MMD4E Digital Moisture Meter, Water Leak Detector, Moisture Tester, Pin Type, Backlit LCD Display With Audible and Visual High-Medium-Low Moisture Content Alerts, Grays

We were getting hardwood floors installed - or so we thought - when the installers notified us that they could not do the installation because the wood in our house had acclimated to 6.4% moisture and our subfloors were at 12.8% moisture. The installer found a leak in our water softener line which we got fixed the next day. Unfortunately, we had no way of knowing (ourselves) when to call the installer back. Hence, we purchased this meter. As far as we know, it works great. We aren't too concerned with the overall accuracy of the instrument, +/- 3% is just fine for us as we're looking to compare the difference between two materials in our home (assuming the error is consistent between those readings). The resolution of the meter is 0.1%. Other things you might want to know: - It comes with it's own 9v battery. - It measures wood between 5 - 50% and 1.5 - 33% for other building materials. - It has a hold feature which allows you to save the current reading so you don't have to keep the meter jammed in the material you are measuring. - It beeps to let you know when it is done measuring. (Although, you can turn this off. We did accidentally and then figured out how to put it back on. We don't know why, but it has 8 different tones from which you can select.) - It has a toggle button between measuring wood and concrete (or other building materials). - The instruction manual is easy to read and follow. They come in English, French, and Spanish. - It uses a two pin system to measure the electrical resistance of the material between the two pins. This is then calibrated against moisture content to give you the reading as a percentage. This means that it will make two small pin holes in the wood you are trying to measure. Therefore, if you are concerned about the holes, consider a "pinless" moisture meter, which are much more expensive. The instruction manual lists other uses such as testing the moisture content of powders (for any scientists out there who need to measure such things for making standard solutions from scratch) and to test the dryness of a wall or furniture before painting or finishing. It also shows instructions for how to track down a leak using the meter. There's a funny picture in the instructions with the caption "be careful not to hurt your hands on the pins." Although, I did "test" the moisture content of my husband's leg. Don't worry, I didn't draw blood. Overall, for the price, the features, and the product functionality (so far), I would say this is a great buy. Also, we got it shipped quickly via Amazon.com. It arrived two days after we purchased it. Yay! UPDATE (7/31/2010): The pins broke when we were testing some brazilian walnut - one of the hardest woods out there. But I read in the instruction manual that pins were replaceable. I emailed General Tools through their website and got a quick email back. Less than a week later, I had two new prongs FOR FREE in my mailbox. Customer Service was AMAZING! The replacement prongs are much better than the ones that came with the meter. The new ones are shaped like little cones and have worked great on the harder woods.

Works great always split wood to get accurate reading. Comes with extra probes.

It seemed to work ok but when I got my house tested by a professional the results were very different. I was easy to use however, you do have to make holes in the wall. Its battery life seemed good as well as calibration capability. I would only use if I was a professional. Otherwise do not waste your time.

This Pin Type Moisture Meter is great! The size is comfortable and with just two features for testing WOOD or BLDG (Building Materials) this is very easy to use without over complicating it. 9V Battery was included!! The owners manual is available online at the manufacturer's website. Humidity will effect results which can vary depending on where you live. Overall, I approve this tool. Great value!!

This moisture meter has been extremely helpful and easy to use. I used it to check different areas near the wall and floor, and it provided clear and consistent readings. You can immediately see the moisture level on the screen, which makes it very convenient for quick inspections. The device feels solid and well made. It responds quickly and gives accurate results, which is especially useful for detecting hidden moisture problems before they turn into bigger issues. I like that it has different indicators, so it’s easy to understand whether the moisture level is low, medium, or high. Overall, this is a very practical tool for homeowners. It helped me better understand the condition of my floors and walls, and I’m glad I had it on hand. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who wants a reliable and easy-to-use moisture detector.

Worked great to detect any moisture in our hike prior to purchasing

I sure was glad to get this meter at an affordable price. It has several functions and is easy to use.

So, a nice device but some caveats. In order to get the 'factory approved' read you MUST push the pins into the wood "all the way" (yes, about a good 1/3 of an inch) or it simply isn't the devices best read. Now for those who cannot get that full insertion General makes the MMD7NP which does mostly the same thing without pins! Less overall effort. Not an issue into, say, drywall but you will find 'hard firewood' (read, long burning) can be difficult to obtain full insertion (and REMEMBER these comments, instructions are direct from a live factory rep)... suggested testing methods of, as an example, firewood is to split it open so you can measure internal and external (and the internal that I measured on a piece of firewood was about 20% while the skin or bark fully inserted was 7.5%... so big difference and maybe enough to cause the wood to start easy and then die out? As most have commented there is NO included manual, factory notes that is on purpose and suggests obtaining it from their website as a PDF. This is a simple device and there is one page of instructions on the site however for inclusiveness sake the 'other languages' make up many more, perhaps why they stopped printing. Fabricated woods or building materials should be easy to test, soft woods firewood would also be agreeable but 'real hardwood' will be more difficult to pin test or 'rip' and test both internal and outer regions for dryness. The device can withstand some real pressure to "insert" but don't twist or bend while inserting, the results are broken pins and no reading.

It's the best from all th meters available in market

Easy to use with timber

I bought this gauge mostly to check if firewood is dry enough to use in our wood heater. It works great for that purpose, but it seems the manufacturer designed it to show if construction materials are dry enough to use without risk of mold occurring. I expect it would work well for that as it is easy to use and easy to read the display. An added bonus in this price range is the calibration contacts in the cap. You can check it before you use it, to make sure it is reading accurately.

Very useful and we found something not new damage in the wall we can’t see it but with this we discover it .

Excelente artículo y servicio. Muy fácil de usar.