Need Advice For Digital Calipers

[SmokeStack Lightning]

Hey FGE's (Fellow Gun Enthusiasts),

I'm needing to buy some Digital Calipers (Inside & Outside measurements) and hoping I could get some advice on which brand to purchase.

They will be used for light gunsmithing (very light, cuz I'm just a shooter) and measuring and sizing and for whatever else needs measuring.

So, I'd appreciate some advice from those who knowledge of such things far exceeds mine.

I haven't Googled any yet cuz I'm waiting for advice on which brand and style will do best w/firearms.

Thanks,
SSL

[Road Rat]

Assuming you will use them for firearms, etc., check out Harbor Freight.

No reason to spend BIG bucks for a hobby tool.

Have fun!

[xswilly]

mititoyo is a good brand, but spi will get you by
check out
MSC Industrial Supply Co. | Find Power Tools, Hand Tools, Machine Tools & More

[s&wchad]

Buy a set of Mitutoyo dial calipers and don't look back...
Dial calipers aren't hard to read and they're very precise.
Starrett instruments are preferable to me because they're American made, but it sounds like you don't want to spend that kind of cash.

You can find a nice set of used Mitutouo's online if you shop around. Treat them right and they'll last more than your lifetime.

[CatSnipah]

I bought a kobalt digital caliper from Lowes. I use it for things other than gun smithing, and have been happy with them. Used them to do some measurement work when upgrading my AR.

[zzzippper]

Use a constant method and "touch" when measuring and you'll do fine regardless. I prefer dial cals myself.

[bob1956]

Being a machinist/ toolmaker for 40 years I've used them all brands and types. Seeing where you won't be exposing them to metal chips. I would recommend the dial type it will show any problems when you roll down the scale. The digital just shows numbers. I think you need to think your buget thru and how many years you need them. MSC is a good spot to look then I'd check the prices on amazon. Used on craigs list or e-bay. Buy the best you afford within reason. I looked over what I got kicking around and nothing any good.

[chief38]

Being sort of a Tool Snob I prefer Starrett or Brown & Sharp Dial Calipers, but for occasional light use there are plenty (no name or private label) available from Dillon, Brownell's, and on line for under $40 bucks. Harbor Freight does have them too, but truthfully I would not buy anything from them - kind of the bottom of the barrel.

You could also search on ebay and get a Starrett or B&S used at a very good price. I have never seen a pair just wear out and as long as they have not been abused, a used pair should serve you quite well.

NOTE:
Just did a quick search on ebay and if you search for VINTAGE STARRETT DIAL CALIPERS you will get American made ones that are in excellent or even new condition for under $100 bucks instead of buying a fair to midland Chinese pair.

[motom]

Originally Posted by CatSnipah

I bought a kobalt digital caliper from Lowes. I use it for things other than gun smithing, and have been happy with them. Used them to do some measurement work when upgrading my AR.

They work good for me and have a lifetime warranty.

[Cholo]

Mitutoyo all the way. I own both their regular and digital models. You'll only buy them once. If their digital model, buy a couple of spare batteries and put them under the foam lining for future use.

I bought my 1st Mitutoyo dial calipers back in '77 and they still serve me just fine. I can't speak for the ******* sold at discount houses today. Why did I recently buy their digital? I couldn't pass up a good deal on them that included their micrometer.

[zonker5]

I much prefer the dial to the digital, mine is Mitutoyo and I love it. Paid $25 at the local hock shop.

[chief38]

Mitutoyo tools are good and I have a few of Dial Run Out gauges, Magnetic Mounts, and a Micrometer of theirs, but I do still prefer the Starret & B&S as long as they are the vintage (Made in USA) ones - but that's just me.

[chuckster57]

Another vote for dial calipers. I have 4 sets from Harbor Freight and all of them are on the money! My oldest one is over 15 yrs old, and laying in one of my roll-a-way drawers.

Best part is you don't have to worry about a dead battery when you use it.

[Bkreutz]

I've got a set of Vernier calipers but can't see the lines very well anymore. I showed them to one of the younger machinists at the LGS and he looked it like it was the Dead Sea Scrolls or something. At this stage in life I prefer the digital because the numbers are big, getting old sucks.

[raljr1]

Originally Posted by Bkreutz

I've got a set of Vernier calipers but can't see the lines very well anymore. I showed them to one of the younger machinists at the LGS and he looked it like it was the Dead Sea Scrolls or something. At this stage in life I prefer the digital because the numbers are big, getting old sucks.

I learned my trade in the early 70's and was taught on vernier calipers. When dial calipers came out, we wouldn't use them cause we didn't trust them....LOL Now, even the cheap ones are just fine, especially for hobby use.....

[rwsmith]

Mitutoyo makes great gauges. They ain't cheap but they are first rate.

[mtgianni]

Buy inexpensive calipers and a good micrometer.

[Rastoff]

I'm a measurement geek. I spent the bulk of my career as a Metrologist. Metrology is the science of weights and measures. I have calibrated and repaired hundreds, if not thousands, of dial, digital and vernier calipers. So, get comfortable because I'm gonna give a primer on measurement tools.

First of all, a micrometer is much preferable to a caliper. They are more consistent and repeatable. The problem is a micrometer only has one function where a caliper has three. They can be had in outside, inside and depth versions. So, you'd have to buy three tools. Thus the caliper is preferable for common usage. We'll talk about accuracy later. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Calipers come in three versions; dial, digital and vernier. I would steer clear of the vernier variety. It's really easy, even for a pro, to read them incorrectly. Also, most vernier calipers only have two functions; inside and outside. Vernier scales usually cost less, depending on brand and quality, but there are too many decent dial and digital calipers to worry about that.

Dial Calipers-
These are great. No batteries to worry about. Generally easy to read, but takes a little thought. You have to use the scale on the bar in conjunction with the dial. Not complicated, but I have seen mistakes made. The biggest problem with these is a little thing called backlash. Backlash is basically the slop that exists in the gears. If the gears had no slop, they would be so tight they couldn't move. So, even the most expensive dial calipers have some backlash to deal with. When using a dial caliper, always go one way. When taking an outside measurement, bring the jaws together in one smooth motion. This is not always possible. Some times you have to wiggle the caliper a little to be sure you're flat on the surface being measured. This is why all dial calipers have a tolerance of +/-1 division. That usually translates to +/-.001", but some are +/-.002" though I haven't seen one of those in a long time. I have seen dial calipers with better tolerances, but they are really expensive and digital is much more practical for that tight of tolerances.

Digital Calipers-
Digital calipers are much easier to use. There's only one thing to read and it's digital so, the number is what it is. Of course it sucks when you want to make a measurement and the batteries are dead. This has happened to me on more than one occasion and it's very frustrating. However, another benefit of a digital is the backlash is almost eliminated. Because of the way they work, backlash is no longer a concern, but hysteresis is an issue. Hysteresis is the slop (for want of a better word) of the electronics. The benefit is that hysteresis is easier to control and thereby reduce. Most digital calipers on the market today have a readout to .0005". The last digit is only a half digit. This means that it reads either a 5 or a 0. This is similar to reading the needle on the dial when it falls between hash marks. Not surprisingly, even the digital calipers have a tolerance of +/-.001". There are some that are much better than that, but break out the check book if you want one of those and they have to be handled in laboratory type environments.

In all the calipers I've calibrated in my whole career, I've noticed that both the dial and digital deliver the same repeatability and accuracy for general use. The digital is just easier to use. Also, I've calibrated Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Mitutoyo and several other brands to include el cheapo Chinese stuff. All of them work fine as long as they meet certain criteria.

When you pick up a new set of dial calipers, close the jaws and hold them up to the light. There should be no light visible through the mating surfaces at all. Any light that comes through is cause for rejection. If there's no light, the jaws are parallel and that's what you want/need.

Now, that only checks the outside measurement jaws. Unfortunately, that's all you can check without some special tools or processes. With the jaws closed, look closely at the inside measurement jaws. There shouldn't be any light here either, but it's not as precise a test as the outside jaws.

The depth measurement is nothing that needs to be checked at purchase. If the other two jaws are OK, then the depth will work fine. The trick is how to zero the tool to use it for depth. All of them, even the most expensive, must be zeroed on a flat surface prior to making a depth measurement. Just closing the jaws and pressing zero won't work for depth and your measurement will be off by about .001" or more.

Now to brand. It has been my experience that Mitutoyo is the best when it comes to consistency. Over the years I've had the best results from them. But, and this is a big one, I'm really splitting hairs by saying that. All of them have delivered good quality. The "better" part of Mitutoyo falls in the realm of .00005" and none of us on this forum need that kind of precision.

I personally have three; dial and two digitals. One of my digitals is a left hand type. All of mine are the el cheapo variety and I've calibrated them and they are all within tolerance. As long as the jaws are parallel, I see no reason for a layman to spend $100 on a dial/digital caliper. If you can get a Mitutoyo or B&S, or are just willing to spend the cash, by all means do it, but you don't have to.

I'll rest here. I've given enough to read if indeed anyone has read this far. If anyone really wants it, I can post some pics (maybe a video) on how to use them properly.

[deadin]

Dial is the only way to go! I have 4 or 5 dial calipers and a couple of digitals. The digitals are nice in that they can switch between decimal/fractional and metric. (I do have a dial caliper with two pointers, one is decimal and the other is metric...)

My biggest complaint with digital is that it seems that everytime I want to use one they have eaten another battery. I've taken to removing the battery when I'm not using it, but then it's a pain to reinstall just to take one of two measurements,,,,,

[Smoke]

Originally Posted by Road Rat

Assuming you will use them for firearms, etc., check out Harbor Freight.

Buy nothing with moving parts from harbor freight.

Speaking as a former machinist I own nothing but Starrett Percision measuring instruments

[Diamondtreo]

I have vernier, dial & digital & unless the measurement calls for the pointy tips on the dial or digital, I usually fall back on my Starrett #123 vernier that I found on ebay for under $30. Measuring in the shop for speed when on a machine, I reach for the Mitutoyo dial caliper. At the loading bench, a Harbor Freight digital is handy except when I forget to take the battery out & close the lid on the case for storage - it seems that the foam lining in the case pushes on the off/on button & the next time I reach for it the battery is dead. I would have to say that the Starrett #123 is my favorite, since I first learned to use a vernier caliper & later picked up a dial & then a digital. I think I have at least 5 or 6 more including a 24" Mitutoyo vernier in my tool box or hanging in the shop.

[Fishslayer]

Plenty of hate for Harbor Freight...

The HF digitals I have are CenTech. They're OK for what I use them for, reloading & quick & dirty measurements to +/- .001". Anything finer needs a micrometer anyway.

Dials are OK but you need to know how to read them.

I recently put my second battery in my HF digital. I've had it for 5 years. It has an auto off feature. The guys where I used to work were always borrowing it when they realized they'd forgotten to turn off the company supplied Mitutoyu.

[blujax01]

Originally Posted by Smoke

Buy nothing with moving parts from harbor freight.

...

Yep. Or if you do, learn to expect spontaneous violent disassembly at the most inopportune time.

[wheelgun28]

If you want a cheap dial type check out Shars brand, they seem pretty decent.

I like the digital over the dial, I cannot stand the dial with .200 on the dial vs the standard .100.

I like the Mitutoyo yellow and black digital caliper, I have a few. The silver oxide battery lasts over year without turning it off ever.
Its also an easy way to convert mm to inch and vice versa.

I had several of the older Mitutoyo digitals, they lasted twenty years and were replace due to accidents. One fell on the ground then got stepped on and bent, the other fell into the coolant tank. It worked but was hard to read with coolant in the lcd.

I have had Starrett dials, they are ok, the Starrett digitalis, I had one, very clunky but that was quite a while ago.

B&S, some guys love them, I dont likem. no little roller wheel. I never made the adjustment to using them.

Someone mentioned vernier calipers, here they have the name of "guess-o-meter", everyone seems to read it different. I guess if you use it regular you get good at it. I say tools are cheap and mistakes expensive...


Now micrometers, I dont like the digital, I find them hard to read and easy to make mistakes.

I do like the Starrett and Mitutoyo digit (mechanical) easy to read and accurate enough. They do need maintenance...


For my reloading bench, I have an old Mitutoyo dial and a no name dial, more than good enough.

[SmokeStack Lightning]

Okay fellers,

Looks like I'll start considering the 'Mitutoyo' brand cuz it doesn't look like the 'Starrett' brand is gonna fit my budget and like I said afore, I ain't someone whose gonna make a living from my choice of calipers.

Guess after all these excellent suggestions I should be considering buying a micrometer, too. Again, for nothing fancy, just my personal use on my firearms.

Thanks FGE's!!

Edit:

Mr Rastoff, I'd like to see that video you offered up! Sent a PM

[Rastoff]

Videos are more difficult to produce, but there are some things that are difficult to convey in still pics. I'm stuck at home due to a broken leg so, it will give me something to do. I'll see what I can put together.

Speaking of micrometers, you probably don't need one. I have one and never use it. The caliper is so much easier and the +/-.001" accuracy is probably as good as you'll ever need. Yes, a micrometer typically has an accuracy of +/-.0001", but, for most home use, you'll never need that.

[Smoke]

Originally Posted by SmokeStack Lightning

Okay fellers,

Looks like I'll start considering the 'Mitutoyo' brand cuz it doesn't look like the 'Starrett' brand is gonna fit my budget

Just to throw this out there, if you buy Starrett you're putting an American to work. If you buy Mitutoyo you're putting a Japanese to work.

[Rastoff]

Originally Posted by Smoke

Just to throw this out there, if you buy Starrett you're putting an American to work. If you buy Mitutoyo you're putting a Japanese to work.

Are you sure about that?

Most companies that manufacture stuff in the US are very proud about it and mention it prominently on their site. Starrett does not do that. I'll bet that a lot of their components are made in China. Things like digital displays and dials are cheaper to buy over seas than to make here.

Also, the units that had the highest rejection rate when new were Starrett. I was surprised when I compiled this data, but it was true in my lab. Now, this is a very small sample and I don't want to bad mouth Starrett, but it is what I observed.

On the other hand, Mitutoyo tools regularly exceeded their specifications and held their calibration longer under use. Again, this is only my experience and a small sample. It is however, what I personally observed as a Metrologist.

[SmokeStack Lightning]

I bought a Harley 100 Anniversary vest (back in 2003, from a HD dealer) with the tags on the inside sayin, "Harley Davidson, An American Legend".

Under that tag is another sayin, 'Proudly Made In China'.

[Rastoff]

In order for a product to display "Made in USA" it must have a certain percentage of the parts sourced from the US. I don't remember what that number is. Harley has not met that requirement since the early 80's. Maybe even since the 70's.

Like I said, most companies that have products made in the US, prominently display that as a marketing tool. Any company that doesn't do that, I question where they make their products. I sent a query to Starrett asking where their calipers are made. I'll be surprised if they respond at all, but more surprised to hear that they are made in the US.

[deadin]

The latest "brag" I've seen is a prominent "Assembled in the USA".....

[Smoke]

Originally Posted by Rastoff

Are you sure about that?

All my Starrett stuff is made in the USA. If the newer stuff isn't then I'll amend my statement to "if you buy American made you're putting Americans to work and if you buy Mitutoyo you're putting a Japanese to work.

Unless you get it off Ebay

[MH8675309]

All I know is if you want to keep people from borrowing them - get the vernier scale. When I worked as a fixture builder someone was always making off with our digital height gauge. So I asked the purchase agent for another one and told him to make a vernier scale. No one ever tried to borrow it after that. You may need a magnifying glass though-

[wheelgun28]

FWIW, Starrett has a line of products called " Value Line", mostly made in China or else where. The have calipers, gauge blocks, levels and who know what else. Sadly lots of people buy by price...

When I was in China I found a decent brand of tools, they dont import them here. So everything Chinese does not have to be junk, you get what you pay for.