Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?
Not looking for something gold-plated. But, also not looking
for something that WON'T be working 20+ years hence!

On Thu, 31 Dec 2015, Don Y wrote:

Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?
Not looking for something gold-plated. But, also not looking
for something that WON'T be working 20+ years hence!

If you want quality, then Mitutoyo is the brand:
http://www.amazon.com/s/search-alias...tutoyo+caliper

Add dial to the search to remove the digital ones.

Don. www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On 12/31/2015 5:40 PM, Don Y wrote:
Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?
Not looking for something gold-plated. But, also not looking
for something that WON'T be working 20+ years hence!

The lifetime of a precision device is critically dependent on how
you treat it.

I've had good service from a cheap Harbor Freight caliper.
Problem is that the battery is always dead. Reviews suggest
that's a problem with many of the "less than top tier" devices.
I have to take out the battery when I'm not using it. I have more
than one, so it's not a single defective unit.
I wouldn't call it a serious problem if I used it a lot.
I don't, so it's always dead.

I can buy a lot of batteries for the $100 difference in price.
I'm far more likely to drop it than it failing because of bad
design/workmanship.

My Mitutoyo has an extra half-digit of readout. And the battery
is always working.

I like to verify what I say, so I turned on the Mitutoyo.
Battery dead! But I've had it three years. No idea
how old the battery was. Good enough.

On 2016-01-01, Don Y wrote:
Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?

There are 3 basic types of direct-read calipers. Vernier, dial, and
digital. Vernier calipers use a vernier scale and have NO dial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernie...er_scale_works

Digital calipers use an electronic digital readout and require
batteries. It also has NO dial. A dial caliper is completely
mechanical (NO battery), like the vernier, and the measurement is
converted, mechanically, to a dial with a rotating needle to indicate
measurements.

The only folks still making professional quality dial calipers are
Starrett, Mititoyo, and Brown & Sharp. None are cheap. My best dial
caliper is an old B&S. I was not aware they were still being made,
but:

http://www.msi-viking.com/Dial-Calipers_c_10.html

.....you might also look for Scherr-Tumico brand. Not sure they still
exist.

Vernier and digital calipers have NO dial, but are usually much
cheaper. My first set of calipers were vernier. Accurate enough, but
almost impossible to read when one's eyesight starts to go. I've also
seen all-plastic vernier and digital calipers. I'd avoid these.
Quality dial calipers can still be had, but they are not cheap. I've
seen cheapo (specially plastic) digital and vernier calipers for under
$10!

You might look at General Tool. They can be found in most US store
chains, like True Value, Walmart, etc. Relatively inexpensive tools,
but usually of decent usable quality. I think my first vernier
calipers might have been General Tool. They were fine when I
had 20-something eyes.

Good luck,
nb --geezer mechanic/machinist

On 1/1/2016 1:02 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2016-01-01, Don Y wrote:
Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?

There are 3 basic types of direct-read calipers. Vernier, dial, and
digital. Vernier calipers use a vernier scale and have NO dial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernie...er_scale_works

Digital calipers use an electronic digital readout and require
batteries. It also has NO dial. A dial caliper is completely
mechanical (NO battery), like the vernier, and the measurement is
converted, mechanically, to a dial with a rotating needle to indicate
measurements.

The only folks still making professional quality dial calipers are
Starrett, Mititoyo, and Brown & Sharp. None are cheap. My best dial
caliper is an old B&S. I was not aware they were still being made,
but:

http://www.msi-viking.com/Dial-Calipers_c_10.html

....you might also look for Scherr-Tumico brand. Not sure they still
exist.

Vernier and digital calipers have NO dial, but are usually much
cheaper. My first set of calipers were vernier. Accurate enough, but
almost impossible to read when one's eyesight starts to go. I've also
seen all-plastic vernier and digital calipers. I'd avoid these.
Quality dial calipers can still be had, but they are not cheap. I've
seen cheapo (specially plastic) digital and vernier calipers for under
$10!

You might look at General Tool. They can be found in most US store
chains, like True Value, Walmart, etc. Relatively inexpensive tools,
but usually of decent usable quality. I think my first vernier
calipers might have been General Tool. They were fine when I
had 20-something eyes.

Good luck,
nb --geezer mechanic/machinist


Makes you wonder, are there folks that can't tell time on a clock with a
dial?

mike wrote:
On 12/31/2015 5:40 PM, Don Y wrote:
Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?
Not looking for something gold-plated. But, also not looking
for something that WON'T be working 20+ years hence!

The lifetime of a precision device is critically dependent on how
you treat it.

I've had good service from a cheap Harbor Freight caliper.
Problem is that the battery is always dead. Reviews suggest
that's a problem with many of the "less than top tier" devices.
I have to take out the battery when I'm not using it. I have more
than one, so it's not a single defective unit.
I wouldn't call it a serious problem if I used it a lot.
I don't, so it's always dead.

I can buy a lot of batteries for the $100 difference in price.
I'm far more likely to drop it than it failing because of bad
design/workmanship.

My Mitutoyo has an extra half-digit of readout. And the battery
is always working.

I like to verify what I say, so I turned on the Mitutoyo.
Battery dead! But I've had it three years. No idea
how old the battery was. Good enough.

Ditto, I got one from Amazon for ~$20.00 takes one SR44 Battery which
does not seem to last long. Came in a sturdy hard plastic case, accuracy
is very good. If I don't drop it, it should last my life time.

On 12/31/2015 7:36 PM, Don Wiss wrote:
On Thu, 31 Dec 2015, Don Y wrote:

Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?
Not looking for something gold-plated. But, also not looking
for something that WON'T be working 20+ years hence!

If you want quality, then Mitutoyo is the brand:
http://www.amazon.com/s/search-alias...tutoyo+caliper

Add dial to the search to remove the digital ones.

Thanks!

On 01/01/2016 10:02 AM, notbob wrote:
I've also seen all-plastic vernier and digital calipers. I'd avoid these.

I keep a set of the cheap plastic ones in the car, and in the shop; they
come in handy for quick measurements, or for going to the yard to buy
stock.

Of course I have a digital set (accurate to 0.0005) in the shop for when
I need the accuracy, and for layout.

Jon

On 1/1/2016 3:33 PM, Frank wrote:

Makes you wonder, are there folks that can't tell time on a clock with a
dial?

But, of course. Rotary phones are good for
blank looks.

I'll paraphrase a joke someone on this list
wrote: I hollered at a bunch of misbehaved
kids and told em to stop. They just stood
there and kept blinking.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On Friday, January 1, 2016 at 2:34:01 PM UTC-6, Frank wrote:
On 1/1/2016 1:02 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2016-01-01, Don Y wrote:
Recommendations for a "quality" digital dial caliper?

There are 3 basic types of direct-read calipers. Vernier, dial, and
digital. Vernier calipers use a vernier scale and have NO dial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernie...er_scale_works

Digital calipers use an electronic digital readout and require
batteries. It also has NO dial. A dial caliper is completely
mechanical (NO battery), like the vernier, and the measurement is
converted, mechanically, to a dial with a rotating needle to indicate
measurements.

The only folks still making professional quality dial calipers are
Starrett, Mititoyo, and Brown & Sharp. None are cheap. My best dial
caliper is an old B&S. I was not aware they were still being made,
but:

http://www.msi-viking.com/Dial-Calipers_c_10.html

....you might also look for Scherr-Tumico brand. Not sure they still
exist.

Vernier and digital calipers have NO dial, but are usually much
cheaper. My first set of calipers were vernier. Accurate enough, but
almost impossible to read when one's eyesight starts to go. I've also
seen all-plastic vernier and digital calipers. I'd avoid these.
Quality dial calipers can still be had, but they are not cheap. I've
seen cheapo (specially plastic) digital and vernier calipers for under
$10!

You might look at General Tool. They can be found in most US store
chains, like True Value, Walmart, etc. Relatively inexpensive tools,
but usually of decent usable quality. I think my first vernier
calipers might have been General Tool. They were fine when I
had 20-something eyes.

Good luck,
nb --geezer mechanic/machinist


Makes you wonder, are there folks that can't tell time on a clock with a
dial?

Some people have a difficult reading the tiny markings on a dial caliper. The digital display *which I prefer* is easily seen by those with deteriorating vision due to age. ヽ(€¢€¿€¢)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Blind Monster

On Fri, 01 Jan 2016 13:50:45 -0800, Jon Danniken
wrote:

On 01/01/2016 10:02 AM, notbob wrote:
I've also seen all-plastic vernier and digital calipers. I'd avoid these.

I keep a set of the cheap plastic ones in the car, and in the shop; they

Check out Calipers-R-Us. They have the cheap plastic ones, as well
as cotton and rayon ones.

come in handy for quick measurements, or for going to the yard to buy
stock.

Of course I have a digital set (accurate to 0.0005) in the shop for when
I need the accuracy, and for layout.

Jon