Robert Jones Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 My vehicle was broken in to last week and one of the things stolen was my moisture meter. I had that one for quite some time so figured i would get a consensus on a replacement. I was using the Tramex Moisture Encounter plus. I have always used the non pin type so not sure i really need the "pin" type, but... Basically, just looking for some ideas. Maybe the Tramex is my best bet again, just want to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie R Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 I just got a new Surveymaster (Protimeter BLD5364 SURVEYMASTER Basic Kit) it does both - it has the surface "bulge" and then it has pins. So far I really like it. Got it from HIessentials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles46 Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 My primary moisture meter is an Extech MO260 combination Pin/Pinless Moisture meter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 Do folks think the Protimeter SM is "better" than the Extech? They both do the same thing, but the Extech is approximately $150 cheaper. Reason I ask.....I'm coming up on >23 years on my old Protimeter SM and it's acted strangely a couple times. I'm due for a new device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caryseidner Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 Do folks think the Protimeter SM is "better" than the Extech? They both do the same thing, but the Extech is approximately $150 cheaper. Reason I ask.....I'm coming up on >23 years on my old Protimeter SM and it's acted strangely a couple times. I'm due for a new device. I'm not a fan of Extech, so I "think" it's better...but not $150 better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkenney Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 Do folks think the Protimeter SM is "better" than the Extech? They both do the same thing, but the Extech is approximately $150 cheaper. Reason I ask.....I'm coming up on >23 years on my old Protimeter SM and it's acted strangely a couple times. I'm due for a new device. You may have answered your own question. 25 years is a long time for a piece of test equipment. If you bought the Extech and it lasted 10 years would the value be the same for 150 dollars less. What other test equipment have you seen that wasn't totally outdated, and had been replaced by 'new' models well before 25 years. Extech's MO260 mimics Surveymaster in design, so Protimeter must have done something right to capture that much of the market. Plus for your 150 dollar savings you don't get the deep wall probes, remote pin probes, calibration check, or replacement pins. They do the same thing; well that's the theory, it would be nice if there were some actual specifications for accuracy and such to be compared. Someone is just going to have to buy both and post the side by side comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 I've had a Protimeter SM since 1999. I think it gets the job done in fine fashion. I've experimented with others but Yung - my wife and interior inspector - rejected them within hours. She's better at finding moisture than I am - who am I to dispute her judgment? If you've got the old style SM and you want to sell it let me know, Kurt. Yung seems to like that old boxy style more than the new sleek style and she's been bugging me to get on ebay and find another. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bernhardt Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 The Tramex has more than double the sensitivity then the SM. I use them both. I use the Tramex more often, but under certain conditions I'll use both on the same same area to characterize the depth and breadth of what might going on. I use the SM as a practical manner on tight spots like the corners of window sills. I also usually go for the SM when scanning tile surrounds. Using both I can weed out false positives. The Tramex will detect moisture on the back of a drywall ceiling under certain conditions that the SM can't. Chris, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 I don't think that the newer Protimeter SM's are not the same quality as the ones that were made in Ireland. I think they changed when GE bought them out back in early to mid 2000's. I have one that I bought back in 1996 that is still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Meiland Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 As far as I know, the GE Protimeter stuff won't be repaired by the company. They will replace it if it's still on warranty, or offer to sell you a new one at a slightly reduced price if not. At least that was my experience. My first SM failed barely within the (two year?) warranty period and they simply sent me another. A few months longer and I would have been SOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 As far as I know, the GE Protimeter stuff won't be repaired by the company. They will replace it if it's still on warranty, or offer to sell you a new one at a slightly reduced price if not. At least that was my experience. My first SM failed barely within the (two year?) warranty period and they simply sent me another. A few months longer and I would have been SOL. Yeah, I had the same experience with my first SM. I called them and asked what it would cost to get it repaired. They told me, "It probably needs a new transformer. Send it back and we'll repair it for $125." I thought, "Transformer? That doesn't sound too bad," opened it up and gently disassembled it and found a broken wire at the corner of a transformer the size of a pencil eraser. Took it to the local TV repair shop and they soldered it for $10. In later years when it would break again, I had to re-solder it on my own. Very difficult - the wire is about the thickness of a human hair, or so it seemed. After a while I figured out that Yung was breaking it by constantly slapping it against the wall for her readings. I fixed that, I took some toilet paper and very loosely wadded a piece and placed it where it would be against the transformer and then screwed won the circuit board. That loosely-wadded toilet paper had just enough spring in it to function like a shock absorber and stop that transformer from breaking loose. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 There use to be a moisture meter repair guy in Littleton CO. I think it was called Black Hawk and the guys name was Dennis. I have no idea if they are still around but he repaired a couple of meters for me several years back. If I recall they are a Tramex warranty of sales company but also worked on other brands if they had the parts. They did work on a Demhorst meter and a Wet Wall Detector that fell off a roof onto a asphalt parking lot..... Yep, it was not pretty.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caryseidner Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 BTW, does anyone else have problems with their Protimeter SM sucking juice? A fresh 9V barely lasts 6 uses before the "low battery" indicator pops up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Do folks think the Protimeter SM is "better" than the Extech? They both do the same thing, but the Extech is approximately $150 cheaper. Reason I ask.....I'm coming up on >23 years on my old Protimeter SM and it's acted strangely a couple times. I'm due for a new device. Depending on what it is, I'll spend the money when it comes to buying quality tools. In this case, I don't see where laying out an extra $150.00 for a moisture meter for our purpose, is worth it. It's wet, or it ain't. Does the accuracy of a percent or two matter that much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Meiland Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 BTW, does anyone else have problems with their Protimeter SM sucking juice? A fresh 9V barely lasts 6 uses before the "low battery" indicator pops up. I think it may be a firmware issue, or some other flaw. Put a brand new battery in mine and the battery indicator shows low right away. I've given up trying to return them for one that doesn't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 Do folks think the Protimeter SM is "better" than the Extech? They both do the same thing, but the Extech is approximately $150 cheaper. Reason I ask.....I'm coming up on >23 years on my old Protimeter SM and it's acted strangely a couple times. I'm due for a new device. Depending on what it is, I'll spend the money when it comes to buying quality tools. In this case, I don't see where laying out an extra $150.00 for a moisture meter for our purpose, is worth it. It's wet, or it ain't. Does the accuracy of a percent or two matter that much? It's not so much the percentage veriance but rather the depth the meter can read, the reliability of the meter and how it detects moisture. Many times we can't see or feel the moisture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 BTW, does anyone else have problems with their Protimeter SM sucking juice? A fresh 9V barely lasts 6 uses before the "low battery" indicator pops up. YES! It does not always turn off, so now I flip the battery around when I'm done. It is a hassel, but it saves the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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