Orion 950 moister meter loaded with features

When wood moisture monitoring calls for sophisticated technology, the Orion 950 Smart Pinless Wood Moisture Meter from Wagner meters is a top of the line device made to give dependable results, according to the company.

The 950 has a variety of new features including dual depth measurement, a temperature/relative humidity sensor, equilibrium moisture content (EMC) calculation, on-demand field calibration, and Bluetooth capability.

“Having a meter like this with multiple depth modes really allows you to see if the core of a thicker slab is still wet even if the surface is dry, and you can get the feel whether you want to work with it or not,” says Wagner’s vice president, Eric Wagner.

The EMC calculation feature determines when wood has reached its equilibrium with the environment and will no longer gain or lose moisture, making it ready for installation or fabrication. This reading can benefit a woodworking shop in several ways by establishing a threshold the material should remain at, according to Wagner.

“Let’s say a woodshop is building a nice a conference room table for around $5,000 to $10,000. They would want to have a conversation with the customer that wood is a living breathing material that absorbs and releases moisture, and if they want it to last a long time, they will keep it at a certain humidity and temperature based on the EMC calculation,” he says.

“This allows a shop to not get a call back from an angry customer as well as differentiate themselves in that this is another range of service they’re providing.”

Every meter is shipped with a calibration block. The Orion 950 starts at $479.

For more, visit www.wagnermeters.com. 

This article originally appeared in the April 2020 issue.