Protimeter Reachmaster Pro: pinless on a telescopic pole

The pole and the wireless head

The handle extends from 69 cm to 114 cm. The sensor head talks to the display wirelessly, so the readout stays in your hand while the head is up on the ceiling or down on the floor. Protimeter frames this as the end of climbing ladders and working on hands and knees, and for a long hallway or a large flat roof that is a genuine time saver.

The package is listed at 2.45 kg and runs on six AA batteries, which are included.

Depth and sensitivity

The stated depth of measurement is up to 12 cm, with the note that it varies with the material being checked. That is far deeper than handheld pinless meters such as the Protimeter Aquant, which lists 20 mm, and it helps pick up water lying under floor finishes or within a ceiling void. Sensitivity is adjustable, so you can turn it down to narrow in on the source once you have found the general wet area, and an audible alarm sounds when readings rise, which is handy when you cannot watch the screen.

Auto shut off saves the batteries if it is left on between rooms.

What it will not do

This is a scanning instrument, not one for exact timber moisture content. There are no pins, the listing does not name the materials it is calibrated for, and there is no mention of an app or data logging. You would normally pair it with a pin meter to confirm readings at the spots it flags.

Compared with the handheld options

The Tramex MEX5 gives dual depth readings, dew point and app reports but needs you within arm's reach of the surface. The Protimeter Aquant BLD5770 is the pocketable pinless choice with Bluetooth logging. The Reachmaster Pro is the only one here built for reach.