Digital calipers

[David Kumm]

The posting of a Mitutoyo digital caliper here got me looking at them vs the Wixey type I've used. Looks to be a million models although the accuracy seems to generally be the same-.001 over 6-8". Some are coolant rated but wondering what the opinions are as to Mitutoyo vs Starrett vs others and whether the source of origin has changed over the years making some models more desirable. What are your experiences and opinions? Wanting to learn more about the choices. Dave

[Kevin Jenness]

David,

I have been using a Mititoyo digital caliper happily for 25 years. Don't know the model#, but it looks very similar to the Digimatic 500-196-20 currently available. Just a basic measurement device, no SPC output. I think I paid about $100 at the time. Over the past 10 years I've gone through two $40 models from Lee Valley at work. They are nearly as precise as the Mititoyo, but they don't last as well- looser machining on the slide, go through batteries far faster, eventually give up the ghost. Also, on both the battery cover came loose and had to be taped on. As usual, you get what you pay for.

regards,

Kevin Jenness

[Myk Rian]

I repaired precision tools for 20+ years. Mitutoyo makes some really nice tools.

[Ronald Blue]

You may get by with the cheap ones without issue. If I needed precision with consistency I would not rely on a pair of $15 calipers. I looked and considered those same calipers when they were posted the other day but chose to pass. I have a pair of regular dial Mitutoyo calipers I have been using since 1975. They are well made and equal to Starrett or Brown and Sharpe. They were a less expensive but equal quality option back at that time. You do get what you pay for because you can only get precision through strict quality control and quality control comes at a price.

[pat warner]

The Mitu, is the engineering standard in digital calipers.
No rack, big jaws, easy step measurements, battery never dies, big readout, metric/dec.frac, zero-ability.
Good price, good for wood, metal & plastic, easy to detail, slides without drag, no wonder it's no.1

[Chris Fournier]

I've had a Mitutoyo digital 6" caliper for about 20 years now. It is a great tool. The big advantage to the digital caliper is that you can select Imperial and Metric readings at the push of a button. The disadvantage is that you have neither readings if you have a dead battery!

I have several calipers for my wood and metal working activities, Starret and Mitutoyo, both brands are high quality and I've had no issues. These calipers are all dial calipers with the exception of the 6" Mit. Dial calipers don't require a battery and are easy enough to read.

For wood working I have a fractional caliper from LV. I like the fractional dial in the wood shop but the actual caliper itself is a really clunky unit that feels cheap compared to my others. It was less $$$ and it feels it. It has not failed me but it doesn't impress me either. It is "good value" all things considered.

You can score great deals on calipers if you check out eBay, Kijij etc. Pennies on the dollar if you're patient.

[Alan Bienlein]

I've had to many problems with digital calipers that my go to caliper is the Harbor freight 6" dial caliper I bought in the early 90's for $6. Compared it to a starret and it measured the same as the starret. Always goes right back to zero and never have to worry about batteries!

[David Kumm]

Any specific model preferences in the Mitutoyo? Dave

[Chris Fournier]

The Mitu, is the engineering standard in digital calipers.
No rack, big jaws, easy step measurements, battery never dies, big readout, metric/dec.frac, zero-ability.
Good price, good for wood, metal & plastic, easy to detail, slides without drag, no wonder it's no.1

Battery never dies! That is some claim.

[Mike Heidrick]

Hi Dave. I just got done ordering and returning several digital calipers/ I wanted larger than 6" and the metric conversion on the fly. I tried several of the chinese 8" and 12" ones. Not a single one would open and close back to zero every time. Finally after #3 went back I ordered the 8" Mitutoyo. It was a lot cheaper than the starrett but the reviews were awesome. Its perfect. On, zero, open and close as fast as I can zero, open, zero, off overnight, on, roll back, zero. Does it cost 5X as much? sure. So far it is the only one I have accurately got to work. Also this is a 20,000 hour batter which from reports of folks that leave them on accidentally may pay for most of the caliper in the long haul LOL.

I love using calipers. I have a mitutoyo dial inch caliper and one fractional one from Brian at Holbren. They have been perfect. The chinese digital ones were just a bit too flaky for my liking.

The Mitutoyo was also the only one not to roll around in its box and the only one that came with any testing and certification paperwork.

Mitutoyo ABSOLUTE 500-197-20 Digital Caliper (8" model), Stainless Steel, Battery Powered, Inch/Metric, 0-8" Range, +/-0.001" Accuracy, 0.0005" Resolution
Mitutoyo ABSOLUTE 500-196-20 Digital Caliper (6" model)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/A1jP9CHOH-L._AA1500_.jpg

[Lee Schierer]

Just remember that this is woodworking and though you may be able to read to .001 or less, wood will change that much or more over night with a humidity change. I have a pair of HF digital calipers and they get used for checking thickness on boards coming out of my planer. If I get within .005 of the desired fractional equivalent, it is close enough for woodworking. Why spend $100 when $ 6 will get you in the same wood lot.

My HF caliper has a button to zero and another one to switch from metric to inches and you can do it on the fly.

[David Kumm]

Lee, I hear you. I've no great complaints about the Wixey except it doesn't always zero out so periodically it gets a little out of whack before i notice it. I went to the digitals a few years ago to match the pro scale readouts on my planer and sanders. Helps when they all measure the same. Understand the wood thing but the bean counter in me goes nuts when the numbers aren't consistent. Dave

[Mike Heidrick]

Mine are used for cnc and 3d printer metal projects mostly. Steel and alum marking. Dykem and a nice pass of a good dial/digital SS caliper is like the Czech Edge mark in the WW world.

They also get used to check wood out of the planer but most any can do that. Usually when you into these calipers you have metal projects in mind I would think.

[Mike Heidrick]

Pro Scale = Yumm.

[David Kumm]

I'm finding the more old machines I get the more metalworking i need to try. Try being the key word. Dave

[Ed Labadie]

If one is going to pony up for Mitutoyo calipers, spend a few bucks more and get the solar powered ones. Never, ever, ever have to worry about dead batteries.
Had mine for years, no regrets.

Ed

[David Kumm]

If one is going to pony up for Mitutoyo calipers, spend a few bucks more and get the solar powered ones. Never, ever, ever have to worry about dead batteries.
Had mine for years, no regrets.

Ed

Do they work in a shop with no direct sunlight? Dave

[Ed Labadie]

Do they work in a shop with no direct sunlight? Dave

Yes.

I keep mine in a toolbox, pull them out, ready to use in a few seconds.

Ed

[Ole Anderson]

I have a no name (other than Made in China) dial caliper bought probably 25 years ago. For what I do it is fine. Always goes back to zero, except for the two times I dropped on a concrete floor. Now the dial is rotated about 190 degrees to get it to zero out. Not sure a digital would have survived. Still works for me and I use it all the time. Checks within 0.001 against a 3.000 inch standard that came with an OLD Lufkin micrometer by BIL gave me 30 years ago.

[Kevin Jenness]

One problem with dial calipers in a woodshop is that that the rack and pinion can get clogged with sawdust. No such problem with a digital unit.

[David Kumm]

i have been watching ebay and CL and have picked up two Mitutoyo 196-20 new in box at about $75-80 each so the upcharge wasn't too bad. Took some watching though. Dave

[Steve Milito]

One problem with dial calipers in a woodshop is that that the rack and pinion can get clogged with sawdust. No such problem with a digital unit.

The I prefer a fractional dial for most woodworking. I have a digital Mitutoyo, but usually I just reach for my no name fractional dial caliper.
It's plenty accurate enough for woodworking.

[William C Rogers]

I have a mitutoyo dial inch caliper (about 25 years) and the HF digital (about 1 year). Also a mitutoyo dial. Both mitutoyos are nice calipers. The dial doesn't get use as much because as stated before dust in the rack and pinion. For wood working I use the HF. I have never had a problem with them returning to zero. The mitutoyos are not automatic shutoff but the HF are. If was doing precision metal working I would use the mitutoyos, but I believe the HF would also work fine.

[phil harold]

20 dollar one here
15 years old
I do have an old Starrett straight one
digital is just easier to read And I dont have to change scales like i do on Starrett just push a button on the fly

[Dave Anthony]

+1 On the HF dial caliper, except I got mine for $1 :) Accurate, easy to read and no batteries.

[Jery Madigan]

I have had 6" and 4" Mitutoyos for over a decade. Cheaper ones have come and gone. I got them for building bamboo fly rods that require .002 accuracy, but I use them for everything. The 4" model is on front of me - CD-4" CS.

[Mark Burnette]

I do calibration work and have handled the best & worst for many years. I can tell you the cheapest ones are just as accurate and repeatable as the most expensive. The electronics are dirt cheap and likely the same circuit in all. The real difference is in the look feel of the caliper. The real cost is in setting up the machines that do the grinding and the time spent fitting the parts. The Mitutoyo, Starrett, Fowler without exception are silky smooth, no dragging along any part of the beam, with flat parallel jaws, ID jaws and depth rod all come back to the same zero. You can often find smooth units in the $20 bin and you'll know right away if it's good or poorly made from the feel.

[Mike Heidrick]

I do calibration work and have handled the best & worst for many years. I can tell you the cheapest ones are just as accurate and repeatable as the most expensive.

I just went through buying 4 cheapies and a 8" Mit and I will tell you NO way is what you just said accurate. Not in digital calipers. Open and close and open and off, on and close - None of the 4 would zero correctly.

[Mark Burnette]

Best advice I can give is dont buy sight unseen. A caliper that doesnt repeat at zero has a mechanical problem that is easy to feel. Close the caliper and hold it up to light to see if the jaws close without a gap.

[Mike Heidrick]

The last cheap one i sent back you could run your finger across the back and get it to change the readout with no movement at all. That was NOT mechanical. Good advice buying only what you can test. The Mit was also bought sight unseen and is perfect so maybe I got lucky there. Almost too nice - I found myself marking with a dial caliper from Holbern today as I wanted to keep the Mit 8" nice.

[Jim Foster]

I have a Starrett dial caliper that's been in my shop for 20yrs, no problem w/dust in the rack&pinion. If anyone makes a decent dial caliper for a decent price anymore, I think the dial has merits. The biggest is it's always easy to read, and it never runs out of juice.

[Keith Outten]

I own three of these 6" instruments.
The first is a 30 year old Craftsman dial caliper, it has always worked well.
The second is a Mitutoyo digital that is the best of the lot but an expensive caliper and way to accurate for woodworking.
The third is a recent purchase, its a Wixey digital that provides both metric, SAE and fractions.

For day to day measurement I prefer the Wixey hands down. This is a nice instrument that is very smooth, reliable and accurate. I own a 1.000" certified standard that I use to check my calipers periodically so I know they are accurate.

30 years ago I was issued a Brown and Sharpe 6" dial caliper when I worked for Stone and Webster Engineering. I carried the B&S in the case in my back pocket for three years using it every hour of every day doing pipe inspections. I don't think the digital instruments existed in those days but the B&S was the smoothest caliper I have ever used and it was checked in our CAL lab every six months.
.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have a Starrett dial caliper that's been in my shop for 20yrs, no problem w/dust in the rack&pinion. If anyone makes a decent dial caliper for a decent price anymore, I think the dial has merits. The biggest is it's always easy to read, and it never runs out of juice.

Agree.

The thing I like about the fractional dial calipers is that they are analog - and each "tick" on the dial corresponds to a "tick" on my TS fence, and my PC routers. I think in "ticks", not decimals: "One tick under 7/32" - that kind of stuff.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I own a 1.000" certified standard that I use to check my calipers periodically so I know they are accurate.



I would think that this just confirms that they are accurate at 1.000", not necessarily their entire range.

[Mark Burnette]

I would think that this just confirms that they are accurate at 1.000", not necessarily their entire range.

In my entire career I have never seen an exception. Even on dial-types which use gears...they just go round n round & dont accumulate error.

[Jerome Stanek]

Where I work we have a Starrett, a Mitutoyo, and a cheap Harbor Freight and they all are accurate. The Harbor Freight gets used the most.

[Keith Outten]

I would think that this just confirms that they are accurate at 1.000", not necessarily their entire range.

Harvey,

Your right, it doesn't provide any proof that the instrument is accurate beyond one inch but it does give me a reference metric. As Mark indicated it would be very rare for an instrument designed as these are to provide a measurable error over its range of measurement.

If I didn't own a standard I would at least find a piece of material that I could use to check my calipers periodically. If they produce the same measurement every time I would develop some confidence that they are accurate. If I had two or three instruments that all provided the same readings I would be even more confident that my instruments were working properly.
.

[Ronald Blue]

With a quality set of calipers with clean jaws they should read and repeat zero when you close them. Obviously digital could read erroneously as you open them and without a standard you couldn't be sure of accuracy. However as previously stated dial type don't have accumulative error. If they read zero and 1 inch you can be confident that they are correct throughout their range. I have had dial calipers jump a tooth because of a fine metal chip but it is simple enough to "jump" them back into correct clocking. As I recall 1 tooth off was a .020 error on the dial.

[Mike Heidrick]

Great point Ron. I finally read the word "dial" in your message vs digital.