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My digital caliper has shit itself, or perhaps came with soiled pants from the factory. At best it is random number generator and is not worthy of being called a measuring device.
I would like something that can be relied upon but not necessarily break the bank. I see lots of digital calipers out there looking pretty much like my heap of junk, so am wary of wasting more money.
Any suggestions? Attachment 199812
use it manually.....asume you have rezeroed it .
As much as I wanted a set of Mitutoyo callipers, the iGaging reviewed well when I went through the same process.
Been happy as with them.
Mitutoyo Digi calipers
https://tradetools.co.nz/products/mi...put-500-196-31
I use a vernier scale Mitutoyo most of the time - no electronics to go wrong! If you do want lower- price digital though I'll throw in a suggestion for Shahe. Yes, they're Chinese and you can buy them from Aliexpress (make sure they're from the actual Shahe Aliexpress store though) but they have a good rep. I have a digital caliper, a digital dial gauge and an analog DTI from them - all have been accurate and reliable over several years.
+1 for these as they say buy once cry once! You won’t go wrong!Quote:
Originally Posted by gqhoon
re-zero every time I use them. The numbers keep randomly generating, or showing clearly false readings. I've tried to use it manually, but the measurement graduations don't match zero to begin with.Attachment 199814
Ive got a brand new set of Digital Mitutoyo (200mm/8") going for $200 plus postage if your interested?
For acceptable accuracy and price I'd recommend "Igaging" products for measurement. I've got a few of these and they don't have the problems other cheaper sets have around chewing through batteries and random errors and reviews online seem to show they are good in comparison to "better" brands.
https://www.amazon.com/iGaging-ABSOL...0-eeda4dea34d6
Mitutoyo....the cost will be long forgotten but the quality remains. The original battery is still operational after two years....never missed a beat and has been dropped once.
"Insize" have been a good mid price option for me.
I get them from Trade Tools.
If you have the money, Mitutoyo is pretty much the gold standard.
Starret are also good quality.
ok in short, Mitutoyo however here is some background for me
I work in a laboratory and we have needed to have calibrated calipers, so what i used to do when we needed quite a few is go to bunning, mitre 10 etc and buy the calipers they sell, they were cheap i think $40 or so. i would buy 10 at a time because i know they wont all pass calibration, and usually 2-4 of them would fail calibration and would go in the bin. but still worked out cheaper for us as they guys kept on breaking/losing them
But yeah thats why you buy Mitutoyo as they are good and will pass calibration.
Mitutoyo vernier scale is the most robust, however i have switched to a digital Mitutoyo
With measuring instruments you get what you pay for
I just got given a set of these in 200mm.... broken they said, for your son they said...Quote:
Originally Posted by Scouser
A wee clean up of the battery terminal and a new battery and PRESTO!
Even came in a wooden storage case! I gave the son a set of cheap digi ones that were buggered.
Prior to the Japanese set, I had already brought a 6" Starret set.
Exactly same experience recently with my no-branders. Had been 100% for ages then somewhat suddenly went to hell. My engineer mate had a look and that's all it was- a dirty contact.Quote:
Originally Posted by 40mm
Starrett or Mitutoyo are good as suggested, otherwise with digital I just wouldn't with the cheaper brands. Although to be fair I have two sets here that I ended up with as part of bulk lot tool purchases, and I do use them for their convenience as +/- to a measurement when I'm machining something in the lathe. Otherwise I have a pair of cheaper 'nobrand' vernier calipers which I use for my measuring jobs, and if I have something that needs to be accurate I have a set of Starrett micrometers in a lovely rosewood box. They are really quite nice...
Some of the digital verniers have a bit of an issue with repeatability with how you move the slider, if you move them slowly you can sometimes get one measurement but move the slider quickly and you get a different measurement of the same part. It's something I find a little frustrating, and I ended up with a set of measuring standards that I use as consistency testing for the calipers while using them. I select one that's close to what I'm needing to measure, and between measurements I can close them and make sure they are zero'd OK then hit the standard and make sure they are accurate there as well. Its quite surprising how often they fail on one or other measurement and need to be either turned off and on again or rezero'd at max and then closed and rezero'd there to get them back on song. Often it's as simple as leaving them in the sun after being in the shade and that's enough to knock them out of whack.
The more expensive brands just don't have that issue. It's nice knowing that they are good to go straight off...
I’ve got one of these. Heap of shit!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08
You can have mine for parts!��
I've got a Mitutoyo dial vernier I won for the 5th form engineering prize at Ruapehu College in 1983.
They are still in use in the machine shop, and still check against gauge blocks.
Buy once..... something profound - I forget
I used a kinchrome one at work for 8 years which was still good. Have now got a Starrett one which works fine.
Mitutoyo if you can afford them.
MY Mitutoyo set sits in the garage for measureing random stuff.....I must be a heathen LOL....
My one is never accurate, I must send it backQuote:
Originally Posted by Sideshow
Got a kingchrome that shit so Im going to set at 125.1 mm and weld in position as a Paua measure
17.5 is a great bottle opener........don't ask me how I know....?Quote:
Originally Posted by m101a1
Knockoffs etc to beware of.
https://youtu.be/UdsurNbGRI8
And to verify genuine. This chap also compares expendive vs cheap models.
https://youtu.be/D-YvG_BVfnU
Actually I think that's one of my manual ones - a Kinchrome. It's actually pretty good for a cheap brand, not sure how a digital vernier of theirs would go but the manual has done many years of lathe work and a small amount of abuse thrown in like marking out circles for gas cutting. Still sharp on the tips haha too...
I have one of those too, came in a red box. wonderful instrument. i just switched to digital so i can flick over to imperial easilyQuote:
Originally Posted by Ross Nolan
Not trying to tell you how to suck eggs, but check your battery contacts and scrub the battery where it contacts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08
Spray contact liberally on the sliding piece while sliding back and forth…..
Worked for mine.
I wouldn't go for anything other than Mitutoyo. Keep in mind though that they do a coolant proof version which is twice the price of the normal ones and quite often the model advertised in brochures
Although the 'coolant proof' one I dropped into the coolant tank in the workshop didn't enjoy it's dip. I got 'that' look from the boss too. It wasn't like I planned it like that, but at least the traveller fella swapped it out and sent the dead one back FOC. Learning, don't put the vernier down on the steel shelf above the coolant tank while the clown on the other side of the partition is playing whackfu*k with the gantry...
Arrived yesterday. Great to have a reliable measuring tool once again!Quote:
Originally Posted by Scouser
ATTACH]200358[/ATTACH]
Gidday @Kimber 7mm-08Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08
I think I have the same model/make or very similar. Always been reliable and accurate then started playing up as you describe. I found the battery terminal had started to show some corrosion build up. Scraped it clean with a tiny screw driver and its back to being reliable. Take off the battery cover, remove battery and take a close look at the contact under the battery. May be showing some oxidation or corrosion ?
This thread has started me looking too. While I have the eyes/ears of the caliper pro's, has anyone heard of Moore & Wright? Are these any good, and would 150mm be long enough? This seems like a suitably good price:
https://www.georgehenry.co.nz/shop/M...4+Caliper.html
Thanks.
A mitutoyo dial caliper is the goods
For those using dial calipers are you using metric or imperial as unlike electronic you can't switch between the 2?
Moore and Wright is an old time brand from the UK. Good gear. As far as brands, Mitutoyo, Starrett, Moore and Wright are all up there with the best. There are some others that are specialists in their fields such as Norbar and some of the aviation tool makers but you won't have an issue with any of those...Quote:
Originally Posted by yeah_na_missed
Dial calipers, I've avoided those as I prefer the standard vernier with both imperial and metric - or digital that does both... Dial are also a little more fragile in terms of the gauge plastic face.
I bought my Mitutoyo used off ebay a bit of a risk but came from a reputable seller of engineering gear and it has been good (checked against others for comparison). I also bought a 2nd hand Mitutoyo ball mic off ebay again cheap and good
Watch the local Auctions, sell liquidated gear, deceased estate etc got a 200m dial set for 80 ish can't remember years ago. But they still come up from time to time. Lots of stuff for the farm as well as.
Attachment 200401
I managed to pick up a set of Mitutoyo digi calipers at a second hand store. $40 couldn't believe it.
Near brand new in the original packaging.
Got to get a win every now and then.
