Digital Caliper Preferences

[Joseph Quattro]

I just got one of these from amazon. It’s actually very nice for the money. Cool feature is auto on when the jaws move, and it does fractions. Impressive for how cheap it was.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Nick Decker]

Notice the fraction displayed on it in that Amazon listing. 47/128ths? Too much information.

[John K Jordan]

Notice the fraction displayed on it in that Amazon listing. 47/128ths? Too much information.

If I were king I'd decree that fractional calipers would have a user-selectable maximum denominator that could be set to, say, 32 or 64 as needed. Then in the display, show a "+" or "-" sign just after the fraction to indicate when it was a little over or under the displayed fraction. Analog dial calipers do this.

[Joseph Quattro]

I agree about fractions, but honestly I don’t use the fraction function that much, was more for the OP. The amazon ones are surprisingly robust relative to some harbor freight-like pairs I have, more like my Mitutoyo’s. Of course they still pale in comparison.

[Nick Decker]

If I were king I'd decree that fractional calipers would have a user-selectable maximum denominator that could be set to, say, 32 or 64 as needed. Then in the display, show a "+" or "-" sign just after the fraction to indicate when it was a little over or under the displayed fraction. Analog dial calipers do this.

I, therefore, dub thee King JKJ.

As an aside, in keeping with the tendency of this forum to cost me money, I picked up the Starrett fractional dial caliper. I already had one sold under the Shop Fox name. The readings given by both seem to agree absolutely.

It seems that I just prefer the feel of a quality tool in my hands.

[John K Jordan]

in keeping with the tendency of this forum to cost me money, I picked up the Starrett fractional dial caliper. I already had one sold under the Shop Fox name. The readings given by both seem to agree absolutely.
It seems that I just prefer the feel of a quality tool in my hands.

Darn you. Now you've reminded me of the 1202F-6 in my Amazon shopping cart, "saved for later". Which model did you get?

JKJ

[Derek Cohen]

I used a few of the cheapish and common digital types for some years, and purchased a Mitutoyo digital about 10 or so years ago. A world of difference. What is important to me is that the Mitutoyo will reliably return to zero, and has an automatic switch off for the battery. Battery life is greater by far compared with the cheap digital makes.

A couple of years ago I purchased a Wixey to add to the tool collection. I was attracted to the fraction features, and saw this as an aid in converting imperial fractions to millimetres. I have been pleasantly surprised that it, too, has a reliable auto zero. A nice digital caliper, and at a significatly lower price to the likes of Mitutoyo.

Incidentally, in this tool I much prefer the use of digital over analogue for speed and clarity of measurement. No doubt those who work machinist tools on a regular basis may argue otherwise.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Andrew Seemann]

Incidentally, in this tool I much prefer the use of digital over analogue for speed and clarity of measurement. No doubt those who work machinist tools on a regular basis may argue otherwise.

Regards from Perth

Derek

In my machining days I preferred the digital Mitutoyo caliper over pretty much everything. The reason was that it read in inches and thousands(or mm and hundredths of mm when I did metric). One thing I found with using dial calipers/height gauges was that it was really easy to read the wrong inch number (basically read 5.9 rather than the correct 4.9 because the 5 was the number you saw by .9).

When I was teaching engineering students to use dial calipers, I would always tell them to check their measurement with a ruler after they read the dial (which I would always do when using a dial). They all looked at me like I was an idiot, but sure enough within the first 10 minutes they would read the wrong inch number off the gauge and catch it when they checked with the ruler. (The reason they got taught how to use the cheap imported dial calipers was that I wouldn't let them near my Mitutoyo).

For fractions of an inch I prefer an analog dial, because I usually am just trying to figure out how close I am to some number of inches plus a certain number of 1/4s or 1/8s or at most 1/16s. I don't want to do math in my head; I just want to count how many 1/64s or 1/32s I am off by.

One other nice thing about the Mitutoyo and similar digitals is that you can set the zero anywhere allowing you to use it for relative measurements.

[Nick Decker]

Darn you. Now you've reminded me of the 1202F-6 in my Amazon shopping cart, "saved for later". Which model did you get?

JKJ

I got that very one.

[Steve Demuth]

Darn you. Now you've reminded me of the 1202F-6 in my Amazon shopping cart, "saved for later". Which model did you get?

JKJ

That's the one I mentioned having a pair of. One of those tools you want to use just for the pleasure of handling it.

[John K Jordan]

That's the one I mentioned having a pair of. One of those tools you want to use just for the pleasure of handling it.

That's exactly how I feel about this combination square: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KUCKDA

JKJ

[Chris Fournier]

Buy once cry once. Mitutoyo have been good for me for over 20 years, $164.00 CDN back when I bought them. This being said I really prefer dial calipers. No battery woes and plenty easy to read. I also buy the good ones here as well. Never occurred to me to buy cheap precision measuring tools.

[Steve Demuth]

That's exactly how I feel about this combination square: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KUCKDA

JKJ

Yes. I have a purpose-built holder on the wall for mine, to encourage proper bolstering after its very frequent use in my shop. They are not improved by collisions with concrete floors.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Zounds, drop a digital (or analog) caliper??? Ah, I've just remembered why I don't loan tools.

I don't think I've ever dropped one in years of use. I do keep those I use the most in a shallow, padded drawer just a few inches below the workbench, and they go back in the drawer after each use.

JKJ

I am with you.

I got my first caliber on January 1980. I have used these tools for ages and always with full respect. Never I had a single fallen caliber or any other precision tool, even a simple gauge...

Additionally I am terrified when I see people using calibers as marking tool either for wood or steel!

Regards.

[BOB OLINGER]

I have two of that age from Harbor Freight, a 6" and a 12". They are as good as Brian says.

Same here - my HF is accurate enough for my work