Quality of iGaging Squares

[George Bokros]

I picked up a Starrett three piece (head, blade and center head) 6" combination square on ebay for $56 delivered to my door. Starrett list is $105.

[Leonard Rosen]

So what makes Igaging or whatever brand inferior/Starrett superior ? I own a 3" Igaging and I find it works fine for me(square and easy to operate), and yes it gets use every single day quite extensively. So maybe I'm missing out maybe I'm not?

I have a 12" Igaging Combination Square 4 piece set. I love it. I like to make sure everything is tuned up, cleaned up and waxed to prevent rust. I live in beautiful, south Florida near the Ocean. We have very salty air. I noticed that the Igaging ruler did not slide very well when I took it out of the shipping carton. Everything worked very smoothly once I cleaned and waxed the set. The set is square and flawless.

[Michael Rutman]

I use my woodpeckers over my starret's for everything except when I have a knife. My Woodpeckers are aluminum and the knife will cut them. I use the Woodpecker every other time because they are as square as the starret and have lots of bells and whistles.

[Jimmy Harris]

I bought a cheap Empire brand combination square many years ago. It's square, which is all I care about. I'm sure it's not as smooth as some of the fancier ones, and the markings may not last as long since they're printed and not etched, but that doesn't bother me. I use it for comparative measurements, not absolute, anyway.


Now I also have an Empire brand sliding T bevel, and that thing is a piece of junk. It's hard to lock down and won't hold an angle when you do.

[Robert Hayward]

This is a very interesting thread, do you realize it is eight years old?

I have a 6" PEC blemish that gets used a lot when I am in my hobby shop playing. I also have a frequently used Starrett 12" with the three different heads. With the level bubble broken of course. I have had the Starrett for over fifty years and have no idea how I came to be the owner of a tool that expensive as young as I was when acquired.

Also have a cheapie 6" hanging on the wall for anyone wanting to borrow one. The slide works so rough I have had it returned telling me they do not know how I could use something that worked that poorly.

[Doug Colombo]

Woodpeckers has a newer stainless steel blade version. One thing they have is a head support that keeps the square on the work piece.

IMG_0191.jpg

I don’t own one of these (yet) but I have many Woodpecker tools and they are all excellent quality and perform well.

[Bill Dufour]

I like the cyanide finish on older Starrett tools. Outlawed by do gooders decades ago.
Bill D

[Leonard Rosen]

This is a very interesting thread, do you realize it is eight years old?

I have a 6" PEC blemish that gets used a lot when I am in my hobby shop playing. I also have a frequently used Starrett 12" with the three different heads. With the level bubble broken of course. I have had the Starrett for over fifty years and have no idea how I came to be the owner of a tool that expensive as young as I was when acquired.

Also have a cheapie 6" hanging on the wall for anyone wanting to borrow one. The slide works so rough I have had it returned telling me they do not know how I could use something that worked that poorly.

This thread is 8 years old....Your Starrett is 50 years old. What's the point? It's all OK.

[Leonard Rosen]

I purchased the Igaging 12 inch Combination Square 4 piece set. I love it. It came with a beautiful plastic case. It is very accurate. Perfectly square. The heads are hardened steel. Be aware that you will have to do some light finishing such as using 0000 steel wool on the 12 inch ruler edges and a drop of 2in1 oil on the tightening knobs. Clean it and put some paste wax on the heads to prevent rust (this you have to do for Starrett and PEC as well). Other than that, as nice as the more expensive tools from Starrett and PEC. It will probably last you forever if you take care of it.