In article , Lennie the Lurker wrote:

Depends. If you're doing production, they would be indispensable. If
you're doing one off in a tool room situation, maybe. For general
machining, probably not.

I can see how the 'dial' aspect of them would be very important when
looking for the condition of a bore... when looking for bulges, waisting,
out of round, etc. I'm primarily looking for a fast and accurate way to see
where I am in the boring process so that after I take my final 40 thou cut,
I'm where I want to be.

Federal, Starrett, Standard and Mitutoyo (junk),

The set that I was looking at was an import, but looks pretty much like
Mitutoyo. Would you agree with a previous poster who suggested that a bore
gage isn't worth having if it isn't a big name?

Most dial bores will. What size range are you looking at?

I'd *like* .5" - 6", but what I see available for a reasonable price is
1.4" - 6".

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Mike Graham | Metalworker, rustic, part-time zealot.
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http://www.metalmangler.com| Caledon, Ontario, Canada