Starrett Fractional Reading Dial Calipers - 6 in

[Mark Rios]

Craftsman Studio has this dial caliper on sale right now for $59.95.

http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/index.htm

Also, some of their tools are on some kind of super secret sale. You put an item into your cart and then the price magically drops to a lower sale price. It's not really clear what tools and why but it happened to me 3 or 4 times.

Sale price right now (these sale prices ARE listed) on Hock blades and cap irons with free shipping on these items.

Just to let you know.

[Rick Lizek]

Kind of pricey. I myself much prefer the standard caliper in thousandths which I can buy for around $15 from Enco or Wholesale Tool. I can get a 12" caliper for $21 from Wholesale Tool. You can downlaod a chart for decimal to fraction conversions. I can even get a digital 6" for $20. I really find fractional calipers too coarse a measurement after using standard ones. It's really not too complicated to get used to a standard cailper and I think it's even better in the long run to be able to speak and understand thousandths. I use these professionally so they may be cheap but they are more than adequate for woodworking and most metalwork

[Charlie Hans]

I also use the $15 Enco calipers, and find them very satisfactory for a wood shop. If I was still doing machine work I would have Starrett or Brown and Sharp dial calipers. I don't like the digital type nearly as much because I am use to the dial type.
Charlie

[Aaron Beaver]

Not saying they are not pricey but I myself tend to like the fractional calipers, just easier for me to read and transfer. The particular one he showed is broken down into 64ths, I find that to be adequate for what I build. Maybe if I was making swiss watches I could use the other :D. Just used to the fraction calipers I guess.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have never been any good with all those unrelated numbers
1/64 3/32 1/8 15/16 What is that ??

Gimmie a standard inch, I'll divide into thousandths and I'm happy

[everett lowell]

I got one like that from Highland hardware,not a starret,for about thirty bucks and I love this tool-I use it every time in the shop.If anything happens to mine, I'll go buy the Starret. I didnt know they made one!thanks for the heads up guy!:)

[Doug Shepard]

I like the fractional ones too but $60 seems a bit steep. For about $25 you can get a decent plastic General #142 that does the same thing. If I need anything more exact than that, I switch to the my digital which ran me about $60. I just find it hard to justify $60 on both types. Just my $0.02.

[Marion Rood]

Call me silly, I bought Starrett Fractional Reading Dial Calipers. About $60, I guess thats a lot, but I'll never have to buy another caliper. I thought about buying digital, but thought the time I really needed it, the batteries would be dead.
I like the Starrett. I like fractionals. I have a chart that lists thousands and fractions. I like not having to stop and look at the chart. I use the Starrett for joints, thickness gauge, setting up dados and checking the size of drill bits--because even with glasses sizes are hard to read on drill bits. The Starrett has a big dial on it(which is easy to read without my glasses.) There are a lot cheaper choices. But value doesn't usually come cheap and the starrett does seem to offer value.

[Jim Becker]

I have the ~$30 fractional dial caliper from Lee Valley and it's great. For woodworking. I don't know that I'd pay $60 for the same kind of thing....

[Bruce Page]

I have never been any good with all those unrelated numbers
1/64 3/32 1/8 15/16 What is that ??

Gimmie a standard inch, I'll divide into thousandths and I'm happy
Ditto. Better to learn the decimal system which is more precise & versatile

[Gary Keedwell]

These prices that are quoted here are cheap. Years ago, to buy a dial caliper, you had to pay $130.00. Just wondering: If Festool comes out with a caliper that is green and black, will woodworkers pay $200.00 for it? lol

Gary K.

[Bob Clark]

A friend of mine bought a fractional caliper, digital display, not the dial one, never seen one before. I think I may get one myself. replace my old caliper. what you guys think?

[Bryan Somers]

The fractional scale would be good if you have not worked much with decimal equivalants, but at 1 revolution per inch thats not very accurate but good enough for wood working. I think 60$ is steep for that although I do have a set of Starrett dial calipers graduated in thousands of an inch that I paid over $100 for many years ago that seam to be just as accurate as they were when I first opened the box.

[Larry James]

Craftsman Studio has this dial caliper on sale right now for $59.95.

http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/index.htm

Also, some of their tools are on some kind of super secret sale. You put an item into your cart and then the price magically drops to a lower sale price. It's not really clear what tools and why but it happened to me 3 or 4 times.

Sale price right now (these sale prices ARE listed) on Hock blades and cap irons with free shipping on these items.

Just to let you know.

Mark, for what it’s worth...
The Spring 2006 issue of Woodworking Mag has an article comparing 6 fractional calipers. The results are as follows-
RECOMMEND
HARDWICKS #sen-B-24 @ $26.99
AVENGER #MCDF00006 @ $29.99
SHOP FOX #H5711 @ $34.95
NOT RECOMMEND
STARRETT #1202F @ $59.99
LEE VALLEY #88N72.10 @ $39.50
GENERAL #142 @ $26.94

Send me a PM if you have any questions, or I can try to scan the summary and email it to you. I don't want to discuss the pros and cons on line. My opinion - the Starrett is over priced.

The mag editor comments - "I ask you to think twice the next time you reach for that dial caliper and consider: Is this a critical measurement? What is a critical measurement?" Sounds like good advice.

Larry

[Mark Rios]

Larry, thanks very much for the info.


To all who have responded I wish to thank and to apologize for apparently being unclear. I was merely alerting the group to the lower prices/sale prices of The Craftsman Studio. I didn't mean to endorse mor encourage the purchase of the products or the company, only to inform us all of the prices. I apologize for any confusion and/or controversy I may have unintentionally created.

[Carl Crout]

I got one like that from Highland hardware,not a starret,for about thirty bucks and I love this tool-I use it every time in the shop.If anything happens to mine, I'll go buy the Starret. I didnt know they made one!thanks for the heads up guy!:)

I bought the exact same one from Highland last week. Why buy the starrett? They are making a lot of their stuff in China.

Save your 30 bucks for another tool:)

[Larry James]

Larry, thanks very much for the info.

To all who have responded I wish to thank and to apologize for apparently being unclear. I was merely alerting the group to the lower prices/sale prices of The Craftsman Studio. I didn't mean to endorse mor encourage the purchase of the products or the company, only to inform us all of the prices. I apologize for any confusion and/or controversy I may have unintentionally created.

Mark, no problem. No controversy, I think we all like a heads-up on deals and products. Each of us is responsible for checking out and comparing products before we buy. The problem is, I spend too @#$% much money buying things recommend in this forum. :)

BTY - The Starrett calipers are made in China.

Larry