[cjvdh]

Hello folks,

Have been a long time reader here at CNC zone and have finally decided to join. I need myself a good digital caliper. What is the best caliper for the buck? I need it to be coolant resistant and it needs to be in inches no millimeters, I actually think most of them come with both right? I was looking into Motutoyo as I seen pretty much everyone at my workplace has them. Can someone please recommend a good digital caliper along with a good place to buy.

[Karl_T]

Digital Calipers - Great Deals on a Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight

great value

[Jagrolet]

I agree with Karl. Harbor Freight has good deals on calipers. I Have Mititoyo calipers, and the ones from HF. The only real difference is a certificate of calibration comes with the Mititoyo ones. Depends on whether you need that for your job. Both read accurate though.

[bobsch]

Digital Calipers - Great Deals on a Digital Caliper at Harbor Freight

great value

+1 on HF calipers. Here's the whole lineup: Search results for: 'caliper' (Including one that will do decimal and fractional.)

[cjvdh]

I appreciate all the help however not really interested in HB calipers for several reasons. (1) I don't think any of those are coolant proof if so which one? Also I work in a manufacturing/CNC machine shop environment where of course it's dirty there's chips everywhere, etc and I bought a decent $40 caliper from Advanced Auto Parts roughly 4-6 weeks ago and it already broke I never dropped it, always took good car of it and kept it in case, etc not really looking to buy another "cheap" caliper I just want to spend the money on a good one and be done. Also I do need that certification of its calibration be 100% accurate. The company I work for also does there own in house calibration. I think I have it narrowed down between a Brown & Sharp or Motutoyo. Where is a good place to buy? I checked amazon.com and I get get a decent 0-6" Mututoyo for $123.99 shipped to my front door. I also looked on eBay but most of them are used and I don't know how the previous owner treated it, drops, etc. Where can I buy a good one? Also what else are some good brands?

[DMF_TomB]

i think you a missing the point.
.
buy any caliper for any price from anybody and at
.
day 2 it is already getting old and first time you drop it it will be damaged and first time you measure something hard as Stainless or harder it will start to wear.
.
i buy a new caliper every year on purpose. always in good shape with hardly any signs of wear. actually i put the date i bought it right on the case. when i see it is getting old it reminds me to go buy another one.
.
the thought of buying used tools make me cringe. you want quality usually first thing is nothing too old. unless it is in original package unopened still covered in rust preservative.

[cjvdh]

i think you a missing the point.
.
buy any caliper for any price from anybody and at
.
day 2 it is already getting old and first time you drop it it will be damaged and first time you measure something hard as Stainless or harder it will start to wear.
.
i buy a new caliper every year on purpose. always in good shape with hardly any signs of wear. actually i put the date i bought it right on the case. when i see it is getting old it reminds me to go buy another one.
.
the thought of buying used tools make me cringe. you want quality usually first thing is nothing too old. unless it is in original package unopened still covered in rust preservative.

I am sorry but I am really not understanding what your trying to convey to me? What are you trying to say buy a cheap caliper so I am not spending $150 every year to upgrade it?

[ksanalytical]

I picked up a good digital one from Grizzly not too long ago for around $70. It's not coolant proof, but seems to be much more durable than the HF units I have floating around. They market it as a Brown and Sharpe, but there is another name listed along with B&S... I actually got so tired of the batteries running out on the HF that I just use a dial caliper instead. Every pro I've talked to says the only real difference is longevity and mine don't see that much use.

Hope that helps.

[handlewanker]

Now here's a conundrum.

Anybody using a digital caliper for anything other than just a quick measurement indication is probably fooling themselves that they are in the "high precision" class with a $500 dollar caliper.....no digi caliper is calibrated to .0001" accuracy, and if one wqs you'd have a hard time to read the display as it kept updating the pressure variation of your hand.

On the other hand, I just bought a digital caliper for $19 from our local supermarket chain named Aldi down in OZ..... Time Zone brand, and it has all the bells and whistles ANY digi caliper has that you can name.....if'n anyone can fault it for accuracy and finish against a $500 tool I'll eat the thing, and it comes in a hard case with a spare battery and a 2 year unconditional guarantee.

The truest test you can apply to a caliper, be it dial or digital, is to check the mating faces when it's at zero....there should be NO light gap from top to bottom, if there is the slightest light gap it indicates the caliper is worn on the measuring faces, and no digi caliper comes with carbide faces, at least none that I've seen.

The other most important requirement is.... does it read consistently from zero up to the max length accurately.

You can test this by measuring a few gauge blocks across the range, but with my $19 "cheapie", there is no variation from end to end, and I have a full set of gauge blocks to test it with......the accuracy is built in on the sensitized slide face read by the sliding member head.

How do you use a digi caliper in order to "squeeze" that last bit of accuracy out of the tool.......you don't do anything your Dad wouldn't do, that is you test the work piece by applying a load across the faces by the thumb wheel, if'n it's fitted, not all digi calipers have a slide moved with a thumb wheel, and you don't leave it lying on the machine table or workbench between measuring sprees.

You also don't expect to measure ANY job with the accuracy you'd get using a micrometer, if'n you do expect to match a micrometer for accuracy, go back to school, learn how to use measuring tools and don't get wowed by expensive name brand tools that do the same as the cheap one.

I saw a guy attempting to measure the bore diameter of a bush he'd just bored in a lathe with the two spiky protusions on the top of his digi caliper, used for quick measuring internal faces, and knew that he hadn't a clue, especially when I offered him my set of telescopic gauges and he declined by saying they were not metric......words fail me.

Some digi calipers are coolant proof, but if you want to give your caliper a coolant bath, go back to school and learn to take care of tools.

BTW, if your favourite digi caliper is slightly worn on the faces from measuring HSS or Carbide tooling, don't throw it away, just get one of those diamond honing slip stones and hone the faces true again....takes some doing and a steady hand but with a bit of "bluing" you'll restore the faces good as new....just make sure you do the fixed face first and check it for squareness, then the sliding face.

The battery is the next weak link, and cheap market batteries sometimes go dead in a few months.

I would expect to get 2 years useage out of an LR44 type battery that is the most common one used.

Lastly....what are you actualy measuring with a digi caliper.....roughing up to a final cut you don't need an accuracy of more than +- a couple of thou, (but you do have it built in), and a final measurement needs something better than a sliding digi caliper to test it.
Ian.

[slowlearner]

Handlewanker, we have the Aldi chain here as well. My wife does all her shopping there. I put my order in to see if she can find a pair of the digi calipers. To the "op" I have always used Mitutoyo dial calipers in my shop. I have seen what coolant does to electronic calipers in short time and wouldnt trust either a dial or digital to measure tenths.

[handlewanker]

Hi Slowlearner, the problem with Aldi is they get "stuff" on special for about a week and then it goes off the shelf, so when their catalogue comes in the post I quickly scan for the bargains.

I bought 2 of the digi calipers when they came on, one's in my garage for machine stuff and the other I carry in my tool box when I work around the house doing various jobs.

The hard case it comes in is pretty strong.

The very first digi caliper I got was in 1994 and it was when they just started to come on the market at reasonable prices.......I paid $65 then.

At the time I was working in the metrology department of my workplace and tested the accuracy of the caliper which was dead on, inherent electronic accuracy built in even though mass produced.

I was responsible for introducing it to the factory floor where previously only Mitutoyo calipers at $200 were issued to the setters and foremen, and the reaction was so dramatic that the firm ordered a batch of 100 for general shop use and got the price down to $45 each.

We had a box of a couple of dozen Mitutoyo calipers that were beyond repair from the previous years and they and all others were withdrawn and sold off to a dealer.

BTW, an interesting tip....if'n you accidently get the caliper (or a mobile phone too) soaked in coolant switch it off immediately, remove the battery and put it into a container with methylated spirits.

The meths will displace the water and if'n you've been quick enough the circuitry won't have shorted out, then you open it up, (nothing to lose), and carefully lightly blow the meths and water dry, a couple of soaks and blow drys should do the trick.
Ian.

[CarbideBob]

I was looking into Motutoyo as I seen pretty much everyone at my workplace has them.

And why do you think this is?

My preference by far is Mitutoyo. They last a long time. I have one that is older than some of my machinists.
Some of my guys like the Tesa/B&S but I don't like the feel, not as nice as the older Tesa equipment.

Just remember that it is a caliper, not a mic. Even the best won't pass a gage R&R at .001.
Checking a caliper's capabilities on a gauge block is silly unless the parts you make are lapped flat and square within a tenth.
The block automatically aligns the jaws giving nice readings. Real world parts have taper, are round or oval, or even shaped like triangles. These factors bring something known as abbe error into play.

Lower cost calipers wear faster and develop errors that you will most likely not realize until QC dumps a bunch of parts onto your bench.

Buy the good stuff.....just my 2 cents worth. It's your money, do what you think is best.
Bob

[handlewanker]

I quite agree, you only get what you pay for....most of the time.

I was given, (5cents for scrap value), a Tesa digi caliper that my previous firm had that got damaged beyond repair.

This was probably a 1980 model, very extremely expensive, but vulnerable to wear and tear of day to day use.

The caliper had 4 small rechargeable cells for the power (now dead and no charger) but the biggest problem was the measuring scale, which was a glass scale buried in a slot and scanned by the read head, and this had been impacted by a sharp point at some time or other....dead caliper....so sad as it had a silky smooth feel to it, all stainless no plastic, and looked really good, but a bit bulky.

I toyed with the idea of sending it back to Switzerland to Tesa and getting it refurbished, but the $65 model I bought made it cost prohibitive, and the present new one for $19 made it obsolete.

I was at our local hardware store today and they have one for $9.......made from a high density plastic, resolution to 1 decimal place, Imperial and metric, and suitable for all those carpentry jobs where you want that bit more accuracy than the average tape or wooden ruler....and .1 of a MM (.004") is more than the average person would work to anyway......I might just buy one and fix it to my bench drill quill to show the down feed but who looks that close to drilling holes to depth on a bench drill....LOL.....on the other hand it might do very well attached to the tailstock barrel on my lathe to indicate drilling depth...hmmmmm.
Ian.

[cjvdh]

I think I have made up my mind I think I will either be going with either Mitutoyo or Starrett I found on Amazon for a fairly decent price. They are both coolant proof and have the official IP67 rating and the certification with the caliper in which I need. If you were in my shoes which would you select between the two links I have provided below. I am leaning a little more toward the Starrett's simply because they are made in the good ol' USA!

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-752-10-Digimatic-Digital-Caliper/dp/B002SG7PHK/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1302140191&sr= 1-3]Amazon.com: Mitutoyo 500-752-10, IP67 Digimatic Digital Caliper, 0 - 6"/150mm, .0005"/0.01mm, Non-Output: Industrial & Scientific[/ame]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Starrett-Electronic-Caliper-Without-Graduation/dp/B003YL3A4A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1302729874&sr=8-5]Amazon.com: Starrett 798A-6/150 LCD Electronic Caliper Without Output, 0.0005" Graduation, 0-6" Range: Industrial & Scientific[/ame]

[WATERJET71]

I just got one from HF paid $9 bucks I checked it with my scanner ha ha its right on, i got mitotoyos, brown & sharp,starret you name it i love my 9 dlls one.

[Jagrolet]

I own two Mititoyo calipers (Digital) and have had them for a very long time. They are still accurate after many years of use. However, due to the economy in the US, I would go for the Starrett calipers even if they cost more. I believe we should support US companies, and Starrett is a very reputable company that makes beautiful, precision calipers. For what its worth, I almost never grap the digital calipers unless Im measuring something metric. I prefer the analog dial calipers. They are more accurate than the digital calipers since you can see where the needle is between the lines. the digitals just round to the nearest.

[cjvdh]

I have finally figured out which digital caliper I want .... I went with the 6" Starrett's 798A model they do not have the SPC output because I would never use it and for $30 bucks more it just want really necessary for me. They also have the IP67 rating they are coolant/water proof etc, Does anyone else have these calipers and would like to comment on how they work? Please do so thanks

[cjvdh]

I got my starrett's today and I was rather disappointed when I opened them up to discover the plastic red case was cracked around the hinge part. Luckily I was able to call Amazon and they are overnighting me another set.

[handlewanker]

The weakest link on the digitals is the battery compartment cover.

They all appear to follow a similar design, slide in, where there are two small clips on the cover edge that get pushed in first and a bumpy bit on the body that holds the cover in, alternatively, one I saw had the cover joined to the body by a "plastic hinge", just waiting to break.

Break one of the clips on the cover and it's only a matter of time before the cover pops up and drops off, it's under tension to keep the battery in contact.

So far in the electronics field, the weakest link with battery equipment is always that damm cover......it either gets lost or busted.

I saw one guy with a caliper that had an elastic band round it to hold the cover on....sh!t, that would make me mad....I'd have to design something to make it better, but when you see the size of the hole the battery goes in, I reckon they could have followed electronic watch technology and make the cover a screw in job.

If'n you lost the screw in cover you could make another out of brass just as easily, provided you had access to a lathe and knew your screwcutting.

I've got an old Tesa caliper with a damaged glass scale so it only reads the first 3", and it has 4 small rechargeable cells in a BIG cover that fits behind the sliding part....totally crap, but I keep it just to look at it even though it will never be used again.

Majority of the time a caliper is used on the 0" to 3" section and rarely after that, so I might just "reinvent" the battery compartment with a couple of LR44 silver zinc cells and use it like that....who needs 3 digi calipers anyway...LOL.

So far I've never come across anyone with a broken caliper that I could get my hands on to pull apart to see if'n the plastic slide part could be rebuilt in say stainless steel or alluminium to make a caliper that would last to the end of time, monogrammed and with a bit of filigree work...LOL...I hate plastic on stressed or vital items, it ALWAYS breaks eventually....every time.... without exception.

BTW, I have a Shardlow 0"-1" micrometer that my father bought in 1920, and it still reads to .0001", been calibrated.
Even though it's Imperial and we'all are Metric, they'll have to prise it out of my cold dead hand before I'll let it go when they come to screw the lid of my box on...LOL.
Ian.

[christinandavid]

The printed scale that covers the encoder tends to catch and start peeling at the caliper end also (you have to stop yourself picking at it). Then 'Mr Nobody' comes along and dings your internal calipers...

My advice would be to get a bigger, cheaper one, and always measure with the locking screw nipped up slightly. I tend to use mine this way and always compare reading to same size gauge block.

Any tolerance smaller than 0.1mm find a better way to measure. If you don't you'll find yourself doing a Uri Geller impersonation and massage the thing until it tells you what you want to hear.



DP