Old tool guy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2023
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Nope. I know the theory of vernier scales, never really used them. When i saw that picture on the website … and it was a touch out of focus … i tried to read it for practice.
Bang-for-your-buck measuring tool recommendations
- Thread starter Tynee
- Start date
Mmmmm……get your point but disagree. If you are looking for a measurement accurate to .001” you need a micrometer. I think that’s what you were trying to say. Rest of your post is spot on.
Last night I was trying to figure out if a lock nut on a lamp that came from China was 13mm or 9/16”. That’s task digital calipers excel at. Like you say, you can flip back and forth using the tool as a unit converter and quickly arrive at the answer you seek.
Some popular characters call them machinists’ “approximaters”. Not really fair.
One thing I did years ago that I found instructive, was to place a 1” gage block in a micrometer stand and measure it with different tools. One can literally get that gage block to read anything. Getting an accurate measurement and a repeating measurement are 2 different things. Took practice to get a caliper to read 1.000.
If you try the same exercise with 2” and 4” blocks, you may be surprised how hard it is on cheap calipers to get the right readings. Sometimes there are gritty spots that change the readings. Remember, the concept is called “stick slip” so readings could be either high or low. The same phenomenon happens with torque wrenches when the mating parts aren’t clean. The resulting preload could be high or low.
MushCreek
Well-known member
After 45 years of measuring stuff, I have a pretty good feel. I agree; calipers of any stripe are .001" territory. .0001" and smaller gets into mics, indicators, and gauge blocks. I have a dial micrometer that's well within a tenth, and I have a good set of gauge blocks to set it with. Particularly handy when you're trying to really dial in a precision part that you're turning.
Sometimes the cheap stuff can surprise you. I bought a really cheap Chinese 2" drop indicator. I checked it throughout its range with gauge blocks, and it's well within .001" everywhere you check it.
Sometimes the cheap stuff can surprise you. I bought a really cheap Chinese 2" drop indicator. I checked it throughout its range with gauge blocks, and it's well within .001" everywhere you check it.
alfadan
Well-known member
True. I have a set of HF dial calipers in my reloading room. It reads just fine and is consistent. It just feels gritty as hell and the finish is terrible, but good enough to get OAL out of it.
bwringer
Well-known member
FWIW, counterfeits of the legacy brands are rampant. If that's the way you go, buy from a reputable supplier to machinists, not the Brazilian River.
And put me in the camp of someone who doesn't understand why the hell you'd buy a used tool like this. Without being extremely knowledgable and spending a fair bit of time testing in person, you have NO idea how or whether it was cared for or is still accurate.
I'll also join the digital superiority camp, full of bleary-eyed people tired of squinting at verniers. No matter how fast and good you get, it's a time-consuming, pointless, outdated exercise in masochism. IMnsHO.
Just like digital vs. analog electrical meters, dial indicators are still quite useful for seeing how a part varies as it moves; the motion of the needle gives you information you can't get from numbers. But for static measurements, give me numbers every time.
And put me in the camp of someone who doesn't understand why the hell you'd buy a used tool like this. Without being extremely knowledgable and spending a fair bit of time testing in person, you have NO idea how or whether it was cared for or is still accurate.
I'll also join the digital superiority camp, full of bleary-eyed people tired of squinting at verniers. No matter how fast and good you get, it's a time-consuming, pointless, outdated exercise in masochism. IMnsHO.
Just like digital vs. analog electrical meters, dial indicators are still quite useful for seeing how a part varies as it moves; the motion of the needle gives you information you can't get from numbers. But for static measurements, give me numbers every time.
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LopezBart
Well-known member
If you've ever held onto a gauge block while reading its size w/ a millionths electronic indicator, you'll appreciate how difficult even tenths are to hold and measure accurately in the typical shop; you typically want to measure to 10x the tolerance you're trying to hold. If you need to hold +/- .001 consistently, you'll want to measure to +/- .0001 - which means a good micrometer.... and you want to measure with the tools and part at similar temperatures. All this said, if you're just trying to see what size the illegible number drill is, dial or digital calipers will work just fine.
Ditchdigger
Well-known member
I too use the features of my digital calipers dozens of times a day. For my use case I would need to carry a calculator and a dial caliper instead of my trusty digimatic.
Even a $20 set of Harbor Freight digital calipers will give you orders of magnitude more accuracy than a tape measure and rulers.
When I don't use Mitutoyo I use iGaging. Either way i hit my tolerances.
Even a $20 set of Harbor Freight digital calipers will give you orders of magnitude more accuracy than a tape measure and rulers.
When I don't use Mitutoyo I use iGaging. Either way i hit my tolerances.
VolvoRyan
Well-known member
Another iGauging fan here. I've a mic and calipers. They're surprisingly precise (good repeatability), and seem to be accurate. I compared several sets of feeler gauges with the mic, when one set seemed to be off.
If I were doing machine work, I'd be using something else.... but the iGauging gets me into spec. There's something to be said about relatively inexpensive instruments in certain environments.
-Ryan
If I were doing machine work, I'd be using something else.... but the iGauging gets me into spec. There's something to be said about relatively inexpensive instruments in certain environments.
-Ryan
steel 35
Well-known member
I bought this pair on the flebay year's ago; they have (Had) ben great.
Took a direct hit both tips.
Set them on the only flat surface I had nearby, tilting table I thought was tight.
Worst part is did it to my cheap back up set this year as well, same table; Gave it away,
I guess they bounced near a dozen times sucksesusfly in the years I used them.
Have sets of mics with gringo charts at each desk.
Set's inside & out to 6 at least, and ball mic's Touch very few any more.
Took a direct hit both tips.
Set them on the only flat surface I had nearby, tilting table I thought was tight.
Worst part is did it to my cheap back up set this year as well, same table; Gave it away,
I guess they bounced near a dozen times sucksesusfly in the years I used them.
Have sets of mics with gringo charts at each desk.
Set's inside & out to 6 at least, and ball mic's Touch very few any more.
Attachments
I'm also an iGaging fan for the money. We used them in a lab and had good luck with them. I will say I don't think they are an OEM brand. Like CAT air compressors I suspect they went to a Chinese factory and either selected the better stuff or had them make something better. As an example, I have a set of calipers that are all but identical to the iGaging absolute calipers but are a different brand.
I'm certainly in the Mitutoyo and Fluke are the best camp. I also feel that for many people iGaging is "good enough". It's not the cheap HF junk and the battery life with a CR2032 cell is good.
I'm certainly in the Mitutoyo and Fluke are the best camp. I also feel that for many people iGaging is "good enough". It's not the cheap HF junk and the battery life with a CR2032 cell is good.
By the way, in the last three years I re-zeroed the origin of my Mitutoyo once because it was one hundreth of a milimeter off.
Some people do it every time they turn it on. That is not what an absolute scale digital
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Rockable
Well-known member
Mine is an older model and I don't think itt is an absolute scale. You have to zero it every time you turn it on. PITA.
Most of my measuring tools are Mitutoyo and they have served me well for the 40 years this shop has been together. I avoided digital stuff for decades, but would pick up cheap digital calipers to use in the field. Got tired of paying more for replacement batteries than the cost of the tools (that also failed totally with great regularity, so about 10 years ago I bought a Mitutoyo 6". Well, it not only keeps working - as one would expect - but it still has its original battery. IMHO they are quite a bit cheaper than the cheap **** and I can trust them 100% to work and be accurate.
Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
If doing high precision machining/inspection having top quality tools, training and practice using them and care (including calibration) makes sense. Without training, practice and care they aren't any better or worse than the cheap ones.
For many users cheap digitals are fine. Someone gave me some years ago because the battery wouldn't last very long (I think he said a few days). I remove the battery when I'm not using them.
Even the super cheap ($1) plastic dial calipers will work good enough for some purposes.
For many users cheap digitals are fine. Someone gave me some years ago because the battery wouldn't last very long (I think he said a few days). I remove the battery when I'm not using them.
Even the super cheap ($1) plastic dial calipers will work good enough for some purposes.
Boogerman
Well-known member
Casual use, buy a dial caliper. More steady use, digital might work a bit better for you. If price is right, lower end one will be enough upgrade from carpenter ruler to be useful to you.
Think all I have are used, most are Mitutoyo. Both digital and dial, I prefer dial. Used vernier a long time ago when dial were much more expensive and hard to get. Now, easy to get used. No problem buy used in person, check for proper operation full range of mesurement, and check to see that jaws align and have no air showing at zero. I take along a couple of gauge pins, say .250 and .450, and check the measurement there. If those are good and no problems through range of motion, the caliper should be good.
Mics are pretty much useless for the average user, if they have a dial caliper. That level of repeatability and precision are not needed for most thing.
I bought a nice Mitutoyo in the case a couple of weeks ago off facebook. Ad came up with a box of hardware and tools, and it showed the caliper in with them. I took gage pins, checked it, was good. Bought it all for $20, came home and threw away the deteriorating gray foam from the case. I need to cut a new piece of close cell foam for the case.
Think all I have are used, most are Mitutoyo. Both digital and dial, I prefer dial. Used vernier a long time ago when dial were much more expensive and hard to get. Now, easy to get used. No problem buy used in person, check for proper operation full range of mesurement, and check to see that jaws align and have no air showing at zero. I take along a couple of gauge pins, say .250 and .450, and check the measurement there. If those are good and no problems through range of motion, the caliper should be good.
Mics are pretty much useless for the average user, if they have a dial caliper. That level of repeatability and precision are not needed for most thing.
I bought a nice Mitutoyo in the case a couple of weeks ago off facebook. Ad came up with a box of hardware and tools, and it showed the caliper in with them. I took gage pins, checked it, was good. Bought it all for $20, came home and threw away the deteriorating gray foam from the case. I need to cut a new piece of close cell foam for the case.
MIto sell both absolute and non absolute models. Absolute cost more (and have better battery life, because they can figure out where they are when the power turns on).
Can you provide a link to Mitutoyo’s lower priced non-absolute digital calipers please? Not saying they don’t exist. I just have only ever seen absolute digimatic calipers.
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RAS61
Well-known member
I tend to agree with this sentiment. I own several nice, older, minty used ones purchased mostly on EBay, and never paid much, probably between $10-$30. I'm not doing machining, just auto repairs and home improvement jobs, usually measuring the O.D. of something round like a bolt or the I.D. of pipe or tubing. Frankly I could probably get by with a pair of cheap plastic calipers, but really appreciate the smooth precision and quality of these tools, plus they don't break like plastic!
The top two are Brown & Sharpes (Swiss made) that came cased, the bottom one a simple but really nice slide by MZB made in Germany (I'm pretty sure part of Mauser), has a leather pouch and I keep that one in my car for trips to Lowes or Ace Hardware. I have a similar one in the other car by a Polish company (forget the name, but very nicely made and thought the rarer manufacturer was cool), and a nice older Craftsman dial I'm sure was made by Starrett. So I guess the question is how precise do you want to be and how much do you want to pay, these are more than adequate for me?
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Yep, for quick and dirty measurements of general around the house/shop stuff an inexpensive caliper like these does just fine . . .
Quite interested in seeing their non-absolute calipers too. I think they started making them (the absolute ones) some 20 years ago. They have relatively small buttons, and sometimes the buttons can somehow "sink" and are hard to press. I'm not sure what happends but I have seen a bunch with hard to press buttons. The buttons on mine stick out quite a bit and are easy to press.
The really old mitutoyo digital calipers usually had big buttons on the bottom. They came in a few different shapes but the buttons were about the same. This is the style I have in mind:
Wouldn't be surprised if there are other models that did have annyoing little buttons though... Probably some time in the early 2000's?
The really old mitutoyo digital calipers usually had big buttons on the bottom. They came in a few different shapes but the buttons were about the same. This is the style I have in mind:
Wouldn't be surprised if there are other models that did have annyoing little buttons though... Probably some time in the early 2000's?
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So I think this is another really good thread. “Bang for your buck calipers”. I don’t know if we’ve figured this one out. I want to think maybe Shars is the best bang for your buck.
www.shars.com
This one has 3 CR2032 batteries and says it meets IP67 which is dust and water to 1m IIRC. The problem is, it’s a Chinese tool that may not really meet that rating and its $67USD. Ratings are iffy.
My experience with other products from SHARS is that nothing written is to be believed. This one claims minimum 1yr battery life.
Shars isn’t what they used to be, however. They used to be the HF of machine tools. They were THE source of poorly ground, unheat treated drill bits. Now they carry Starrett TESA, Mitutoyo etc. so maybe time to try them again? I think this would be my pick.
Harbor Freight Composites may be the best bang for your buck just due to the low price. I use something a little nicer than these at work:
www.harborfreight.com
These are nice because they won’t break if you drop them, the slide is actually pretty smooth and easily maintained, they won’t scratch what you measure (why I use them on aircraft). And at $10USD, flipping close enough! Problem is, same ole Chinese reader head that eats batteries.
I started with these:
These are the same calipers many of us bought that eat batteries. I think these exact same calipers have been rebranded, manufactured by dozens of Chinese companies, and disappointed countless buyers. I suspect any tool that looks like these ARE these. Looks like a duck…. So the question is, why pay any more than this, if this is what you getting anyway?
I don’t think Fowler or iGaging are really “best bang for your buck” tools. I think you are getting the same ole Chinese rubbish for pretty significant price increases. At least the Shars Aventor looks like a newer model.
Aventor 6" IP67 Electronic Caliper
www.shars.com
This one has 3 CR2032 batteries and says it meets IP67 which is dust and water to 1m IIRC. The problem is, it’s a Chinese tool that may not really meet that rating and its $67USD. Ratings are iffy.
My experience with other products from SHARS is that nothing written is to be believed. This one claims minimum 1yr battery life.
Shars isn’t what they used to be, however. They used to be the HF of machine tools. They were THE source of poorly ground, unheat treated drill bits. Now they carry Starrett TESA, Mitutoyo etc. so maybe time to try them again? I think this would be my pick.
Harbor Freight Composites may be the best bang for your buck just due to the low price. I use something a little nicer than these at work:
6 in. Composite Digital Caliper
Amazing deals on this 6In Composite Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com
I started with these:
These are the same calipers many of us bought that eat batteries. I think these exact same calipers have been rebranded, manufactured by dozens of Chinese companies, and disappointed countless buyers. I suspect any tool that looks like these ARE these. Looks like a duck…. So the question is, why pay any more than this, if this is what you getting anyway?
I don’t think Fowler or iGaging are really “best bang for your buck” tools. I think you are getting the same ole Chinese rubbish for pretty significant price increases. At least the Shars Aventor looks like a newer model.
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Looking on their website I didn't see any that weren't branded as "Absolute". However, I know the plastic Mitutoyos I have as well as the "MyCAL Lite" line was not absolute https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/MYCAL-LITE-0-6IN/p/MTT700-113-10Quite interested in seeing their non-absolute calipers too. I think they started making them (the absolute ones) some 20 years ago. They have relatively small buttons, and sometimes the buttons can somehow "sink" and are hard to press. I'm not sure what happends but I have seen a bunch with hard to press buttons. The buttons on mine stick out quite a bit and are easy to press.
The really old mitutoyo digital calipers usually had big buttons on the bottom. They came in a few different shapes but the buttons were about the same. This is the style I have in mind:
Wouldn't be surprised if there are other models that did have annyoing little buttons though... Probably some time in the early 2000's?
This might be worth sharing. These are what I use at work and maybe qualify as high bang for your buck. I paid about $20/per for these on eBay years ago.
www.zoro.com
Even at $90 they MAY be worth your attention. Unlike other plastic calipers, these have functional, if weak, depth arms and thumb wheels like metal calipers.
The real bang for your buck here is that these are made in Germany and use Swiss Sylvac heads (Like Starrett, TESA, and many other really expensive calipers). Due to them being composite, they don’t belong in the same sentence accuracy-wise as the afore mentioned, but they are also 1/3 of the price. These are pretty cheap, well made, with outstanding reader heads.
My only problem I have with these is their price. At $50, these would be a no brainer. At $90, they are getting a little too close to Mitutoyo 500-196.
www.zoro.com
(This link says 0-8 but I think that’s a typo.) These calipers are pretty much the default industry standard, and usually the internet‘s default answer to this question.
Wiha Digital Caliper DigiMax 41101 | Zoro
Order Wiha Digital Caliper DigiMax, 41101 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
www.zoro.com
Even at $90 they MAY be worth your attention. Unlike other plastic calipers, these have functional, if weak, depth arms and thumb wheels like metal calipers.
The real bang for your buck here is that these are made in Germany and use Swiss Sylvac heads (Like Starrett, TESA, and many other really expensive calipers). Due to them being composite, they don’t belong in the same sentence accuracy-wise as the afore mentioned, but they are also 1/3 of the price. These are pretty cheap, well made, with outstanding reader heads.
My only problem I have with these is their price. At $50, these would be a no brainer. At $90, they are getting a little too close to Mitutoyo 500-196.
Mitutoyo 4-Way Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0-6 in (0-150 mm) 500-196-30 | Zoro
Order Mitutoyo 4-Way Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0-6 in (0-150 mm), 500-196-30 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
www.zoro.com
(This link says 0-8 but I think that’s a typo.) These calipers are pretty much the default industry standard, and usually the internet‘s default answer to this question.
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nadogail
Well-known member
I have a plastic caliper that is "Good Enough" for my needs. I think it came from Harbor Freight.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
For a non-machining application, pretty much any brand or style will work. You’re not gonna measure closer than a few thou with calipers no matter who makes them. Keep them clean and have fresh batteries available and you will be good to go.
One thing to note, the cheap calipers lose accuracy as the battery voltage drops. The more expensive ones hold their position right up until the battery dies, and they last a LONG time on the good calipers. I get a year or more out of mine and they get used daily and I never shut them off.
At my shop I have Mitutoyo calipers, both dials and Digimatics, 6” and 12”. I use the 12” Digimatics 90% of the time. At home I have a 6” Mitutoyo dial and it’s probably been out of the case a half dozen times over the last 5 years so a dial makes more sense at home for me.
Mics are a lot less complicated, they’re just a calibrated screw. The only difference between brands is quality of workmanship, but most any micrometer will measure accuracy if it’s calibrated to a standard and hasn’t been dropped a lot. You can pick up a 0-3 set of mics used pretty easily. Most retired machinists will have them and they’ll be usually name brand for less than a hundred bucks for the set.
I have carbide face ratchet thimble Mitutoyo mics in the shop and plain face Starrett at my desk.
Practice measuring to a known standard like a 1-2-3 block to calibrate your sense of “feel”. You can force a caliper or mic to read what you want, and that’s not good practice. You want the tool to read what is there, not what you want it to be.
Another inexpensive tool to get with your calipers is a set of telescoping gages. They’re indispensable for measuring bore and holes, and they’re much more repeatable and reliable than the ID jaws of your calipers. I find the caliper jaws tend to read undersize, it’s hard to get everything straight and perfectly aligned with the hole so the jaws sit flat on the bore walls. A telescope gage takes a bit of practice to pull consistently, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to measure bores within the resolution of whatever tool you use to measure the gage.
One thing to note, the cheap calipers lose accuracy as the battery voltage drops. The more expensive ones hold their position right up until the battery dies, and they last a LONG time on the good calipers. I get a year or more out of mine and they get used daily and I never shut them off.
At my shop I have Mitutoyo calipers, both dials and Digimatics, 6” and 12”. I use the 12” Digimatics 90% of the time. At home I have a 6” Mitutoyo dial and it’s probably been out of the case a half dozen times over the last 5 years so a dial makes more sense at home for me.
Mics are a lot less complicated, they’re just a calibrated screw. The only difference between brands is quality of workmanship, but most any micrometer will measure accuracy if it’s calibrated to a standard and hasn’t been dropped a lot. You can pick up a 0-3 set of mics used pretty easily. Most retired machinists will have them and they’ll be usually name brand for less than a hundred bucks for the set.
I have carbide face ratchet thimble Mitutoyo mics in the shop and plain face Starrett at my desk.
Practice measuring to a known standard like a 1-2-3 block to calibrate your sense of “feel”. You can force a caliper or mic to read what you want, and that’s not good practice. You want the tool to read what is there, not what you want it to be.
Another inexpensive tool to get with your calipers is a set of telescoping gages. They’re indispensable for measuring bore and holes, and they’re much more repeatable and reliable than the ID jaws of your calipers. I find the caliper jaws tend to read undersize, it’s hard to get everything straight and perfectly aligned with the hole so the jaws sit flat on the bore walls. A telescope gage takes a bit of practice to pull consistently, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to measure bores within the resolution of whatever tool you use to measure the gage.
RAS61
Well-known member
The only problem I have with these is if you put them in your side pocket and sit down they snap!
Do yourself a favor and treat yourself with a Christmas or New Year's present of a nice pair of vintage, metal, not made in China, slide calipers! First, figure out what the scale is. I marked up a photo and attached it below.
On the bottom inch scale, each inch is divided into tenths of an inch (0.10"). Each tenth is then divided up into 4ths, 0.025", or 25 thousands of an inch. The "0" to "25" scale on the very bottom shows "1/1000", each of those lines on that bottom scale will eventually correlate to 1/1000th of an inch.
So looking at the inch scale on the lower half of the caliper body and the bottom scale on the slider, see the "0" the red arrow is pointing at? That "0" is your point of measurement. Now we just need to break it down and see how it compares to the inch scale just above it.
Try to read where that "0" intersects the inch scale just above it. It's less than 1" on that scale and it falls between the 4 and the 5. Because the 4 and 5 are less than one inch, the 4 is 0.4 inches and the 5 is 0.5 inches. Looking closer, the space between .4" and .5" is divided into fourths (.400-.425, .425-.450, .450-.475, and .475-.500) and the red arrow "0" falls somewhere in the 4th section, between 0.475" and 0.500". So we know the measurement is somewhere between 0.475" and 0.500".
Now we need to nail down exactly where it falls within that range.
All we're going to do now is compare the individual lines on the inch scale on the caliper body to the the individual lines on the 1/1000" scale on the slider and see which lines best line up. We're just seeing which line on the slider best lines up best with a line on the body. See the green arrow. This looks fairly close to me. It looks like "21" on the slider lines up best with the line just above it.
So let's take that "21", which from the "1/1000in" engraved marking to the right we know is 21/1000ths of an inch, or 0.021". We add it to the 0.475" we got earlier, and our measurement is 0.496".
You can do the same for the metric scale using the yellow and orange arrows. The "0" the yellow arrow is pointing at is our reference measurement, between 12 and 13 millimeters. The orange arrow points to the two lines that best line up, 0.55mm. Add 12mm and .55mm and you get 12.55mm.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
It’s nice to know how a vernier works, but holy cow does it slow down work and introduces a lot of opportunities to make mistakes.
They’re the very definition of obsolete technology. I don’t allow them in my shop because we’re here to make parts to print and make money doing it and verniers don’t lend themselves to either.
They’re the very definition of obsolete technology. I don’t allow them in my shop because we’re here to make parts to print and make money doing it and verniers don’t lend themselves to either.
This might be worth sharing. These are what I use at work and maybe qualify as high bang for your buck. I paid about $20/per for these on eBay years ago.
Wiha Digital Caliper DigiMax 41101 | Zoro
Order Wiha Digital Caliper DigiMax, 41101 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
Even at $90 they MAY be worth your attention. Unlike other plastic calipers, these have functional, if weak, depth arms and thumb wheels like metal calipers.
The real bang for your buck here is that these are made in Germany and use Swiss Sylvac heads (Like Starrett, TESA, and many other really expensive calipers). Due to them being composite, they don’t belong in the same sentence accuracy-wise as the afore mentioned, but they are also 1/3 of the price. These are pretty cheap, well made, with outstanding reader heads.
My only problem I have with these is their price. At $50, these would be a no brainer. At $90, they are getting a little too close to Mitutoyo 500-196.
Agreed. I almost mentioned the Wiha calipers but the prices have almost doubled since I bought mine. I have their DialMax metric/inch dial caliper and it is usually the first one I pick up. Pretty sure mine was made by SPI. Made in Switzerland.
This might be worth sharing. These are what I use at work and maybe qualify as high bang for your buck. I paid about $20/per for these on eBay years ago.
Wiha Digital Caliper DigiMax 41101 | Zoro
Order Wiha Digital Caliper DigiMax, 41101 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
Even at $90 they MAY be worth your attention. Unlike other plastic calipers, these have functional, if weak, depth arms and thumb wheels like metal calipers.
The real bang for your buck here is that these are made in Germany and use Swiss Sylvac heads (Like Starrett, TESA, and many other really expensive calipers). Due to them being composite, they don’t belong in the same sentence accuracy-wise as the afore mentioned, but they are also 1/3 of the price. These are pretty cheap, well made, with outstanding reader heads.
My only problem I have with these is their price. At $50, these would be a no brainer. At $90, they are getting a little too close to Mitutoyo 500-196.
Mitutoyo 4-Way Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0-6 in (0-150 mm) 500-196-30 | Zoro
Order Mitutoyo 4-Way Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0-6 in (0-150 mm), 500-196-30 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
(This link says 0-8 but I think that’s a typo.) These calipers are pretty much the default industry standard, and usually the internet‘s default answer to this question.
I wouldn't be surprised if that Wiha was made by Mitutoyo, not Sylvac. It's just a guess on my part but I do know that Mitutoyo made stuff for other labels. My ST-Industrires calipers are actually an older Mitutoyo model. Here is an example (mine are the common 6" calipers, not the larger model show in this link https://shop.idealprec.com/products...0-300mm-range-0005-0-01mm-resolution-open-box)
The other reason why I think that's a Mitutoyo made caliper is the LCD and button layouts appear identical to my plastic calipers. Incidentally, I was given the Mitutoyo plastic calipers. They are "better" than my $4 digital plastic things but mostly because they don't kill batteries when off. As for accuracy, they all seem similar to me.
For anybody that's shopping, looks like GlobalTestSupply.com has the MItu's on sale for $108 with free shipping:
500-196-30
500-196-30
Rockable
Well-known member
Here is mine. The Zero is recessed and it has to be reset every time you turn if on. Don't get this kind.
****. I can't get the pictures to upload and I don't know how to delete this post. Sorry.
****. I can't get the pictures to upload and I don't know how to delete this post. Sorry.
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I think that’s a very good deal. That is probably the winner of the best bang for the buck caliper. It’s a tool you can depend on for the next 25 years, no questions asked.
I have these and they are very nice. Even little things. For example, the LCD display is very easy to read, very clear. Even my more expensive Starrett set isn’t as easy to read, not as bright maybe.
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msharley
Well-known member
Another thing with the digital/battery types?
Is they will randomly "re zero" themselves.....Say at roller #23 of 30 or40 rollers(depending on vintage) for an HD bottom end? (generally use a "mic" for this...but to sort out the over/under size ones to get "close" use a caliber)
msharley
Well-known member
Followed the link for the mitutoyo in post 4, found this image. What is the measurement showing?
Rockable
Well-known member
figured it out. Look at original post. Model CD-6"CS. It's an older model.
mattthemuppet
Well-known member
I like the big readout Igaging ones. Had one set that wore out after 7 or 8 years of almost daily use (got sloppy), bought two to replace it. They check out within 0.01mm using gage blocks.