Best Combination Square Under $100?

[Matt Hagens]

I think I'll bit the bullet and buy a Starrett. Now which one? Steel or Cast Iron? Satin or Regular? My eyes aren't the best, so whichever is easiest to see.

[Mark e Kessler]

I think I'll bit the bullet and buy a Starrett. Now which one? Steel or Cast Iron? Satin or Regular? My eyes aren't the best, so whichever is easiest to see.

Good choice, you will be happy in the long run. I would do satin, easier on the eyes. I would imagine the steel would be more durable (thats what i have had for 30yrs) but the cast is probably pretty durable as well - hopefully someone else can share their experience/knowledge about the cast, i do have a cast that I bought a few years back to dedicate to the 24” rule and know issues, seems to be machined just as well as the steel the only difference I notice is the finish.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have the Satin, easier to read than the normal stainless steel. You don't need to move them around to get the light just right to read them.

[mike stenson]

Another satin recommendation. There really is no comparison.

[Jason Evans]

Satin with a hardened head. Hardened steel is amazing. It will stay square pretty much forever. Cast iron, not so much it is soft

Keep some kind of oil on it, very light amount. Camellia oil was what I found to be recommended years ago when I bought mine. There may be better choices but I went with it because it’s natural and I don’t want to handle some kind of synthetic stuff all the time.

[Frederick Skelly]

A buddy of mine always says "It only costs a little more to go First Class."
You can buy a Starrett 12" combo square for only $17 more than your budget, if you can swing it. Here's a link. I have one and love it.

Hope it helps.

[Mark e Kessler]

Here are the 4 that i use the most, the 4” and the 6” are the hardened steel, not in love with the double square but that size comes in handy also the hook rule is awesome and used all the time, would like to get the 6” hook in mm. Also the 6” has the satin finish (but is newer and not the same age. The 12” rule is original so that’s what the non satin looks like after 30 yrs of hard use. The one hanging up on the outside is the cast maybe 2 years old.

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[Keegan Shields]

I like premium tools. The PEC blem combo square feels and looks exactly the same as the Starretts I’ve handled. If you need a 100% square angle, I would use an actual square that doesn’t move. My 6” steel Woodpeckers square is my most used square and has handy graduation for layout. Great size for fence and blade adjustment as well. The 4” or 6” double squares are great sizes as well.

I thought I read somewhere that PEC actually manufactures Starrett combo squares, which I would believe after seeing their similarities side by side.

[Greg Quenneville]

Like the others have mentioned: Starrett. Or Brown & Sharpe, or Lufkin. Probably rare as hen's teeth in the US, but Moore & Wright (UK) made a nice combination set too. I have a Sears Craftsman one that I got for Christmas in 1970 that I still use, but I think that particular ship might have sailed.

Just as an opinion, I used to think that “pretty close” was good enough for woodworking. I don’t think that anymore. I mostly use machinist’s tools in the workshop because I add enough inaccuracies without starting off badly.

[Curt Harms]

Harry Epstein is a go-to for blemished PEC squares and other tools. they have 4 piece 12" sets for $50 - $75. If you want a standard to check squares against, consider a good plastic drafting triangle. Those things are supposed to be really square. I'm pleasantly surprised by the Empire brand combo squares from Home Depot. I very much doubt they're as durable as Starrett or Brown & Sharpe but for the $ they seem very good and won't be painful to replace if necessary. I'm pretty sure they're made in the U.S.A.

[Jim Becker]

I was fortunate to find some Starrett devices years ago used and they serve me well. I did get replacement rules for them from Lee Valley that have metric markings when I went in that direction a few years ago. The 12" version was an identical fit; the 6" tee version isn't a perfect fit but works for me. I believe Lee Valley has some nice equivalent measuring tools for a reasonable price, but I did not look to be sure.

[mike stenson]

I have Starrett, Mitutoyo, and PEC. I really don't trust any of them for machinist level squareness. They move. For that kind of accuracy, I prefer machinist squares. With that said, they're all about equal for me, except that my PEC double square doesn't lock nearly as well as my Starrett, so I have to take care when tightening it. In the end, it's a minor quibble.

[Mike Monroe]

I thought of one other option for you, the Patrick Leach Tool List. There's this in the January 2022 list, along with some other combination ruler offerings.

MS38 New old stock Union Tool Co. 12" combination square with
three heads; not to be confused with the Union planes club,
this firm was located in Orange, MA and was bought by Millers
Falls, it later relocated; in its original box, it has all
the features of the more costly Starrett, Union stuff was
normally the alternative brand (to Starrett) around here
were machinists formally outnumbered black flies and
mosquitoes; dried protective coating remains, a fine worker;
top:
http://www.supertool.com/forsale/jan/t43.jpg $75.00

[Dave Yoakum]

I've got the PEC blem 12" combo square and 6" double square. Nothing bad to say about them.