Shopsmith Forums

My shop is ready for a new caliper for general non critical use. I was thinking that if I could get a digital one that had inches, mm and fractions it could be useful. I already have a high $$ one but in order for it to stay that way it needs to be cared for and is not a general purpose tool laying about.

I was thinking of something really cheap, like less then $20 but then I found this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQ ... 1_2&sr=8-2

I have a couple of other igaging tools and have found that I like them pretty well. Still this is a bit more then I had allocated, by about half.

Anyone have any favorites or failures they would like to mention?

Plan to order this week so let me know.

Ed

Got this one from HF. $19.00.Looks identical to the igauging one. I've used it a whole lot over the three years I've had it. Absolutely accurate and no complaints at all.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsea ... l+calipers

Thanks Ed for spend some more of my money!!! When I first started reading your post, I thought no way a 3 way reader, but I see there is. But I am going to pass on it, I have a digital that reads in decimal and mms and a dial in decimals, that I use for metal work, and a dial that reads in fractions and decimals for WW.
I treat all my fine measuring devices with care and respect, no using a square for a tack hammer, a veneer calibers as a mini clamp, a 6" scale as a shim, ect

reible wrote:My shop is ready for a new caliper for general non critical use. I was thinking that if I could get a digital one that had inches, mm and fractions it could be useful. I already have a high $$ one but in order for it to stay that way it needs to be cared for and is not a general purpose tool laying about.

I was thinking of something really cheap, like less then $20 but then I found this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQ ... 1_2&sr=8-2

I have a couple of other igaging tools and have found that I like them pretty well. Still this is a bit more then I had allocated, by about half.

Anyone have any favorites or failures they would like to mention?

Plan to order this week so let me know.

Ed

First, what is your high $ caliper? I bought a fractional analog dial caliper from Woodcraft years ago. It was about $40 on sale. They are just under $60 now. I LOVE it. I use it ALL the time. I have a cheap plastic dual scale dial caliper that I never use. I am always confused by the two scales. Not that I don't know how to read them but I always have to remember which one to look at when I look at the reading.

I finally had enough of a need for a decimal caliper so I looked around and finally bought one (analogue) from Lee Valley. About $30 as I remember.

Both are stainless steel.

My wife bought me a $15 General Tools digital caliper as you describe. The electronics died in about a year and a half.

A precision measuring tool needs to be taken care of regardless of the price.

I have both the high end digital which I use mostly for reloading and in the shop I use a real cheapo from HF. It is accurate to .01" which is fine for the wood shop. The current one I have had for about three years and it has done well. I have checked a few times and it is right on the money. Granted they are plastic but for the price they seem to do pretty well. The part I like is the lack of paranoia about dropping it or whatever and for my woodworking .01" is fine.
Paul

Another vote for Harbor Freight. I checked mine against a feeler gauge and it was dead on.

About 5 years ago at a tool show I bought one from Gerstner. It switches between decimal, fractional and metric. Works like a charm after these years and it was only $20. They said this is the same one they use in their shops. And their fit ups on their tool chests look awful good to me.

It matters what your are measuring. .01 is more than enough in wood working. In the Air Force we used mostly Starette instruments that measures to 4 or 5 decimal places. BTW, they were mostly digital and the battery lasted for ever.

@>John BTW, they were mostly digital and the battery lasted for ever.
But those where the Military grade/spec batteries at $100 a piece!!!

reible wrote:My shop is ready for a new caliper for general non critical use. I was thinking that if I could get a digital one that had inches, mm and fractions it could be useful. I already have a high $$ one but in order for it to stay that way it needs to be cared for and is not a general purpose tool laying about.

I was thinking of something really cheap, like less then $20 but then I found this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQ ... 1_2&sr=8-2

I have a couple of other igaging tools and have found that I like them pretty well. Still this is a bit more then I had allocated, by about half.

Anyone have any favorites or failures they would like to mention?

Plan to order this week so let me know.

Ed

Ed,

I purchased the one you linked to about a year ago. I'd been using a Harbor Freight digital caliper for many years, still do, moved it in my house. As I recall, I couldn't find any other caliper that did all three modes at a better price. Both calipers seem to be spot on against various items of known thicknesses, at least as long as you zero them as necessary.

I see that Harbor Freight now has one with fractional, $20, reviews are all over the place,though. http://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-digit ... 68304.html