Micrometers - Digi or Analog

[mobiledynamics]

I got a cheap digital one. Just looking at MM online this evening. Pros of the Analog Micrometers ?

 

[M6erfan]

No batteries to go dead. I seriously thinking about picking up a new analog metric caliper

 

[mobiledynamics]

ha, good reminder....since that moment, I've kept spares of the itty ones in the fridge

 

[thin_concrete]

I use analog for dial indicators and smaller calipers. I find them to be easier for my eyes to use. I feel like if the light isn’t perfect, I can’t see the values on the small screens on digital measurement tools.

My largest set of calipers is digital only because they were on sale when I purchased them. Had I had the opportunity to buy an analog pair, I would have done so, but they’re not too bad when you toss in a new battery every so often.

 

[Skin]

Analog hold value better. There are some seriously high end digitals but they're like any other gadget where when the product line is refreshed the old ones are seen as "obsolete" whether they are or not.

 

[Djosbun]

It doesn't matter. If it doesn't say Mitutoyo or Starret on it (or maybe Brown & Sharpe), don't buy it. Can easily find used and in excellent condition at a very reasonable cost.

-- Dave

 

[Lightning rod]

I have gone to digital since my eyes aren’t getting any better

Analog for double checking if need be

 

[American Locomotive]

Analog hold value better. There are some seriously high end digitals but they're like any other gadget where when the product line is refreshed the old ones are seen as "obsolete" whether they are or not.

I disagree immensely.

Digital mics and calipers are more or less a "solved" product. For example, the Mitutoyo "Absolute" Digimatic caliper and mic have basically been the same for the past 25 years. A brand new one is not really functionally different than one from '95.

Some brands offer digital mics and calipers with bluetooth or whatever, but your hobbyist machinist doesn't need to worry about that.

Most of the development and engineering effort is going into ultra-precision measuring and automated testing these days - not hand tools.

 

[rlitman]

It doesn't matter. If it doesn't say Mitutoyo or Starret on it (or maybe Brown & Sharpe), don't buy it. Can easily find used and in excellent condition at a very reasonable cost.

-- Dave

Or Tesa or Etalon. There are more than just two good brands out there.

 

[Skin]

I disagree immensely.

Digital mics and calipers are more or less a "solved" product. For example, the Mitutoyo "Absolute" Digimatic caliper and mic have basically been the same for the past 25 years. A brand new one is not really functionally different than one from '95.

Some brands offer digital mics and calipers with bluetooth or whatever, but your hobbyist machinist doesn't need to worry about that.

Most of the development and engineering effort is going into ultra-precision measuring and automated testing these days - not hand tools.

You say you disagree then you basically agreed with me. I said the perceived value on anything electronic drops rapidly, regardless of if the product is actually made better. I've seen the really high end digital mits go for just a couple hundred bucks when they had a Retail street around $1000-$2000. Something like a high end Etalon holds its value much better.

Personally I think high quality digitals are great from a usability standpoint.

 

[American Locomotive]

You said digital mics get rapidly obsolete. I disagreed, because standard digital mics and calipers have been the same for 25 years, and hold their value just fine. Digital mics and calipers aren't refreshed yearly like phones. They stay largely the same year after year. A 1987 Mitutoyo digimatic isn't really any different to use than a 2020.

High end speacilty tools of any kind rapidly lose value, especially if they have an out of date cal or were bought for a specific task.

 

[Tinner]

Or Tesa or Etalon. There are more than just two good brands out there.

Tesa, Etalon and B&S are all part of the same company.

 

[Skin]

You said digital mics get rapidly obsolete.

Nope. I said when new ones are introduced older digital models gets seen as obsolete whether they are or not which impacts the value.

 

[darkzero]

I'vee got 2 digital mics, 0-1" & 0-2", Mitutoyo Quantumikes. All my other mics are vernier. I only use the digitals when I want to get a project done quick that requires a lot of measuring. Downside is they're bulkier/heavier, batteries not an issue. Mitutoyos made in the last 20 yrs or so aren't battery eaters.

My main calipers I use are digital, again cause they're quicker to use, & again Mitutoyo. Calipers aren't relied on for accuracy anyway but they are accurate enough for most things I do. Drop & test indicators I only use analog.

I prefer not buy China precision measuring tools. I rather buy used quality name brand before China when possible.

 

[californiaHank]

Analog. They last a lifetime (or two or three lifetimes) without losing their usablility.
No LCD panels that lose their readability over time, no batteries to replace.
Lots of used good used Starrett and Mitutoyo out there. No reason to turn down a classic Lufkin or B&S that's in good condition, either.

I think that the only advantage of (some of) the electronic ones is that they can be switched between metric and inch measurements. My newer mics are all metric, as the stuff I work on is mostly metric with metric fasteners.

I prefer friction thimbles to ratchet ones. Ratchet ones are more common, as they are supposedly easier for a novice user to get consistent results, but someone who has used mikes for a while will generally get more accurate readings, particularly on softer materials, with a friction thimble. YMMV.

 

[darkzero]

I prefer friction thimbles to ratchet ones. Ratchet ones are more common, as they are supposedly easier for a novice user to get consistent results, but someone who uses mics a lot will generally get more accurate readings, particularly on softer materials, with a friction thimble. YMMV.

Same here, I prefer friction thimbles too & almost all my vernier mics have friction thimbles. Won't even use the ratchet sometimes on the few that I have, I just use the barrel.

 

[American Locomotive]

To actually answer the OP's question: The main advantage of analog mikes is that they tend to be less bulky and do not require a battery. Functionally, they're fine. You're not going to be any more or less precise with a digital micrometer.

Nope. I said when new ones are introduced older digital models gets seen as obsolete whether they are or not which impacts the value.

...but they aren't seen as obsolete - which is my point. Machinists aren't vapid people buying the newest cell phone every year as a status/luxury symbol. You can pick up a 1995 Mitutoyo Digimatic, and then pick up a 2020 Digimatic and you will essentially only find cosmetic differences. No machinist is going to care about the colors of the plastic. They just want to make sure the item is reliable and repeatable.

The fact that there are still some people (in this very thread!) saying they prefer analog calipers/mikes when digitals are faster, easier to use and more reliable (at least when talking dial vs digital calipers) is proof enough that "obsolete" doesn't really apply to this industry.

Sure when you get into the ultra-high-end segment with automated measuring machines, calipers/mikes connected to automated QC/QA systems, etc... then yes "obsolete" can be a thing. But for someone working in their own shop? No way.

Cruising e-bay is showing that used Mitutoyo digital mikes and calipers seem to be selling at 50-60% of new retail prices. It's also showing that used analog B&S and Starrett mikes and calipers are also selling at 40-60% of new retail value.

 

[MushCreek]

Retired tool maker here. I bought a set of digital Mitutoyo calipers back in the 80's and still have them. I also have a newer one, and they are nearly identical. I never got in to digital mikes, though. My 1" mikes are Etalon; I have a Japanese 1-4" set, and a Polish 1-12" set. Digital calipers are so handy; you can do a lot of neat measuring tricks by zeroing them in different positions for comparative readings. I still have my first set of calipers- a vernier one from about 1973.

 

[Larryjones]

Old analog mics are easy to used, even with my old eyes. I have an old Mitutoyo vernier caliper that I have to do some sitting and thinking on how to read it about every time I get it out to use.

 

[Davefr]

Maybe the best of both worlds.

My favorite are Mitutoyo digital with the mechanical number wheels. Easy to read with no batteries.

 

[dr_clyde]

Unless you are doing constant, repeat measurements within a given size range I would pass on the digital mics and get analog. You’ll be able to get a full 0-6” set of mics used for about the same cost as one or two good digital mics.

I don’t see many digital mics over 3”. Depending on what kind of work you do, that may be fine.

I use my large mics at around the same frequency as the small ones.

If you find yourself using the 0-1 or the 1-2 a ton and not really using the rest of the set, get a nice used Mitutoyo Quantumike in the size of your choice. Check it on the standard once in a while or get a couple gage blocks to check against occasionally.

 

[lynn225]

Maybe the best of both worlds.

My favorite are Mitutoyo digital with the mechanical number wheels. Easy to read with no batteries.

I agree.

 

[Minnesota Steve]

No batteries to go dead. I seriously thinking about picking up a new analog metric caliper

I have a cheap digital caliper, and I have to remove the battery before putting back in the case. Otherwise the battery dies within a week.

 

[American Locomotive]

I have a cheap digital caliper, and I have to remove the battery before putting back in the case. Otherwise the battery dies within a week.

The cheapo calipers don't even turn off when you push the "off" button. They just turn the display off. It's a huge joke considering LCD screens consume negligible amounts of power.

A cheapo caliper will typically consume 5x more power than a Mitutoyo when on, and 10x the power when off. They also tend to come with cheap LR44 batteries instead of SR44s.

You can expect 2+ years of service out of batteries for a Mitutoyo in heavy use. The Mitutoyos consume so little power when off, that if you use them very infrequently with a high quality SR44 battery, you should get 5+ years from a single battery.

 

[Whitworth]

If by analog micrometer you're referring to vernier, no savings versus how slow it is to read. New to new (apples to apples) comparison you'll save some money up front, but consider that digital display offers metric and English at a push of a button, and can be read easily when held at an awkward angle, (like measuring a part on the lathe), and can hold a reading at a push of a button. Very convenient.

The price on a mitutoyo 1" is about $200, maybe less. Cheaper brands are fine for less demanding use ( Fowler, for instance).

 

[toddmorr]

I have a cheap Igaging Absolute Origin digital caliper, 3 yrs or so. Seems to work fine for me with use maybe twice a month. No problems with eating batteries.

 

[willbird]

I am 100% analog on micrometers, and 100% digital on calipers. I DO have a large set of dial calipers that I do not use much. Really like the Mitutoyo digital. I have been using them since 1985 or so....they keep getting better and better.

An analog micrometer can be proven to be accurate to .0001" and require very little maintenance other than verifying zero even with constant daily use. The basic design has probably not changed in a century. Most refinements have been in surface finish and what the measuring faces are made out of. Truly an example of a highly refined hand tool . I do like the Etalon mikes that have 1/2 thousandth marks and only .0005 on the vernier but I do not feel bad if I use one of the many others I have. I have almost always needed at least 1 at work, one at home at the reloading bench, one by the computer where I draw stuff on cad.

I have a 0-1/2 micrometer too that has really helped on a few oddball jobs where a 0-1 would not fit into where the measurement had to be made.

 

[mobiledynamics]

I must have the worst luck cause sometimes on my Fluke MM. and Mity. calipers, I swear their is a parasitic drain in them.

These days, for most of these, I usually end up popping the batteries out....after use.

 

[VR6ix]

I bought some Accusize dual-unit analog calipers off Amazon for work (measuring parts and reverse engineering when needed, that's all). I went with analog because the batteries never die and hopefully co-workers are less likely to borrow them compared to the digital ones in the shop - that didn't work, should have got a vernier scale one instead lol!

AvE did a caliper tear-down back in 2015 and what drains the batteries in digital calipers is the brainbox remembering where the caliper was when it was shut off so that it displays the same reading when it's turned back on. The Mitutoyo's still have this drain, it's just waaaay less than the Chinesium calipers.

I don't rely heavily on measuring instruments so I don't see the benefit to spending more on the digital version of the same quality-level.

 

[American Locomotive]

and what drains the batteries in digital calipers is the brainbox remembering where the caliper was when it was shut off so that it displays the same reading when it's turned back on. The Mitutoyo's still have this drain, it's just waaaay less than the Chinesium calipers.

Mitutoyo actually uses what's called an "absolute encoder". The caliper can figure out where it is in space automatically based on a special encoding pattern. So the caliper's "brain" doesn't need to be running to figure out where it is.

 

[Packard V8]

In our automotive machine shop, we keep 0 - 6" dial calipers on every workbench. Yes, it's a gritty, dirty environment. They're just for rough measurement and to confirm the right parts are in the right place. They're used so much, they eventually get used up and we buy them at least six at a time.

When I got ready to order them again, for the first time, digital were less expensive than dial. Yes, batteries have to be replaced, but buying them by the card, it's no problem to keep plenty of spares on hand.

We haven't been keeping accurate records of how long the dials lasted, but it will be interesting to see if we notice any difference with the digitals.

jack vines

 

[American Locomotive]

At the manufacturing plant I worked at, our Mitutoyo digital calipers were IP rated and held up perfectly to getting covered in oil and chips.

In my experience, dial calipers really only work well in relatively clean environments. They get wrecked pretty fast in dirty shops, and usually will start "skipping" once the rack packs up with dirt.

 

[Mecha]

I've had both, I like Dial calipers from Starrett, Mitutoyo, or B&S. I have a Mitutoyo 9" dial cal's only now but I'm not a high user. I bought them 20 years ago used on eBay, and they are still dead accurate.

I've had batteries die many times over, but they are awesome if you are using daily. If you are infrequently using I'd say a nice set of Dial Calipers are the way to go.

 

[noid]

I dislike analog micrometers for the same reason I hate analog clocks; time inefficiency.

 

[willbird]

I must have the worst luck cause sometimes on my Fluke MM. and Mity. calipers, I swear their is a parasitic drain in them.

These days, for most of these, I usually end up popping the batteries out....after use.

The very first generation of Mit calipers used TWO 357 batteries and they ate them like mad. But every generation since has only used one battery and I just leave them on all the time, usually get a year or more out of a battery. I have been using a Fluke that work issued me 3 years ago and never had to replace the battery yet.

As for time savings...I cannot see that a digital mike over the years would have saved me any time. When you have to log data into a system some of them allow doing that with the tool, might save some time there.

Bill

 

[engineer2]

Mine have a parasitic drain, so I take the batteries out. I believe they use it to remember the units setting and zero setting.

 

[M6erfan]

I have a Mit digi mic. It eats batteries. Well sort of. It can sits month until I use it. Several times when I went to use, the battery was dead (yes it's authentic). I just leave the battery out now.

I was thinking about getting a good dial caliper. Some here say they don't hold up in a shop though?

 

[dutchgray]

I like analogue micrometers, I recently bought a 0" to 6" Mitutoyo set, I have a Starrett 222-1 and the rest are all Moore & Wright, which you find used an awful lot here cheaply and they are good, I have almost a complete set to 14" now across all of them.

 

[American Locomotive]

I have a Mit digi mic. It eats batteries. Well sort of. It can sits month until I use it. Several times when I went to use, the battery was dead (yes it's authentic). I just leave the battery out now.

I was thinking about getting a good dial caliper. Some here say they don't hold up in a shop though?

Make sure you use SR44 batteries. There's a difference between then and LR44.

 

[M6erfan]

Make sure you use SR44 batteries. There's a difference between then and LR44.

They are