Harbor Freight Calipers.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I got a cupon for a Harbor Freight caliper from a Guns and Ammo magazine. The cupon is for the Pittsgurgh 6" Metric & SAE digital display model. The controls and read out look identical to all the ones sold in the Midway catalog. The cupon price is $9.99 each and a limit of 9. The regular price was $29.99 each, when I got to the store they were on sale for $14.99, and with the cupon they were $9.99 each. I bought 4 of them. One for my self and one each for 3 of my grandsons. I checked one of them out and it gives the same readings as my dial caliper and my micrometer. They also come with two button batteries so there is an extra battery. Only time will tell how they work out. One other good thing is they are made of Stainless Steel.

[oldred]

I use them regularly and have for several years, they are so dang cheap I keep several sets on hand. I have both the "Pittsburgh" and the "Central" brand (both Harbor Freight brands) versions and both are as accurate as any I have used. The "Pittsburgh" is the better of the two, externally they appear identical except for the button that is used to switch them on but internally they function differently in one important respect. On the "Central" brand the "off" button only switches off the display and the unit is actually "on" any time the battery is installed, it will even show an accurate measurement if the unit is not turned "on" until after the measurement is taken! What this means is they will literally eat batteries and unless the battery is removed while stored it will discharge fairly quickly since the unit is still actually "on" even if the display is not, most cheap digital calipers are built this way. The "Pittsburgh" however does not have this problem so IMO is the better unit, both are equally accurate and I have used them reliably for years, you did good with your purchase and you are going to like these things!

[joec]

I've had the Pittsburgh Unit from Harbor Freight now for about 5 years and other than buying a new batteries recently no problem with them and they are accurate as other more expensive I've owned over the years.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have kind of shied away from digital until about a year ago, at which time I bought a Smart Loader digital scale and it has worked great. I use it to weight boolits for most of my rifle shooting. I really like the digital read out, it makes it easier to instantly get readings with out having to count lines and thats not a big deal but it is much faster.

[oldred]

I have kind of shied away from digital until about a year ago.

I know what you mean and I just could not bring myself to trust them, especially the HF variety (I use them for machine work mostly but also keep them on my loading bench), but after double checking with mics for a while I gradually came to accept the fact that they work just fine. In fact I can get a better measurement with the HF digital calipers than I can with my Brown&Sharps dial caliper, of course all really close tolerance readings are done with mics.

[theperfessor]

Some HF stuff is pretty good, some isn't. Sounds like you got some from a good run. Hope they give you good service.

[mooman76]

I've had mine from Harbor fright for almost ten years now. I got a dial one first and a digital shortly after when they wee on sale and they still work great.

[jcwit]

Here a tip guys.

No need to remove the batteries. Carve out the foam inside the case where the on off buttons are, mainly the on button. This way when you close the case the pressure won't turn the caliber on.

Don't give me the credit, I read this on an auto forum, just passing it on.

Simple right!

[oldred]

Some HF stuff is pretty good, some isn't.

That's the thing about HF they have some really great deals but they also have some real junk, the trick is knowing what to buy and what to avoid. When they have a good item, such as these calipers, then most of them of that line are good so the calipers are one item that can be bought with confidence. Surprising what can be found at HF sometimes however and the larger tools can be the same brands sold at other outlets for a LOT more money, take compressors for example. The small cheaper ones are total junk and not worth taking if they were free but the large "U.S.General" brand is, believe it or not, actually a well known AMERICAN built outfit! These things are actually re-badged "Belaire" painted a different color and with a different name but are the same units sold in other places for a lot more money, and they are identical except for color and name. Large machine shop equipment, although Chinese, is EXACTLY the same machines imported and sold under several other sometimes highly recognized brand names for a lot more money. I bought a 14x40 lathe from them a few years ago and it is absolutely identical to my buddy's lathe from Enco and he paid nearly $2000 more for his, mine has been humming along reliably and accurately almost everyday now for over 4 years.

[boltons75]

Just picked up a set two weeks ago, they are a bit stiffer than my dials, but seem accurate for a set for 15 bucks. It's nice having HF only a few miles away from home.

Always carry, never tell.

[oldred]

Here a tip guys.

No need to remove the batteries. Carve out the foam inside the case where the on off buttons are, mainly the on button. This way when you close the case the pressure won't turn the caliber on.

Don't give me the credit, I read this on an auto forum, just passing it on.

Simple right!

Good advice for the "Pittsburgh" brand and some higher quality brands but unfortunately doing that won't help with the "Central" brand from HF or most other cheap digital calipers. The reason is that, for whatever reason, they are designed to turn off ONLY the display and the actual caliper stays on anytime the battery is installed. It's easy to identify which calipers will "eat" batteries by turning them off while zero'ed, taking a measurement while still off and then turn them on and see if the correct measurement is displayed. It will be on almost all cheaper calipers with the "Pittsburgh" seemingly about the only exception. If the caliper is opened from "zero" to a measurement position while still off and then reads zero instead of whatever position it's in when turned "on" then those batteries will be safe, most will not do this however and case mods or not batteries WILL discharge if left in them.

[Bullet Caster]

After using my digital caliper I have to remove the battery so as not to discharge it even with it off. What was said about turning it off, just doesn't work. The caliper is still on even with the switch in the off position. It took only 2 days to completely discharge my two batteries and I haven't found a replacement as of this writing.

I think my oriental digital caliper is like the "Central" brands. Instead of buying another set of calipers (digital) I think I'm gonna opt for a dial caliper and be done with it. I know they're harder to read, but that's what the reading glasses are for. BC

[oldred]

Just picked up a set two weeks ago, they are a bit stiffer than my dials, but seem accurate for a set for 15 bucks. It's nice having HF only a few miles away from home.

Always carry, never tell.

I came to appreciate that stiffness after using my first set until they loosened up over time, when I bought new ones I quickly found that they were much easier to use and I was not chasing settings nearly as much as I did with the older looser set. That's one huge difference between the HF calipers and the more expensive brands such as the Japanese Mitutoyo units, I have used the Mits and they are REALLY slick! Smooth as silk and very easy to arrive at a desired setting but at 200 bucks vs $10 to $15 for the HF calipers it's just hardly worth it to me for hobby work. Still if I was making a living using these things I would definitely spend the money on them, for the reloading bench they would just be mostly for bragging rights.

[oldred]

After using my digital caliper I have to remove the battery so as not to discharge it even with it off. What was said about turning it off, just doesn't work. The caliper is still on even with the switch in the off position. It took only 2 days to completely discharge my two batteries and I haven't found a replacement as of this writing.

I think my oriental digital caliper is like the "Central" brands. Instead of buying another set of calipers (digital) I think I'm gonna opt for a dial caliper and be done with it. I know they're harder to read, but that's what the reading glasses are for. BC

This is the one I would buy if I didn't already have 3 of the HF brand, I have used this one and it's extremely easy on the eyes and overall it's just a darn good tool! It is better quality than the HF calipers and it's one that does NOT discharge batteries.


Actually at this sale price I think I just might get myself one anyway!

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PARTPG=INLMK32

[largom]

I have 4 of the Harbor Freight digital's and 2 very expensive dial calipers. They all read the same within .005 however I use the dial ones most of the time.

Larry

[jcwit]

Good advice for the "Pittsburgh" brand and some higher quality brands but unfortunately doing that won't help with the "Central" brand from HF or most other cheap digital calipers. The reason is that, for whatever reason, they are designed to turn off ONLY the display and the actual caliper stays on anytime the battery is installed. It's easy to identify which calipers will "eat" batteries by turning them off while zero'ed, taking a measurement while still off and then turn them on and see if the correct measurement is displayed. It will be on almost all cheaper calipers with the "Pittsburgh" seemingly about the only exception. If the caliper is opened from "zero" to a measurement position while still off and then reads zero instead of whatever position it's in when turned "on" then those batteries will be safe, most will not do this however and case mods or not batteries WILL discharge if left in them.

Mine do as described above, however I have not replaced the batteries in over a year of use. They may be getting close to needing replacement tho as I do see the display now flashes.

[FLDad]

I've tried several of the HF calipers -- the most recent is labelled "Cen-Tech." I bought a couple of those because the coupon special was $4.95! And all of them have been spot on. My only complaint is that several have had batteries nearly dead right out of the gate, but I can fix that at the local dollar store with batteries that also come from China, six for a buck. We'll never be able to compete with that while the ChiComs prevent their currency from floating.

[oldred]

I've tried several of the HF calipers -- the most recent is labelled "Cen-Tech." I bought a couple of those because the coupon special was $4.95! And all of them have been spot on. My only complaint is that several have had batteries nearly dead right out of the gate, but I can fix that at the local dollar store with batteries that also come from China, six for a buck. We'll never be able to compete with that while the ChiComs prevent their currency from floating.

"Cen-Tech" is what they are called, don't know where the Dickens I came up with "Central" and I have been using them for several years!

The battery dead or nearly so right out of the box is common since the battery is already installed but they do come with an extra battery. The Dollar store batteries we get here, bought some just last week, are "sunbeam" brand and it's the well known Sunbeam name and logo so I assume they are decent batteries. I have used them in various sizes for everything from flashlights to shop tools and they seem to hold up good, $1.00 for 6 #357 button cells is what I paid also and is hard to beat but not nearly as good as getting those calipers for less than 5 bucks! I have never seen them that cheap even with a coupon!

[dmize]

I was going to say something about that.
My personal outside,inside and depth micrometers,dial and digital calipers that I bought from Snap On are Central and they DEFINATELY arent "cheap".

[Mal Paso]

I'm very happy with 3 HF Dial calipers.

Batteries? We don need no estinkin batteries.

The last one I got for $12.79 reads directly in Fractions. I bought it because it's so Anti-Metric.