ode to the vernier caliper....

[tool_scrounge]

I usually use Mitutoyo digital calipers - I like them and they work well. But I also like to keep a tape measure and calipers in the vehicle glove boxes - because who knows when you are going to need them. My experience is that in the hot Southern California sun, I always find the digital caliper batteries are dead. Not really surprising, since button batteries (Alkaline, lithium ion, etc) have a max storage temperature of 40C and the temperature in you car can be 60C+.

Fortunately, vernier calipers are cheap and pretty indestructible. The Japanese one shown below is vintage but still works nicely and included the case. It reads in metric and English units up to 6" (150mm). But best of all, the cost was $5. I like dial calipers too, but they tend to cost a bit more. For my use case, simple and inexpensive wins.

 

[RoninB4]

I have several sizes of vernier (very-near) calipers for the same reasons. The others I have are the dial variety for professional use. Never cared for the digital type (JMO) although the prevailing opinion in shops is the Mitutoyo are the digital to buy. Kanon is also a good but inexpensive brand of vernier.

 

[txvwnut]

I bought a Mit digital caliper when they first came out, used it for many years until one day I noticed it wasn’t reading correctly. The farther up the scale the bigger the error. I know after 30 plus years you can’t expect them to stay calibrated and I could send them in and get them calibrated but my verniers that are much older are still in spec and don’t need a battery. If need tighter accuracy i breakout the mics.

 

[Lwel9226]

I prefer dials (no batteries) but still have a couple verniers around.... My old eyes are having a hard time reading them anymore....
Many/most of the younger people now days don't know how to read one....

LynnW

 

[F-22]

Saw some new carbide tipped Mitutoyo 150mm vernier calipers. Really cool that they still make those and for such high quality.

The vernier scale can be as accurate as digital calipers and is always an absolute scale (cheaper digital calipers aren't absolute and can throw you way off!).

Dial is really cool, I have those at home but I think they're the least common nowadays (most complex to make, and the most prone to wear related inaccuracy, and also the easiest to get damaged by dust (the teeth...)).

 

[MushCreek]

Way back when I was in production machining, we used verniers because if chips get in the rack of a dial caliper, they can skip a tooth and thus be way off. When digitals came out, I never looked back, but I still have my vernier calipers from 1975 or so.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

When did California switch to metric? Lucky bastards.

 

[dscheidt]

I used to have a set of plastic calipers, picked up from a hardware store's bin of cheap tools. They were a six inch and three inch, both reading to 128ths of an inch (which takes some thinking to use). Surprisingly, they were all dead on reading a gauge block. I remember surprising a dude in a junkyard by pulling one out and measuring the thickness of a brake rotor he was debating his buddy about being worth pulling.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Have switched to using one of these as my go-to for work. No batteries plus no one picks mine up thinking it’s theirs