Best Digital Caliper?

[Skin]

For someone with a max budget of $100-$150ish? Looked at the 6" craftsman pro one but a few reviews seem to think the construction is shoddy.

Would prefer US COO.

 

[impulse922]

i thought Mitutoyo was the only way to go?

Mine is made in japan, but they are a top name out there..

I have the 500-672, should be very close to your price range, if not, im sure they have one that is.

It has exceptional build quality, actually its a pretty heavy little ******.

 

[GrantCee]

There are no quality digital calipers made in the U.S. Your best bet (as always in metrology) is Swiss.

All of the digital calipers I've used have been equivalent in accuracy (a caliper is a +/- .001 device at the very best, no matter what the display resolution happens to be.) That being the case, your purchase should be made on the basis of construction (durability) and feature set.

Tesa calipers are my favorites due to their superior seals and wipers - they work longer in tough conditions than any others I've seen.

Best place to buy is Long Island Indicator (my favorite place to buy measuring instruments. They are a veritable wealth of information and have a superb service department.)

 

[apong23]

I agree, mitutoyo make excellent calipers. They have a big variety also.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Mitutoyo makes really affordable, and accurate tools. But personally, I prefer B&S and Starrett.
I was always taught to store your calipers open just a tad, to allow for expansion. It's been argued that it doesn't really matter, but it costs nothing to do this. Soooo... I leave mine open slightly.

 

[srmofo]

Ive also got a set of mitutoyo. If you have patience you can usually find full sets new for pretty cheap on ebay. Theres not a huge market for them on ebay, so most of the time the price stays reasonable

 

[Grigg]

I agree, mitutoyo make excellent calipers. They have a big variety also.

The best I've seen and used, and I've been in machine shops for several years by now, and worked in the calibration lab fixing and calibrating measuring tools.
I have and thought Starrett dial calipers were good, but after reparing them day after day I'm not so sure, although never had a problem with mine.
The Mitutoyo digitals came in, were checked, and went right back out. Never a problem with them.

Get the "absolute" version for sure.

Grigg

 

[Wanna Ride]

B&S and Starrett are more for your true machinists and tool&die makers. Mits are good and durable, for production and cnc machinists.

 

[hofferwood]

How about an Analog Digital.
I made the mistake(or not), of letting Q.C. know I had it (at work). Then it HAD to be checked monthly (NEVER had to adj.)
It's an oldie.
Chuck

 

[mtkst19]

what is your intended purpose? reason i ask is i have expensive digital drum and rotor calipers that were well over 300 and 500 each. i also have a blue point caliper that looks like the one pictured above. I also bought a cheap $15 hf one so not to beat up on my more expensive ones.

Sad thing is paper work on the hf one lists same specs as the blue point. I can measure gauge blocks that came with a more expensive set and they measure out to the decimal. needless to say, im impressed. but im sure it is no where near as precise as a mic set a machinist would use. but for an auto tech, it is kosher.

oh, i was told to never close your mics because you can grind the dirt into the faces, thus slowly make your surfaces untrue.

 

[mrholeshot]

I have a Starrett digital, several mitutoyo and a bunch of Analog manual. I keep a HF digital in the back of my wheelchair so when I'm out somewhere I have something to make measurements. Funny thing is it's dead on with the rest of my calipers. Best 9.99 I ever spent.

 

[Indy_500]

what is your intended purpose? reason i ask is i have expensive digital drum and rotor calipers that were well over 300 and 500 each. i also have a blue point caliper that looks like the one pictured above. I also bought a cheap $15 hf one so not to beat up on my more expensive ones.

Sad thing is paper work on the hf one lists same specs as the blue point. I can measure gauge blocks that came with a more expensive set and they measure out to the decimal. needless to say, im impressed. but im sure it is no where near as precise as a mic set a machinist would use. but for an auto tech, it is kosher.

oh, i was told to never close your mics because you can grind the dirt into the faces, thus slowly make your surfaces untrue.

you meant dial not analog right? lol

what about the HF caliper? $8 and your out the door lol

 

[impulse922]

Mitutoyo makes really affordable, and accurate tools. But personally, I prefer B&S and Starrett.
I was always taught to store your calipers open just a tad, to allow for expansion. It's been argued that it doesn't really matter, but it costs nothing to do this. Soooo... I leave mine open slightly.

i keep mine in the house, so temp might change 10* between summer and winter.

 

[ATTappman]

To expand a little on what GrantCee already posted - check out this link.

 

[ToolUsingAnimal]

I've had a pair of Mitutoyo dial calipers for years, use them every day and they're as smooth and accurate as the day I got them. My grandfather was a tool & die maker, his measuring tools were all either Brown & Sharpe or Starrett. Some of them must be 60 years old or more, but thanks to lots of desiccant and care they're still great tools. Mcmaster-Carr has a couple of models from Starrett and B&S in your price range.

 

[mrholeshot]

To expand a little on what GrantCee already posted - check out this link.

I'm not in total agreementt of LII has to say. I have Made In The USA Starrett dial calipers I've been using for 20+ years that have never needed a repair and when you put them on a Standard they are dead on. I also have Starrett Micometers that are 30+ years old and that set goes from 0-8 inches in 1 inch increments. Never an issue. I have a newer set((-5 years) of Starrett Dial calipers and they look just like the 20 year old ones.

 

[X1 Mike]

To expand a little on what GrantCee already posted - check out this link.

Be careful when sifting through information from Long Island Indicators. My personal experience differs wildly from what they claim. If you read their information with a critical eye you will see they are steering people towards products they make money on. Nothing wrong with that per se as long as you realize they are trying to sell you something and not just a source for information.

With that all said my preference is a dial indicator, I prefer a positive mechanical action for a hand measuring tool. A dial caliper is not hard to learn to read properly and it is a fundamental that should be learned. A guy that learned how to read a dial caliper can easily read a digital, while a guy that learned to read a digital may not be able to read a dial. In any form of machining or proper measuring fundamentals are the most important thing to grasp.

p.s. Calipers are not a precision measuring tool.

 

[mrholeshot]

Here is a Starrett Standard in my NSK manual digital Micrometer (couldn't get a photo clear enough with the Starrrett). This is to let you know the standard is correct.

Here is a Harbor Freight Digital Caliper. Notice how I hold it in my hand so I'm not on the thumbwheel.

The Harbor Freight caliper with 2 inch Standard. I carry this thing in the back pocket on my wheelchair and it's been through 4 batteries since I've owned it. I carry it everywhere. Bought it on sale for 9.99. For digital calipers where they are pretty much disposable you can beat these.

 

[mtkst19]

you meant dial not analog right? lol

no, all my stuff is actually digital. all my calipers are digital, so are my mics.i keep extra batteries in my box b/c it seems im always robbing a battery from one set to work another.

unless i lost in translation what you were saying to me.

and mrholeshots hf set is same looking set i got. i may have even paid 10 bucks for it, i forget.

 

[GrantCee]

Be careful when sifting through information from Long Island Indicators. My personal experience differs wildly from what they claim. If you read their information with a critical eye you will see they are steering people towards products they make money on. Nothing wrong with that per se as long as you realize they are trying to sell you something and not just a source for information.

Yes, they run a business - but I've found their informed recommendations pretty much mirror my experience. (It's worth noting that they "bash" some products that they carry and praise some which they don't, which I believe gives significant credence to their opinions.)

For perspective: my background is as a watchmaker/clockmaker, and the level of precision at which I am accustomed to working is (literally) an order of magnitude greater than even the best mechanic. What I find to be true may in fact be different than what someone else finds to be true, simply because of the different demands placed on our tools.

It's just like the comparison between a home tinkerer who uses wrenches only occasionally, versus a pro who abuses his on a daily basis. The former won't be able to tell a difference between Craftsman and Snap-On, while the latter most certainly will.

p.s. Calipers are not a precision measuring tool.

On that we have complete and total agreement.

 

[X1 Mike]

Yes, they run a business - but I've found their informed recommendations pretty much mirror my experience. (It's worth noting that they "bash" some products that they carry and praise some which they don't, which I believe gives significant credence to their opinions.)

For perspective: my background is as a watchmaker/clockmaker, and the level of precision at which I am accustomed to working is (literally) an order of magnitude greater than even the best mechanic. What I find to be true may in fact be different than what someone else finds to be true, simply because of the different demands placed on our tools.

My main beef is their seeming vendetta with Starrett. While I have never liked their indicators I still feel their micrometers, gage blocks, and granite plates are second to none.

For perspective: My background I see your watchmaker and raise you a guy (me) who regularly holds 0.00005” tolerances and has put parts on the Space Shuttle.


http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065141&postcount=25

 

[Bolster]

I keep a HF digital in the back of my wheelchair so when I'm out somewhere I have something to make measurements. Funny thing is it's dead on with the rest of my calipers. Best 9.99 I ever spent.

LOL, I have to admit, my Harfer dial calipers give readings usually indistinguishable from my Mit calipers. The HFs are for travel and "good enough" work, and the Mits come out when I'm more concerned about tolerances...but honestly, the Harfers have been doing OK for me, for home shop use. (Talking dial not digits). Because I don't care about dropping them, they get used a lot more than the Mits.

I briefly owned a Starrett 6in dial calipers, which I returned, because the plastic bezel wouldn't lock firmly into place; you could wiggle it 2 or 3 thou without effort. So I returned it for a Mit.

...a guy (me) who regularly holds 0.00005” tolerances and has put parts on the Space Shuttle....

Holy Mackerel! I'm thrilled when I get within a couple thou of what I'm aiming for!! You could shave off 0.00005” by breathing too hard on a part, yes?

What's it like to work in your shop? Mike's Boss: "Hey Mike, this part is oversize, damnit, what's your problem. I want you to take off three and one half molecules."

 

[X1 Mike]

Holy Mackerel! I'm thrilled when I get within a couple thou of what I'm aiming for!! You could shave off 0.00005” by breathing too hard on a part, yes?

What's it like to work in your shop? Mike's Boss: "Hey Mike, this part is oversize, damnit, what's your problem. I want you to take off three and one half molecules."

I actually got out of that business after 18 years but It's a lot easier to hold those kind of tolerences when you are running a surface grinder. The biggest concern when working that close is heat, both heat in the workpiece and the temperature in the building. A much more common tolerance is 0.0001", I was just braggin which is one of the traits of a Starrettinian.

 

[Bolster]

Did you mean 18 years? Or did you mean 18.3257502 years? Trying to ferret out whether you are a TRUE Starrettinian...

 

[GrantCee]

My main beef is their seeming vendetta with Starrett. While I have never liked their indicators I still feel their micrometers, gage blocks, and granite plates are second to none.

You must have missed the part where they say Starrett gage blocks "are considered the top of the line—the finest heavy duty non-ceramic gage block available." I don't think I'll call that a vendetta.

I'll admit that their prejudice against Starrett mics is puzzling, but I never liked them anyway - can't stand their spindle lock.

I'm not much of a brand fanatic, as I believe being one clouds judgement. My own perspective is that any Starrett product with a gear mechanism (calipers, indicators, etc.) is not going to be the best available, but most of their other products are going to be at, or certainly near, the top of the heap.

I own lots of Starrett products, but only when the individual item is a good choice. Same for any other brand that I happen to own.

 

[mrholeshot]

p.s. Calipers are not a precision measuring tool.

Correct, Great for fast measurements

 

[Bolster]

I'm not much of a brand fanatic, as I believe being one clouds judgement.

AMEN!! Critical Thinking Rules!!

 

[Cheeseman]

i thought Mitutoyo was the only way to go?

Mine is made in japan, but they are a top name out there..

I have the 500-672, should be very close to your price range, if not, im sure they have one that is.

It has exceptional build quality, actually its a pretty heavy little ******.

Why did this thread have to keep going after this post?

 

[Farmall450]

Sorry to revive this, but I'm in the market, I have a older NOS General US made caliper, but am looking at something digital, is the general consensus either HF or Mitutoyo?

 

[Davefr]

HF if you want a cheap workbench junker that's subject to abuse or theft. (they are accurate).

Mitutoyo if you want a quality one that you'll take care of.

 

[Farmall450]

HF if you want a cheap workbench junker that's subject to abuse or theft. (they are accurate).

Mitutoyo if you want a quality one that you'll take care of.

I mean I'm not machinist and if I was I'd borrow one from my dad so I guess a HF el cheapo is alright, as long as it's accurate.

Here's a eBay cheapo, same as HF?

 

[Farmall450]

Also which HF?

They have 3 digital 6" ones, one of which is cheaper (composite)

This one?
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-digital-caliper-with-metric-and-sae-fractional-readings-68304.html

 

[zengarage]

To me a caliper is not a precision tool so almost any brand will work. If it needs to be precise you need to be using a mic so any brand is acceptable. I personally own a Mitutoyo and HF digital. The Mitutoyo gets taken care of and the HF gets used as a scribe. I also have a Browne and Sharpe dial which is by far the best when in comes to the way it feels when in use.

 

[oldtools]

I have the el cheapo HF digital caliper too. It is for quicky use where I don't feel like pulling out the expensive stuffs. The expensive stuffs are locked away in my Kennedy tool box and the HF just sit on the self where I can get to it quickly. The HF seem to work fine.

 

[holt2ton]

I cut my teeth on vernier calipers and then went to dial and finally to digital. I can still read them darn verniers it's just getting harder....I will stay with digitals thou. I've had my Mitutoyo calipers for years now. And you don't have to worry about having a chip/dirt get in the gear rack of a dial caliper and have it skip....

 

[Murphy'sSidekic]

I'm teaching an intro machining course and one of he students asked me last week about brands of measuring tools. Here is what I wrote to him:

There are many brands to choose from for measuring instruments. Generally on the high end of quality tools are: Starrett, Brown and Sharpe, Mitutoyo and Etalon. In the middle of the decent imports are: SPI and less so, Fowler. At the low end are: General, Aerospace and other no-name imports.

If you want to get a dial caliper, and a high-quality one, I suggest Brown and Sharpe (http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=610-5024&PMPXNO=951993&PARTPG=INLMK32 in a black or silver dial). If you want a decent one, get a SPI (https://www.mscdirect.com/product/50967157?Arg=nv in almost any color you want). I wouldn't buy a Starrett dial caliper - I've owned them and they are flimsy.

If you want a digital caliper, buy a Mitutoyo (http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=2687672&PMAKA=610-0046). No one else really compares to them on digital. If you aren't going to buy the Mitutoyo digital, get a dial caliper instead.

For an outside mechanical micrometer, Starrett would be the best quality choice. I suggest one with the ratchet stop (https://www.mscdirect.com/product/85549038?Arg=nv). If you aren't going to get a Starrett, get a decent import like SPI.

For a digital micrometer, go Mitutoyo for the same reasons as above.

For scales, pretty much any brand is fine. Just look for the features you want (size, flexible v. rigid, satin chrome, graduations, hook on the end, etc.).

 

[plier_able]

This all looks like good advice to me - especially when it comes to digital. I don't think anyone else gets really close to Mitutoyo when it comes to digital.

Having said that how precise do you need to be and how often? A sensible and somewhat cheaper option might be to get a cheapo HF/clone digital caliper (mine reads the same as much more expensive ones I have) and get a (much) more expensive digital (Mitu) micrometer when you need to be really sure - and to occasionally check the cheapo caliper.

I'm teaching an intro machining course and one of he students asked me last week about brands of measuring tools. Here is what I wrote to him:

There are many brands to choose from for measuring instruments. Generally on the high end of quality tools are: Starrett, Brown and Sharpe, Mitutoyo and Etalon. In the middle of the decent imports are: SPI and less so, Fowler. At the low end are: General, Aerospace and other no-name imports.

If you want to get a dial caliper, and a high-quality one, I suggest Brown and Sharpe (http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=610-5024&PMPXNO=951993&PARTPG=INLMK32 in a black or silver dial). If you want a decent one, get a SPI (https://www.mscdirect.com/product/50967157?Arg=nv in almost any color you want). I wouldn't buy a Starrett dial caliper - I've owned them and they are flimsy.

If you want a digital caliper, buy a Mitutoyo (http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=2687672&PMAKA=610-0046). No one else really compares to them on digital. If you aren't going to buy the Mitutoyo digital, get a dial caliper instead.

For an outside mechanical micrometer, Starrett would be the best quality choice. I suggest one with the ratchet stop (https://www.mscdirect.com/product/85549038?Arg=nv). If you aren't going to get a Starrett, get a decent import like SPI.

For a digital micrometer, go Mitutoyo for the same reasons as above.

For scales, pretty much any brand is fine. Just look for the features you want (size, flexible v. rigid, satin chrome, graduations, hook on the end, etc.).

 

[davethorik]

mitutoyo made in japan are good tools. we have a lot of the brazilian made 8" dials at work and they aren't as nice and don't hold up as well. their digitals are top shelf as far as reliability. they are nice and smooth don't feel like they are full of sand like the HF calipers.

that being said I have a 6" set of Starrett digital ip67 that I bought in 2007 and they are tough and just plain work. It is also worthy of mention that I am still using the original batteries and i use them daily. a lot of people say starrett digitals are **** and i just have not had that experience with mine.

 

[Farmall450]

Wow, thanks for all the advice guys. I just don't like/get the vernier portion of calipers, and anyhow I have a micrometer for that precise of measurements.

Thanks again!!

 

[beingkaku]

Hi take a look on these best digital calipers of 2017.

1. Mitutoyo Digital Caliper
2. Fowler Digital Caliper
3. Green Toolz Digital Caliper
4. Vinca Digital Caliper
5. Neiko Digital Caliper
6. Digital Vernier Caliper IP54

Thanks.