Vernier calipers

[Steve Eure]

I bought a couple igaging calipers, both digital and analog.. I seem to grab the analog ones more often than not. both are well built and tough as nails. Accurate and cost much less.

[Alex Zeller]

I have a cheap HF 12" digital one and a couple Mitutoyo 6" digital ones. The HF seems to be accurate but it doesn't feel anywhere near as smooth. I leave the battery out of the HF one and it last a lot longer. I use them in combination with an igaging multi gauge to set up blade or router bit height when doing things like stile and rail joints.

[John K Jordan]

Jack,

Your message title says “Vernier” but perhaps you mean calipers of any type. For measuring, I keep a variety of digital and dial calipers. I prefer dial calipers for most things in the shop and use digital when milling/turning metals to precision, measuring shims, etc. I do have my favorites but I find almost any brand works as well as another.

If you did mean vernier (which are a pain to read), I have a drawer full of very cheap verniers I use only for woodturning. I never use them for measuring but mostly to size something to match something else - if the dimension matters I set a caliper to the desired size first then turn the part till the caliper slides over the diameter.

I do have one vernier that’s probably 18” or longer but need it only rarely!

JKJ

[Brian Holcombe]

Mitutoyo please and thank you.

[Phil Gaudio]

Been using the Starrett fractional for years: works great.

[Jim Becker]

iGaging LCD display for metric, decimal inch and fractional inch. The price was reasonable and it's one of my most used measuring tools it seems sometimes; a lot of that is because of my CNC work, but I use it for any kind of project, honestly.

[Scott Brodersen]

I have the Lee Valley digital one - it's ok but I regret getting a battery-powered caliper. I'd like a half decent analog one.

[Bob Falk]

IMHO, a $25 digital caliper from Amazon is just fine for woodworking.

[Jim Barkelew]

I use my dial calipers and 12 inch machinist scale on almost every project. The scale sits on the rip fence at the table saw. I think my calipers are 40 years old and good as new. 40 years ago I could measure to almost 0.005" tolerance with the scale but my eyes can't do that anymore. I don't see much use for fractional calipers since I have 5 tape measures.

[Charles Coolidge]

My 6" MITUTOYO digital calipers are still going strong after 18 years and the battery lasts forever. Rugged I use them all the time and displays in either inch/metric. I recently added a pair of 8".

[Kurt Wyberanec]

For those who keep saying fine for woodworking I really don't understand... it really depends on what kind of woodwork you're doing... if you're making a slab table then obviously not that important but if you're making things with tight clearances then you need something accurate. For layout in usually measuring to the 32nd for clearances in often measuring to the thousandth so I can add correctly... everyone's work is different. And also what type of equipment you're using makes a difference... I'm not saying I cut to the thou (though you can with an incra fence) but you often have to add parts together.

I'm very impressed with the igaging absolute digital.

[Ron Selzer]

woodworking, analog for me please, no batteries to mess with and no figuring out what x/124's is close to
Have digital for checking bearings and other items that must be accurate to 2 or 3 places
all depends on what you are working on/with

[Robert London]

Lots of name brand calipers aren't what they use to be.

I bought the Quinn digital calipers from Harbor Freight. $49 and nice calipers for the money.

[Brian Holcombe]

For those who keep saying fine for woodworking I really don't understand... it really depends on what kind of woodwork you're doing... if you're making a slab table then obviously not that important but if you're making things with tight clearances then you need something accurate. For layout in usually measuring to the 32nd for clearances in often measuring to the thousandth so I can add correctly... everyone's work is different. And also what type of equipment you're using makes a difference... I'm not saying I cut to the thou (though you can with an incra fence) but you often have to add parts together.

I'm very impressed with the igaging absolute digital.

Keep fighting the good fight!

[Phillip Mitchell]

I have Mitutoyo 6" digital and can switch between Imperial and Metric and read to 0.0000. I use them very often and have come to rely on them for sizing joinery, setting up machines/parts, or anything where accuracy and precision is critical.

Totally depends on what type of projects you're doing as to what level of accuracy you should expect from a set of calipers. Why have measuring devices of questionable quality if you are using them for critical measurments (like joinery or tight clearances or eliminating cumulative error) ? Some of us work to tighter tolerances than others and I think its perfectly reasonable to use higher end measuring devices to acheive that level of precision. I would be questioning the accuracy of a HF or similar unit and not feel like I could trust it in all situtations of if I have other high accuracy measuring devices that need to play nicely and interface with what the caliper is telling me.