Introduction and Summary
Let’s talk about pin and pinless moisture meters today.
My name is Grete Heimerdinger. I’ve been selling moisture meters for 42 years.
Once you have decided that you want to buy a moisture meter, the next decision is
whether you want to buy a pin meter or a pinless meter, or maybe you even want to
buy a meter that does both, pin and pinless.
There are fundamental differences between pin and pinless meters. Both types of meters
have advantages and disadvantages, your choice will depend on the work you do. Are you
mostly working with cut Lumber, flat boards, or flooring? Or do you work with wood with
different thicknesses, different shapes? Are you turning wood or drying your own lumber?
Maybe you want to use the meter also to check out moisture problems in your home.
Pinless Meters Introduction
First, I want to talk about pinless meters. Pinless meters are placed on a flat surface. They not
only measure the surface, they measure moisture in a three-dimensional field underneath the
measuring plates. The plates are usually on the back of the meters. To take a measurement, you
place the instrument on the surface with slight pressure downwards, turn the meter on, and the
moisture content is shown immediately.
Limitations of Pinless Meters
When choosing one of those meters, consider that the material has to be at least as thick as the measuring depth. For example, if the wood is only 1/2″ thick and your meter is set to measure 3/4″
deep, the readings may not be accurate because the material underneath the wood is included in the measurements or there’s not enough material for an accurate moisture percentage. Another consideration is that the meter shows the average moisture within the entire measuring field. It cannot
differentiate if the wood has the same moisture content at the surface and at the core. An indication of 10% could mean an even 10%, or a gradient between 8 and 12% or even more. To measure a moisture gradient, you would need a pin meter with slide hammer, or if your meter has short pins, you can make a fresh cut and measure the end grain.
Pin Meters Introduction
This brings us to talking about pin meters. They measure the electrical resistance in the small area between the two metal pins. Many pin meters have built-in pins, such as the Mini-Lignos.
Advantage of Pin Meters
They’re easy to use. Just push the pins into the wood and instantly the moisture percentage appears. As long as both pins fit into the material, you are not restricted to flat product. You can measure any shape
or form.
Limitations of Built-in Pins
There are applications where the short pins on the hand meters are not sufficient. For instance, if the wood is very dense, or you’re dealing with other hard materials, it could be a challenge to push pins into the material by hand. Also, the built-in pins may not be able to reach where you want to measure. Imagine the core of a 3″ slab, or measuring studs behind a drywall, or measuring lumber in a dry kiln.
Solution-Versatile Attachment of Pin Meters
The solution for all those tasks is using a pin meter with an attachment. You could add the slide hammer electrode E12 to measure deeper and easier. Place the pins on the wood and hammer down. As the pins are driven towards the core, you can take several readings to see if the wood is dry throughout the core. A great tool when drying Lumber.
You could add the inspection electrode E14 and find moisture in corners, behind walls, under baseboards and other places where the built-in pins on a hand meter cannot reach. The electrode D14 can also be used to measure hard materials, even concrete. Or you could install probes and cables in your Kiln then at any time you can check the moisture in the center of the Kiln charge. We also supply cables for in-house monitors of areas which may not be easily accessible. Photo shows monitoring of a crawl space. All these options are open for pin meters.
Multi-functional Meter: Combining Pin, Pinless, and RH Measurement
When choosing between pin and pinless, consider limitations and advantages of both. If you want to have the best of both worlds, choose the Ligno-VersaTec, a pin and pinless meter, and add the accessories you need.
Stay Connected
For more information on Lignomat meter, scan the QR code. If you have a question about which meter to order, call and talk to one of our moisture meter experts. Thanks for watching.