Recommendations for a good micrometer?

[gareth96]

Anyone have a recommendation on a good micrometer? Looking to spend $50-$100 on one. I saw Lyman/RCBS both have one but wonder about the quality? Would like one with the ratchet action.. 1" is fine, and would rather not go digital.

[bosterr]

I have an RCBS and it works great.

[ffries61]

Not sure who makes either of those, but here's an 0-1 with ratchet, and .0001" scale from Amazon for 64.40$, it's Mitutoyo brand, pretty good quality, Starrett or Brown & Sharp are the best quality, but new you probably won't find one under 100$ retail. I'm a machinist of over 30 years and have a number of Mitutoyo mikes and calipers.

Fred

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OBTI3Y/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

[gareth96]

Wow.. thanks Fred, that one looks like a winner..

[MtGun44]

Enco Tools online has a good one, Fowler brand, 0.0001", recommended by a tool and die maker
friend, usually available for under $40.

Bill

[uscra112]

Fowlers are good. Buy a older used one on evilBay and it's likely to be Swiss made.

[cwheel]

If you don't mind used, go to ebay and type in Starrett 230. There are a couple of 1" Starrett ( top of the line ) micrometers in the black case for between $25 - $50 range. First one on the second page of the listings for $25 looks like the winner to me. Never buy the Starrett 230 with the "M" in the #, the M stands for metric. It is unfortunate that our manufacturing has left this country and used quality machinist tools are a dime a dozen, good for a reloader though. This is the case with this micrometer. It is being sold in a black case that almost looks like a case for glasses. When I bought my new Starrett 230 in a hard case 40 years ago it was almost $100 then, used day to day and still in great shape. No logic in buying something made off shore and paying twice as much for less quality. Fowler, enco, are off shore junk. Mitutoyo is made off shore but generaly better quality and more expensive. You won't wear out a used Starrett in your lifetime, and made in USA. Just a opinion from a old retired machinist.
Chris

[NSB]

I worked in quality for 40 years and for part of that time I managed a metrology lab where we calibrated measuring instruments. I've never seen a pair of mics fail calibration due to price. Even the cheap ones are accurate once calibrated and stay that way unless dropped or damaged in some way. I'm not promoting cheap tools, I'm just saying that for measuring things like gun parts, bullets, etc you don't have to spend a lot of money to get the tool you need to do the job. Professional machinists, etc. like to own and use higher end tools for a variety of reasons but even the cheap ones the new guys brought with them worked just as well. Even the Chinese stuff was accurate. Just decide what you want to spend and how much use it's going to get.

[deltaenterprizes]

Plus one on the above

[Fly]

I,m a retired tool & die maker.The one,s Fred recommended I agree.All very well made @ accurate.

Fly

[cwheel]

That said, I agree, they will work just as well. But my point was that you can go to ebay and buy a nice used top of the line made in USA Starrett, Brown and Sharpe, Lufkin, or Tumico for about half the price of a new import. Do the same job, yes. After working 40+ years with this stuff as a machinist, know where I'd put my money.
Chris

[nhrifle]

When I got into building aerospace assemblies, I bought my mics and calipers from ENCO (where they are usually on sale, hint hint) and both were made by Mitutoyo. Truly awesome and durable, they have never let me down. I also bought one of their "Import" brand mics that sold for around $17 if memory serves me. It is graduated to .0001" and came properly calibrated. The thimble rolls smoothly, measurements are repeatable, and it measures dead on every time I put it on a gauge block. For a first mic, I would not hesitate on one of these.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=510-2202&PMPXNO=8915769&PARTPG=INLMK32

They have come up a few bucks since I bought mine. SPI also makes some nice tools at a great price.

All this said, I prefer mechanical mics and calipers. The only digitals I will trust to any degree are Mitutoyo and Starrett.

[MBTcustom]

Mitutoyo is the best. They have the accuracy and the "feel". B&S is also quite good. I have enjoyed older Starrett tools for many years, but their quality has taken a nose dive as of late.
I have gotten sub standard tools in my last 5 orders. Travel indicators that have wiggly stems, micrometers that don't hold zero or have .0005 error in the middle of the travel, tap handles that wont hold a tap because the V notch is cut off center, telescoping gauges that fall apart, squares that aren't square, gauge blocks that don't wring together. the list goes on and on. I am loathe to say it, but Starrett is toast. They just don't know how to build tools anymore.
I used to be die hard Starrett all the way, but after all the **** they have sent me, I realize that American quality is a thing of the past. Starrett was the last holdout, so since they are kaput, I just buy Mitutoyo. Yeah they're foreign, but when you are working with millionths of an inch etc. The foreign stuff is the only thing that will get you there.

[warf73]

If you can find older mics on ebay get yourself a 0-1 B&S or Fowler, and get a 0-1 blade mic also they come in handy more than you think.

[Cap'n Morgan]

...and would rather not go digital.

Take this from someone who use micrometers each and every single work day, and has done so for 35 years: GO DIGITAL! Buy a Mitutoyo and never look back.

[sleeper1428]

I have both a regular Mitutoyo mic and a Mitutoyo depth mic and both are fine instruments. I also have an old RCBS mic, purchased many years ago, and it stacks up well when measured against the Mitutoyo. As several have stated, B&S and Starrett are stated to be 'top of the line' instruments and indeed they are priced to support that claim, well above brands such as Mitutoyo. But for the measurements you'll likely be doing in regard to cast boolits the Mitutoyo or even one from ENCO should do you just fine.

sleeper1428

[Bonz]

After a few digital calipers, I can say "I am done with digitals !" Bought and recommend this one from Amazon :

Standard Gage 00124011 Value Micrometer, 1-2" Range, 0.0001" Graduation, +/-0.00016" Accuracy

By Standard Gage
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
List Price: $42.00
Price: $23.45

[GP100man]

This older Craftsman is dead nutts accurate & it should`nt be , from no fault of it`s own though.

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_0519.jpg (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/GP100man/media/102_0519.jpg.html)

[44man]

Mitutoyo is the best. They have the accuracy and the "feel". B&S is also quite good. I have enjoyed older Starrett tools for many years, but their quality has taken a nose dive as of late.
I have gotten sub standard tools in my last 5 orders. Travel indicators that have wiggly stems, micrometers that don't hold zero or have .0005 error in the middle of the travel, tap handles that wont hold a tap because the V notch is cut off center, telescoping gauges that fall apart, squares that aren't square, gauge blocks that don't wring together. the list goes on and on. I am loathe to say it, but Starrett is toast. They just don't know how to build tools anymore.
I used to be die hard Starrett all the way, but after all the **** they have sent me, I realize that American quality is a thing of the past. Starrett was the last holdout, so since they are kaput, I just buy Mitutoyo. Yeah they're foreign, but when you are working with millionths of an inch etc. The foreign stuff is the only thing that will get you there.
Yes I bought my Mitutoyo over 40 years ago and I know it was less then $20. It reads to .0001" and has never missed a beat.
I have a caliper made by Modern Tools that is way older, stainless. I can read it to very small amounts. If I remember it was $13.
I buy from ENCO a lot for my lathe, they have good stuff.

[gareth96]

Thanks all.. I've got a bid on a Starrett on Ebay.. we'll see what happens. I'm sure I'll need a micrometer reading refresher as the last time I used one was when my dad showed me some 35 years ago.. I'm sure there's 'how to' sites on the web..

[jmort]

"Mitutoyo is the best."

I don't know, but I just got one, O" - 1" for $15.00 with shipping in near new condition. Accuracy .0001. Hoping it was a good deal.

[GP100man]

Reading a mic is just like countin money by 25s .

[rintinglen]

Fine, if you have that much money....

[NSB]

"Mitutoyo is the best."

I don't know, but I just got one, O" - 1" for $15.00 with shipping in near new condition. Accuracy .0001. Hoping it was a good deal.

.0001" doesn't have anything to do with how accurate it is. That's just how fine it reads. It could be way off for all you know. To check accuracy you need to measure a calibrated block (called a gage block) of a couple different sizes and see it the reading on the mic agrees with the actual dimension of the calibration block.

[littlejack]

Catshooter has four mics for sale right NOW, for a good affordable price on the Swappin & Sellin site.
Jack