3 ms·

I'm under the impression that digital calipers are kind of like tape measures: the cheap ones measure as accurately as the expensive ones. I was told that expen

by tvb12 4y ago

I'm under the impression that digital calipers are kind of like tape measures: the cheap ones measure as accurately as the expensive ones. I was told that expensive calipers have better circuitry and don't burn through the batteries when they're "off". Is that not the case?

varjag 4y ago
Cheapest calipers often have wobbly jaws that makes the stated DRO precision of it meaningless. A quick check is to close them, reset the display and do a few full scale motions. You'll often see the zero is not maintained.
Blackthorn 4y ago
That's mostly the case. Anecdotal experience here has the cheap ones losing accuracy as the batteries drain, and of course when there's no notification of when your batteries are drained and not being able to actually turn them off, is a problem. I could live with the cheapies if I had to, but buying a Mitutoyo or even that nicer Shars import brand (Aventor) is just such a huge quality of life upgrade. Except for Harbor Freight. I absolutely love Harbor Freight but I will never use another set of calipers from them. The accuracy loss as the batteries started to drain was just ridiculous.
abakker 4y ago
there is a critical place that this is not consistent with the cheapies that the better ones get right: there are 4 ways to measure with a caliper - between the front jaws, outside the back jaws, the plunger on the bottom, and the ledge on the back/top. On cheap calipers these almost never match. On good ones they do. Buying the really bad ones from HF or similar doesn't necessarily produce inaccurate readings, but it means none of those 4 measures can be reliably compared.
analog31 4y ago
I tested a pair of Harbor Freight calipers on a set of gage blocks at work, and they were accurate. They don't always drive exactly to zero, as one other post mentioned. Something I did notice is that the newer Mitutoyo calipers at work have a much faster display update, making them considerably easier to use. They also had more smooth motion, though this is subjective. For home use, bike repair, etc., the cheapies are good enough. Given that my colleagues prefer digital, I've got the cast-away dial calipers and am perfectly happy with them, plus an old Mitutoyo vernier at home that I use, just because.
tgsovlerkhgsel 4y ago
I've bought cheap calipers from a discounter, and they're accurate to ~0.01 mm when compared to expected sizes of e.g. coins or measurements taken with a fancy caliper set I had access to. I'm sure there are some downsides that would show with regular use, but for my hobbyist use case (occasionally take measurements, typically only needing to be accurate to something like 0.1 mm), they're more than enough. I've had one case where I needed sub-0.1mm accuracy and they also did that job perfectly. Absolute scale would be a valuable time-saver though if I was using them professionally, and machinists probably benefit a lot from having coolant-proof versions.
mturmon 4y ago
I have a Mitutoyo vernier 6", an 8", and a cheap digital model. The build quality on the Mitutoyo vernier 6" is so good that I always reach for it first. I also like its analog readout, and no batteries required. The digital one has its uses - good if you need to do arithmetic, or compare to a DRO on another tool (like a planer, for woodworking).
Nihilartikel 4y ago
Can confirm that my harbor freight caliper burns though batteries while off.. it is otherwise adequate.
topspin 4y ago
That's one of the differences. Better metal is another; calipers used in anger will suffer wear and good ones last longer. Calipers are something you want working when you reach for them. If you leave them in a box for a month and the batteries are dead when you need them it's a big frustration. I get about 2 years from Mitutoyo calipers used a couple times a week. Buy once, cry once. The downsides besides the price is that you're a bit more circumspect about what sort of crevice or hole you're willing to poke it into and, like all good tools, once a thief knows you a set they never forget...
kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
No. The accuracy of the encoder isn't the whole picture. The machining of the two blade pairs and the depth gauge are also important so that they all zero simultaneously. The cheapies also don't have absolute positioning.

by tvb12 4y ago

varjag 4y ago

Cheapest calipers often have wobbly jaws that makes the stated DRO precision of it meaningless. A quick check is to close them, reset the display and do a few full scale motions. You'll often see the zero is not maintained.

Blackthorn 4y ago

That's mostly the case. Anecdotal experience here has the cheap ones losing accuracy as the batteries drain, and of course when there's no notification of when your batteries are drained and not being able to actually turn them off, is a problem. I could live with the cheapies if I had to, but buying a Mitutoyo or even that nicer Shars import brand (Aventor) is just such a huge quality of life upgrade. Except for Harbor Freight. I absolutely love Harbor Freight but I will never use another set of calipers from them. The accuracy loss as the batteries started to drain was just ridiculous.

abakker 4y ago

there is a critical place that this is not consistent with the cheapies that the better ones get right: there are 4 ways to measure with a caliper - between the front jaws, outside the back jaws, the plunger on the bottom, and the ledge on the back/top. On cheap calipers these almost never match. On good ones they do. Buying the really bad ones from HF or similar doesn't necessarily produce inaccurate readings, but it means none of those 4 measures can be reliably compared.

analog31 4y ago

I tested a pair of Harbor Freight calipers on a set of gage blocks at work, and they were accurate. They don't always drive exactly to zero, as one other post mentioned. Something I did notice is that the newer Mitutoyo calipers at work have a much faster display update, making them considerably easier to use. They also had more smooth motion, though this is subjective. For home use, bike repair, etc., the cheapies are good enough. Given that my colleagues prefer digital, I've got the cast-away dial calipers and am perfectly happy with them, plus an old Mitutoyo vernier at home that I use, just because.

tgsovlerkhgsel 4y ago

I've bought cheap calipers from a discounter, and they're accurate to ~0.01 mm when compared to expected sizes of e.g. coins or measurements taken with a fancy caliper set I had access to. I'm sure there are some downsides that would show with regular use, but for my hobbyist use case (occasionally take measurements, typically only needing to be accurate to something like 0.1 mm), they're more than enough. I've had one case where I needed sub-0.1mm accuracy and they also did that job perfectly. Absolute scale would be a valuable time-saver though if I was using them professionally, and machinists probably benefit a lot from having coolant-proof versions.

mturmon 4y ago

I have a Mitutoyo vernier 6", an 8", and a cheap digital model. The build quality on the Mitutoyo vernier 6" is so good that I always reach for it first. I also like its analog readout, and no batteries required. The digital one has its uses - good if you need to do arithmetic, or compare to a DRO on another tool (like a planer, for woodworking).

Nihilartikel 4y ago

Can confirm that my harbor freight caliper burns though batteries while off.. it is otherwise adequate.

topspin 4y ago

That's one of the differences. Better metal is another; calipers used in anger will suffer wear and good ones last longer. Calipers are something you want working when you reach for them. If you leave them in a box for a month and the batteries are dead when you need them it's a big frustration. I get about 2 years from Mitutoyo calipers used a couple times a week. Buy once, cry once. The downsides besides the price is that you're a bit more circumspect about what sort of crevice or hole you're willing to poke it into and, like all good tools, once a thief knows you a set they never forget...

kevin_thibedeau 4y ago

No. The accuracy of the encoder isn't the whole picture. The machining of the two blade pairs and the depth gauge are also important so that they all zero simultaneously. The cheapies also don't have absolute positioning.