Shot Descriptions
- General Tools MMD4E Moisture Meter – Inexpensive, ergonomically designed and very easy to use.
- Wagner MMC220 Wood Moisture Meter – Very accurate, sturdy and resistant to high temperatures, easy to use and fit for professional use.
- Protimeter BLD5365 Surveymaster – Dual function measuring, Search & Measure options, versatile, fit for professional use.
- Lignomat Scanner SD Moisture Meter – Dual depth measuring, fit for professional woodworkers (and hobbyists), easy to navigate the different wood-type menu.
- AMPHENOL THERMOMETRICS BLD2000 – The most compact meter, fit for professionals and hobbyists, can measure different building material.
- Dr.meter Digital Wood Moisture Meter – Inexpensive, accurate, featuring simple and easy to use design (2 button system and transparent display).
- Dr.meter Pinless Moisture Meter (Upgraded Version) – Inexpensive, upgraded Dr.meter version (pinless measuring), compact, user-friendly customer service.
- Lambow Wood Moisture Meter – The most inexpensive meter, simple and robust design, fit for measuring firewood moisture levels; accurate.
- Tramex SMP Skipper Plus Moisture Meter – Made for skippers explicitly, able to detect levels of water and saltwater, accurate, sturdy and reliable.
- Wagner Meters MMC205 – Less expensive alternative to the Wagner MMC220 Wood Moisture Meter, fit for hobbyist woodworkers, accurate, robust with easy to use features. Also has species options for accurate measuring.
Quick Comparison Table| Item model | Type | Batteries | Weight | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Tools MMD4E Moisture Meter  Check the price | Pin | Alkaline, 9 volts (included) | 6.4 ounces 0.37 lbs 180 g | 1 Year |
| Wagner MMC220 Wood Moisture Meter  Check the price | Pinless | Alkaline, 9 volts (included) | 6.4 ounces 0.37 lbs 180 g | 7 Year |
| Protimeter BLD5365 Surveymaster  Check the price | Pinless | Alkaline, 9 volts (included) | 19.4 ounces 1.17 lbs 567 g | 2 Year |
| Lignomat Scanner SD Moisture Meter  Check the price | Pinless | Alkaline, 9 volts (not included) | 7.6 ounces 0.47 lbs 215 g | 2 Year |
| AMPHENOL THERMOMETRICS BLD2000  Check the price | Pin | Alkaline, 9 volts (included) | 6.4 ounces 0.37 lbs 180 g | 1 Year |
| Dr.meter Digital Wood Moisture Meter MD812  Check the price | Pin | Alkaline, 9 volts (included) | 6.4 ounces 0.37 lbs 180 g | 1 Year |
| Dr.meter Pinless Moisture Meter MD918  Check the price | Pinless | 3 x 1.5 V AAA Battery (not Included) | 7.2 ounces 0.45 lbs 204 g | 1 Year |
| Lambow Wood Moisture Meter  Check the price | Pin | LR44*3PCS, 9 volts | 3.2 ounces 0.19 lbs 90 g | 1 Year |
| Tramex SMP Skipper Plus Moisture Meter  Check the price | Pinless | PP3 Battery, 9 volts | 12 ounces 0.75 lbs 340 g | 1 Year |
Wagner Meters MMC205 Check the price | Pinless | Alkaline, 9 volts (included) | 6.4 ounces 0.37 lbs 180 g | 7 Year |
Best pinless moisture meter
Wagner MMC220 Wood Moisture Meter
Wagner pinless moisture meter MMC220 is professional wood moisture measure, featuring extended measuring range. It measurement ranges from 5% to 32%. This product is designed for measuring wood explicitly, and cannot be used to measure moisture levels in other building material.
Wagner MMC220 is highly adjustable, featuring several programmable measuring options. As such, it is perfect for measuring all types of wood, from exotic to familiar soft and hardwood.
It is highly accurate, displaying the results on an easy to read display, with 1% offchance. Since it is reliable, it is fit for professional and home use. This isn’t pin type meter: you just put it on the dedicated surface, turn it on, select the wood type and let the machine do its thing.
It can scan up to 0.75 inches in depth, with press/hold feature to freeze the measurement and observe the results. The product comes with 9V battery, instructing manual, as well as with reference manual, which should help you use the product most efficiently.
This one of the best wood moisture meter is sturdy and durable, able to withstand very high temperatures thanks to the well-built protective case. We recommend it to professional woodworkers, wood flooring manufacturers, engineers and those alike.
But, it is expensive and is not able to detect moisture in other building material.
- very accurate moisture measuring ( 5%-30%)
- programmable measuring options for different wood types
- very easy to use
- helpful instruction manual and reference table
- fit for professional use
- can use drywall moisture meter
- expensive
- can’t measure moisture level in other materials