I need a micrometer

[pertnear]

In a pinch, they make great C clamps.

Yeah, but ya' gotta tighten 'em with pliers....

[EDG]

The best micrometer deals come off of ebay. I bought my first mikes in 1968 and I collect mikes too.

You can often buy a Reed, Tubular, Scherr or Scherr Tumico for less than $15. These are excellent but older mikes and they are all different names for the same brand.
If you want a better mike shop for a Brown & Sharpe or Mitutoyo. Want top of the line? Get a Mahr, Tesa or Etalon. But you will pay too.

There are many cheap mikes and some are even good mikes but you don't get much resale value for the $5 to $10 that you save. Some of the cheap mikes are actually junk and you will only be buying a paper weight.

[tankgunner59]

I bought a used one just like that at a large flea market in my area. I also have a digital caliper and according to it the micrometer is dead on. I also have a dial caliper and they all cross check correct. It's worth the money as far as I'm concerned.

[country gent]

Good measuring insterments are a commodity to be protected and saved heavy handed use or rough handling speeds wear on them. The better mics have a take up collet on the thread and can be zeroed easily. The collet simply sets thread play and takes up wear. Most have never been reset so they may have a lot of take up there yet. My Brown and Sharpes passed isso accuracy requirements and the collets have never been adjusted in 35 years of use. The ones that may be an issue are the few used in production line jobs that spend their life measuring in one small range. As wear may be taken up there but then be to tight everywhere else. Size of the mics makes a difference also since 0-1" gets used a lot more often than 5"-6" normally do.

[Green Frog]

When I was taking one of my machine shop classes at the local community college, my instructor said that a dial caliper would give results at least as good as a yardstick. For real precision, the proper micrometer was the way to go. I own a couple of Mitutoyo dial calipers and a 1" mic as well as a set of Starrett mics from 0-1" up to 5-6", but most of my measurements were done in class with a Lyman stainless dial caliper and a Lyman 0-1" micrometer, because I got the accuracy I needed for the class and they are were expendable. The good stuff is at home, mostly in an old Gerstner Oak tool chest. Now the Lyman stuff goes out to the range with me.

Froggie

[Sakoluvr]

Thanks all for the great input!

[No Blue]

Thanks all for the great input!

So what are you going to buy????

Probably something with batteries....

[wv109323]

I bought a quality mic of ebay for $15.00 that reads to .0001". I would not buy a cheap digital that reads to .001". You then the ten thousandth to measure barrel diameters.

[Sakoluvr]

So what are you going to buy????

Probably something with batteries....

This is what I bought after doing a lot of looking:

https://www.amazon.com/Fowler-52-229...ler+micrometer

[No Blue]

This is what I bought after doing a lot of looking:

https://www.amazon.com/Fowler-52-229...ler+micrometer

Well at least no batteries. LOL

Nice mid level; much more than what you need to measure a bullet diameter and such. Have fun.

[jcwit]

This is what I bought after doing a lot of looking:

https://www.amazon.com/Fowler-52-229...ler+micrometer

Nice caliber, but accuracy out to 4 points for reloading?? LOL

[Kenstone]

I bought a quality mic of ebay for $15.00 that reads to .0001". I would not buy a cheap digital that reads to .001". You then the ten thousandth to measure barrel diameters.

um...The 0.0001 graduations are on the spindle...same as your "quality mic off ebay".
just sayin'

[JSnover]

This is what I bought after doing a lot of looking:

https://www.amazon.com/Fowler-52-229...ler+micrometer

I'm satisfied with the Fowler mics we use at work, I just wish the guys would treat them better.

[KCSO]

Bought a lot of mikes at yard sales and such and often really cheap. If they check out good and most can be adjusted. Last one I bought was a Brown and Sharp in the box with a test certificate and a gauge pin and it cost a whopping $15. If you haven't learned to read a mike yet then starting with a digital is an option.

[No Blue]

Bought a lot of mikes at yard sales and such and often really cheap. If they check out good and most can be adjusted. Last one I bought was a Brown and Sharp in the box with a test certificate and a gauge pin and it cost a whopping $15. If you haven't learned to read a mike yet then starting with a digital is an option.

Greatest sell off of metal and wood working tools and equipment in the history of the US is currently going on.

All those Boomer tool collections, bought over the last 50 years are getting sold. And the young ones don't want them. So the price drops until they do. Or they get salvage iron value.

This is just the privately owned stuff; doesn't include all the commercial and industrial that is also getting sold off as obsolete or worn out or depreciated.

They're gonna clean out the country....Just you watch.

Completely different market from 30 or 40 years ago when the buyers were lined up and it was a sellers market....the one I was buying in...

[Sakoluvr]

I'm satisfied with the Fowler mics we use at work, I just wish the guys would treat them better.

Got mine yesterday and really like it. Checked it out with pin gauges (those are only 3 digits) and it was on the money. I really like the ratcheting feature. Very smooth operation. Sure, there is always a gem at a yard sale, but who has time to search? I wanted one now and felt that the price was not excessive.