Innovate1
Well-known member
Thinking an angle indicator would be useful. The type you stick on something (I think many are magnetic) and it indicates the angle from level. Digital readout.
Angle indicator recommendations?
- Thread starter Innovate1
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What's your budget and accuracy requirements? Resolution? Calibrated or resettable? There are a whole lot of instruments out there that could do the job but your requirements will dictate what one will suit your needs best.
lg
no neat sig line
lg
no neat sig line
RTM
Well-known member
I have the Tilt Box (not sure if 1 or 2), which seemed to be the starting point for all the others. Gift from a friend, hardly ever use it. Powered it back up a few weeks ago after several years in storage, with the battery out, still worked fine.
My biggest beef is it's so dang big. For KISS stuff, it's ok, but I'm often trying to measure some small internal angle where that thing won't come close to fitting in any direction. But none are digital.
So I buy every protractor type tool I find, and they come out much more often than the tilt box.
My biggest beef is it's so dang big. For KISS stuff, it's ok, but I'm often trying to measure some small internal angle where that thing won't come close to fitting in any direction. But none are digital.
So I buy every protractor type tool I find, and they come out much more often than the tilt box.
cvairwerks
Well-known member
I have a Wixey WR300. It's highly rated and reasonably priced, but wasn't accurate enough for me for leveling. It would read level, then rotate it 90* or 180* and it would read .1* or .2* differently. That may be good enough for most people, but I went back to using a Starrett level.
Dave455
Well-known member
Does it have to be digital?
Generally speaking, if I have a choice of digital or not, the latter usually turns out to be the longer lasting instrument.
There is a Japanese company called Ebisu (famous for making these, very practical, transparent levels).
They offer a very simple (and inexpensive) inclinometer, if you don’t need it too accurate.
But if you want something a notch up, they offer that too!
If you want something really nice, Shinwa (also Japan) offer these -
Generally speaking, if I have a choice of digital or not, the latter usually turns out to be the longer lasting instrument.
There is a Japanese company called Ebisu (famous for making these, very practical, transparent levels).
They offer a very simple (and inexpensive) inclinometer, if you don’t need it too accurate.
But if you want something a notch up, they offer that too!
If you want something really nice, Shinwa (also Japan) offer these -
YesIHaveAHammer
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Would be nice to have something that clips or attaches someway onto a spirit level, rather than needing to be taped on.
Best perhaps would be a level design with a hole in which a compatible angle finder can be slotted in. I'm sure level manufacturers would rather I buy 4 separate digital levels though, but in reality it means I'm not buying any and instead supplementing with an angle finder.
Best perhaps would be a level design with a hole in which a compatible angle finder can be slotted in. I'm sure level manufacturers would rather I buy 4 separate digital levels though, but in reality it means I'm not buying any and instead supplementing with an angle finder.
JuncleJohn
Well-known member
Klein digital is the one that I’ve had good luck with. I also have a couple others that are not digital. They work well but are not as accurate.
John
John
A couple uses... I need to measure the angle of the swing arm on a torsion axle and the accuracy of 0.5 degree is plenty for that and maybe overkill. For tilt of table saw blade more accuracy would be good. It's not going to be used a lot so will be stored with the battery out to prevent damage from aging batteries.
Hellpig
Well-known member
And if you're on my budget...
LOL, pretty close to.my eyeball estimates, so.its either close enough, or we are both WAY off!
LOL, pretty close to.my eyeball estimates, so.its either close enough, or we are both WAY off!
There are/ were free apps for phones. Just place the edge on a surface & it displays the angle.
This one is Angle Pro.
Sure, but my phone isn't magnetic and most people don't want to be dicking with a $600+ phone when lying on the garage floor and checking a driveshaft, or during setting up tubing to be welded. If you want to level your stove, then ok.
I have the Klein others have mentioned and I used it all the time for setting up weldments. I decided I wanted at least one other, so I went back to Home Depot where I think I bought the original. They didn't have the Klein, but they had a similar one branded Milwaukee so I picked it up, but it sucked! It just wasnt repeatable. The klein I could set, take it off, move it around, put it back, and it would read the same. I could also flip it over on the same surface and it would read exactly the complimentary angle. The Milwaukee never read the same twice.
In my search to find another one, I wound up with this Heupar and I really like it. It's got a couple other bells and whistles that are cool, like the digital bubble, but the best thing about it is the .01 degree precision readout. When you're really trying to get something dead nuts, it's easier to creep up on an angle when the readout has more digits.
It's slightly larger than the klein, so the Klein still gets use in cramped quarters, but I highly recommend the Heupar as well.
In my search to find another one, I wound up with this Heupar and I really like it. It's got a couple other bells and whistles that are cool, like the digital bubble, but the best thing about it is the .01 degree precision readout. When you're really trying to get something dead nuts, it's easier to creep up on an angle when the readout has more digits.
It's slightly larger than the klein, so the Klein still gets use in cramped quarters, but I highly recommend the Heupar as well.
drokihazan
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The Measure app is built into every iPhone and measures level for free. It's also surprisingly accurate at measuring the distance between two points using ARKit and the phone's cameras and LIDAR scanner.
I flipped in around and noted about 0.5 degree difference which is ok accuracy for my use.alfadan
Well-known member
Just for kicks, I broke out my sine bar and gauge blocks to see how accurate my cheap digital angle finder is.
Below is set for 45, 30 and 30.5 degrees:
Below is set for 45, 30 and 30.5 degrees:
JuncleJohn
Well-known member
There is no better way to check the accuracy. Nice.
John
John
Cruzan80
Well-known member
What about a random odd angle?
alfadan
Well-known member
Well I would say if it is accurate at a known angle, it is accurate at any angle. These things are supposedly good to .1 degree (6 minutes). The 30.5 was my way to see this. I'll try some randomly picked angles, but my shop was over 90, so I was done!
alfadan
Well-known member
I'll also add my opinion that they are more than sufficient for 95% of things we may do, but as with everything, if you recognize their limitations, they can be quite useful.
In my case, the magnets will attract chips and can cause problems if not kept clear.
In my case, the magnets will attract chips and can cause problems if not kept clear.
Cruzan80
Well-known member
I dont disagree, but was more curious if there was "bias" to round once it is close to a "standard" angle. But the 30.5 probably countered that idea...
I also wasn't sure how "low" it could read reliably (say in the 1.5-4deg range).
I also wasn't sure how "low" it could read reliably (say in the 1.5-4deg range).
alfadan
Well-known member
Interesting. I've never used it for that shallow an angle and whether I'd trust it at that. I'll do some more testing when it cools off a little.