best Calipers

waveslayer

waveslayer

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Minuteman
Mar 6, 2012
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#1
What is the best Calipers to get for reloading? And should I get digital?
I currently have a Frankford Arsenal and its off by 100th of an inch. I paid about 20 bucks for them. Any suggestions? Isn't worth the money for the 100 dollar ones?
 
#2
I like my Starrett digital calipers but I had them from my previous job. Honestly the cheaper digital calipers from harbor freight are good enough for reloading.
 
#3
I had this exact same question a little bit ago as the calipers I bought from Dillon (sadly, Made in China) finally took a shit on me. I'm under the impression from researching <$100 calipers that they are all roughly the exact same and all Made in China with a different brands' name on it. Even some of the ones over $100 are Chinese made, the 'cheaper' Starett for example, while around $140 is China made.

So either buy another set of $20 ones or get some Japan made set of Mitutoyo like I have here: Mitutoyo ABSOLUTE 500-196-20 Digital Caliper, Stainless Steel, Battery Powered, Inch/Metric, 0-6" Range, +/-0.001" Accuracy, 0.0005" Resolution: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
 
#5
You can get by with the Harbor Freight digital calipers. Buy them on sale or use the 20% off coupons to purchase.
Nice feature about them is the ability to measure in inches or metric and zero out at any setting. Some of mine
tend to stay turned on or easily turn on when lightly bumped. So always check. Because of this they may eat batteries fast.
I like my Mitutoyo's dial calipers because they have no batteries. So I can stash them in my reloading box for the range without worry.
These read out in inches only which is fine with me.
 
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#7
I don't recommend the Chinese ones! I got one to get me started, and they absolutely suck! I can press on the wheel and change the reading .002" without actually physically moving the calipers (like if I have an uncompressed block between the blades). I got a vintage Mitutoyo and it's like night and day. If you buy cheap you'll just end up regretting it and wasting 30 bucks.
 
#8
Get what you pay for, honestly you can get by just fine with cheaper calipers. You can also buy import dial rather than digital. They feel a little rough when you compare them to the old school version but they work. You can also shop ebay for good used old school dial calipers, I bought a nice old Brown and Sharp the other day on there, smooth as butter!
 
#9
Starrett, mitutoyo, Helios(old German stuff). I would recommend staying away from digital. As batteries die they can give false readings +/- .005 which may not seem like much but when you are machining it is.
 
#10
Dial. No question. And...if you only use the one set, and the thing doesn't change from abuse...you are using your OWN measurements compared to your OWN measurements. Doesn't matter if it is off .001 from absolute, as long as it is consistent. Measure 2.813 with your calipers and next time you load, 2.813 will be the same. JMHO
 
#12
I bought the mitutoyo dial calipers off eBay. They weren't cheap used but I trust them and they are solid. First set were Lyman digital and lasted a couple years.
 
#13
"I currently have a Frankford Arsenal and its off by 100th of an inch. I paid about 20 bucks for them."

Somehow, I doubt your FA/Midway Chinese caliper is really off by 10 thou at any point of its travel. Mine is nearly 20 years old and still easily within a half thou, that's about as good as any calper gets.

I have professional grade mics and calipers. I use Harbor Freight Tool's stuff for my reloading because it's equally accurate if not equally durable, drop any of them and they're likely toast, so I refuse to use my $250 Swiss made tools when my $12 HF or Midway Chinese tools will serve just as well. (If I just wanted to brag I'd stick with my Swiss tools tho.)

A vital part of using any accurate measurement tool is how much pressure to put on the jaws, they aren't supposed to serve as clamps.
 
#15
best Calipers


My Helios has been dropped many times road around in my truck and bags. The harbor freight ones my class ordered were sometimes off or would change. We pulled one new out of the box and it was off so back I could get to .100 before the dial would even move.


Edit: They also feel a lot better in the movement. Sooooo much better
 
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#16
I bought 4 pairs from Harbor freight when I got them for 9.99 each with super coupon. I donated a couple for door prizes at a match and kept 2. I got another super coupon the other day, 9.99 each limit was 6 or 8, din't have my reading glasses on. The 2 pair I have, have kept time with my higher quality dials I got 20 years ago. There is nothing I do in reloading that requires the accuracy of Mitutoyos. My ammo will shoot with the best of them.
Just make sure your gunsmith is using high end calipers and mics, and knows what he is doing. Then it won't matter what calipers you are using to measure in the loading room.
 
#20

I just took the plunge on one of these. I hate having crappy tools!

Edit: I wish I had joined the hide sooner and I could have just 'buy once cried once'. If you don't want to get frustrated at the reloading bench (and that's how bad things happen) DONT BUY THE 30 DOLLAR ONES.
 
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#22
1 Starrett, 2 HF. Both HF measure the same as the Starrett. I did buy 1 HF that jumped. It went back. Lesson learned, check them before you leave. I have Hornady comparators on the HF's, cheap enough to buy them and leave them set up. I like the analog for set up work since you can read between the marks.
 
#23
I just had a cheap set take a dump on me even after I replaced the battery they would be anywhere from -0.002 to 0.004. I have learned my lesson. This set only lasted 8 months. I'm going to find a set of Mitutoyos.
 
#25
I have owned and used about every brand over the years and prefer Mitiyoyo digitals the best. They are well constructed, accurate and repeatable. No exposed gear rack to worry about dirt getting in. Digital gives you versatility (if you need it) like absolute or incremental measurement, switching from English to metric or the other way around. Easy to read display and few mechanical parts to wear out.
I have always bought new. If you are buying used clean the jaws by clamping on a sheet of paper lightly then pull the calipers off the paper. Hold the clamped jaws up to a light with light thumb pressure. You should not see any daylight thru the jaws. People tend to use excessive force using calipers and it springs the jaws over time. Look before buying if possible.

I have a cheap set of harbor freight calipers in the garage for measuring brake rotors. I do not use them for precise measurement.

 
#28
I've found after many years of buying tools of all kinds that it is cheaper to spend more. Oxymoron, I know. But a $100 Mititoyu or Starret that is still going after 5 or 10 years vs how many $25 calipers, always wondering if they are right in the first place, ends up being the actual value. No problem if 25 is what you got, they work, probably...

I would be willing to bet you that the harbor freight calipers for $10 are the same 'name brand' $35 dollar calipers, from the same factory. They failed some step in the QC process, and thus got a different color sticker on the front. But they were all shipped in the same container to our fair shores, just different boxes inside the container to different distribution points.
 
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