Recomend me a good micrometer

Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So many to choose from. Do I need to buy a digital unit?
Is Starrett the brand to get?
 
I hate the digital ones and only use the manual ones from china or the imports as they are called by ENCO. $19.95 each and measure just as good as the high dollar ones.

I am hard on calipers and they only last me about a year and that is all I get out of the either the good ones or the imports. So why pay high dollar for the good ones when the imports do the same job and I can get several sets for the price of one expensive set.
 
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RBC said:
I too have moved away from the digital caliper. I do still have several of them around, but mostly for backup or for converting MM to Inches.

My favorite every day caliper is this one:

http://www.shars.com/products/view/8016/6quot_Dial_Caliper_001quot_Premium_Series

Of course, I do like the nice starret or mitutoyo's, but only the good ones in those high end brands.

Royce
Click to expand...

Thanks.
I ordered a cheap Enco. I do have a digital micrometer, but the main reason is to make conversion from MM to Inches easy.
 
You definitely don't need to spend Starrett money for cue work.

Mitutoyo is usually considered the step down from Starrett. Less expensive, but still a better quality tool.

You can't go wrong spending $70 for a Mitutoyo. You can't go wrong spending $70 for two Shars (better quality among "imports") to have a second one for easier reach. You can't go wrong spending $70 for three imports so one is always where you need it.
 
Kim Bye said:
I do have a digital micrometer, but the main reason is to make conversion from MM to Inches easy.
Click to expand...

If all you want to do is conv. mm to inch,

1mm = .03937". For our purposes you can use .040" for quick figuring in your head.

1" = 25.4mm. Knowing just those two factors can save time and apparently some money.

HTHs, KJ
 
I had my day job's corporate money to fool around with, and over the years bought and/or used high end starret, mitutoyo, brown and sharp, both digital and dial type caliper (and micrometers). I also fooled around with the cheap $10 eBay digital calipers.

I didn't like any of the electronic ones. At all.

Of the dial calipers, my favorite by far was the mitutoyo. This was the one made in Japan with the rolling thumb wheel. Unfortunately, they changed the design of this and moved production a few years ago. The wheel is gone, and the housing is now plastic. You can just feel in your hand it's cheaper now.

Actually the Shars that RBC linked to resembles a lot the mitutoyo I liked so much.
 
The only problem with dial calipers is that they lose zero if you drop them. Digital calipers do not.............

Kim
 
Don't drop them! Lol. But there is an adjustment to get the zero back when you do drop them. It pulls the pinion off the rack so you can have it skip a tooth to get back to where it is supposed to be.
 
There was actually one 0-1" digital micrometer that I really liked. I can't remember who made it. It was something like $300 15 years ago. It had a super aggressive pitch on the spindle so that something like 4 turns got you through the full 1" range of motion.
 
There is a Chinese brand called Insize, They are making a big range of measuring gear.It looks like they are taking on Mitutoyo. Their Insize Plus brand, is their high end market and equipment being made in Europe.
I have been not sure of this brand , but just recently did some checking on their digital callipers , next year will be checking their mics. It is very good gear for the money. The Callipers cone with a test certificate showing the error at different intervals. Can't go wrong with it.
For things that need to only be made to .02 mm or so it is just fine.
Next year I will be checking into the left hand right hand mic's, they are graduated to be read directly from each side of the mic, quite handy features actually, especially for the ambidextrous like me.
Neil
 
If you want to do it right enroll in a machinist curriculum and learn the correct ways to use and handle precision tooling, as well as safe machining practices. As far as tools go, buy the best tools you can afford. I have been using the same set of 0-1 Mitutoya mics for over 40 years and there are none better, maybe just as good, but no better. Starret, Browne and Sharpe and Fowler are all very good as well. Keep them clean and do not bang or drop them and they will last forever.

Calculators are generally cheaper than mics and will do all the conversions and more.
 
For digital I only like Mitutoyo and have good luck with them and the batteries seam to last longer too. I have a Fowler and they are crap. I would only recommend Starrett or Mitutyoyo.

We use some Fowler at school as they get broke often and we give the students a Fowler 6" caliper but I think they suck. They do get a decent Brown & Sharp 1" mic in their tool kit.

You have to watch most brands as even Starrett has started to offer an import line that cost about 80% of their normal price but are made in China and not the same quality same thing with B & S.

I usually buy Starrett tools on ebay and have had good luck. I have also been told Starrett will repair most of their tools at low or no cost but shipping.

A student did show me a Snap-On digital 6" caliper that looked nice and said it had a lifetime replacement warranty so it might be worth the $175 price.

Here's a website with some info and reviews for metrology tools and repair.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/index.html
 
calipers

I've put away the digitals. I've dropped the shars a couple of times and still holding 0 the Starret did not survive as well, needs to be sent out. The B&S is in the bull pen.

Mario
 
I've used them all and nothing compares to Starrett; period.

Last I checked a few years ago when I bought a couple, Starrett are made both in China (under Starrett) and the USA. I only use the USA ones. I have a set I purchased over 15 years ago and it still works just fine whereas the cheap imports last about 6 months to a year. The Mitutoyo are also excellent and we have a pair that have been around for about 10 years now.

Bottom-line -- you get what you pay for.

In fact, this reminds me as I need another set for myself and this is what I recommend:
http://www.starrett.com/metrology/p...alipers/110201-Electronic-Calipers/798A-6~150
 
rec

Ok, I'm confused.
The OP asked about MICROMETER'S and most post are about
CALIPERS.
 
Did you guys ever see the price on vernier calipers? Last time I checked 10 yrs ago the starrett dial calipers were 150 or so but the verniers were maybe triple the price. I never understood that. They are fun to read:)
 
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