One More Time - Caliper Recommendations

[projectnut]

I am not gong to recommend any brand name caliper. What I do recommend is getting an eight inch model instead of the almost universal six inch size. I have several six inch calipers, both digital and Vernier and have used them for years. But when I purchased an eight inch one, it almost instantly became my go-to caliper. I just love having that extra two inches of range. And the jaws will reach around larger rounds. The prices are only a reasonable amount more than the six inch models for most brands. I now have two eight inch ones.

So I strongly recommend getting an eight inch model.

Edit: Oops, I see this is too late for the OP. Sorry bot dat!

For the record I do have an 8" caliper. Unfortunately I find it a bit large for most day to day measurements. I do use it when necessary, but much prefer the 6" variety.

 

[Trueturning]

Were you nicer when drunk?

I only sell calipers when a customer asks for them. It's up to the customer what make of digital caliper they want.

Find a cheap caliper on my website.

Home

Once again you persist with character Assassination. Limi does not drink. I dispose your kind Gordon you are a toxic, puny, and insecure Pariah. You make things up and play them just like in Limi’s case. You have so shame and no God.

F off then. To hell with you.

 

[camscan]

Again?
I think he just permanently dislikes me...

I don't blame him, you are constantly trying to come between us.

 

[michiganbuck]

Guess someone should mention counterfeit Mitutoyo

unsure I would go Starrett or B&S

 

[jim rozen]

I must admit It's been far too long since I've had what I would consider a decent caliper. I did like the Starrett but actually preferred the Mitutoyo. When they were damaged I wasn't in a position to replace them with the same quality, so I resorted to junkers.

My start in the business was a used 4" mitutoyo dial caliper. I rebuilt that thing about a hundred times over the years. It now lives in the garage shop for jobs
where a six inch scale isn't quite good enough - it still gives a number within 0.005 reliably.

Like many here I like the dial versions, spefically the often maligned starret 120 which I think has a nice feel.

Mitutoyo digimatics - story follows:

For several years I worked a night job in a manufacturing plant. Digimatics were used at all the workstations. Once a year the foreman would buy a
brand new mitutoyo digimatic, which was placed at the lathes station. The one at the lathes station went to the Hurco bed mill. The one at the hurco
went to the planer station. The one at the planer station went to the table saw, and the one at the table saw went to the wet cutoff Kasto saw.

The ones at the kasto still worked and were still in calibration, more or less. This in an enviroment covered in nylon chips so fine your pockets would have
be turned out at the end of the night. After that I was convert.

 

[Trueturning]

Nope........

I find it amazing from all that he claims to be a expert on that he would not know or not tell that he knew this.

I vote we write a letter of recommendation for him to be accepted into “The Great Orange Ghost’s” school of salesmanship. Perhaps he could minor in sheep herding and shearing since he is so fascinated with sheep. This way if he takes a minor in Sheepology he can bring less degradation and shame to that trade by learning how “The Great Orange Baboon” would do it. At least doing it that way will bring profits.

 

[projectnut]

Guess someone should mention counterfeit Mitutoyo

unsure I would go Starrett or B&S

I've heard and read many horror stories about counterfeit Mitutoyo products. I ordered the new caliper from Travers Tools as suggested in an earlier post.

Electronic Coolant Proof Caliper | 57-016-672 | Travers Tool Co., Inc.


I've only ordered a few things from them in the past and have never had any problems. Hopefully it will be a genuine Mitutoyo and once again there won't be any problems. One thing I find interesting is the continual changing of prices. When I looked at it a few days ago it was $214.00. When I ordered it the price was $156.00. Today it's $165.00.

 

[MattiJ]

Guess someone should mention counterfeit Mitutoyo

unsure I would go Starrett or B&S

Stay away from ebay and mystery sellers in Amazon and you should have zero problems.

 

[Mike1974]

Guess someone should mention counterfeit Mitutoyo

unsure I would go Starrett or B&S

I have never liked the Starrett calipers over the years, but have not tried one in a long time. I would recommend B&S, at least the older models, not sure if they have gone the China route yet or not..

 

[camscan]

It's all cyclic.
He's gone to ground again and gone all quiet.
Later this week or early next week, he'll pop up again and start replying to a few posts being all nice.
Then BOOM, he'll get all snarky and nasty with some posters again.
Then he'll get a smackdown and go to ground again.
Rinse and repeat...

Just don't expect an apology because you won't get one, he's never wrong.

 

[camscan]

Sorry, but I think you're right.
See how nice I am?

How can you put I and nice in the same sentence? Must be poetic licence.

 

[pavt]

Sorry, but I think you're right.
See how nice I am?

The Farce is strong with this one.

 

[Trueturning]

It's all cyclic.
He's gone to ground again and gone all quiet.
Later this week or early next week, he'll pop up again and start replying to a few posts being all nice.
Then BOOM, he'll get all snarky and nasty with some posters again.
Then he'll get a smackdown and go to ground again.
Rinse and repeat...

Yes he is likely bound by agreement to cut his act back in exchange for what he craved.

 

[Trueturning]

Thanks everyone for all the help. The decision's been made and the Mitutoyo described in my last post has been ordered. I decided to go with the digital mainly for ease of use. A lot of what I do is repair work. From day to day or even hour to hour I could be working on something with either metric or imperial measurements. Although I do like the older style dial units, the simplicity of pressing a button to change measurement units greatly simplifies things.

The new one should be here early next week, so I'll finish out this week with the junkers. I'll clean them off, remove the batteries and put them on the shelf just in case I need them sometime in the future. Hopefully they'll set there undisturbed until some day far in the future when an antique collector will come along and marvel at the crude measuring instruments used back in the day.

Thanks Again.

That is the best choice. Perhaps someone selling competing products may tell you different. I always have done just like you and asked friends and colleagues what they have experienced concerning any personal precision tools they might buy. It is expensive more often than not when we buy replacement tools and so getting reviews is always helpful.

Some in here will tell you that Chinese is better and that they are better than Americans and whatever they buy. By asking in this setting you are doing the best thing yet remember there are those who have a business interest here.

Enjoy the new calipers.

 

[camscan]

Some in here will tell you that Chinese is better and that they are better than Americans and whatever they buy. By asking in this setting you are doing the best thing yet remember there are those who have a business interest here.

Are you suggesting that someone is spamming? I wonder who that can be.

 

[Rewt]

When did TESA start making calipers in China? Mine are 15 years old and made by the Swiss.

Swear by them.

 

[Mike1974]

When did TESA start making calipers in China? Mine are 15 years old and made by the Swiss.

Swear by them.

Not sure, but google-fu shows this

 

[projectnut]

Not sure, but google-fu shows this
View attachment 286694

It looks like the same company also makes "Brown & Sharpe" products. I was looking for a couple additional edge finders and kept coming across Brown & Sharpe's at about half the cost of Starret's. I also looked at some from Mitutoyo and they too seemed unreasonable inexpensive.

I don't keep up on who owns what, but my guess is that almost all of the old American brands are now either owned by offshore interests, or are being made at offshore locations.

 

[Marty Feldman]

Best deal I know of for genl shop use: Mit 500-196-20/30 (inch/metric), 6", new. Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper. Up on eBay for $38 with free ship. Seller: robotk_2020. Snag is that it is from China and the seller "can't accept payment now". Normal delivery time would be 2-3 months. If not in a hurry, it may pay to have a look again at this after the virus thing calms down.

-Marty-

 

[MattiJ]

Best deal I know of for genl shop use: Mit 500-196-20/30 (inch/metric), 6", new. Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper. Up on eBay for $38 with free ship. Seller: robotk_2020. Snag is that it is from China and the seller "can't accept payment now". Normal delivery time would be 2-3 months. If not in a hurry, it may pay to have a look again at this after the virus thing calms down.

-Marty-

Counterfeits. But some say that quality of these is reasonably good.

How many digits in the inch mode and what battery actually came with the caliper?

edit: seems like 4th digit size in inch mode is not valid indication of genuine mitutoyo anymore. Chinese copies come now with identical display to real Mitutoyo.
(same size of numbers and inch indicator on right side of the display)
This one has display just like real Mitutoyo even if its not Mitutoyo branded: 200mm/8'' 500-196-20/30 Vernier Caliper LCD Absolute Digital Digimatic Gauge | eBay

edit2: looks like the 4-digit display picture is possibly from real Mitutoyo in the sales photos but rest of the photos are from another caliper with slightly different details on battery cover.

"Free calipers" for anyone with plenty of time: order one, claim counterfeit and get refund