Cheap Mitutoyo digital calipers on ebay - avoid?

[pendragon1998]

I am just starting to look for some digital calipers, and I have been hearing that I should avoid the cheapies. Mitutoyo is supposed to be good, but I have seen a lot of this sort of thing on ebay:

Mitutoyo 500-196-20/30 300mm/12" Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper
$19.99 Free shipping
​​​
So, my question is, are these knockoffs or something? I just want a basic 6 or 12 in. pair that is good quality without putting in a ton of money. Doesn't have to be the $500-tenth of a beesdick-tip top, but I want to have better than the bottom level junk.

I thought about looking for a used starrett or brown and sharpe dial caliper instead, but I worried they might be worn, making them an unknown quantity.

 

[firworks]

AvE has a video on them:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KnDype-j3hk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[scissorman]

Depending on what you're going to measure you'd be better off with a micrometer of the appropriate range with thimble for accuracy if you're not a machinist by trade. Depending on how hard you adjust down on the item being measured with a dial caliper you can easily be off by .003-.005" which is ALOT depending on the accuracy you're looking for. A thimble micrometer doesn't allow that to happen as it is a "ratchet" so to speak and once the pressure is applied it won't read any further. Not sure if I explained it well enough for you or not.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Depending on what you're going to measure you'd be better off with a micrometer of the appropriate range with thimble for accuracy if you're not a machinist by trade. Depending on how hard you adjust down on the item being measured with a dial caliper you can easily be off by .003-.005" which is ALOT depending on the accuracy you're looking for. A thimble micrometer doesn't allow that to happen as it is a "ratchet" so to speak and once the pressure is applied it won't read any further. Not sure if I explained it well enough for you or not.

Basically a micrometer will have a torque wrench so to speak on top. It clicks when it's tightened to the torque so you don't overtighten the mic instead it gets tightened same each time for accuracy that way if it's off 2/1000 closer it'll be off 2/1000 low or high when measuring. Instead of tightening too much and being off 4/1000


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[oldtools]

Sound like fake to me.

 

[Citation]

I am just starting to look for some digital calipers, and I have been hearing that I should avoid the cheapies. Mitutoyo is supposed to be good, but I have seen a lot of this sort of thing on ebay:

Mitutoyo 500-196-20/30 300mm/12" Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper
$19.99 Free shipping
​​​
So, my question is, are these knockoffs or something? I just want a basic 6 or 12 in. pair that is good quality without putting in a ton of money. Doesn't have to be the $500-tenth of a beesdick-tip top, but I want to have better than the bottom level junk.

I thought about looking for a used starrett or brown and sharpe dial caliper instead, but I worried they might be worn, making them an unknown quantity.

I have to admit I've been tempted to buy a pair and then request my money back because they are knock offs (and they are). Ebay's policy is forgeries/knock offs don't have to be returned and the seller will be forced to refund the purchase. The problem is proving things to ebay's satisfaction. It's easier for ebay to say "return to sender to get your money back" even if the sender is in China. While I would love to buy some of these for "free after complaint" I'm just not certain ebay would play their part.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/counterfeit-mitutoyo-calipers-epay-277726/
I'm sure they work as well as other $10 calipers but that just means you paid 3x what you should have.

Anyway, there are a number of detailed differences that give it away but yes, those are definitely not real Mitutoyos. Personally, if you just want to get a decent set of calipers, get the iGaging Absolutes off Amazon for about $40 or the non-absolute models for about $25. They are well made and certainly good enough even if they aren't quite Mitutoyo grade.

 

[bmxdad]

If your not looking to repeat by tenths, then get some HF ones. Not something a machinist would use, but home garage would be OK.

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[Skin]

Both Mit and Starrett sell nice digital models for around $100-$150.

The too cheap to be true models on ebay are indeed knock-offs. The quality isn't there and at one point they were even lacking a numeral. Unfortunate byproduct due to Mitutoyo having manufacturing plants in China.

 

[Infinia]

Mitutoyo 500-196-20/30 300mm/12" Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper
$19.99 Free shipping

Yup these are surely fakes.

To avoid the possibility of fakes and other fraudulent schemes, only buy new tools ( anything really ) from reputable tool dealers / channels. If it sounds to good to be true , it almost always is.

 

[rockettgpw]

In defence of the cheapy DVC's, I have had a no name Chinese one for over 10 years, paid $20aus.
It has never missed a beat and will flash for days when it finally runs down the battery.
I check it yearly against a micrometer test piece and its still seems to measure within 0.02mm. Plenty accurate for my use.
I have internal and external mics and bore gauges but 99% use is just the cheapy.
I say give it a go for the money, you may be pleasantly surprised or I might have just lucked a good one.

 

[jrockford]

Depending on what you're going to measure you'd be better off with a micrometer of the appropriate range with thimble for accuracy if you're not a machinist by trade. Depending on how hard you adjust down on the item being measured with a dial caliper you can easily be off by .003-.005" which is ALOT depending on the accuracy you're looking for. A thimble micrometer doesn't allow that to happen as it is a "ratchet" so to speak and once the pressure is applied it won't read any further. Not sure if I explained it well enough for you or not.

If he's not a machinist by trade, he's better off getting the calipers. Micrometers are far more accurate and a slight overkill depending on what he's wanting them for.

Also, the ratchet/ clutch mechanism on the end of micrometers can allow for that .003-.005 (if not more) deviation much easier than than being too rough with a set of calipers. I personally don't even use the ratchet.

My .02

 

[jmarkwolf]

I believe they are counterfeit.

I own a couple sets of genuine Mitutoyo digital calipers.

The guys in the shop fell for the EBAY fakes and bought a set.

Comparing them side by side, there is a significant difference in "heft" and smoothness of operation. Paint scheme is the same however!

Accuracy and longevity? Who knows.

 

[Citation]

In defence of the cheapy DVC's, I have had a no name Chinese one for over 10 years, paid $20aus.
It has never missed a beat and will flash for days when it finally runs down the battery.
I check it yearly against a micrometer test piece and its still seems to measure within 0.02mm. Plenty accurate for my use.
I have internal and external mics and bore gauges but 99% use is just the cheapy.
I say give it a go for the money, you may be pleasantly surprised or I might have just lucked a good one.

For a lot of jobs the cheap China models do a great job. Battery life seems to be the only down side. My old set of generic Chinese calipers had good finish and other than high battery consumption they worked well. The latest HF ones have very poor finish, to the point that it really impacts accuracy. Regardless, nothing against the made in China stuff in general but don't give the counterfeiters money when for less you can get the igaging stuff which really is good quality and cost less. Why pay even a small premium for counterfeit name?

 

[Dave455]

Pendragon - I was in your situation once, when I started matching but had little measuring kit!

Most folks want 'easy to read' stuff like digital or dial calipers, but to be honest, there isn't really a cheap option out there!

As others have said, those Calipers are almost certainly fake! Mitutoyo is one of the most faked tool brands out there, and you only get to spot the fakes with experience. If you do want to buy an electronic caliper, then Mitutoyo are among the better ones, but I would only buy these new! Electronic calipers can be very delicate, and even the decent ones have a limited life in a busy shop, so you never know what you are getting used! Buy new from a reputable supplier and just get the best deal you can! Bear in mind that big shops tend to buy these in bulk and replace them rather than have them re calibrated, so their design life is tailored to these customers!

If you havn't got one already, get the catalogue from MSC, they will send you their monthly promo's too, which sometimes have good offers!

I'd avoid buying a mechanical dial caliper second hand too. Again, they are quite delicate, and just dropping them once can trash the things. Buying used you just don't know the history of the thing. If you are tempted, only buy a decent make (U.S. British or Swiss), inspect the thing before you buy, and if there are any dinks or signs of being dropped, or if the needle isn't totally vertical at zero, don't touch it!

If you can stretch to new, then do so, but be careful as there is a lot of **** out there! Some Starrett are o.k. but the cheapest ones were poor quality when I last saw them. The better grades still looked good. Mitutoyo are O.K. in Metric, but I'm told their inch reading models are made in South America and not so good. Brown and Sharpe don't actually make their own any more, but rebrand Swiss Tesa. These are probably the safest bet, though you might as well get them from Tesa!

By all means buy a conventional vernier or micrometer used. There have been so many of these tools made over the years that you can often pick them up cheap in very serviceable condition! There is also little to go wrong, so they will last for ages. Most of my Mic's are decades old, and some pre war, but I have no problems! Verniers are a little more prone to damage, but not much! I'd probably buy a mic unseen from eBay, so long as it was from a known brand. I'd probably want to inspect a vernier though!

 

[guy48065]

The HF digitals are accurate to .001", have parallel ID and OD jaws and repeat well. They just feel scratchy like they lube them with sand.
The Mit knock-offs perform the same as HF but look & feel a lot smoother.

NOT as slick as a genuine Mit, Starett, etc. but perfectly acceptable for the precision that calipers are capable of.

I agree with the earlier post that iGaging stuff is a notch higher than HF or the knock-offs and make for a best buy at about $30 typically.

 

[californiaHank]

Arguing whether you need mics or a set of calipers is kinda like arguing whether you need sockets or combo wrenches. They can both be used for some of the same jobs, but sometimes one or the other is the right tool for the job. Calipers are a good general purpose measuring tool, and it's worth getting a decent set.

I prefer dial calipers to digital - a good quality, well cared for set wil be accurate practically forever, and you don't have to worry about dying LCDs or batteries. I've got 20 year old (US made) Starrett calipers, but own lots of Mitutoyo tools that are of equal quality. I think it's worthwhile, in the long run, to buy a good set like Starrett or (non-counterfeit!) Mitutoyo. Lots of good deals in the used market if you take the time to look, but avoid the 'too good to be true' deals on Ebay.

 

[txvwnut]

I've got a Mit digital caliper, not a cheap one either. It reads more than you are actually measuring the farther out it reads. It now collects dust I use my Vernier caliper or my micrometers when I need tight accuracy. The mics read in ten thousand's of an inch.

 

[rsanter]

How about buying good quality (used?) dial calipers and then never worry about batteries leaking, running out, etc?.......

Bob

 

[redmondjp]

Hint: on seldom-used battery-powered calipers, store the tool with the battery removed. The electronics cause a tiny drain on the battery, even when turned off.

Also, to get longer life out of the battery, chose a silver-oxide battery instead of an alkaline one.

 

[zhaddock]

FWIW, I have a few sets or mitutoyo dial calipers and one digital set. I also have a HF digital. We do regular audits and calibrations here at work. The Harbor Freight digital caliper always passes just fine like the mitutoyo ones. If I were just needing one around the house I'd go for the HF and call it good.

 

[L.Cheapo]

As others have said, definitely a fake. Mitutoyo digital calipers are widely imitated, but never replicated, as shown in the AvE youtube vid posted above. Only buy Mitutoyo products from a trusted, reliable source.

I have genuine Mitutoyo digital calipers and they are a joy to use, totally accurate, fast, and a very well made tool. You get a lot of quality for the money.