Digital caliper

[abunaitoo]

I have an old midway caliper.
Not sure who really made it.
It's worked well for me all these years, but is getting strange at times.
Zero not keeping, display fades at times, sometimes doesn't read correct.
I've tried a new battery.
I've gotten some cheap ones for different places.
Even have two from Frankford.
I'd kind of like one that does metric, standard, and fractions.
So what is a good brand at a reasonable price????

[GregLaROCHE]

Sounds like a battery problem or could be worse. I’d try a different brand of new battery before giving up, if you it really suits you.

[ioon44]

I had a Frankford caliper that did metric, standard, and fractions, it was always off by .001" I never could get it to zero and the batteries were always dead when I needed to use it.

I bought a Starrett 120 Dial Caliper and have been verry happy with it.

[460S&W]

I’ve had similar experiences with cheaper digital calipers. After a few years they seem to just get finicky. I’ve since switched back to Manuel and haven’t looked back. I got sick of replacing batteries lol

[deltaenterprizes]

Mititoyo is the only digital caliper that shuts off the entire device all the others just turn off the display.
For that reason I use dial calipers.
Harbor Freight dial calipers are surprisingly accurate and reasonably priced!

[schutzen-jager]

might be a fluke, i bought a harbor freight one at an estate sale about 3 years ago + it is still performing greatly - test accuracy + it never varies - does both standard + metric -

[DougGuy]

I'm partial to my Mitutoyo but you have to manually turn it off and it doesn't do fractions. It IS accurate and consistent. I've never had a caliper that did fractions that would be a luxury for figuring out which socket should I use for this bolt?

[NSB]

After I retired as an engineer I took a part time in a local company and kept track of all their gages. I had to check them periodically and that included all their measuring devices. Each employee could use their own calipers but they had to be checked by me twice a year (or anytime they were dropped or damaged). Every digital caliper I checked was able to be re-zeroed if you knew how to do it. Usually by turning it on and holding one of the buttons until it reset to zero. The only calipers that ever failed their semi-annual check were a result of damage by either being dropped or misused (you wouldn’t believe what people did with these things). If your caliper is “off”, try wiping the jaws each time you use it. Depending on what you’ve been measuring, even light oils, etc can change the numbers if the jaws aren’t perfectly clean. Sitting them on a warm surface can change the results also as the metal expands…

[rbuck351]

I bought one of the HF cheepy digital calipers but will never get another digital. Every time I went to use it the battery was dead. I think I still have it somewhere but I won't bother to look for it. I was an automotive machinist for years and the fractions to 1/16 I still have in my head.

[lightman]

I have a set of Mitutoyo that I really like. Not cheap though! They are often counterfeited so buy them from a reputable place.

[Froogal]

Way too many electronic devices already forced into our lives. I chose the dial calipers. NO battery or other electronics.

[PhilC]

Check out iGaging, bought this one (https://www.igagingstore.com/Digital-Caliper-Inch-Metric-Fractional-EzCal-w-Sup-p/203932.htm) one a few years ago and haven't needed to replace the battery yet. Got tired of having to wear reading glasses when using my dial indicator calipers and rarely use them now.

[crandall crank]

I'll jump on the wagon as well. I prefer Mitutoyo. I have both a caliper and micrometer. Batteries last for years and is accurate and repeatable.

[dankathytc]

I bought a Starrett dial caliper 10n years ago simply because it was less cost than the Miutoyo. It has been flawless. I’m sure you will never regret your decision with either one. Dial calipers don’t have battery’s that die at the most inopportune time.

[beemer]

I am not a machinist but I worked in high end dinning room furniture, accuracy was essential as some of the wood was very expensive. I preferred Mitutoyo miter gauges above all others. I don't like measuring tools that take a battery.

I have a couple Starrett, and Brown and Sharpe tools all are good. I dropped my Lyman dial calipers with the usual results. I took a chance and replaced them a set from Harbor Freight, they are spot on with the Starrett. Also bought a set of HF that does fractions, it to seems to be right.

I was gifted a set of vernier calipers, of all things they are marked with the Mauser logo. They seem to be bullet proof, it would be tough for them to loose calibration.

[Shawlerbrook]

I bought and still use the Frankfort Arsenal. Had the battery die once now take the battery out when not using it and no problem. For my reloading. accuracy +/- .001 is sufficient.

[rockrat]

I am still using a few I got from Midway and also some I got from Grizzly

[elmacgyver0]

Horrors!!!
Even the cheap Harbor Freight calipers are accurate enough for 90% of us here.
I built a .50 BMG rifle with one and it (the rifle) works fine.
If you don't have the coin for the high dollar stuff you can still do accurate work.
I do have some nice stuff that I have picked up at garage sales.
I have set of precision gage blocks in a fitted wooden case I found at a garage sale for $20, nice to check the accuracy of my cheap measuring tools.

[porthos]

without spending for the best; look at fowler brand

[alfadan]

I have an old midway caliper.
Not sure who really made it.
It's worked well for me all these years, but is getting strange at times.
Zero not keeping, display fades at times, sometimes doesn't read correct.
I've tried a new battery.
I've gotten some cheap ones for different places.
Even have two from Frankford.
I'd kind of like one that does metric, standard, and fractions.
So what is a good brand at a reasonable price????
Often times there are two little screws on top that adjust the alignment of the stuff that does the measuring. If it has those, try tightening them a little.

[deces]

I'm sure those $50 Mitutoyos on ebay are pretty nice.

[GregLaROCHE]

[QUOTE=DougGuy;5553220]I'm partial to my Mitutoyo but you have to manually turn it off and it doesn't do fractions. It IS accurate and consistent. I've never had a caliper that did fractions that would be a luxury for figuring out which socket should I use for this bolt?[/QUOTE

I like mine but the fact that it doesn’t turn off bothers me.

[M-Tecs]

I'm sure those $50 Mitutoyos on ebay are pretty nice.

Lots of those are counterfeited so only purchase from verified sellers.

[deces]

Lots of those are counterfeited so only purchase from verified sellers.

They obviously have inferior fit & finish and electronics, but I would imagine they are still better than Harbor freight's by a long shot.

[alamogunr]

I ended up with 2 Mitutoyo dial calipers when I retired. Everybody wanted digital. Seems they couldn't accurately read the dial. I've been using them for the last 17 years.

I also got a Brown & Sharpe micrometer that uses vernier for the last significant number.

I would like to have a vernier caliper just for the bragging rights that I can use it.

[M-Tecs]

They obviously have inferior fit & finish and electronics, but I would imagine they are still better than Harbor freight's by a long shot.

Not obvious at all that counterfeited products are any better, or even as good as, than the cheapest legitimate branded imports. At least with HF they will stand behind their products. Good luck with the counterfeits. Appearances mean little if they don't adhere to certification standards.

[deces]

Not obvious at all that counterfeited products are any better, or even as good as, than the cheapest legitimate branded imports. At least with HF they will stand behind their products. Good luck with the counterfeits. Appearances mean little if they don't adhere to certification standards.

I've watched a few videos of people comparing the real Mitutoyo & the knockoffs, they are copied to great detail, the slide is very smooth. the biggest give away is the inefficient electronics in the copies, they drain the batteries quicker.

[M-Tecs]

I've watched a few videos of people comparing the real Mitutoyo & the knockoffs, they are copied to great detail, the slide is very smooth. the biggest give away is the inefficient electronics in the copies, they drain the batteries quicker.

But how do they do if they are tested for certification?

[imashooter2]

I ended up with 2 Mitutoyo dial calipers when I retired. Everybody wanted digital. Seems they couldn't accurately read the dial. I've been using them for the last 17 years.

I also got a Brown & Sharpe micrometer that uses vernier for the last significant number.

I would like to have a vernier caliper just for the bragging rights that I can use it.

I have a Starrett vernier caliper that the foreman gave me some 45 years ago when I hired into Crusader Precision Sheetmetal. I used it for a couple years before my prospects improved enough to upgrade to a Starrett dial. The foreman didn’t want the vernier back, and no subsequent employees could be bothered with it either. It sits in my tool box still as accurate as your eyesight can make it. For me that means use the dial. [smilie=b:

[fixit]

Yeah, those vernier calipers can make you go cross-eyed! Still, as others have said, they're almost indestructible.

[JSnover]

Decent digital calipers are so cheap these days, if the battery is still good, toss the caliper in the trash and get a new one.
I've got dial calipers from Hornady and Mitutoyo, and digital calipers from Browne & Sharp and SPI. If I ever question their accuracy I can double-check them against one of my Starrett micrometers (I also have the standards for the mics). I don't think they've ever been 'off' by more than .0002"
I don't recommend shopping for rock-bottom-priced measuring equipment because if it's too cheap it most likely is junk but your calipers don't have to cost a fortune.
https://bestofmachinery.com/best-digital-caliper/

[abunaitoo]

Found one I'm going to try.

iGaging IP54 Electronic Digital Caliper 0-6" Display Inch/Metric/Fractions Stainless Steel Body
Amazon $29.95

Thanks Ya'll

[PhilC]

Excellent choice. Mine is dead on per my standards and every pin gauge I've checked it against.

I've got a fake Mitutoyo I'd give away, can't keep a battery in it long enough to make it worth using.

[David2011]

My experiences with digital calipers are mixed and mediocre as well. Used with consistent technique they’re about as accurate as my Starrett micrometers. A long time ago I bought a 4” digital from HF just to measure cartridge and loaded overall lengths. They work fine for the intended purpose. Battery life is just OK. Another older set of better but not high end calipers started acting up with the defective digits, fading display and errors. It ended up in the trash since several battery changes didn’t help. I replaced it with a set from HF that display in inch thousandths, inch 1/128th fractions and mm. One of the biggest annoyances with it is that if it’s either left at a measurement, still turned on or if it’s turned off without returning to zero it resets to zero wherever it’s left. The other problem is a user problem. I can easily think in 1/64” measurements because I’ve used drill bits in 1/64” increments since I was a teenager. It takes more effort to think in 1/128” terms and nothing else I own has that increment. If it displayed in 64ths followed by a + or - to show over or under the nearest 64th it would be much easier to use. In time I’ll get used to it. I’ve only had it a month or two.

I really prefer dial calipers for most uses. They’re in agreement with the micrometers to scant tenths of a thousandth. They never have dead batteries. The only thing that they don’t do is switch from inch to metric and that’s pretty handy.



I also got a Brown & Sharpe micrometer that uses vernier for the last significant number.

I would like to have a vernier caliper just for the bragging rights that I can use it.

Been using vernier measuring devices since college so I know how. No problem with drafting machines and micrometers. Picked up a vernier caliper at a great price at a swap meet last year. I agree with the comments that they are challenging on the eyes. I can read a dial caliper without readers on. For the vernier caliper I need about +3.0 to +4.0 cheaters.

[abunaitoo]

Got it today.
Review in the equipment section.