Lignomat Mini-Ligno S/D - Pin Moisture Meter & Tester for Construction, Maintenance, Flooring, Water Damage - Humidity Detection & Moisture Meter for Wood, Wall, Drywall & Firewood

Been using since the 80's

I bought this meter for two reasons: to test firewood before burning and to test wood for my furniture-building hobby. At one it excels and at the other it seems to be useless.For testing wood destined for furniture or other fine woodworing, this little meter shines. It seems to be very accurate and is well-built and very sturdy. The two sets of pins allow accurate testing of most woods. The only (minor) downside here is the necessity of using the included cheat-sheet to adjust for different wood species, which is easy to do.Forget about testing firewood, unless you happen to keep your wood indoors in a climate-controlled space. The first problem is the temperature correction. I don't know about anyone else, but most of my firewood is burned when it's really cold (below freezing) outside. This meter cannot compensate for such low temperatures. The second issue involves the tendency of wood stored outside to absorb moisture in the end-grain. I was able to overcome this by sawing random samples in half just before testing, but I still had to bring them inside and up to room temperature before testing. I burn 7-8 cords of wood each season in my whole-house wood stove, so this is just not practical, and I am not willing to store my firewood indoors.(I have not yet had a need to try this meter on concrete, or other building materials, so my review does not cover that feature.)Bottom line: This well-built meter is well worth the money (in fact it's a bargain!) for woodworking or similar uses. If anyone has advice for using it with firewood, I'd love to hear your suggestions!

This meter works just as advertised. It is easy to push the pins into the wood and change the pins to the longer ones which are included. The reading is bright and clear. Instructions are basic but complete. The construction is robust although I'm not tramping around the wilderness with this unit.I had 2 cheap (one harbor freight - one other off ebay) and should of listened to the old adage - you get what you pay for. The hf unit is junk and the ebay unit stopped working after a few months. Now if mother nature would only speed up the wood I've got drying....

Arrived with a dead battery installed.

I have been using a friend's Delmhorst J-LITE 6% to 30% Pin LED Wood Moisture Meter for a while now, and basically love it. The case is kind of big to lug around, and it is frustrating that the percentage shows up for less than a second, because the only way I know to document a reading is to photograph the meter in action. It takes perfect timing and multiple tries to get a photo of the reading on the J-Lite.I ordered the Mini-Ligno S/D because of the improved portability (it fits easily in a jacket pocket and the cap covers the probes and the switch), its ability to read the moisture in drywall/gypsum, and the slightly lower price.The Mini-Ligno feels lighter and more cheaply made, but I will wait and see if there are any durability issues. I like that the percentage stays displayed for as long as you leave the meter in the wood, for easy photographing or demonstration in a meeting.They both got the same readings in multiple tests.The winner? Hard to say, but the Mini-Ligno is easier to carry, so I will use it more than I used the J-Lite.

I bought the Lignomat mini-Ligno S/D to measure moisture content of hardwood flooring and for general woodworking. It seems easy to use. The included 9V battery was dead, manufactured over three years ago and now several months past its expiration date.

I will have more info by the end of January. But so far, I was testing wood, dry and not dry. Seems to be accurateenough and the price is correct.I'm not a pro of wood, but I've tested the pine I've receive, the "marapolan" (exotic wood here in Honduras) I intend to buy, I've tested a variety of "just cut" caoba, very nice wood for building guitars. All was withing the range of what to expect. I even try it on a wooden bed in an hotel, which should be dry by the time.Just look carefully for the longer pin inside the instrument. It took me quite a while to finde them. But, they are there, don't worry.Why not 5 stars....I will see with the delivery of the wood I've just purchased.

This unit is poorly designed because the circuit board pops out of the case when the battery is changed. It must be reinstalled very carefully, making sure to fit a tiny wire spring below a plastic tab, or the unit will not work. The unit does not provide any instructions for this procedure.