It seems clear that for the moisture content range examined in this study, the Wagner meter factory calibrations were not very accurate for Georgia Southern yellow pine lumber. Also, the strong correlation found between Wagner meter readings and wood density suggests the large density variation common in Southern pine lumber may require special attention for satisfactorily accurate individual moisture-content readings with the Wagner meter.
However, the improvement in all aspects of Wagner moisture content readings (overall and individual piece) with ``recalibration'' suggests a simple solution to improving usability of the meter may be possible. Additional evaluation at both higher and lower moisture-content levels is necessary to confirm these indications. Also, better evaluation of standard oven-dry moisture-content values is important for clarifying all discrepancies between readings from both Delmhorst and Wagner meters.
Improvements in new resistance and ``electromagnetic'' moisture meters make them much more useful and usable than older models. Built-in calibrations for species, temperature and pin types, as well as large memories, statistical functions and computer connectivity, make them much more likely tools for quality control and trouble shooting.