Calipers - recommendations for affordable but decent quality digital calipers

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jonathan18

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#303346 3-Feb-2023 12:03

I'm looking to buy some digital callipers like those in the image below; I had planned on buying some cheap ones from AE but then came across reviews of very similar ones at Bunnings where they get panned for accuracy and longevity (https://www.bunnings.co.nz/craftright-150mm-digital-caliper_p5660742).

Can anyone recommend a particular model (and source) that's both affordable and of decent enough quality? Happy to buy off sites like AE or locally, but just don't want to need to be replacing them in a year or so. I am wondering whether I should instead go for manual ones to avoid these problems, but would prefer the ease (and ideally accuracy) of digital.

Thanks for any advice and recommendations.

RS PRO 150mm Digital Caliper 0.0005 in, 0.01 mm Resolution, Metric & Imperial | RS

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#3031249 3-Feb-2023 12:27

These are mine. On sale currently also

https://www.machineryhouse.co.nz/q182

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jonathan18

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#3031253 3-Feb-2023 12:40

Thanks, they do look good for sure but even at that sale price they are more than I am keen on paying! (They won't get a huge amount of use so don't need/want to go too flash)

Should have given a budget, sorry; ideally looking at spending around $50 but maybe a bit higher if worth it. (Which is why I'm ok buying o/s if that means better bang for buck.)

If that budget means any digital set will be shite I may as well go for a manual set, perhaps?

elpenguino

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#3031255 3-Feb-2023 12:42

It's worth considering your use case with any measurement device.

Are you using the device to make anything? As in, do you want to make something a particular size (or very close to a particular size anyway). Or do you have a more basic use such as rooting through a pot of bolts to identify the size?

I see you can get Mitutoyo 150 mm for a decent price here, but not digital, so your eyes need to work : https://nz.rs-online.com/web/p/calipers/2492432

Also, don't make the assumption that just cos something has a digital display with resolution down to 0.01 mm that you will be making measurements will also be accurate down to that level.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

richms

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#3031270 3-Feb-2023 13:19

That design is cloned by all the Chinese makers of them so just because they look the same they are not nessaceraly the same for accuracy or longevity or battery life.

Richard rich.ms

Talkiet

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#3031274 3-Feb-2023 13:37

Honestly, the biggest downside of the Chinese sourced no-name/counterfeit units is that they have no real auto off - the battery drains even when the screen is off.

Accuracy is "fine". Repeatability is good. I've used a single cheap set for 5-6 years and have made a bunch of things with fine tolerances (good home CNC machine tolerances, not 3d printing tolerances) and I have never had a measurement error trip me up.

One thing I would suggest though is disassembling and cleaning any cheap device you get.... There may be burrs on the edge of machined parts or swarf in the slide area. Disassemble, lube gently and reassemble and always keep a couple of spare batteries around.

In fact, get 2. Use one JUST for measuring and use the other as a cheap measuring/scriber tool.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

richms

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#3031280 3-Feb-2023 13:55

Also be aware of the difference between an LR44 and SR44 cells. Many need the silver oxide but if you use the alkaline you will have terrible battery life on them as theyre a lower voltage. Not helped by all the places selling the LR44 as an equivalent to the SR44 because it will fit.

Richard rich.ms

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MartinGZ

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#3031287 3-Feb-2023 14:18

elpenguino:

I see you can get Mitutoyo 150 mm for a decent price here, but not digital, so your eyes need to work

I can see the point of a digital display if you are doing LOTs of measurements. I've had my vernier scale calipers for over 40 years, never had to change the battery once 😁. Never felt the need for digital display.

johno1234

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#3031299 3-Feb-2023 14:29

I have two calipers, a digital electronic one that as mentioned above, is reasonably accurate and repeatable but is always running out of battery, and a cheap plastic one (e.g. https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/fuller-150mm-pocket-vernier-calliper-150mm/p/272763) that is not electronic nor particularly accurate and it knocks about in my tool bag. However I am not a toolmaker and it can do a measurement to within <0.5mm which is all I need most of the time when I am selecting a drill bit etc.

mdf

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#3031308 3-Feb-2023 14:43

I've have experienced first hand all the warnings about cheap digital calipers discussed in this thread (though IIRC they weren't "cheap" when I paid for them...). The digital calipers I got have the battery drain issue and were mostly reliable but every now and then did something sufficiently odd that I no longer trusted them. I had particular issues with the zero button. This set have now been reduced to scribing only. I now have a set of no brand dial calipers (something like this) that aren't as notionally accurate but I've found to be much more reliable. Given you have to read off the measurement manually (and not just assume the digits are precise), this acts as something of a double check. Work well for what I use them for (mostly 3D printing modelling) when 0.1 mm is more than enough resolution.

richms

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#3031318 3-Feb-2023 15:04

If it's not an absolute digital one like mitutoyo then you should close the caliper and check it goes back to zero after each measurement since if it's missed counts you will end up with it returning to a non zero number.

Richard rich.ms

afe66

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#3031324 3-Feb-2023 15:16

I started with a digital caliper from mitre10 and have upgraded after a few yrs to mituyo150 after seeing sales.

For a beginner lathe user my skills were more more of an issue than caliper. I bought a digital micrometer 1" which does metric and imperial soon after the cheap caliper which I found useful. From that you can see how accurate your caliper is and use it to get close enough before using micrometer.

Then depth gauges, internal gages. Keep lookout for trade me sales or workshop closing auctions.

If I could talk to me from 2 yrs I would say buy a quality holder for the dial indicator ie one of those with one knob to tighten everything rather than the cheap holders with multiple nobs.

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jonathan18

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#3031334 3-Feb-2023 15:40

Thanks, all, for the really useful posts.

Based on this, I'm now thinking about not going with digital callipers: while the various AE digital models I had been looking at did use LR44 batteries, I'm really put off by the likelihood of short battery life - the hassle (especially when wanting to use them and the batteries are flat), the waste, the cost... Similarly, I'd prefer to buy a tool that's going to last, despite my liking of all things digital and my ever-failing eyesight!

I'm now swaying towards going with dial callipers, as per mdf's post; they seem relatively quick and easy to read, and their level of accuracy is more than adequate for my purposes.

Looking at these ones here from Ali Express - any particular feedback for or against my thinking and proposed purchase?

Talkiet

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#3031335 3-Feb-2023 15:42

Honestly, for day to day stuff. Digital calipers are way more user friendly and I use mine probably 2-3 times a week and have done for years. Every so often I think I use them often enough to justify a nice set, but my cheapies haven't failed me yet.

Cheers -N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

jonathan18

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#3031343 3-Feb-2023 15:54

Talkiet:

Honestly, for day to day stuff. Digital calipers are way more user friendly and I use mine probably 2-3 times a week and have done for years. Every so often I think I use them often enough to justify a nice set, but my cheapies haven't failed me yet.

Cheers -N

@Talkiet, how often do you find you need to replace the batteries? I already feel shite enough about all the button batteries I replace in Tiles etc, so am not keen on adding too much to this.

I see that some models use CR2032 3V batteries instead of LR44 1.5V, eg this one here. Will this make any difference, eg in terms of longevity? (@richms, you may have some thoughts on this!)

Talkiet

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#3031344 3-Feb-2023 15:56

Probably last at least 8-12 months... I just keep a couple spare in my measuring draw in the garage...

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

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