Digital Caliper for the all-round DIYer

[winlinmac]

I'm not a machinist by any means. But for the all-round DIY'er, is a Mitutoyo Caliper (the model that hovers around the $100 mark) overkill? I've been using the cheap calipers off Amazon for a while now, but sometimes the sliding mechanism is not as smooth as I'd like it to be, and measurement-readings sometimes behave erratically.

Edit: the only aspect of the Mitutoyo I'm not liking is the battery compartment cover, which is thin and flimsy, as per YouTube videos. Seems like its prone to breaking off. Not that its relatively simple to fix, but for a $100+ caliper, probably shouldn't be the case.

 

[Stuey]

I'm a big Mitutoyo fan.

I've used them at home and in the lab.

I haven't had any issues with the battery cover, ever. If you're doing something that can break the battery cover, you're likely doing something that's putting the instrument as a whole at risk.

 

[Wamsutta]

Have you looked at the Neiko brand? They're real cheap and get lots of 5 stars on Amazon.

 

[winlinmac]

I think that's where I started looking Amazon, but many complain about the jaws misaligning.

Have you looked at the Neiko brand? They're real cheap and get lots of 5 stars on Amazon.

 

[Wamsutta]

I think that's where I started looking Amazon, but many complain about the jaws misaligning.

Ok that's good to know. What about the SPI brand at MSC Direct?

 

[winlinmac]

I'm not sure about the SPI brand. Hopefully, someone else can shed some more light on that. There are many models on the internet that are coming out from different brands, but they're probably all made under the same roof somewhere overseas (can be a good or bad thing depending on how much scrutiny is involved when it boils down to quality control).


This video helps,

However, I don't know what the after-sales support is like with these other companies.

Ok that's good to know. What about the SPI brand at MSC Direct?

 

[Davefr]

The no name calipers don't seem to be any less accurate then the name brands.

The advantage of the Digimatics is smooth operation, easier to read LCD, much longer battery life, overall fit and finish (not a stick on foil graduation label)

Get the Digimatics if you like working with quality tools. Get the no name unit if it'll get stolen, dropped, abused, etc.

A caliper isn't a substitute for a micrometer if high precision matters.

One of the best deals on high end calipers are the used Starrett and Mit vernier calipers on Ebay. They go for pennies on the dollar.

 

[mbshop]

Well, I have two german calipers from the 70s and 80s. Still work fine. Not digital though. My hf one is still going strong after 6 years. Original battery is still working also. Had a mitutoyo long ago but someone decided it was theirs instead. The german ones read just as accurately for most any work needed.

 

[American Locomotive]

I find it hard to believe a HF caliper is still going 6 years on the same battery - unless you take the battery out when you're done using it. The HF calipers plow batteries if you leave them in, because the thing is always on, even when it's "off".

 

[dogdog]

for general purpose, I think HF is fine. I have about 5 of them scattering around for hobby stuff.... not in super deluxe safe..... It gets very close to what I needed to measure , and I do NOT machining .001" tolerance. But if you really wanted to be **** about it, I think aVe does a review of cheap calipers vs the good calipers... all dependents on what you want.

 

[Cruzan80]

I find it hard to believe a HF caliper is still going 6 years on the same battery - unless you take the battery out when you're done using it. The HF calipers plow batteries if you leave them in, because the thing is always on, even when it's "off".

Mine is at least 3 yrs old (bought before I moved) and still has original batteries.

 

[zkling]

The no name calipers don't seem to be any less accurate then the name brands.

I worked at an aerospace machine shop that used to buy cases of the HF6" caliper to hand out to employees. It was staggering the extremely low percentage that didn't make it through calibration.

 

[Cope]

I bought one at Rockler (house brand). Battery life is short.

 

[chrisexv6]

Mine is at least 3 yrs old (bought before I moved) and still has original batteries.

I have an iGaging digital caliper and the thing eats batteries constantly. I dont use it a lot but sure enough every time I reach for it the battery is dead.

Put a new battery in and it works for when I need it, then repeat the cycle of go-to-use and battery is dead.

But they are very handy to have, even if it means tracking down another battery. I suppose I could try good batteries but Ive been using the HF CR2032 batteries because I know even a good battery will die too early to justify the extra cost.

 

[BuffettFan]

I personally own 3 pairs of Mitutoyo calipers, (2) 8" digitals and (1) 6" dial.
I always recommend the Mits 8" digitals. My set at home is at least 25 years old and were my work calipers for the majority of their lives. I bought the 2nd pair because I found myself hauling them back and forth between work and home regularly.
You should be able to find them for around $180 to $200.
Obviously, the great advantage to the digitals is the ability to switch between inch and metric and the extra cost for the 8" range is well worth it. 12" calipers are unwieldy unless you are actually measuring that large of a work piece.
Just like any other tool, quality will cost more, but if properly cared for, they will last for a very long time.
Regarding the SPI brand from MSC, I do use a lot of their products and have not had any issues with them, but I have not purchased any of their digital calipers.

 

[Git]

I have 3 pairs of 6" digital calipers

1. Mitutoyo Absolute 500-768-10 ($200)
2. Wixey WR100 ($30)
3. iGaging IP54 ($26)

The one I use the most is the iGaging - they work great and have a very large display

The Mitutoyo were a waste of money for me and I would say that for the 'all-round DIYer' it would be a waste of money for you too

 

[rockinacummins]

I have the Pittsburgh from Harbor Freight. And it's been perfect for everything I needed it for. It came with two batteries, and they each lasted a couple of years.

 

[Wamsutta]

The Mitutoyo were a waste of money for me and I would say that for the 'all-round DIYer' it would be a waste of money for you too

Would you say that's a case of having to pay for name recognition?

 

[speedfreek1210]

Have the 4" and 8" HF ones at home and a set of 8" starrett's at work. The starrett's are much nicer in fit and finish. Still have to take the battery out of all of them after use. Granted I don't use any of them regularly (once a month, giver or take).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Loscaldazar]

Mine is at least 3 yrs old (bought before I moved) and still has original batteries.

Mine is pushing 3 years also and original battery. It could be that different model numbers (from different factories) are different enough that the batteries last different amounts. I'll dig and see if I can find what model number I bought.

I think the HF ones are great for what I'm and what most other people are doing. I'm not a machinist and I do next to no machining (a drill press is about as exciting as I get in that regard) and the HF do 100% of what I need them to. I mainly just need to measure round objects for the diameter (sometime circumference or area calculate from that then too). It has made that process take seconds instead of pulling out a string, wrapping it around, and then measuring the string.

Would I recommend them if you're a machinist? Probably not, but for most fabrication, repair, and sourcing parts of the same dimensions as the old one, etc, they are plenty accurate.

 

[speed bump]

We use the cheapest digital mitutoyos at work and they last pretty well but operationally don't seem any better than the dial Westwards we were using before.

At home I use harbor freight calipers. A decent sized of box of batteries is cheap and having several calipers is worth it. Spend your money on micrometers

 

[PugetDude]

Would you say that's a case of having to pay for name recognition?

In my case it would be a case of not being able to utilize the precision...
I do mostly woodwork and hobby machining.
Don't need .0001" accuracy; 99+% of the people on this board probably don't either...

 

[jessesandy]

Maybe different models of the HF 6" digital... or a good batch of batteries...
I'm at least six years on the original battery (just leave it in all the time) and still going strong. Use it once a month or so. I am kinda OCD about turning it off, even when I set it down for a minute, so maybe that has helped.

 

[dr_clyde]

I use dial calipers for most things. Cheaper and don't have batteries to worry about. That said, Mitutoyo is my go to brand for metrology equipment. I do ave a set of 6" digimatics that are very nice. Calipers are good for +/- .005", so pretty much any set will get you there. Good ones will last longer and have better quality parts.

I like nice tools, so I try to support the companies that make them when I can.

 

[Git]

Would you say that's a case of having to pay for name recognition?

In my case it would be a case of not being able to utilize the precision...
I do mostly woodwork and hobby machining.
Don't need .0001" accuracy; 99+% of the people on this board probably don't either...

Both

I am sure the name "Mitutoyo" commands a premium and I appreciate good quality tools - but as PugetDude mentioned, I don't need that kind of accuracy

 

[vssjim]

I have been using Central brand US made Swiss electronics and very happy the three I have

 

[Citation]

Igaging is great deal. I would, based on personal experience, recommend either their absolute or large screen models. I mean for braid stuff even the $10 eBay stuff can work but they eat batteries.

 

[Yarpo]

I bought this one last week, should be here tomorrow. Had good reviews, it was between that or the Neiko one, both had a bunch of great reviews on amazon and I picked this one just because I liked the colors better lol.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017KUC6XQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[toplessHO]

I have bought several $20-30 ones and all are broke except my HF and my dial caliper.
The one i miss the most is the all plastic one that went only to .00 but was great for working around energized equipment. Havent found a replacement for that one yet.

 

[L.Cheapo]

I'm an avid DIY guy, and I use Mitutoyo digital calipers and micrometers. Why? Because I like quality tools, and given the fact they'll probably be lifetime tools, the difference in price amortized over decades is meaningless.

AvE on YouTube did a video a year or two ago on genuine Mitutoyo digital calipers vs knockoffs. Worth a view.

 

[theoldwizard1]

iGaging IP54. Very reasonably priced. If you need to measure anything better than +/- 0.005 a caliper is probably the wrong tool anyway.