Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

[Schtauffer]

Ok, you machinists. What brand of precision measuring tools are your favorite? Where can you get the best deals? Which tools are the most appropriate for various measuring jobs?

[DanStokes]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

My dial calipers are Mitutoyo. I'd have Sterrett (sp?) if I had the $$, although the Japanese ones seem pretty good. I've had 'em for years and they always checked perfectly when I took them to work and measured our standards. Because I have precision machine work performed by shops, I only need a dial caliper, but if you do your own machine work you'll need real mics and dial bore gages, etc. I just check the work when it comes back, and if it doesn't check out, I take it back to the machinist to check out the discrepancies. Rarely an issue, I might add. Snap transfer gages are a great way to measure bores if you can't afford a dial bore gage.

I'm not big on the digital ones. Batteries go dead and they're hard to verify.

Dan

[hiway]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Starret

[The Chief]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Mitutoyo digital for me every time. Hvae had my 6" set for almost 1o years and are fine for what i do with them

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Mitutoyo's are Brasillian made most of them, still good pieces. I have a Craftsmen micrometer that is pretty nice and an unknown brand dial bore gauge that is accurate but slightly flakey on the setup.

[71SC/360]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

I use Starrett. Mine were handed down from my father. I doubt I could afford to buy them new..

[TC]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Whatever they sell at HarborFreight. Ya laugh, and I know your saying this guys nuts. But believe it or not I took a cheap ass plastic HarborFreight caliper and compared it to my friends high dollar metal caliper and they both read exactly the same.

[HoosierGTA]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

starrett or Brown and Sharp.

[Two Lane Blacktop]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2530&category=

HTH --

[sedandelivery55]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Starrett calipers, Starrett mics., Brown & Sharpe indicators, Starrett Venier for over 18".

[std]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

You can't go wrong with Mitutoyo. Been using them for 30+ years. Worked in a tool shop and had to keep tolerances to .0001.

[revolutionary]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Mitutoyo and Starrett mics. Sunnen Dial bore gauge. Mitutoyo and Fowler calipers. most dial calipers aren't gonna be accurate to less than .001-2 so I don't place a whole lot of faith in them. I got a set of digital mitutoyo caliper at a pawn shop 8 years ago and changed the batteries once. Still been a great tool.

[squirrel]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

A new hondacar is built better than an old chevy, but I'll still drive an old Chevy....

and I still like my Starret mics

[TC]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

A new hondacar is built better than an old chevy, but I'll still drive an old Chevy....

and I still like my Starret mics

I understand where your coming from, but I can't see paying 2 or 3 hundred dollars for a micrometer when you can buy one that is just as accurate at HarborFreight for a tenth of the cost. I mean I can see buying American, but at one point I think they are just playing that "American Made" crap so that they can charge the American people more money for stuff. I mean come on how hard or expensive can it be to make a caliper or micrometer, and at that I bet all the electronics come from Japan or China anyways no matter if it is American made or not. Plus the cheap ass plastic micrometer that I compared with my buddies high dollars one is about 15 years old, so don't even play the "over time card" that it will lose it accuracy.

But hey if it makes you feel like you got a superior tool because you paid a lot of money for it, who am I to tell you different.

Peace Out, TC

[Schtauffer]

Re: Micrometers/Calipers-- What brand is best?

Looks like even Starrett makes American (120 series) and foreign (1202 series) calipers. Hmmm... this could get ugly.
One thing I appreciate about Car Junkie is that most everyone is very polite about their opinions and doesn't get all rude over some obscure disagreement. Here's to hoping that "newness" doesn't ever wear off.