Delmhorst J-LITE 6% to 30% Pin LED Wood Moisture Meter

If you have read the excellent book "Understanding Wood" by Bruce Hoadley you know why you need a moisture meter. Wood expands or contracts depending on ambient moisture levels. Mr. Hoadley shows you how to calculate how much your wood will "move" in response to this, but to do so you must first know the initial moisture level in your wood. (The calculations are not complicated, by the way.) If you are installing siding, laying down a wood floor, building furniture, determining how much the wall height of your new log cabin will change, or simply verifying your toilet gasket is not leaking, a wood meter can help. Even construction carpenters can make use of this gadget - for example to determine how much a newly framed building will shrink, which can be useful when applying siding, especially if it is more than a single story. The uses are limited only by your knowledge or wood, and your applications. I've owned the Delmhorst J-lite for about 2-1/2 years, and am very pleased with it. Although I use it less than I thought I would, most every time I do use it, it pays for itself all over again. For example, last year I installed $1,400 worth of pine board inside my house. Measuring the moisture of the existing interior wood, then comparing it to the moisture of the pine, it was easy to see that the pine would contract after installation (and using Hoadley's formula, to compute the magnitude of the changes - in this case the wood was more moist than the existing wood in my house, so I knew that it was going to shrink by about 1/16, so I took care to jamb the tongue and groove planks tightly together. Had the situation been the reverse, I would have left a slight gap between the planks.) Installing flooring, a moisture meter allows you know exactly when your wood planks have acclimated to the moisture in your home. There are many rules of thumb for this ranging from a few weeks to months, but this is unnecessary (and sometimes quite absurd) if your planks arrive at the correct moisture level to begin with. Back to the Delmhorst. What I like about it is: o it is sturdy, and well built o the readouts are reasonably simple and easy to understand. o the battery lasts a very long time. o comes with a spare set of pins, which I have not yet needed to use. o fits the hand well, comfortable. o comes in a nice blow molded plastic case o provides a chart to correct for particular species and temperature, but this is typically not necessary unless you are a stickler for extreme accuracy. o can test more than just wood by giving a relative reading on plywood, OSB, MDF etc (that is to say the percentage reading may not be correct, but if you compare the OSB in your bathroom floor to another OSB sample it will show you which is wetter/dryer, which can be quite useful). The only negative that I can think of is that it requires a 9 volt battery. It could be a little more convenient if it took AA batteries. In conclusion, this is a well made meter, seems to give accurate and consistent results. It's usefulness depends on your willingness to learn about wood and it's reaction to moisture.

I do woodworking projects building furniture for all my family members in my woodshop during the colder months of Indiana winter. I also harvest and kiln dry my own lumber. I was intially going to buy a less expensive ($60) moisture tester---but reading other's comments convinced me that Delmhorst is a credible company that puts quality even in their lower cost units. I despise purchasing something that works good for a few months and then the electronics simply quit operating, even if it's still under warranty. So I made the decision to purchase the J-lite and have been completely satisfied with the operations of it since purchase. The design is simple to operate, and seems very consistent in reading moisture content. It's a good little unit for the woodworker that is serious about producing quality woodcraft, but doesn't do it everyday. Even if you purchase the material for your projects, this is an essential tool when buying the wood---not all "kiln dried" wood is the same. Good product.

After borrowing a couple of moisture meters I realized I needed my own. After talking with my son and searching on-line I decided on this one. It works as advertised and the battery has held up well. The sensing points are sturdy and the reading is easy to see and appears to be accurate. I would recommend this product and - oh yes - the price was fair.

An excellent and simple moisture meter, works great although the range is limited range. However it is good enough at a very reasonable price.

Product didn't work. Returning it.

I am a painting contractor that needed help determining if wood siding was dry enough to hold paint. This product has helped me nonitor moisture content and predetermine opportunity for a successful paint job.

The owners manual within was very brief. Very few wood species listed as covered. Had to go online for this information which was OK.

I am installer of hardwood flooring. and always need to keep a moisture meter, this product is not expensive and perfect to use for me. thanks seller

I tested three different moisture levels of wood. All were rough cut 1x6 spruce lumber. First was dryed in a basement with a dehumidifier and fan on the wood for three weeks Second was dried outdoors in a shed with a fan for three weeks. Third was one week after sawn, sitting in a shed. All three showed a different moisture level on this device, as would be expected/hoped for. I like this tool.