Thanks for all the replies, guys! It's interesting that the iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN Digital Electronic Caliper also wants $76 additional for the USB cable!! OUCH!!
I ordered the $25 Clockwise one; we'll see how it works.
I ordered the $25 Clockwise one; we'll see how it works.
For a long time I've had an old 8 inch digital Mitutoyo as my main, but it's often nice to have a plastic one like the $2 Harbor Freight vernier one at the bottom. Today, a Sunday, I received the black plastic digital calipers (2nd in pic), ordered less than 24 hours ago, and cost $8.29 with CA sales tax. Quite a manufacturing accomplishment that they can achieve this level of adequate quality and plastic stiffness (says 'carbon fiber'), and a nice big readout, and totally non-conductive and light and scratch-free. Only reads to 0.1mm or 0.01 inch, but that's close enough...
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07DFFYCXS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07DFFYCXS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
Attachments
Well, I received my Clockwise Digital Caliper today. So far, so good. Has a Certificate of Calibration inside that states that it is 10x more accurate than the cheap ones. Still seems like a decent one for $25. Has a case, seems fairly easy to use and feels well-made. I am sure it's not as good as the $75 ones, but I believe it'll do the trick for me.
In 2015 I got a EMPIRE (usually good brand) dial caliper. Worked good.
In 2016 I used it again and it had warped, dozens of mils error. The arms were bent.
Not heat, not here in Maine.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Empire-6-in-Dial-Caliper-2787/203811774
Poor quality molding does that.
The remedy is to put the nylon in hot water or oil...after molding, to stress relieve, and to equalize the difference between atmosphere and molded content.
You can try that. Usually, boil for some time, leave it in till the liquid cools to ambient. Machine next day.
And lap the jaws with fine abrasive paper to zero them.
The cheap Chinese steel calipers now use 200 series stainless, very cheap, rusts after 5 years or so....
I got mine long back, they have not rusted, the electronic one needed repair, stripped screw holes needed tapping again, 1.6 mm taps are hard to find...a repair man, now dead, did the job.
It eats batteries, I have to remove them, and it is sitting unused, as I prefer my dial caliper. Totally mechanical, no error caused by low batteries, beware of that also.
Mitutoyo has absolute and gauging function, and a capacitive scale, just like most.
My Tesa Digi Cal II has a glass scale, have not used in 20 years, it has option for 4x mercury or 4x rechargeabke cells, I think a 7805 will work, though maybe it has failed by now, sitting in storage.
The remedy is to put the nylon in hot water or oil...after molding, to stress relieve, and to equalize the difference between atmosphere and molded content.
You can try that. Usually, boil for some time, leave it in till the liquid cools to ambient. Machine next day.
And lap the jaws with fine abrasive paper to zero them.
The cheap Chinese steel calipers now use 200 series stainless, very cheap, rusts after 5 years or so....
I got mine long back, they have not rusted, the electronic one needed repair, stripped screw holes needed tapping again, 1.6 mm taps are hard to find...a repair man, now dead, did the job.
It eats batteries, I have to remove them, and it is sitting unused, as I prefer my dial caliper. Totally mechanical, no error caused by low batteries, beware of that also.
Mitutoyo has absolute and gauging function, and a capacitive scale, just like most.
My Tesa Digi Cal II has a glass scale, have not used in 20 years, it has option for 4x mercury or 4x rechargeabke cells, I think a 7805 will work, though maybe it has failed by now, sitting in storage.
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If I wanted precision, I'd use one of these (but metric):
But I wanted convenience, and a 15$ pile of crap works perfectly fine for me only needing 0.1mm resolution 🙂
But I wanted convenience, and a 15$ pile of crap works perfectly fine for me only needing 0.1mm resolution 🙂
I've certainly never regretted buying a Mitutoyo caliper. The battery lasts about forever and the caliper provides reliable measurements.
Buy a quality tool. Buy it once. Cry once. Buy a cheap tool and you cry every time you use it.
Tom
Agreed - but don't waste money.
Klein D202-6C 6-Inch Standard Diagonal-Cutting Pliers-Tapered Nose cost over 60$CAD
BENCHMARK (Home Hardware) 6" High Leverage Diagonal Cutting Pliers are 14$CAD and work exactly the same save for the lack of a spring 🙂 Use that 45$ left over to buy a 100 piece set of screw drivers from Canadian Tire when they go on sale 🙂
How are the prices of Bahco, Stanley and Gedore in comparison?
My people broke wire snips twice when cutting runners, got them a Taparia side cutter, 200 bucks, US$2.50.
Wire snips were of sheet type material, 80 bucks (US$1).
That was years back.
Good tools last, the cheap ones are adequate for not so frequent use.
Taparia was once called Bahco Taparia, they had an arrangement with the Swedish tool maker, reputed here.
My people broke wire snips twice when cutting runners, got them a Taparia side cutter, 200 bucks, US$2.50.
Wire snips were of sheet type material, 80 bucks (US$1).
That was years back.
Good tools last, the cheap ones are adequate for not so frequent use.
Taparia was once called Bahco Taparia, they had an arrangement with the Swedish tool maker, reputed here.
My cheap(er) tools still all have a lifetime warranty... If the cutter doesn't cut, go get a new one for free 🙂
"These MAXIMUM products carry a no time limit warranty against defects in workmanship and materials. MAXIMUM products are not guaranteed against wear or breakage due to misuse and/or abuse."
but you can put it in a press and break it on purpose - they just give you another because staff aren't technical.
"These MAXIMUM products carry a no time limit warranty against defects in workmanship and materials. MAXIMUM products are not guaranteed against wear or breakage due to misuse and/or abuse."
but you can put it in a press and break it on purpose - they just give you another because staff aren't technical.
I have had to deal with those connector lineup issues. Keep in mind the original layout was probably on metric round numbers (Otari) (Inch numbers in US made products). If you are getting dimentions with a lot of decimals then cross check.
I have a wonderful Starret swiss 6" caliper that reads in .0005". But I use the cheap Mitutoyo plastic ca;oper most of the time. if you know the limitations of a tool it may be more useful than you think.
I have a wonderful Starret swiss 6" caliper that reads in .0005". But I use the cheap Mitutoyo plastic ca;oper most of the time. if you know the limitations of a tool it may be more useful than you think.
Sears?! In Canada? I didn't think you were that old LMAO
Canadian Tire is where it's at for that kinda stuff IMHO. Apparently, 85% of the Canadian population lives within a 15 minute drive to a Canadian Tire store.
Canadian Tire is where it's at for that kinda stuff IMHO. Apparently, 85% of the Canadian population lives within a 15 minute drive to a Canadian Tire store.
I think I bought that socket set in 2002/3ish while I was still living in Seattle and needed something for car repairs. It's a pretty decent set but the small ratchet has gone sour. Another one of the ratchets was replaced under warranty over a decade ago. I also managed to snap a 17 mm socket, which Sears replaced.
Tom
Tom
Home Depot used to have Husky tools with a similar warranty. I think they discontinued it.
CT has their 3 piece 90 tooth MAXIMUM rachet set on for ½ price right now if you need a new one.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maximum-ratchet-set-90-tooth-3-pc-0580465p.html?loc=plp
CT has their 3 piece 90 tooth MAXIMUM rachet set on for ½ price right now if you need a new one.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maximum-ratchet-set-90-tooth-3-pc-0580465p.html?loc=plp
I just used my new Clockwise caliper to measure two guitar strings. It measured them spot on---exactly 0.010" and exactly 0.012". Pretty good!