Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl

Jeez, someone has taken a lot of time to analyze dial indicators.

FWIW, there is a lot of junk on the market because, worldwide, there isn't
much of a market for dial indicators anymore. Mitutoyo built a little plant
to make them in the US (some suburb south of Chicago; I forget which)
because the US was just about the last market in the developed world that
would buy them. The rest of the world uses digitals.

I have both and prefer dial test indicators for on-machine use and for
comparison measurements, although I like digitals for off-machine gaging
applications.

--
Ed Huntress

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:43:07 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl
I've been to that site Karl and mostly agree with it. I have found in
my own experience that Mitutoyo makes the best 1 inch travel
indicators. Over time they have been the most accurate and robust
indicators I have used. However, for test indicators the SPI and Brown
& Sharpe, which are the same, are the best overall. Interapid
indicators are a close second. Starret Last Word indicators are best
left in the box.
Eric

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl


Thanks for the reading Karl, very interesting. As far as my shop I have a
lot of Sunnen (The standard for engine machining) and Starrett, Brown &
Sharp, Mitty. It's too bad to see a report card like this when we spend a
LOT of money on good indicators and the Harbor Fright (intentional sp) ones
may indeed be just as good in the long run. I have some from Heckler &Koch
(A gun maker) that are German, and work great. Can't find them any more. The
digital ones seem to chew batteries fast, why I don't know but I was really
shocked to see the Starrett stab. I have a LOT of Starrett everywhere.
Looks like I'm going to get the standards and granite base out this week and
do some testing. Thanks again.

Respects,

Rob Fraser

Fraser Competition Engines
Chicago, IL.

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

I have both and prefer dial test indicators for on-machine use and for
comparison measurements, although I like digitals for off-machine gaging
applications.

I'm pretty fond of my Mitutoyo test indicator (0.0001") with a sub dial to let you know
you buried it. Company provided but some day I'll buy my own for the garage shop.

Wes

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:50:51 -0500, "Rob Fraser"
FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:


wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl


Thanks for the reading Karl, very interesting. As far as my shop I have a
lot of Sunnen (The standard for engine machining) and Starrett, Brown &
Sharp, Mitty. It's too bad to see a report card like this when we spend a
LOT of money on good indicators and the Harbor Fright (intentional sp) ones
may indeed be just as good in the long run. I have some from Heckler &Koch
(A gun maker) that are German, and work great. Can't find them any more. The
digital ones seem to chew batteries fast, why I don't know but I was really
shocked to see the Starrett stab. I have a LOT of Starrett everywhere.
Looks like I'm going to get the standards and granite base out this week and
do some testing. Thanks again.

Respects,

Rob Fraser

Fraser Competition Engines
Chicago, IL.


Greetings Rob,
Certainly Sunnen makes great bore gauges and setting fixtures. Soaked
in oil all day and still accurate. It's also true that Starret makes
crummy indicators. And it's really too bad. I would like to buy their
products their prices are too high and the quality too low. Remember
when the steel tools they sold had a nice mottled bluing on them? I
know, it's been a long time since they do that. In fact, the last
items I bought from them were some screw jacks that were beautiful in
the catalog but were in fact just black oxide coated. I called Starret
about it and they basically told me to shove it. They said that they
didn't care if I stopped buying their products. So I did.
Eric

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl



Karl, thanks for finding and posting that.

I generally agree with their opinions. It is hard to go wrong with
Brown&Sharpe, Mituroyo, and most Starretts. Federal has long enjoyed ,
along with Compac and Standard, a reputation for good, servicable equipment.

SPI, AMTOS, CDI, and PhaseII are basically second-line. They ARE repairable,
but often by cannibalization, as parts are not readily available.

No experience with Scherr-Tumico's dial gages, but their "tubular
micrometers" are quite good, in all sizes, up into the 72" range.
Starrett's big OD mics (from 48" to 72") also exceptionally good.

I do agree with the "throw-away" comments on some of the cheap import
indicators, but if you haven't actually *broken* something, most of them are
repairable, after a fashion.


However, the longislandindicator web page mentions rack-teeth breaking off
in the indicators. I never found that an issue; but BENT racks, especialluy
on 2", 3", & 4" indicators get to be expensive. The best:Mitutoyo. Next:
Federal. Ease of repair primarily, with parts availability second.

Much of what passes for gages currently is ugh! plastic.

Flash

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

"Ed Huntress" writes:

wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl

Jeez, someone has taken a lot of time to analyze dial indicators.

The web site was created by a company that repairs dial indicators. I
guess they were tired of telling people that repairing a Chinese dial
indicator was a waste of time...

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

On Jun 30, 12:51*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:50:51 -0500, "Rob Fraser"



FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:

wrote in message
....
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl

Thanks for the reading Karl, very interesting. *As far as my shop I have a
lot of Sunnen (The standard for engine machining) and Starrett, Brown &
Sharp, Mitty. *It's too bad to see a report card like this when we spend a
LOT of money on good indicators and the Harbor Fright (intentional sp) ones
may indeed be just as good in the long run. I have some from Heckler &Koch
(A gun maker) that are German, and work great. Can't find them any more. The
digital ones seem to chew batteries fast, why I don't know but I was really
shocked to see the Starrett stab. I have a LOT of Starrett everywhere.
Looks like I'm going to get the standards and granite base out this week and
do some testing. *Thanks again.

* * * * * * * * * Respects,

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *Rob Fraser

Fraser Competition Engines
Chicago, IL.

Greetings Rob,
Certainly Sunnen makes great bore gauges and setting fixtures. Soaked
in oil all day and still accurate. It's also true that Starret makes
crummy indicators. And it's really too bad. I would like to buy their
products their prices are too high and the quality too low. Remember
when the steel tools they sold had a nice mottled bluing on them? I
know, it's been a long time since they do that. In fact, the last
items I bought from them were some screw jacks that were beautiful in
the catalog but were in fact just black oxide coated. I called Starret
about it and they basically told me to shove it. They said that they
didn't care if I stopped buying their products. So I did.
Eric
It looked work posting.

Reminds me of when I bought a General Tool automatic center punch and
my friend liked it so much he bought a Starret one because we thought
it would be better. It had weaker springs and only worked if you kept
it oiled. Very annoying to pay a premium price for lower quality.
Karl

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

"Maxwell Lol" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" writes:

wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl

Jeez, someone has taken a lot of time to analyze dial indicators.

The web site was created by a company that repairs dial indicators. I
guess they were tired of telling people that repairing a Chinese dial
indicator was a waste of time...

Yeah, I know (or knew) those guys. I still think they took a lot of time to
organize and write all that stuff.

--
Ed Huntress

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Maxwell Lol" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" writes:

wrote in message
...
Found this. Didn't write it. Don't know if it's correct.

http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html

Karl
Jeez, someone has taken a lot of time to analyze dial indicators.
The web site was created by a company that repairs dial indicators. I
guess they were tired of telling people that repairing a Chinese dial
indicator was a waste of time...

Yeah, I know (or knew) those guys. I still think they took a lot of time to
organize and write all that stuff.

--
Ed Huntress

I prefer InteRapid, but I don't see them on the site.

David

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

I like my Starrett tools. They are in the same boat as everyone else,
The foriegn stuff is getting better and cheaper. Pretty soon none of
us will have a job.

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

wrote in article
...

Reminds me of when I bought a General Tool automatic center punch and
my friend liked it so much he bought a Starret one because we thought
it would be better. It had weaker springs and only worked if you kept
it oiled. Very annoying to pay a premium price for lower quality.
Karl

----------



You don't suppose that the closer tolerances of the Starrett made it more
sensitive to improper maintenance (regular oiling), do you?

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

"*" wrote in message
news:01c8dc46$8b8611e0$e295c3d8@race...


wrote in article
...

Reminds me of when I bought a General Tool automatic center punch and
my friend liked it so much he bought a Starret one because we thought
it would be better. It had weaker springs and only worked if you kept
it oiled. Very annoying to pay a premium price for lower quality.
Karl

----------



You don't suppose that the closer tolerances of the Starrett made it more
sensitive to improper maintenance (regular oiling), do you?

There's nothing magic about Starrett. They were quite ordinary, serviceable,
reasonably-priced tools. B&S was always the better brand but it was
generally high priced.

However, Starrett has benefited from two things. One is that they're
American-made, at a time when we've become skeptical of any hand tools that
are not. Second, they're the beneficiaries of bracket-creep. They didn't get
any better; the market just got filled with crap.

--
Ed Huntress

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

Ed Huntress explained the Starrett question in his comment re. "bracket creep" People that knock
Starrett and other top US companies pretty much fall into the sour grapes category, IMO. As for
some digital calipers being hard on batteries: That is becasue they are "on" all the time. Only
the display is operated by the "on - off " switch; while the internal electronics stays on to
maintain the dial setting where you leave it, usu. "zero". Higher priced calipers that maintain
setting with no internal power loss must have more expensive memory components.

Bob Swinney

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

On Jul 2, 3:21*am, "*" wrote:
wrote in article
...

Reminds me of when I bought a General Tool automatic center punch and
my friend liked it so much he bought a Starret one because we thought
it would be better. It had weaker springs and only worked if you kept
it oiled. Very annoying to pay a premium price for lower quality.
Karl

----------

You don't suppose that the closer tolerances of the Starrett made it more
sensitive to improper maintenance (regular oiling), do you?

Possibly but the weaker spring's really annoying when marking concrete
so the bit won't drift.
Kar

Dial Indicators - Brand Name Comparison
 

On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:44:58 -0500, "David R.Birch"
wrote:

--
Ed Huntress

I prefer InteRapid,


That should go on the Vibrator thread......