DIY/Hobbyist Digital Caliper Recommendations
- Thread starter Raymond_B
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alcorelli
Well-known member
The issue I have with the cheap calipers, is that the batteries die if you leave them installed. They also turn themselves on with the slightest movement most times.
I have one on the lathe and one on the mill for rough use. The accuracy is not bad.
I have none of these issues with any of my Mitutoyo or Starter calipers. Those are just too nice to keep out on the machines.
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I have one on the lathe and one on the mill for rough use. The accuracy is not bad.
I have none of these issues with any of my Mitutoyo or Starter calipers. Those are just too nice to keep out on the machines.
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dnschmidt
Well-known member
The one and the only Mitutoyo. Buy once cry once. For about $100 they will last forever.
Ilikeike
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I found this to be true with the cheapo ones myself, and frustrating.
I just took delivery of a Mitutoyo 0-4" last week.$125 from McMaster Carr
paulsomlo
Well-known member
The only thing I might be inclined to recommend on a quality scale between HF and Mitutoyo, would be SPI.
Ign
Well-known member
This. The cheap ones kill the display but never actually power off. I'd go basic Mitutoyos or, OP, can you deal with dial calipers? If you always leave them closed (to protect the rack) and face-down (or in a case I guess) they'll last a long time, and basic import dials are cheap. Buy a couple and if you trash a rack, scrap it and move on.
Incidentally, I've now moved primarily to the Mitutoyo solars and even though they cost more I don't have to worry about batteries. Ever. They power on in the slightest of light -- not finicky or picky like solar calculators.
Ign
Well-known member
Here's some AWD Mits (the prices don't appear to be astonishingly cheaper than retail):
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/offer-l...p_twister_redir?ie=UTF8&qid=1600717842&sr=8-1
Also knock-offs are a very real thing here, so on places like eBay (and I found some on wish.com for $29 via Google), if the price seems too good to be true, walk away. The fakes also pull the battery down even when not in use per studies done by people who have researched this in the past.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/offer-l...p_twister_redir?ie=UTF8&qid=1600717842&sr=8-1
Also knock-offs are a very real thing here, so on places like eBay (and I found some on wish.com for $29 via Google), if the price seems too good to be true, walk away. The fakes also pull the battery down even when not in use per studies done by people who have researched this in the past.
I thought I could build a rocket with the hf.
You've all made me doubt.
How isn't it fitting your needs?
Repeatability?
What does a homeowner do in frequently where 'better' would be needed?
If used infrequently popping out the battery shouldn't be an awful experience.
Maybe I'm slighting myself is why I ask.
Might be something bad I'm not understand ding about the hf.
You've all made me doubt.
How isn't it fitting your needs?
Repeatability?
What does a homeowner do in frequently where 'better' would be needed?
If used infrequently popping out the battery shouldn't be an awful experience.
Maybe I'm slighting myself is why I ask.
Might be something bad I'm not understand ding about the hf.
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iGaging are really good budget calipers.
These are the two different models I would suggest
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AQEZ2W/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00INL0BTS/?tag=atomicindus08-20
The $30 set does is not an absolute position model. However, the battery life is several years (based on having these in a lab). The large battery is probably why they last so long.
The $40 set is basically a copy of the Mitutoyo measuring system now that the patent has expired. It also has several years of battery life (again first hand experience) and uses a larger coin cell.
Both of these are machined to standards that are equal to the Starrett calipers I've used. They aren't quite as smooth as Mitutoyos but the delta isn't functional. For hobby use these are excellent alternatives to the premium stuff.
The best options... if you can wait, ST-Industries digital calipers. They are actual Mitutoyos sold by ST-Indutries. They are older model Mitutoyos (perhaps late 90s) but I picked up a NIB set for something like $30.
These are the two different models I would suggest
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AQEZ2W/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00INL0BTS/?tag=atomicindus08-20
The $30 set does is not an absolute position model. However, the battery life is several years (based on having these in a lab). The large battery is probably why they last so long.
The $40 set is basically a copy of the Mitutoyo measuring system now that the patent has expired. It also has several years of battery life (again first hand experience) and uses a larger coin cell.
Both of these are machined to standards that are equal to the Starrett calipers I've used. They aren't quite as smooth as Mitutoyos but the delta isn't functional. For hobby use these are excellent alternatives to the premium stuff.
The best options... if you can wait, ST-Industries digital calipers. They are actual Mitutoyos sold by ST-Indutries. They are older model Mitutoyos (perhaps late 90s) but I picked up a NIB set for something like $30.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I second iGaging for DIY !
Stooge
Well-known member
Fowler has some good ones for not terribly expensive, along with they're moderately expensive ones. i work in a test and measurement calibration laboratory, and we use Fowler's as much as we use Mitutoyo's, and the Fowler's are included in all of our field service engineers' kits. For home/ shop use, i have a Mitutoyo, a fowler and a no name brand, ( i want to say General?) that gets left out on the table for quick checks and i dont have to worry about it getting messed up because it was probably $12
Tinner
Well-known member
Fowler has some good moderately priced tools. I have used the 12" premium dial calipers for about a dozen years. I also have their mini digital protractor. Lots of Fowler tools in use where I work. They always calibrate and last.
Not a fan of iGaging. Rough feel and high failure rate. Better tools available for around the same money.
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Not all of Fowler's models at top stuff, but in our opinion these are the best per $ spent. Have taken direct hits from 5" diameter steel stock coming out of jaws being loosened on the lathe and kept working for 4 more years of daily use with a cracked screen. It's all we use here now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5HKUCK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5HKUCK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I have Mitutoyo calipers both at the shop and at home. They are the industry standard for a reason. They're just really nice calipers for a very fair price.
Why would I want cheap **** at home? Its not like good calipers are expensive. We're talking $100 or less.
Threads like these bring out a strange part of this board.
I don't understand why if someone says "hobbyist" or "DIY" folks automatically assume they mean "cheap or inexpensive".
Somehow, we've intermingled DIY with "low budget". When I DIY something, I want the best I can get my hands on. I HATE using cheap tools. Just because I'm not making my living with something I can't use the good one? When did this become the norm in thinking?
If we look at tools as a hobby, which some here do, it doesn't seem to line up with typical hobby spending. Guys will spend THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS on electronics, guns, tractors, classic cars, collectibles, golf, bicycles, and who knows what else for their hobbies, but we somehow assume they're unwilling to spend more than a harbor freight budget on their tools?
When I shop for my hobbies, I get the nicest things I can afford in that area. If it is something I enjoy that much, then I want the good stuff.
If you truly can't afford something, then that's one thing. I don't think anyone is saying you should choose between tools and your light bill. But if you're just being cheap for no reason, well I have no comprehension of that.
It just seems weird on a board of tool collectors and enthusiasts we have such a large amount of people who constantly recommend getting the cheapest thing you can get away with.
If you use your tools even more than just occasionally, I would want at least average to "good" stuff for the vast majority of your collection and really spend the money on stuff you'll use more often. You don't need to buy the best of the best for everything, but if the good stuff isn't a hard get, why not get that?
The price difference between some very mediocre calipers and some very nice calipers is only like, $50. That seems like a very easy sell to me.
Why would I want cheap **** at home? Its not like good calipers are expensive. We're talking $100 or less.
Threads like these bring out a strange part of this board.
I don't understand why if someone says "hobbyist" or "DIY" folks automatically assume they mean "cheap or inexpensive".
Somehow, we've intermingled DIY with "low budget". When I DIY something, I want the best I can get my hands on. I HATE using cheap tools. Just because I'm not making my living with something I can't use the good one? When did this become the norm in thinking?
If we look at tools as a hobby, which some here do, it doesn't seem to line up with typical hobby spending. Guys will spend THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS on electronics, guns, tractors, classic cars, collectibles, golf, bicycles, and who knows what else for their hobbies, but we somehow assume they're unwilling to spend more than a harbor freight budget on their tools?
When I shop for my hobbies, I get the nicest things I can afford in that area. If it is something I enjoy that much, then I want the good stuff.
If you truly can't afford something, then that's one thing. I don't think anyone is saying you should choose between tools and your light bill. But if you're just being cheap for no reason, well I have no comprehension of that.
It just seems weird on a board of tool collectors and enthusiasts we have such a large amount of people who constantly recommend getting the cheapest thing you can get away with.
If you use your tools even more than just occasionally, I would want at least average to "good" stuff for the vast majority of your collection and really spend the money on stuff you'll use more often. You don't need to buy the best of the best for everything, but if the good stuff isn't a hard get, why not get that?
The price difference between some very mediocre calipers and some very nice calipers is only like, $50. That seems like a very easy sell to me.
jg4660
Well-known member
Dont let the HF ones scare you...ive had a set i use for reloading and they've been great.
JG
JG
bushmechanic
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American Locomotive
Well-known member
I have a pair of HF calipers at home, and at my old job we pretty much exclusively used Mitutoyo.
Here's the advantage of Mitutoyo:
- Far smoother action and better feel. The HF calipers feel crunchy and cheap in comparison
- Batteries last forever. You'll probably get just about 2 years out of an SR44 in a Mitutoyo caliper. You have to remember to take the battery out of the HF when you're done, or it'll kill it in a matter of weeks.
- Repeatability. Since the HF calipers are kind of crunchy and floppy, they don't repeat very well. They're fine if you're using them as a "precision measuring tape", but I don't like them if you're actually trying to take a reasonably precise measurement of something. I've checked the same dimension 3x with my HF and gotten a pretty different number each time (like 2-3 thou different each time), where as the mitutoyo will pretty much repeat perfectly every time.
We had a Fowler in the maintenance office, and it was fine. Midway between the HF and the Mitutoyo.
I don't have any machining equipment setup at home, so I really don't use my calipers very often. Mainly just for checking the thickness of sheet metal or diameter of screws - so the HF calipers are "okay". Once I get a bit more serious, I'll be getting Mitutoyos.
Here's the advantage of Mitutoyo:
- Far smoother action and better feel. The HF calipers feel crunchy and cheap in comparison
- Batteries last forever. You'll probably get just about 2 years out of an SR44 in a Mitutoyo caliper. You have to remember to take the battery out of the HF when you're done, or it'll kill it in a matter of weeks.
- Repeatability. Since the HF calipers are kind of crunchy and floppy, they don't repeat very well. They're fine if you're using them as a "precision measuring tape", but I don't like them if you're actually trying to take a reasonably precise measurement of something. I've checked the same dimension 3x with my HF and gotten a pretty different number each time (like 2-3 thou different each time), where as the mitutoyo will pretty much repeat perfectly every time.
We had a Fowler in the maintenance office, and it was fine. Midway between the HF and the Mitutoyo.
I don't have any machining equipment setup at home, so I really don't use my calipers very often. Mainly just for checking the thickness of sheet metal or diameter of screws - so the HF calipers are "okay". Once I get a bit more serious, I'll be getting Mitutoyos.
Don1357
Well-known member
Why do you need a digital one? My Fowler dial caliper is good to .001 of an inch. It will never need a battery nor die because a battery decided to self destroy on it.
dthor68
Well-known member
I am very happy with my igauging.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
Dial calipers are great if you work in a clean environment. Dirt and metal chips will destroy the rack gears and cause them to skip/jump numbers.
Funny, I have a 10 year old Mastercraft one that was all of $20 from Canadian Tire...still on the original battery and still works perfectly fine. It's perfectly reliable and unless I absolutely needed critical accuracy, it serves the purpose...I'm sure it keeps within a thou
DerekV
Well-known member
Don1357
Well-known member
I take it you have never held a Fowler or similar caliper? the solid stainless steel construction could probably eat sand for breakfast while maintaining the .001 accuracy.
Not to mention that mishandling of a tool is not the tool's fault. If you are using a high precision instrument while metal chips are flying you are doing it wrong; wait for the dust to settle
I'm pretty harsh with my tools and yet if I'm in need of that level of precision I can slow down enough to pull the caliper out of its pouch, use it, and put it back.DerekV
Well-known member
A got an SPI pair as a gift 10+ years ago and they’ve been great. I’m honestly very pleased with them...haven’t felt the need to upgrade to Mitutoyo, which to me says a lot since that’s what I’d buy with my own money. I’ve only replaced the battery 4 times I think?
Really pretty good calipers
American Locomotive
Well-known member
I've held everything from no-name dial calipers to Starretts to beautiful swiss-made Brown & Sharpes. If you get sand or dirt in the rack, the pinion will skip and your measurement will be off. There is no away around it.I take it you have never held a Fowler or similar caliper? the solid stainless steel construction could probably eat sand for breakfast while maintaining the .001 accuracy.
Not to mention that mishandling of a tool is not the tool's fault. If you are using a high precision instrument while metal chips are flying you are doing it wrong; wait for the dust to settle
They're great tools in the right setting, but there are much better options for a set of general shop calipers. Digital ones are far superior in that regard. Shoot, I'd probably rather have a vernier than a dial caliper for general shop use. If I'm under the back of a dirty rusty Jeep, measuring shims to set-up a rear axle - I'm not going to be using dial calipers, that's for sure.
Don1357
Well-known member
We'll agree to disagree. My work area can be a mess at times, yet I use mine often (reloading) and never managed to get a single grain of sand on it. Basically if you have a need for that level of accuracy you treat the tool with that level of care. Heck I'm not that careful and my Fowler stand a solid chance to outlive me.
Mitutoyo Digitals are probably the gold standard here. The Starrett 799 Series are definitely less common but still widely used in environments requiring NIST traceable calibration. In Mil/Aero I don't think you'll find much else in use.
I recommend keeping your HF/Cheap calipers around for dirty work. Good calipers are for bench work.
I still use dials most often because I just like the feel of the action better.
I recommend keeping your HF/Cheap calipers around for dirty work. Good calipers are for bench work.
I still use dials most often because I just like the feel of the action better.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I take it you have never held a Fowler or similar caliper? the solid stainless steel construction could probably eat sand for breakfast while maintaining the .001 accuracy.
Not to mention that mishandling of a tool is not the tool's fault. If you are using a high precision instrument while metal chips are flying you are doing it wrong; wait for the dust to settle
Dial calipers can and will get debris in the rack no matter how careful you are. You clearly haven’t used yours in a machine shop.
Eventually it WILL happen if you use it outside of a clean inspection room.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
Exactly. I really enjoy using dial calipers. As 908jim mentioned, they have a really nice action/feel to them and are satisfying to use.
But for general rough-and-tumble shop measurements, they just don't hold up. Calipers are a very useful general shop tool for quickly checking dimensions of things like nuts, bolts, washers, drilled holes, sheet metal thickness and more. Not just "precision" work. I'm not going to completely disassemble a machine and clean every part just to check the thickness of the sheet metal.
That's where digital calipers shine. They can take a lot of abuse and get piled up with dirt and grime and still work just fine.
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cmandp
Well-known member
For general use at home I bought these iGaging ones from Amazon.
They are noticeably better quality than HF or other cheap ~$15 calipers. The finish on the working surfaces is good, they work smoothly and they do not come full of grinding grit like all of the cheap calipers I've seen.
That said I do also have a Mitutoyo pair and I prefer them but they cost 4 times as much.
They are noticeably better quality than HF or other cheap ~$15 calipers. The finish on the working surfaces is good, they work smoothly and they do not come full of grinding grit like all of the cheap calipers I've seen.
That said I do also have a Mitutoyo pair and I prefer them but they cost 4 times as much.
Sal Bandini
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Not true. My less than 10 year old one died.
16again
Well-known member
Mitutoyo here. I use them rarely, but know that they are a quality measuring device I can count on.
Htscheg
Well-known member
Exactly and very well said!!!
Since some posted an "agree" I will post my, with respect, "disagree".
Because my tools don't directly earn my pay, that and I have a frugal streak in my family, I'm always looking to maximize what I get for the dollar. Don't get me wrong, I have some tools that are harder to justify owning as I just wanted it vs I needed the good stuff (hence sometimes owning more than one example of, "good stuff"). Still, $50 saved here or there is the difference between being able to justify getting some other cool tool/toy vs not.
This question comes up a lot around here. What makes a "pro" tool better? Why pay more? Often it comes down to just a few things, does it do the same job in a more capable way, is it more durable/last longer, is the after sales service better, does it save time/money in the end?
In general the Mitutoyos will do a better job measuring vs HF generic calipers but in my experience they don't return more accurate/repeatable results vs the iGaging calipers I've used (all calipers in relatively new condition). Durability is always a question but as a hobbyist how much are you going to use them? Will you wear them out with daily use like a machine shop might? If not then any difference in durability are simply wasted money. Will they save me time? Not really but spending that savings on a specialty tool might.
This is a hobby and sometimes it's more enjoyable when the tools are higher quality. However, sometimes the difference is so small that you just say, this isn't worth the cost. Or, in my head, for the cost of that one thing I can have these 3 things.
Negen
Well-known member
I have a FUJIWARA digital caliper and one of the three or four styles coming out of China.
I tested it when I bought with a calibration block and it was fairly accurate but I only tested one block 2" it read something like 1.999" seems good enough for me for average use and doesn't have battery drain issues that others have. But I agree if one needs accuracy for more a good micro metre or caliber is worth buying.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The Garage Journal mobile app
I tested it when I bought with a calibration block and it was fairly accurate but I only tested one block 2" it read something like 1.999" seems good enough for me for average use and doesn't have battery drain issues that others have. But I agree if one needs accuracy for more a good micro metre or caliber is worth buying.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The Garage Journal mobile app