Sonin Digital Moisture Meter – Accurate Pin Moisture Tester for Wood & Building Materials (50218)

Works okay for the price. I work in the insurance industry estimating water damage claims. It definitely lets you know when there are elevated moisture levels. Cons are that it max's out at 39%, but if it does this you know the wall or floor is very wet. If I was a contractor and did the repair work myself, I would spend the money and get a non-invasive meter without prongs, because often I choose not to use the meter, because I do not want to damage the wall or trim that I want to test. It does work reliably, though.

Excellent little meter to carry in the truck for quick moisture checks. I use it for checking moisture in wood and drywall- mainly after roof leaks, flooded rooms, etc. before starting repair work. The only thing I would change is to have a hard case or delayed press-and-hold power button since the button can pretty easily be pressed accidentally when the meter is in the case. For the money and its intended uses though, its a great buy.

This Sonin Moisture meter works great in telling me how much moisture is in the wood i use in my fireplace.

Haven't really used. Prongs are thick.

I am not saying it is bad, per se, BUT the image is MISLEADING. This is not, as the photo would lead you to believe a pinless moisture detector. The orange part of the device is a cap that you remove to expose the two pins that have to be pushed into the material you wish to measure. Some detectors use a touch technology - THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Pay a little more if you are concerned about appearance inside the house, if using it for firewood-no problem but drywall-a problem. I think the image should show the device ready for use, not in the way it is presented-This is really Amazon's fault.IMHO

This is a nicely packaged, compact unit. The protective orange cap over the pins is a nice touch, but apparently has misled some to think it was a pinless model. I bought it to determine when boards were dry enough (8-12% MC) to make into wooden bows. I have tried it on American Sycamore, Black Walnut, Black Locust, Black Cherry, and Oak, and have never been able to get consistent readings - usually I get variable readings from 0-2%. It does read better on very wet wood (after steam-heating a curve, for example) so it works, but it doesn't work for me. I should have saved my money for a Wagner.Update: After seasoning more prospective bow woods in a humidified shop for a season (took 1-2 gallons/day of water to maintain 42-44%), I'm now able to get readings when the wood is around 10%; much less is probably too dry to use anyway. Sometimes if it is difficult to get a steady reading, it works better if I insert the pins into the wood, then turn on the power. Still would like an expensive, pinless version, but this is working for me as it is.

Inaccurate, by up to 50% over and under. Very flimsy. Compared to a Delmhorst Moisture Check meter.

Purchased this prior to hardwood install. The probes break very easily. Not worth the price!!!