New Tool Day

[red02tj]

Need recommendations for a new set of calipers. As a millennial, I prefer digital, but I can read analog . I’m not doing high precision machining, but need more accuracy than my $5 eBay ones

 

[Zorba]

Need recommendations for a new set of calipers. As a millennial, I prefer digital, but I can read analog . I’m not doing high precision machining, but need more accuracy than my $5 eBay ones

If you can afford Mitutoyo solar powered digi-calipers, by all means get them! I had a set at work that mysteriously disappeared. I think Santa needs to bring me a new set for my very own...

 

[That'll Buff]

Need recommendations for a new set of calipers. As a millennial, I prefer digital, but I can read analog . I’m not doing high precision machining, but need more accuracy than my $5 eBay ones

I've had good luck with my Neiko one off of amazon. Bought them for my capstone earlier this year and now use it for work. Haven't had any issues with accuracy so far.

 

[rasband]

I can confidently say, not this style (harbor freight, or cheap amazon) - I always pull the battery cover off with my thumb.

 

[Tob]

Need recommendations for a new set of calipers. As a millennial, I prefer digital, but I can read analog . I’m not doing high precision machining, but need more accuracy than my $5 eBay ones

I’ve got the perfect recommendation for you:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4Y1MKJT?tag=wranglerorg-20

I’m so glad I asked for one for Christmas. I didn’t have high expectations because of the low price but they are great! Really smooth, nice finish, and well marked. There’s a few different variants of length and decimal/fractional marking, so pick your preference.

 

[srimes]

If you can afford Mitutoyo solar powered digi-calipers, by all means get them! I had a set at work that mysteriously disappeared. I think Santa needs to bring me a new set for my very own...

Mine aren't solar, but the battery has lasted for YEARS. As far as I can tell they're the best.

 

[sab]

I own close to two-dozen calipers and micrometers, from Vernier to dial to digital. As for digital calipers, I have several cheap brands and several Mitutoyos. What I've found is that all the cheap brands utilize a "wake-on-movement" option so that as soon as you move the thumbwheel, it wakes up. On the other hand, the Mitutoyos all have to be turned on with the power button. The convenience of the "wake-on-movement" function is nice, but there's a massive penalty for that convenience - poor battery life.

The Mitutoyos draw almost no power when they're off because all they need to do is keep the zero point in memory. On the other hand, the cheaper ones will draw the battery down in a matter of a few weeks even if you never use them because it takes a lot more power to monitor for activity than it does to maintain the zero.

So, if you want a high-quality, long-battery-life option, Mitutoyo is it, but you'll pay for that. They're not cheap. However, if they are out of your price range, and you have to go with a cheaper brand, you'll definitely want to remove the battery when it's not in use. If you don't, and you don't use it all the time, every time you go to use it, the battery will be dead. Also, all cheap brand calipers are not equal, even if they look it. I've had a few that felt very gritty when moving them. So bad that they got tossed in the trash. I don't recall for sure which ones, but I think they were Harbor Freight's Pittsburgh line because I know I've tried those, and I don't have any in my possession currently.

I use mine weekly, so the battery life doesn't bother me so much, but there was a time when I didn't used them very often, and it was very annoying to have to put a new battery in every time I wanted to use them!

 

[sab]

I’ve got the perfect recommendation for you:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4Y1MKJT?tag=wranglerorg-20

I’m so glad I asked for one for Christmas. I didn’t have high expectations because of the low price but they are great! Really smooth, nice finish, and well marked. There’s a few different variants of length and decimal/fractional marking, so pick your preference.

Personally, I'd go with dial calipers long before I'd ever used another Vernier caliper. I know how to read a Vernier, but it's not nearly as quick to read as a dial or digital, and when I'm designing something and making 4 or 5 measurements in rapid succession, I feel slowed down by the process of reading a Vernier scale.

 

[lBasket]

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-...4ZkYeZ-VYf6EWHISTRDU82n9PkiHAT58aAtEgEALw_wcB

 

[OldBuzzard]

@sab, do you still use your dial calipers, or mostly digital?

I've never seen the need to "electronify" my dial caliper. It's been smooth, reliable, accurate, and easy to read for 50 years. (A fairly good "made in Japan" no-brand.) I check it against a real micrometer once in a while, and it's still perfectly accurate to sub 1/1000". What is the big advantage in digital calipers?

 

[sab]

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-...4ZkYeZ-VYf6EWHISTRDU82n9PkiHAT58aAtEgEALw_wcB

If time is money, and it is, I can justify a better option in less than one design exercise...

On a serious note, someone gave me a plastic digital caliper years ago. I used it once and tossed it. I could vary the measurement by ten-thou easily just by varying my thumb pressure on the thumb wheel. Caveat emptor!

 

[lBasket]

If time is money, and it is, I can justify a better option in less than one design exercise...

On a serious note, someone gave me a plastic digital caliper years ago. I used it once and tossed it. I could vary the measurement by ten-thou easily just by varying my thumb pressure on the thumb wheel. Caveat emptor!

I actually do have an electric one, but like you said the batteries are always dead when I take it out of the box. Hence my superior suggestion!

 

[sab]

@sab, do you still use your dial calipers, or mostly digital? What is the big advantage in digital calipers?

No, I don't use my dials much. When I'm designing something, I'll often be making something like five measurements in as quick a time as you can physically do it while marking down the numbers, thinking of my design while doing it. A Vernier is a horrible option for that because I have to pause with each measurement and think to interpret the reading, and that disrupts my design thought process. A dial is way better, but even it requires a short thought to interpret the dial reading and add it to the scale reading to get a complete number. With a digital caliper, I simply read the number, write it down, and I'm off to my next measurement without losing my design train of thought.

My first digital instrument was a mic that had a mechanical digital indicator on it, and that was a game-changer, but too expensive (not mine - the college's.) I bought a 1" Mitutoyo mic with the electronic digital readout on it about 35 years ago, and I really haven't looked back since...

 

[sab]

I actually do have an electric one, but like you said the batteries are always dead when I take it out of the box. Hence my superior suggestion!

In that case - Dial, baby, dial!

 

[chili_pepper]

What is the big advantage in digital calipers?

The ability to measure in any units without need for conversion comes to mind. When working on something where the end result will be 3D printed, I often work in metric, but depends. It's nice to be able to change up your units on the fly.

 

[That'll Buff]

I own close to two-dozen calipers and micrometers, from Vernier to dial to digital. As for digital calipers, I have several cheap brands and several Mitutoyos. What I've found is that all the cheap brands utilize a "wake-on-movement" option so that as soon as you move the thumbwheel, it wakes up. On the other hand, the Mitutoyos all have to be turned on with the power button. The convenience of the "wake-on-movement" function is nice, but there's a massive penalty for that convenience - poor battery life.

The Mitutoyos draw almost no power when they're off because all they need to do is keep the zero point in memory. On the other hand, the cheaper ones will draw the battery down in a matter of a few weeks even if you never use them because it takes a lot more power to monitor for activity than it does to maintain the zero.

Agree with this. Mine lasted about 2-3 months on a brand new energizer battery. The wake up is nice so that I don't have to remember to press the on button and is very quick, but I could live without it. Accuracy hasn't been an issue for me, but I also deal with a lot of measurements where you just round to the nearest fractional inch (normally in the 1/16's, but cant count out the 1/32's) and call it good.

 

[sab]

The ability to measure in any units without need for conversion comes to mind. When working on something where the end result will be 3D printed, I often work in metric, but depends. It's nice to be able to change up your units on the fly.

Good point, although I rarely do anything in metric, even for 3D printing. My brain is programmed for thou, not mm.

 

[That'll Buff]

The ability to measure in any units without need for conversion comes to mind. When working on something where the end result will be 3D printed, I often work in metric, but depends. It's nice to be able to change up your units on the fly.

^ this is a massive reason I like digital. I sometimes don't know if what I'm measuring is in metric or imperial, so being able to take the measurement and check between both in the press of a button is so handy.

 

[Zorba]

What is the big advantage in digital calipers?

The biggest advantage is instant switch between mm and inch.

 

[Zorba]

In that case - Dial, baby, dial!

Solar.