Dial calipers.

[Tackleberry41]

The trusty dial calipers I bought guess it was 15yrs ago, have been acting up. So it was a search for a new pair. Hard to know what your buying anymore. Ones I have are NSK, made in Japan, but seems they were bought out by another company, so China made. Starrett was a good brand, but oddly its the more expensive US made thats junk compared to the China made ones. Know better to even consider anything under $100 and expect long term precision out of them. I use mine on a lathe and reloading, so need good ones. But cant justify $200 plus some want for Swiss or Euro made. So guess will go with Mitutoyo, seem to be the highest rated. And pick up a pair of the cheap ones for the reloading bench, if need the extra precision break out the good ones.

[marvelshooter]

I can't fault you for choosing Mitutoyo.

[JSnover]

I have a very nice Mitutoyo 6" dial caliper, you won't be disappointed but if you really want precision the answer isn't to break out another dial caliper. Buy a good quality micrometer.
I use dial calipers just about every day at work but if the tolerance is +/- .001 or less, final measurements are taken with a mic.

[ole 5 hole group]

I purchased a Starrett dial caliper several years ago and every time I've checked some measurements against a micrometer - it was close enough for government work. I doubt you would be disappointed in a Starrett - except for the price.

[fivefang]

Snover, just don't ever drop a dial caliper, it's a PITA to re calibrate, my Sherr/Tumico has been used by me for 50 yrs., yes, at 82 I still have very good eyesight, OK 1/10 K is for a Mic, but for overall use a Slide Caliper is it, Fivefang

[JSnover]

Snover, just don't ever drop a dial caliper, it's a PITA to re calibrate, my Sherr/Tumico has been used by me for 50 yrs., yes, at 82 I still have very good eyesight, OK 1/10 K is for a Mic, but for overall use a Slide Caliper is it, Fivefang

All true. We have a couple of slide calipers for larger parts. I don't know why the shop bought mostly dial calipers, maybe the new guys had less trouble reading them.

[country gent]

I have mititoyo digital calipers that have passed yearly company certifications for 20 years now. Mititoyo are normally good tools accurate and dependable. I have used Starrets dial and vernieer calipers my 24" calipers are Staretts and are probably 50-60years old. For DIal calipers look at Starret, Mititoyo, brown and Sharpe, and Helios. These brands routinely passed company certification on all 4 measuring ways and stayed accurate for many years. A good set handled gently and properly cared for last a couple lifetimes. JSnoover, I now need a magnifying glass to read the vernieers accuratly, But younger trades men arnt even learning to read calipers vernieer any more. We had a couple that couldnt read Mic thimbles they had always used digitals.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My first set was Starrett... Absolute Junk,,, because the rack wasn't covered and they quickly got Krap in the works and never worked well again. But I was able to sell them at a Motorcycle Swap for what I paid for them, mainly due to the name on the box.

Starrett Layout tools like Scales, Squares, Punches, Dividers, etc. are the best there is IMHO. Their measuring tools like Calipers and Mics, not so much. Plenty of better stuff out there.

I then bought a used set of Tesa Calipers in 1985. Still use them everyday.

However, I also have a set of 12" Mitutoyo Calipers that I use more now because the dial is easier to read. I use them on my Mills and lathes everytday.

I also use them frequently to draw layout lines on things I need to drill holes in that won't fit on the mill,,, like my Dash Board for my Jeep yesterday. You set them to the desired dimension and use the pointed end to scribe a line with the other jaw against an edge. Works great and been doing it for 30 years.

Since my Reloading Bench is in my Machine Shop I use these calipers for Reloading too. I also use them in my Fab Shop as described above.

Probably the one tool you can't be without in a shop of any kind.

I personally don't think that you can beat the Mitutoyo brand for quality and usability. They are priced mid-range and deliver well past expectations. I have two sets of 12" ones and one is brand new in the box near my cornputer and it will be new well past my passing.

Hopefully not for another 20+ years or so.

Randy

[JSnover]

I also use them frequently to draw layout lines on things I need to drill holes in that won't fit on the mill,,, like my Dash Board for my Jeep yesterday. You set them to the desired dimension and use the pointed end to scribe a line with the other jaw against an edge. Works great and been doing it for 30 years.

Randy

Calipers are great for that but I use an old $15 no-name, since a lot of my layout work is done on torch-cut plate. The burned edge is rough and hard, plus sometimes I have to lean on the 'scribe jaw' to get through the scale on the surface. For those projects +/- .010" is close enough.

[oldracer]

This is probably blasphemy but I have a couple from Harbor Freight, one old fashioned dial and one is digital. I also have a set of gauge blocks I have had for over 40 years (can't say where they came from) and I use them every time I measure something. Both my HF units allow zero set in case it wanders but so far never has. I bought them when the first HR store opened in our area, no failures yet!

[JSnover]

This is probably blasphemy but I have a couple from Harbor Freight, one old fashioned dial and one is digital. I also have a set of gauge blocks I have had for over 40 years (can't say where they came from) and I use them every time I measure something. Both my HF units allow zero set in case it wanders but so far never has. I bought them when the first HR store opened in our area, no failures yet!

I'll believe it. I bought a Chinese dial caliper from Midway in the early 90s and it served me well until two months ago when it was knocked off the bench and the frame got bent.

[Tackleberry41]

I found a machinist site that went thru the various brands of dial calipers on the market.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p11.html

Seems nothing is what we think anymore. That even mitutoyo you have to be careful and buy from a reputable place as they have a hard time keeping up with the Chinese knock off artists. So basically might want to pay the little extra to avoid places like Amazon. I looked for NSK like I have, but all are sold as Fowler, which is Chinese. Starrett may have been a good brand, but apparently sells a value line made in....of course, China. Even the Mitutoyo, metric is made in Japan, but inch is made in Brazil.

My mom was asking about a compass for her grandson for Christmas. She did not want to pay for one, well a decent one. You either lay out $50 or more, or buy Chinese. Even Sliva which was always a good brand, some are made in China.

[contender1]

I bought a Mitutoyo many, many years ago in a pawn shop. They have served me quite well. Enough so, that when I needed a second set to put on a different bench,, I went pawn shopping again. I found another set of them for a very reasonable price, AND I checked them with a mic set gauge before I bought them. At $35 out the door, I figured I did just fine.
Shop around and good tools can be had.

[retread]

I have had and have Starrett, NSK, Mitutoyo and a few others. I prefer the Mitutoyo.