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 wor

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...