HF Digital Angle Gauge. Anyone used one?

[Charles Wiggins]

Has anyone used this Angle Gauge from Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95998)? Is it accurate? Can it be zeroed out against any surface like a Wixey? Or should I jsut wait for the Wixey to go on sale again?

79536

[Jason Beam]

In the manual, located here: http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/95000-95999/95998.pdf

It says the "0%" button would make it zero out like expected.

[Charles Wiggins]

In the manual, located here: http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/95000-95999/95998.pdf

It says the "0%" button would make it zero out like expected.

Thanks Jason. I didn't know HF had the manuals online and I hadn't scrolled down the page far enough to see the link.

[Jason Beam]

No worries. I do that all the time :P

[keith micinski]

Harbor freight is a great cheap tool store and you get exactly what you pay for. I have no problem buying non precision tools from harbor freight. An accurate angle gauge is not something I would ever purchase from harbor freight.

[Greg Muller]

Another option to the Wixey would be the Beall Angle Box. I love mine and it is less expensive that the Wixey.

Actually, I got it on recommendation from several SMC members here.

Do a search for Beall here on SMC, I'm sure you'll find a few threads...

Greg

[Brad Townsend]

Harbor freight is a great cheap tool store and you get exactly what you pay for. I have no problem buying non precision tools from harbor freight. An accurate angle gauge is not something I would ever purchase from harbor freight.
It really depends on the tool. I recall reading a comment from a machinist/woodworker who claimed his HF digital caliper was as accurate as his Starrett, and at fifteen bucks, he didn't have to worry about knocking it off the workbench and breaking it. Even if he was exaggerating on the accuracy, its apparently good enough for woodworking.

[Charles Wiggins]

Another option to the Wixey would be the Beall Angle Box. I love mine and it is less expensive that the Wixey.

Actually, I got it on recommendation from several SMC members here.

Do a search for Beall here on SMC, I'm sure you'll find a few threads...

Greg

Thanks Greg! The Tilt Box sounds like a much better alternative. Anyone know where I can pick one up? Or do you have to order them online?

[Greg McCallister]

you can get the wixey on sale right now at:
http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/html_p/C019003.htm

$24.95 + shipping...

[glenn bradley]

I pretty much avoid HF for anything that requires accuracy. If things could be made really well for their prices, everyone would be cheaper. For non-critical items like hand screws, dead blow mallets, lightweight casters, rope, tarps, etc. they're a great resource.

[glenn bradley]

Another option to the Wixey would be the Beall Angle Box. I love mine and it is less expensive that the Wixey.

Actually, I got it on recommendation from several SMC members here.

Do a search for Beall here on SMC, I'm sure you'll find a few threads...

Greg

Can you tell us the source for the Beall at a lower price? I've always seen them both for about $40 with the Wixey going on sale for $30 or as a give-away with their TS fence DRO.

I have the Wixey and love it but could really see the benefit of the extra digit to the right of the decimal point and wish I had it.

[Greg Muller]

Guys,
I got mine as a gift, but the LOML says she paid $30 online direct from Beall, but she is MUCH younger :D than I, so her memory could be failing...:confused:.

That 1/100* on the Beall seems to really make a difference to me, although I am sure a few folks would say that I am nitpicking. I've tested the difference of 1/100* degree in an octagon made with 8/4", 10" on each side OD, and the gap is easily noticeable.

I don't have any afiliation with Beall, but if I wasn't chained to my desk, I would go work for them. :p Or Delta, or Jet, or Woodcraft, etc... I love good tools!

Greg

[Doug Shepard]

you can get the wixey on sale right now at:
http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/html_p/C019003.htm

$24.95 + shipping...

I have a hunch it might be a Beall sale. Cant recall where I just saw it but somebody else has a sale on it right now too. I think it was for the same price.

[glenn bradley]

That 1/10* on the Beall seems to really make a difference to me, although I am sure a few folks would say that I am nitpicking.

I think Greg means That 1/100th * and I don't think that is too picky. If I want a half a 45* the Wixey will tell me 22.5* but if I want half of that, it will not tell me 11.25* where the Beall would.

Don't get me wrong, the Wixey is great and they are great to deal with. Just every now and then when I want to split hairs . . . .

[Art Mann]

Harbor freight is a great cheap tool store and you get exactly what you pay for. I have no problem buying non precision tools from harbor freight. An accurate angle gauge is not something I would ever purchase from harbor freight.

I understand where you are coming from. However, the 8" digital calipers I bought there read exactly same as my Brown and Sharpe calipers and they cost 1/8 as much money. I leave them on my bench all the time and leave the good ones in the tool box. One certainly needs to be careful about HF tools but some of them can be outstanding values. I use the Wixey and it has met my every expectation. However, if I were looking today, I might be tempted to try the HF one. You can measure its accuracy by measuring the angle of a known accurate square clamped in a vise. If it doesn't read correctly, just take it back.

[Art Mann]

Greg and Glenn,

The resolution of the Beale is greater than that of the Wixey. However, the accuracy is not. There is a big difference in those two terms. With either box, the uncertainty of the measurement is 0.1 degree. The extra number displayed on the Beale doesn't tell you anything. It just seems like it does.

While we are talking about accuracy, I will say that the cumulative effect of cutting all the angles in an octagon @ 0.1 degree error will certainly be noticeable, but only if you glue one piece at a time. If I were going to fabricate an octagon, I would glue it up all at once so that the errors are divided among all the joints rather than being stacked up so that one joint has all the error. In that case, the 0.1 degree error would not be visible.

Art

[Greg Muller]

I think Greg means That 1/100th * and I don't think that is too picky. If I want a half a 45* the Wixey will tell me 22.5* but if I want half of that, it will not tell me 11.25* where the Beall would.

Don't get me wrong, the Wixey is great and they are great to deal with. Just every now and then when I want to split hairs . . . .


Thanks for having my back Glenn, I did mean 1/100th*... I needed one more 000000000000000000000000... uh oh, key problemssssssss...ooooopppppppsssssss...ccccccrrrr rraaaaapppppp...

:)Greg

[Greg Muller]

Art,
You may be correct, after all, I am an accountant and statistician, not an engineer. In statistics, though, if there is a probability of accuracy given, it refers to the guarantee that the accuracy is off by 'no more than' .1%. In other words, it could be off .1 or it could be off by much less in any given operation. It will not be off by that same .1 in every operation.

I have a belief that I want to be as precise as humanly and mechanically possible if the lack of precision may be noticeable at all.

Of course, nothing I make is really that good... which could probably be said of any accountant.:o

Greg

[Art Mann]

Greg,

I am an engineer -- and nothing I make is that good either.:( I try to substitute good equipment for skill.

There have been many discussions about the accuracy of the Wixey and the Beale box on this board and Woodnet. There are always those people who will claim that neither of these devices is accurate enough for what they do. In response, I have posted examples of demanding applications where the best possible accuracy is in order. Using basic trigonometry, it is easy to show that there are many other factors that are far more significant than an angular inaccuracy of +/- 0.1 degree, not the least of which is the nature of the material itself. The exception to this observation is assemblies where the accuracy of a joint depends entirely on the accuracy of all previous ones. Your octagon was such an example.

The other point that I like to make in these discussions is that no technique or instrument will guarantee that an angle is set precisely. There are just too many sources of human and machine error in the process. Trial cuts on scrap material are always in order when accuracy really matters.

Art

[Dave Lehnert]

I was reading the Harbor Freight unit takes 3 button batteries. At around $3 the going rate it would cost you $9.00 to replace the batteries. I have the Wixy and got a 2 pack of batteries for $2.99. The wixy only takes one battery.

[Tom Maple]

I got mine through Lee Valley.

[keith micinski]

I will admit I am partially biased having almost been killed when I bought cheap spring compressor's to change the strut's on my car from HF.

[Mike Goetzke]

I think Greg means That 1/100th * and I don't think that is too picky. If I want a half a 45* the Wixey will tell me 22.5* but if I want half of that, it will not tell me 11.25* where the Beall would.

Don't get me wrong, the Wixey is great and they are great to deal with. Just every now and then when I want to split hairs . . . .

Just remember both devices have a +/- 0.1 degree accuracy.

[Dave Cav]

I got one on Friday. It's going back for a refund on Monday. Problems are as follows:

The magnets (three on the base) are recessed and it won't stick to a table saw blade without sliding down.

Since the magnets are recessed, the box sits on it's plastic bottom. It rocks a little bit. Not a good thing.

It has four buttons- two too many. ON/OFF, "0%" button which compares two readings, CALIBRATE and HOLD.

It didn't always return to zero. I zeroed it on my table saw table, checked the blade angle then put it back on the saw table. It usually showed a difference of .1 to .3 degrees from the original zero.

I'm probably going to get a Beall.

[William Addison]

Someone mentioned that the Harbor Freight caliper is as accurate as a Starett and is about one tenth the price. I use a Starett for reloading and a HF in the woodshop and have compared them many times, they have always given the same measurement. Of course this may not apply to the angle gauge

[Charles Murphy]

I realize the start of this thread was quite a while back but just wanted to post a heads up for anyone contemplating the HF angle gauge versus either the Wixey or the Beall...Rockler has the Wixey angle gauge on sale for $29.99 right now. That is the same price as the HF gauge that was asked about.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I can vouch for the fact that an HF 6" caliper that had remained accurate to 0.001" for several years does not remain so accurate after being dropped on the floor. It is definitely not as painful as dropping a Starrett would be.

[glenn bradley]

Harbor freight is a great cheap tool store and you get exactly what you pay for. I have no problem buying non precision tools from harbor freight. An accurate angle gauge is not something I would ever purchase from harbor freight.

I'm with Keith. I do have a couple of their digital calipers but I took my good one along and found 2 out of 6 of theirs that were good. They were on sale for $6 so it was worth the effort, I guess. I still find myself double checking them and so have avoided HF for anything precision since. I just can't feel confident with them. For lots of other stuff, they're fine.

[Bruce Benjamin]

Some people on here have pointed out that the claimed degree of accuracy of the Wixey and Beall is +-.1 degree. That doesn't mean that they are definitely going to be off by +- .1 degree. It just means that they are guaranteeing that they will be at least that accurate. I have owned both units. I have checked both against a known-to-be-accurate 90 degree square. They are both accurate and repeatable.

When I've put both gauges on the saw blade at the same time and slowly cranked over the blade both gauges changed in .1 degree increments at the same time. But the Beall also changed in .05 degree increments half way between each .1 degree increment. So, I established that the gauges are at least as accurate as the dead-on square I have. I've established that the .05 degree increment is indeed useful when adjusting a saw blade. As I stated in my review on this forum comparing the Wixey to the Beall, both are very good gauges. But the Beall will do everything the Wixey will do and more.

By the way, I know my squares are accurate because I checked a few of them against a reference square at the machine/fab shop where I used to work. And to top that off, I bought the squares from Harbor Freight!:eek: So, to all of you who are so prejudiced towards HF stuff, well, there ya go. I only paid a few bucks a piece for them too. :cool:

All of that being said, I would buy the Beall before the HF or Wixey mostly because I like the features. But also because J.R. Beall invented his gauge and he's willing to talk to me on the phone about it. Wixey didn't invent his gauge and, at least at the time, he didn't even offer a phone number. He did answer emails promptly though. HF didn't invent their gauge either but they do at least have a phone number.;):D

Bruce

[Chris Padilla]

HF is fine for most things...even precision stuff. The issue is that you aren't necessarily going to get that one HF square that your Starrett says is dead nuts on. It is luck of the draw.

It is like going to the borg with your Starrett straight-edge to find the flattest aluminum level so you can use it instead of your expensive Starrett to do things around the shop. How many levels in the bin did you go through? Same thing with HF only you have play UPS man....

[Bruce Benjamin]

HF is fine for most things...even precision stuff. The issue is that you aren't necessarily going to get that one HF square that your Starrett says is dead nuts on. It is luck of the draw.

It is like going to the borg with your Starrett straight-edge to find the flattest aluminum level so you can use it instead of your expensive Starrett to do things around the shop. How many levels in the bin did you go through? Same thing with HF only you have play UPS man....

I bought 3 boxes of different sizes of HF squares, 2 boxes had 3 squares, one had 2 squares. All 8 of them are square. If it was just the, "Luck of the draw" then I'd say that I was pretty darn lucky. Or you could say that they are all likely to be square and if you're unlucky you'll get one that isn't. I also have a couple of digital calipers from HF. When checked against my Whiteside setup blocks they both read dead-on. I ordered the squares online but the calipers were from my local store.

I don't have one of the angle gauges that the OP asked about but I did check out a few of them at the local HF store. When checking them against a couple of the squares in the same isle they all indicated that they were accurate. It's unlikely that the squares and the gauges were all off by the same amount and I even tried both sides of the gauges against the squares and they showed the same readings, 90 degrees. I guess you could call this, "The luck of the draw" if you're a pessimist. I believe that this shows that most of the gauges and squares are accurate. I will note that I bought a digital angle finder gauge, (That I couldn't find online) and it wasn't accurate at all and neither were the other examples in the store. So HF isn't perfect, obviously. But I think it's safe to say that for the most part the electronic measuring devices from HF are accurate. I've read other reviews of HF electronic measuring devices here on SMC and I don't recall seeing many, (Any?) that were negative from people who had actually bought and used them. The negative reviews seem to be mostly from people who just assume that if they're inexpensive then they must be junk. This just hasn't been my experience at all.

Bruce