it is garbage. theres no thinking about it
Digital calipers - something between HF and Mitutoyo?
- Thread starter mike93lx
- Start date
it is garbage. theres no thinking about it
FrogBlastTheVentCore
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2021
- Messages
- 26
Buy the damn Mitutoyo.
jmarkwolf
Well-known member
I've used Mitutoyo calipers most of my career, have a set here at home, but was favorably surprised by the new HF Quinn digital calipers. More $ than the cheapie, but actually pretty nice. Bought the Quinn when I didn't want to get oil and swarf all over my Mitutoyo's in the shop.
www.harborfreight.com
6 in. Digital Caliper
Amazing deals on this 6 In. Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com
tdkkart
Well-known member
For around double the price of HF you can get several versions of Shars calipers of Amazon. Very nice calipers
with a nice quality feel and action. Batteries last a long time. I usually have several pair laying around.
with a nice quality feel and action. Batteries last a long time. I usually have several pair laying around.
tdkkart
Well-known member
delete
Looking closely at the LCD screen, I suspect that caliper comes from the same OEM as my iGaging absolute model. Very comparable to my Mitutoyos.I've used Mitutoyo calipers most of my career, have a set here at home, but was favorably surprised by the new HF Quinn digital calipers. More $ than the cheapie, but actually pretty nice. Bought the Quinn when I didn't want to get oil and swarf all over my Mitutoyo's in the shop.
6 in. Digital Caliper
Amazing deals on this 6 In. Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
Ebay reportedly has a policy that if you buy a counterfeit item you get a refund but don't have to return it. I've considered buying some of the fake Mitutoyos so I can then request a refund. It's a win-win, I get a set of throw away calipers, the person selling the knock offs loses money. What's stopped me if the concern that ebay may not agree the calipers are fakes.
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I got crappy/cheap calipers from Woodlore (woodworking shop) for like eight bucks a while back, and for general garage use, they've been pretty darn handy. But "close enough" has been a bit costly here and there when measuring some pretty tight tolerances for some fasteners, enough to justify an upgrade to something like the Quinn, which seems to be a damn solid pair. I'll catch a coupon one of these days when I have a few bucks I won't mind spending.I've used Mitutoyo calipers most of my career, have a set here at home, but was favorably surprised by the new HF Quinn digital calipers. More $ than the cheapie, but actually pretty nice. Bought the Quinn when I didn't want to get oil and swarf all over my Mitutoyo's in the shop.
6 in. Digital Caliper
Amazing deals on this 6 In. Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
In a ultra high precision aerospace company where I managed the technology, there was a gradual move to Mitutoyo from Starrett, Tesa, and Brown & Sharpe over several decades based upon performance and price. Several ancient machinists that worshipped Starrett even became converted. You have to be careful which Starrett piece you buy while Mit is great on everything.
It is a horrible shame, what our government and corporations have done to companies like Starrett & Brown & Sharpe.
Also have an igaging caliper. 5 or 6 years problem free and has shown itself to be accurate every time I have had a meaningful method of testing.Buy something with CR2032 battery first off. Second one the Fractional setting is extremely useful, more so than you will realise till you own a set.
Had a set of these for 10years now and use them the most out of the 8+ sets I own.
Battery life is awesome, they have survived grinding grit, over spray, a couple drops and dirty hands.
Large display, Range: 0-6" Accuracy: 0.001" Repeatability: 0.0005" Resolution: 0.0005"/0.01mm/1/128"
And they Zero and hold zero on first try
I just wanted to add something, not to further stir the pot, but because I feel like the OP was unnecessarily targeted personally. I agree that some of his responses were a bit snide or glib but they were mostly in response to some replies with questionable courtesy, and more importantly didn’t attack anybody personally. I also think some of the sarcasm went over some of the heads. He clearly stated “without splashing on a mitutoyo or starret” and then to received post after post saying Mitutoyo and some posters got offended when he didn’t agree. No need to call people names or personally insult them just because they don’t agree with you. This forum is just a lot more fun to read when people remain cordial. I know, I know let me save you the trouble “but this is the internet!!!1” and some platitude about thick skin; I hope that covers the knee-jerk reactions to this comment.
I just squint my eyes and use a plastic ruler.
NORTON'S SHOP
Well-known member
Probably because it's not a Mitutoyo. Coworker bought a Mitutoyo at a price that was to good to be true. It worked for about a week.
Products Legitimacy (FAKE)
Shenanigans. It says real, so it must be.Probably because it's not a Mitutoyo. Coworker bought a Mitutoyo at a price that was to good to be true. It worked for about a week.
Products Legitimacy (FAKE)
www.mitutoyo.eu
Hint, I know it's a fake
rancherbill
Well-known member
Get HF, as you know they work well at the level of accuracy you require.
NORTON'S SHOP
Well-known member
Just lookin' out for your well being.
See I told you irony is a tricky thing to convey online.
wjamyers
Well-known member
I went with this advice and got the iGaging Absolutes. Thank you.
I can't recall exactly how long after my last post in this thread, but I wound up with a Quinn pair when my cheapie pair finally died. I'm not a machinist, but have been very happy with them.I've used Mitutoyo calipers most of my career, have a set here at home, but was favorably surprised by the new HF Quinn digital calipers. More $ than the cheapie, but actually pretty nice. Bought the Quinn when I didn't want to get oil and swarf all over my Mitutoyo's in the shop.
6 in. Digital Caliper
Amazing deals on this 6 In. Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
Aaron_W
Well-known member
When I first bought a lathe I bought a General brand digital caliper. I eventually bought a Mitutoyo, but no complaints with the General and they don't seem to have the issue of many cheaper calipers of blowing through batteries just sitting around. I think they run around $40, so more than HF but less than half what Mitutoyo runs.
I've found the General brand to be decent for knockaround measuring tools, and I've acquired a variety over the years. The Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Mitutoyo etc stick to the machine tools bench.
I've found the General brand to be decent for knockaround measuring tools, and I've acquired a variety over the years. The Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Mitutoyo etc stick to the machine tools bench.
seber
Well-known member
I gave my Fowler to a younger engineer when I retired. I never warmed up to them so I really can't say if they were good or bad. But I kept the Mitutoyo digital and Brown and Sharpe dials. I reach for the B&S unless there is some special reason for digital. They are faster and I trust them. Plus they have a smoother operation.
I also have many years and many batteries through one of these and they've outlasted any other cheap set I've owned many times over. Pretty sure they were made in China, but not the same factory as all the other cheap ones at least.
I have been using an iGaging absolute origincal for a few years now and am very happy with it. I don't have anything else to really compare it to but the build quality is nice, it works very reliably for general usage (not a machinist), and the price is quite attractive.
I like buying nice tools and I did look at Mitutoyo before but I just couldn't justify that as an investment when it could be toast if dropped once. YMMV
I like buying nice tools and I did look at Mitutoyo before but I just couldn't justify that as an investment when it could be toast if dropped once. YMMV
Ebay? Definitely fake. That site is rife with fake everything, from bearings to sunglasses. The same model on there can be found on Aliexpress for $34 incl shipping, but the internals of a forgery are never up to OEM par. I sometimes get fake Oakleys from ali for dirt cheap, to work in since they're cheaper than even Bodega sunglasses. They look passable from 5 ft away, but the optical clarity isn't even close, brittle plastic frames instead of nylon, and so on. Prob get better reliability out of Harbor Freight
Edit:reading above I see others already posted about Aliexpress and eBay, oh well
I have one Mitu, one HF, and another cheapo off amazon. Really the only thing I use it for is reloading.
I have found there to be no difference, as in no between the three for the measurements that I make. I really think it depends on your uses, for me down to .** they are just fine
I have found there to be no difference, as in no between the three for the measurements that I make. I really think it depends on your uses, for me down to .** they are just fine
BlackHorseSaga
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2022
- Messages
- 62
Out of curiosity, why not a Starrett manual caliper? They never go bad, and nothing is more accurate. In fact, I stopped using my micrometers they were so accurate for 99% of what I need.
You can buy something like this: Starrett eBay Sample Link --- not my eBay ad. For $100.
Why digital?
If you see the model available on aliexpress or dhgate and you also see it on eBay, it's most likely fake. Almost guaranteed fake if you see it sold as new, from new sellers with multiples sold, at lower prices than actual distributors sell for. If you really want a model that there exists a fake for, the only reliable way to buy it is through an authorized distributor as found on the manufacturer's website, and even then there have been reports of legit bearings and likely other products being swapped for fakes in Chinese ports.
NORTON'S SHOP
Well-known member
Since most people with half a mind can only figure out fake from real just by the price (maybe not), one would think that the idiots selling the fake ones would set the price at $10.00 below the price of the real ones. They would probably sell a whole lot more of them.