Harbor Freight Dial or Digital Caliper

[JazzBlueRT]

Has anyone bought or used the HF dial or digital calipers? My daughter needs one for her robotics classes.

 

[jdewitt]

The $10 HF digital calipers work fine, at least for my purposes. Be wary of wrong measurements when the batteries get low, or so I’ve heard. They are probably fine for a beginners calipers, and she can get something better when the need arises.

 

[RAYJAY]

bought this on off of amazon works really good its a iGaging IP54 Electronic Digital Caliper 0-6"

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQEZ2W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[gearhead1]

FYI - The HF digital will go through batteries. There’s a thread on here about it.

Obviously the dial caliper wont eat batteries...

 

[jmarkwolf]

I've got both the HF digital calipers and micrometers and they both work amazingly well. Bought them "just for fun" when I read that others liked them. I check them periodically with gauge blocks and they are both spot on.

Neither are as smooth as my Mitutoyo tools. But I have no qualms about keeping and using them in the garage shop or the hangar.

 

[Boilerhouse]

Not a HF, but I have a cheap chinesium digital. Seems to work well enough, obviously not a Starrett. Strangely, it is not at all hard on batteries, I have gone through 2 in maybe 8 years, and it came with a spare LOL. Only complaint is the display doesn't show when it is cold, but once the shop heats to 60 ish, it works fine.

 

[Citation]

Digital is the way to go. Much easier for those who didn't learn dials and much easier when you need to do relative measurements. I no longer recommend the HF calipers in general but my reasons may not apply here. The older versions of these generic China calipers had surprisingly decent build quality, similar to the igaging calipers suggested above. Only the poor battery life was a concern. Near 10 years back I needed a pair of calipers so I grabbed a set from HF figuring they would be the same as my previous China set. Nope. The machining was much cruder (and the price dropped from $20 to $10).

The machine of the jaws, especially the ID jaws is just too crude anymore. If your only other option were Mitutoyos then I would say accept it. With the very nice igaging calipers that do fractions for not much more money I would go with those. Some of the generic China ones probably still have good finish but it's impossible to tell from pictures.

That said, given the context of where these will be used, the HF is probably fine but get a multi pack of batteries of Amazon for a few bucks.

BTW, the igaging includes a lithium battery and lasts MUCH longer.

 

[Indexmill]

For a newbie, go digital. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a dozen asian brands of calipers all of which will be essentially accurate and will do the job. More money buys a Name, longer battery life, serviceability and smoothness; none of which a newbie needs for one class. If she decides to make a living in robotics, then buy her a pair of Mitutoyos for graduation.

 

[Clcartagena89]

I am in the robotics field. Never have to use a caliper, or rarely do. don't spend a ton of money on one!.

 

[Citation]

I am in the robotics field. Never have to use a caliper, or rarely do. don't spend a ton of money on one!.

For the class I agree but as someone who has also worked in robotics, I did use my calipers frequently. Since I wasn't producing results that would go to the regulators mine were not certified as in calibration. Still, in development/prototyping I used them frequently though the differences between HF and Mitutoyos would rarely have mattered. In the free cases it would have (typically when measuring wire/tube diameters) micrometers were used.

 

[Rabid Badger]

bought this on off of amazon works really good its a iGaging IP54 Electronic Digital Caliper 0-6"

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQEZ2W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Another vote for the iGaging. For $10 more than the HF calipers it's a no-brainer.

 

[bob15]

Even if you buy digital, I would recommend teaching her how to read dial calipers. There is always the chance she might need to use the old fashioned version. There are still jobs/usages out there where using the dial-type would be preferred or easier to use.

 

[4xdog]

Even if you buy digital, I would recommend teaching her how to read dial calipers. There is always the chance she might need to use the old fashioned version. There are still jobs/usages out there where using the dial-type would be preferred or easier to use.

It's also a useful skill to know how to read a vernier scale. An old vernier caliper and micrometer in my "precision" drawer still get used.

 

[matt_i]

Digital also has the advantage of switching inch/mm when this is important.

 

[finn]

I have one of each. Not a machinist, but they are both fine for general use. Others covered the advantages of the digital. No battery issues with mine, but they are over ten years old and the design may have changed over time.

It would be advantageous for her to learn how to read the non digital, as well as a micrometer.

 

[DFB]

I also have a digital calipers, though mine didn't come thru HF either and in most respects similar to the Pittsburgh 6 inch. Has auto shutoff... on with switch or by moving the blade. Always been happy with it. Works fine as long as you have a good battery (I just bought 3 new ones myself) and consistently matches my digital micrometer readings when I compare them.



I also see there are two different 6 " ones on the web page so take note of that. Not sure what the difference is on them besides the $1.00 regular price
Besides the usual $9.99 coupon on the 6 inch, and I have flipped a bunch of those, there is is also a current coupon for $10 off the 8" version

 

[royesses]

Igaging absolute digitals are more expensive but orders of magnitude higher in quality and accuracy. They don't eat batteries and the caliper jaws are machined straight and parallel so you don't get different readings depending on where on the jaws you are measuring. HF are good for scribing lines. Mitutoyo if you want 2 to 3 year battery life and .001 accuracy over the full 6" range mine check out dead on using standards and gauge blocks. Also Shars Aventor absolute brand are excellent at lower cost.

Roy

 

[Ign]

It's kinda like asking manual or automatic transmission.

Is she hard on stuff? If she can care for analogs I'd do that all day long. But the racks are subject to intrusion and then all hell breaks lose. I survived my first year of school on some Japanese Kanon analogs.

Plus learning to read analogs is a good skill to have. I'm sure 60 years ago machinists were saying the same thing about venier - but screw venier unless you don't value your eyesight.

If she's hard on stuff and careless just buy her digitals and a pack of batteries, and make sure she knows how to set the Origin once she's loaded a new batt

 

[danielbuck]

I use them as beater calipers. they work well for the price.

 

[JazzBlueRT]

Even if you buy digital, I would recommend teaching her how to read dial calipers. There is always the chance she might need to use the old fashioned version. There are still jobs/usages out there where using the dial-type would be preferred or easier to use.

She told me needs a dial caliper. I will buy her both.

 

[JazzBlueRT]

It's kinda like asking manual or automatic transmission.

Is she hard on stuff? If she can care for analogs I'd do that all day long. But the racks are subject to intrusion and then all hell breaks lose. I survived my first year of school on some Japanese Kanon analogs.

Plus learning to read analogs is a good skill to have. I'm sure 60 years ago machinists were saying the same thing about venier - but screw venier unless you don't value your eyesight.

If she's hard on stuff and careless just buy her digitals and a pack of batteries, and make sure she knows how to set the Origin once she's loaded a new batt

She is very responsible and takes care of stuff. She told me the dial caliper is required.

I though it was for her robotics team, but it is for her HS engineering classes.

 

[dogdog]

FYI - The HF digital will go through batteries. There’s a thread on here about it.

Obviously the dial caliper wont eat batteries...

I have both. their digital caliper, and the digital dial no battery issues though...

that digital angle gauge does drain the CR2032 batteries ...

maybe it's the batch of those things...

The calipers are great for general use... just might not to the .0001 of inch but will work better than my eye balls...

 

[dogdog]

She told me needs a dial caliper. I will buy her both.

... dial caliper is just a analog caliper with a dial... digital one is just a digital readout in numbers... For high school students learning, I say an analog one will be better for learning...

Don't get confuse with the dial indicator...

 

[bwringer]

I've got both the HF digital calipers and micrometers and they both work amazingly well. Bought them "just for fun" when I read that others liked them. I check them periodically with gauge blocks and they are both spot on.

Neither are as smooth as my Mitutoyo tools. But I have no qualms about keeping and using them in the garage shop or the hangar.

Same here. They work great, just remove the batteries if it's going to be more than a few days between uses, and keep a few spare batteries around.

Fantastic value for 1/10 the price.

 

[RAYJAY]

FYI - The HF digital will go through batteries. There’s a thread on here about it.

Obviously the dial caliper wont eat batteries...

battery's are cheap any more rather us a digital than a dial any more

 

[JazzBlueRT]

I got her this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FRGF1Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[royesses]

I got her this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FRGF1Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Good choice. She will love it.

Roy

 

[dogdog]

They are not using metric?

LOL OP is not in Canada....