Angle indicator recommendations?

[Innovate1]

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.

 

[larry_g]

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

 

[Steve_P]

I have this Klein

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZWW3BW5?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[RTM]

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.

 

[cvairwerks]

I've got a version of this Hilger and Watts clinometer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/227217297686?_skw=Hilger+and+Watts+clinometer&itmmeta=01KZ4FM9PEZ16NG7CRZR0PGYYE&hash=item34e734d116:g:pBoAAeSwHyppkOBe&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA8GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xAAkDRhtQQqzpGEuMBOg1V5KDrucQrUs%2BTuPapWIEx2dKn5%2BhS6xqeZ9BSQZUMSzGadX1BY4kQlXEV1Lrx5v1sMcbZQHpyvqLvcgMslU0Svgttg7%2FCp6fr2AmKYLktAi0EZkbBBd06Q0kFGS%2Fn70JVwc3%2F8WC6UjKRzv2HfRxJKTN69Q%2FkSiVPXNNF6DVMKUaSVJrtGqXAY3n9NFLWqSkZl8omrYrrH3DvO46njsqwhJ0hr7rfsmoKTi2CFudVyLSUdjTi2uOfDNpjB8UR57haltNCpZ0nVB807MObtxNNiMg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7Sb0Y_5Zw

 

[L.Cheapo]

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]

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 -

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

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.

 

[MJD1]

Klein tools digital one for precision. Stabila level with the adjustable vial for most general work

 

[JuncleJohn]

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

 

[AEAdam]

My stabila electronic level measures angles. Depending on what you are using it for, the form factor of a level could make a lot of sense.

 

[Innovate1]

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]

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!

 

[Copymutt]

There are/ were free apps for phones. Just place the edge on a surface & it displays the angle.
This one is Angle Pro.

 

[Steve_P]

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.

 

[willf650]

I have the Klein linked already. Main use is bending pipe and I like the fact I can zero it at the start of a bend as the pipe my not be at 0 degrees starting out depending on the surface your starting on.

 

[GeoBruin]

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.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099N8NG3N?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[drokihazan]

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.

 

[Innovate1]

I picked up the Klein from Lowes. Did the job on some axle angles and when using it stuck the to bottom of things and upside down the display flips so it is right side up. I flipped in around and noted about 0.5 degree difference which is ok accuracy for my use.

 

[alfadan]

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:

 

[JuncleJohn]

There is no better way to check the accuracy. Nice.

John

 

[Cruzan80]

What about a random odd angle?

 

[alfadan]

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]

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.

 

[Cruzan80]

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).

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]

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).

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.

 

[Beerhippie]

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:

Puttin' yer money where your mouth is! Well done!

 

[MichaelP]

I remember when somebody attempted to check a validity of the sine bar/gage blocks method using the same type of setup.

 

[RalphInCA]

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:

It would be interesting to see the same test using the iphone app.

 

[alfadan]

Sorry, no iphone lol

 

[Gutman]

I have 2 kleins. Only issue I have is they track off by .1 or .2 degrees. I made a note to go inspect the bases of each.

Agree on the comments about keeping them clean around metal as the magnets find all the grinding dust. Also, the cases are plastic, so don't be too hasty to check a measurement after welding a joint. They'll melt. Ask me about my 3rd klein.

 

[xrotaryguy]

I have an xuntop, a cheap Amazon option. I have one issue with it. I'm using a bottle jack brake with air over hydraulic. This causes the metal to vibrate and the indicator won't settle on a value. Do the Klein or any other units solve this issue?

 

[terrific]

Does it have to be digital?

The Shinwa looks like it could be in a movie. Functionally, it seems equivalent to a Johnson magnetic angle locator. Made in USA, $11 at Lowe's, lacking all the refinement of the Shinwa.
I will offer some criticism of all of these tools: you cannot eyeball better than 1 degree of accuracy. The gauge would need to be much larger. Also, they should really have a reflective strip so that you can eliminate parallax.

 

[johnre]

My choice - and no, I don't set the 45 and 90 stops on my table saw with it, that's done with a much better precision machinist's square. But it's good for most everything else in the shop:

 

[xrotaryguy]

Thanks! I think I'll pick up the Klein on my way home today and see how it does.

What I really need is tooling to set the angle the same every time. That'll be next.

 

[xrotaryguy]

Wow! The Klein works 10x better than the thing I got off Amazon!! Stronger magnet. No hysteresis. Very stable and and way faster to use!

 

[pcrov]

I've got this Arrow one I like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GFMY7TLD?tag=atomicindus08-20

It has some features I didn't see on others like optional audible cue that speeds up when you're nearing 0/90/180, different units e.g. rise over run, and a calibration mode.

 

[KwikFab]

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.

Being 'garage' journal I'm assuming non-professional use.

My Klein tools work absolutely great for in the garage stuff.

I use this for most things -



And for confirming steel I've bent, I use this -