Suggestions for calipers

Cue Crazy

Cue Crazy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well I did It, I was turning some butt stock. I set My favorite set of calipers on the bedway behind the tailstock, they vibrated off, and hit the hard floor, smashing the dial. So much for shock proof;) :D Anyway it was just a cheap set, but was made well for the money, and worked well for me.

I want to get a new set, but then again with the way I take care of them I don't want an expensive set right now, so I'm wondering what the best deals going are on cheap calipers? Think I want digital this time, so they will need to convert to SAE. Any suggestions on the best deals out there?

Thanks Guys,:)

Greg
 
Hey Greg.

Here is a cheap listing on ebay for 6" for about $18 shipped. For 8", they seem to be about $30 for cheap ones.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-6-STAINLESS-STEEL-DIGITAL-CALIPER-W-SUPER-LCD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43991QQihZ005QQitemZ150114952465QQrdZ1

Also, Enco has a sale on calipers right now. A cheap digital set here for $22 plus shipping, probably about $30 total.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=308-0197&PMPXNO=9398989&PARTPG=INLMK32

It looks the same to me, so you might get the exact same quality for less through ebay.

Enco is also selling an electronic Mitutoyo right now for $70 plus shipping. That is a good price I think. They list their regular price at just over $100.

I have a nice dial Mitutoyo, and a cheap digital that looks just like the one in the ebay listing. Quality of the digital is only ok (can't compare it to the Mitutoyo). I find I use the Mitutoyo mostly, but if I want to convert or zero something out I will grab the digital.

Kelly
 
I have several digital calipers

But I now prefer the dial type. I find dial type more accurate, and almost as fast to use. The cheaper digitals also eat batteries. They turn off ok, but continue to drain almost as much power! I have to change batteries every other month. I read on the net that a study of digi claipers shows that all the cheaper ones suck batteries up!
 
Larry said:
I've had one of these for a couple of years and it works great. As far as accuracy, it's readings match their cheap micrometer closely. :rolleyes:

Larry
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I started using a pair of these digital ones, but found the old dial-type ones were easier to use/read. Harbor Freight has the same set of 6" ones with the dial for around 20 bucks. I've been using a pair for a few years and they work great.
 
olsonsview said:
But I now prefer the dial type. I find dial type more accurate, and almost as fast to use. The cheaper digitals also eat batteries. They turn off ok, but continue to drain almost as much power! I have to change batteries every other month. I read on the net that a study of digi claipers shows that all the cheaper ones suck batteries up!
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I am on my second battery. Battery usage is a consideration, but the digital is handy sometimes. For the price of the cheap ones, why not have both and use the one that consumes batteries only when it is really handy over the dial?

Regarding being more accurate, did you compare a quality pair of dial to a cheap digital? or a cheap dial to a cheap digital? I certainly have more confidence in my dial mitutoyo than my cheap digital, but it would not be fair to compare them.

Kelly
 
Cue Crazy said:
Well I did It, I was turning some butt stock. I set My favorite set of calipers on the bedway behind the tailstock, they vibrated off, and hit the hard floor, smashing the dial. So much for shock proof;) :D Anyway it was just a cheap set, but was made well for the money, and worked well for me.

I want to get a new set, but then again with the way I take care of them I don't want an expensive set right now, so I'm wondering what the best deals going are on cheap calipers? Think I want digital this time, so they will need to convert to SAE. Any suggestions on the best deals out there?

Thanks Guys,:)

Greg
Click to expand...

What ever you get, get at least two or even three or four. It's nice to have every work station with it's own tools. I hate looking for things because they get scattered all over the shop. Same with a lot of other things like paper towels, razor knives, tape, anything you use all the time in different parts of the shop. Time wasted looking for stuff or trying to remember where you put something can't be gotten back, it just makes for a long day. It can be frustrating every time you set something down it seems to be gone. An apron with pockets is also good when you are walking around. You have things you may need, pencil, whatever right at your finger tips.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. Hmmm, sounds like I should consider sticking to what I've been using. I've always just used an inexpensive set of dial calipers. Really for what little I probably paid, they were really nice til I smashed the dial:rolleyes: . I'm sure I have gotton My monies worth from them by now, and besides that I can still use them as an extra set for quick sizing. I just busted the bezel on the dial, the rest still works fine. They seem to have been accurate enough. If I zeroed It in, I could always size things tight with them. For what I do they worked great. Maybe I'll try to get another set simular.
They don't have metric readings on them though, so that was My reasoning for trying a digital set. It would be nice to have both. Maybe I can find a dial with both readings this time.


Kelly, the set on ebay is one I was looking at.

I also saw these- http://cgi.ebay.com/MITUTOYO-500-17...1QQihZ015QQcategoryZ25269QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem , don't know If It's a deal or not but they are quickly 5 minutes, no batteries or case, have no idea what condition they are in. If someone else wants them I probably not going to bid Myself.

Greg
 
Yeah, I can see the point of having many. I need to get a few pairs. I could never be accused of keeping a clean shop, and everythime I go to look for something it's the needle in the haystack deal all over again.

My old ones were 6", and sometimes in cramped situations it was hard to get them in where I needed them without making room, so I may get another set of 6" and a set of 4", then add more sets later. I think the dial will work, just as they have up til now. I don't really use anything bigger then the 6", anything bigger then that, and I usually go to the ruler or tape, because I'm usually doing a lenth reading when I get over that.

Anyway Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions, they are greatly apprietiated as usual.:)

Greg
 
Kelly_Guy said:
I certainly have more confidence in my dial mitutoyo than my cheap digital, but it would not be fair to compare them.
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In my strange little world it is almost sacrilege to not compare them !

Of course one needs to be prepared for the results if you do decide to compare multiple measurement devices. I'll never forget the efforts I went to after buying a set of squares and testing them on the surface plate against all the other squares I own. That exercise helped to further develop my sense of "close enough".

Dave, still using verniers (another great development out of France btw)
 
DaveK said:
In my strange little world it is almost sacrilege to not compare them !

Of course one needs to be prepared for the results if you do decide to compare multiple measurement devices. I'll never forget the efforts I went to after buying a set of squares and testing them on the surface plate against all the other squares I own. That exercise helped to further develop my sense of "close enough".

Dave, still using verniers (another great development out of France btw)
Click to expand...

I remember the efforts I went to trying to explain why I needed machinist squares to a colleague at the office. She just couldn't understand why some carpenter aluminum square from Lowe's wasn't in that definition of "close enough". :D

I guess that is 2 for France...:p

Kelly
 
Calipers

I myself started with digital and will never go to dial. I have I think is 7 sets right now. I agree you can never have too many. First set Mitutoyo brand still works fine after approx. 10 years that one cost over 200.00. 1 Fowler at about 100.00 no problems with that one. As well as 2 Harbour Freights and 2 Grizzleys L handers. With the exception of a new battery now and then I can't complain at all. I even cut and ground one down for a dro on my lathe cross slide which makes life a lot nicer. Wait a second I just remembered I do have a dial In which I never use. I picked up Brown & Sharp 599-579-4 in a package deal when buying out a cue repair man about 3 years ago. Glad I remembered that before somebody called me a liar:eek: .

Best regards Mike Gatzke
www.gatzkecues.com
 
> Dial calipers-Browne and Sharpe. I got a set from my grandfather that are nearly 30 years old,and still dead-on according to my gage blocks.

> I lucked into both my Mitutoyo digitals and a matching 0-1" digital mike in different places. I was working in a injection molding plant that made the common 5 gallon "pickle" buckets,and was the team leader,making me responsible for quality assessments a couple times a night. I took some lids into the Quality Control or QC lab,and saw a girl taking a brand-new 6" Digimatic digital caliper out of the package. It still had a certification sticker on the back. While I was waiting for my last quality inspection of the night,I saw another identical caliper on a shelf. I asked what was wrong with this one,and she told me I could have them,they were broke. I asked how long she was going to be on the paperwork,she told me to sign the sheet and she would take care of it. I started walking towards the door as I took them out of my pocket,and hit the power button,just to be curious. The display lit up. I kept right on walking to the time clock too. Once I got home,I found out they had been dropped,leaving a tiny burr that kept them from totally closing,stopping .0015 short. I fixed that with a diemakers stone. They are perfect now. They have inch/metric conversion,as well as incremental/absolute mode. At the time I got them,they were still 139.00,the cheapest digitals I could find at the time were half-plastic TTC brand at 79.00.

> I found the mike in a pawn shop for 25 bucks,with the case for a matched caliper,but no caliper. They left the .100 ceramic gage rod too. I saw this same set about 3 years ago,when I first started seeing the Travers Tool catalogs at school. The set was 299.00. Deals can be found if you look in the right places,but don't skimp on measuring tools if you can avoid it. Tommy D.
 
rhncue said:
Ah, so true, but then again, so is a powered lathe.

Dick
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I hear what your saying.........but the ones with peddles screw me up every time. I never was any good with that pat your head rub your stomach at the same time thing!
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
I hear what your saying.........but the ones with peddles screw me up every time. I never was any good with that pat your head rub your stomach at the same time thing!
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I think I may be the only cuemaker in the USA that actually has a working treddle lathe in my shop. I found it in an antique museum and bought it. I put it on display at a BCA show with a sign that said THE PAST on it and a sign that said THE PRESENT on my Deluxe Cue Smith. Joe Porper came by my booth to visit and I told him that I had a new lathe that was more advanced than His B model or my Deluxe Cue Smith, because it didn't even need electricity to run. He looked almost mad until I showed him the treddle lathe.

Oh yeah. Atlas has some inexpensive Digital calipers.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
Digital calipers are for lazy people.
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I agree; But I'm not giving up my digitals any time soon. When I really need to know "exactly" I still prefer my mics. But as far as cue work goes, untill I see an eng/met switch on a dial caliper, I'll be buying batteries for my digitals. Just too lazy to do the conversion math.
Bill
 
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