Looking to buy a good one or a set, but not sure which brands to look at. I have read a few reviews on Mitutoyo that were good but wanted some more feed back.
Thanks
Thanks
Caliper/Micrometer options
- Thread starter texastonk
- Start date
It really depends on the level of precision and traceability you require, not to mention how "flashy" you want your toolset to be.
A $15 Chinese caliper is plenty good for reloading work and in my instrumentation qualification work experience in attaining ISO9000 compliance, pretty much always precise to within .001" on Grade 00 gage blocks.
However, if you're a fancy shop making DoD prototype parts, a chinese caliper might not "look the part", whereas a nice Starrett or Brown & Sharpe will.
Same goes with mics.
If you make your livelihood with these instruments, it makes sense to buy Mitutoyo or Starrett. It doesn't make sense for a hobbyist, unless you've got money to spend on extra little luxuries.
A $15 Chinese caliper is plenty good for reloading work and in my instrumentation qualification work experience in attaining ISO9000 compliance, pretty much always precise to within .001" on Grade 00 gage blocks.
However, if you're a fancy shop making DoD prototype parts, a chinese caliper might not "look the part", whereas a nice Starrett or Brown & Sharpe will.
Same goes with mics.
If you make your livelihood with these instruments, it makes sense to buy Mitutoyo or Starrett. It doesn't make sense for a hobbyist, unless you've got money to spend on extra little luxuries.
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I'm always curious who actually makes them. When you pick the ones up that are in the $20-30 range, they look the same. I wonder if there is one manufacturer and they just slap someone else's name on it. Having said that, I got a $20 digital one and it works well for me.
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I picked up my Mitutoyo recently off of amazon (new) for a lot better price than I found at Midway, Sinclair, etc. Look around a bit if you are going to pull the trigger on one. Really impressed with the quality of this one over the cheap ones that I've had before
I have calipers in the reloading room, calipers on my desk, and lots of calipers in my machine shop.
I have a lot more expensive and a lot cheaper but this is on sale with free shipping at $95 and is what I would recommend:
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies
I have a lot more expensive and a lot cheaper but this is on sale with free shipping at $95 and is what I would recommend:
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies
same here the 20 dollar digital ones seem to be OK. When checked against my Dillon vernier caliper it is at most 0.001 off.
Plenty of solid ones out there that won't break the bank. I'm not a huge Hornady fan, but I have a set of their calipers and their still dead on! Picked them up at Midway a while back. Good luck in your search, sir!
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For reloading, Mitutoyo's are overkill (at least for calipers), but buy once and use them forever with confidence. You can go cheaper, but not too cheap. Some of the Chinese cheapos (Harbor Freight style) are just awful. The ones I've seen sold by the reloading tool companies (RCBS, hornady, etc) are fine and less than half the price of the Mitutoyo or Starrett models.
But if you've got the cash, go for the good stuff.
But if you've got the cash, go for the good stuff.
Mitutyos are nice, I have a 12" digital at work that is certified within 1/2 thou. I have a cheapie digital 6" tool shop I beat on and scribe with that is also certified to about 1-1/2 thous. I really like dial calipers too, fowler makes a decent one, there is a newer company called "in size" that make decent stuff, cheap because it is made in China. Dial calipers don't like to be dropped, any caliper really, but the gears like to strip, I've got 5 or 6 dead ones but never broke a digital yet. One feature I look for is the "origin" button, meaning once you set the origin you can turn it on with the jaws open and it knows where it's zero point is, unlike cheap ones you have to have them closed or zero them when turning on
Harbor Freight are hit or miss. I have two, both agree with my Starrett. I have taken one back because it skipped up and down the scale when it was used. I'd check anything from Harbor Freight before I bought it and get one good (reliable) mechanical to check the others against.
I have been using the same brown and sharp dial caliper for over 20 years, smooth and accurate like a Swiss watch.
Cheers
Cheers
I picked up a similar used Mitutoyo set up off of Ebay for $76 shipped, about six years back!
Check there and save.
Chris
No they are not the same. Pick up a set of Mitutoyo, Starret or Brown and Sharpe and cheap chicom and you will see and feel the difference in quality. Quality is also a lot smoother than the el cheapo's.
They may be ok, but not close to the same quality.
Exactly. I've got both Mitutoyo and Brown and Sharpe, and between the two, the B&S is the smoother, more accurate of the two.
I agree the $20-$30 digital calipers are no where near the same quality as the more expensive brands but for a quick check of group size at the range, which is what I use mine for they are adequate.
When I was actually working in the shops, I bought Mitutoyo, Browne & Sharp, Starrett and a ton of cheaper imports. I prefer Starrett or Mitutoyo. BUT... If you are only going to use it / them reloading, AND if you treat them like already scored glass, you CAN get along with a cheaper import. The man that taught our apprenticeship classes said that if you're going to use a tool or instrument like you were making your living, buy the best you can afford and you'll never be sorry.
If you're just starting out learning to read mics and calipers a cheap set will get you started. Learn to keep them clean and adjusted true. Take care of them and they'll take care of you. But remember, no matter what brand you buy, especially calipers are just ONE drop on a concrete floor from being an expensive paper weight. Don't ask me how I know.
Good luck.
If you're just starting out learning to read mics and calipers a cheap set will get you started. Learn to keep them clean and adjusted true. Take care of them and they'll take care of you. But remember, no matter what brand you buy, especially calipers are just ONE drop on a concrete floor from being an expensive paper weight. Don't ask me how I know.
Good luck.
I agree with Victor. I've got the nice Mitutoyo set above, but I mostly use my Midway (Chinese) caliper that I've had for 19 years. I do use the Mitutoyos for better resolution on certain jobs, but it's my trusty Midway caliper that gets used the most.
Chris
Chris
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