Dial Indicator Types

[seanb02]

Hey folks, I am looking to purchase a good quality dial indicator. The first need will be to set up the gears rebuilding a differential. Other uses down the road could be to measure warpage on rotors, and other general shop type uses where a dial indicator would be handy.

I'm not currently set up for machining parts, so that type of high precision work isn't likely on the horizon for now, just general automotive and heavy equipment repair applications. I've got a set of Mitutoyo calipers and the quality is excellent on those, so I am leaning towards Mitutoyo for the dial indicator as well. Will also need a magnetic base or some other way to mount it to surfaces.

What has me slightly confused is all the options when it comes to dial indicators, now I realize there are specific applications where certain types are needed, but what type do I need for general applications?

Here is the table of different types I am looking at on Mitutoyo's website:
https://ecatalog.mitutoyo.com/Dial-Indicators-Series-2-Standard-TypeInch-Reading-C1216.aspx

Which one should I be choosing? This is showing the series 2 style in inch readings only. I don't think there would be any reason for a compact series 1 or larger series for what I plan to do?

Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated

 

[BTL-A4]

Buy the 2416S. It has a lug on the back for attaching to an arm. Get a magnetic base and some sort of arm to hold it. I like the ones that are articulated in several spots and tighten up with one dial.

 

[rsanter]

Frankly for what you are looking for you will be fine with the base and indicator from harbor freight.
If you want mitutoyo just because that's fine.
If,you are good with a used one I may have one I can spare

 

[Skin]

Ditto an import set if you just want it for checking run-out on shafts and rotors. You don't really need precision, just something that acts as a comparator. They get pretty gross between road grime, oil, and brake dust too so more reason to get something you wont feel obligated to baby.

 

[Steve_P]

I have Mitutoyo and Peacock, both made in Japan and are excellent. I'd assume a generic Chinese one that you buy now would be fine, but the only generic one I had was 20 yrs ago and was junk.

 

[unslow1]

Frankly for what you are looking for you will be fine with the base and indicator from harbor freight.
If you want mitutoyo just because that's fine.
If,you are good with a used one I may have one I can spare

Beat me to it. You won't need any high-end stuff for what you are doing. The one from HF has vise grip. I bought one just for rotors because I'm not going to use expensive stuff for that.

 

[seanb02]

I would like to clarify that I am not interested in Harbor Freight or other generic Chinese offerings. Granted I agree that for my uses those types would likely be just fine, but if buying a precision instrument I would like it to be genuinely precise. Buy once cry once philosophy, who knows what projects I may run into down the line where I will actually need to have quality instruments. Just my own personal preference on this one.

 

[seanb02]

Frankly for what you are looking for you will be fine with the base and indicator from harbor freight.
If you want mitutoyo just because that's fine.
If,you are good with a used one I may have one I can spare

Thank you for the kind offer, and while I am certainly fine with buying used on most things when they are quality brands, I think I'll go with purchasing new for this particular item.

 

[AmericanMechanic]

I have a HF because it's what i could afford at the time. If you can affort mitutoyo, i assume they are close to starrett money. Starrett is made in the USA and it'd be great to keep a dial indicator company here in the US, for many reasons.

Also, check out a noga articulating mag base. They are from Israel (friends of ours at least), but I'm not aware of if there's a US made equivalent.

 

[Git]

If your looking at Mitutoyo or Starrett, don't go cheap on the base. 2nd the Noga

 

[Chris67]

Interapid is my go-to


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[mowkep]

I have Mitutoyo and Peacock, both made in Japan and are excellent. I'd assume a generic Chinese one that you buy now would be fine, but the only generic one I had was 20 yrs ago and was junk.

Teclock has been my personal favorite. Fowler works too.

 

[Steve_P]

I would like to clarify that I am not interested in Harbor Freight or other generic Chinese offerings. Granted I agree that for my uses those types would likely be just fine, but if buying a precision instrument I would like it to be genuinely precise. Buy once cry once philosophy, who knows what projects I may run into down the line where I will actually need to have quality instruments. Just my own personal preference on this one.

Again, Mitutoyo or Peacock. The last one I bought was Peacock; it was made in Japan and significantly cheaper than Mitutoyo. It seems just as high quality as the three Mitutoyo I have.

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

Check out Federal (now Mahr i think) made in USA or some now in germany and they are the oem for many caterpilliar dial indicators I own. Some of the ones I have are very accurate (down to .0005)

 

[Steve_P]

On the magnetic bases, I have two Mitutoyos from 20+ years ago; they're made in Brazil but excellent. And I have a generic Chinese one, I assume from Enco, from 20+ years ago. It's functional, but a real POS compared to Mitutoyo LOL. There was a thread here about bases about a year? ago and the consensus was that the generic ones weren't great; buy Noga or Mitutoyo.

I haven't shopped for indicators in a long time; but when I did, Starrett was waay more $ than Mitutoyo. Which is why I only own Starrett punches.

 

[seanb02]

If your looking at Mitutoyo or Starrett, don't go cheap on the base. 2nd the Noga

That's the exact one that I put in my Amazon shopping cart last night. I'm hoping that Amazon has gotten their shipping issues resolved, there for a while it was taking forever to have what they considered "nonessential items" shipped out which was understandable at the time. Will likely put the order through later on tonight if no other feedback regarding these items. Thanks for the suggestions folks!

 

[mowkep]

Teclock is Japanese made as well. Cheaper than Mitutoyo. Not as painful when you drop one either....$$$.