Good digital caliper

[lightman]

I have 2 sets of digital calipers. A Mitutoyo and a set bought from Sinclair. The set from Sinclair look about like the ones you can get from NAPA. I have to remove the battery from them when not in use or it runs them down. I think they were about $40. The Mitutoyo's were about $110.

 

[cwebster]

Mitutoyo is nice. A poor man can't afford to buy cheap tools..........

 

[Dgd6mm]

What a bunch of snobs.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

What a bunch of snobs.

I think he meant quality wise. The I-guaging aren’t cheap on quality.

 

[jimmymac]

What a bunch of snobs.

It can certainly be interpreted that way if you choose. I've seen some responses here that favor inexpensive tools while others prefer higher dollar tools that perform the same function. If you want to see some snobbery, jump in on one of the threads where some guys insist you need a $500 to $1500 reloading press or your ammo will be crap.

 

[Dgd6mm]

It can certainly be interpreted that way if you choose. I've seen some responses here that favor inexpensive tools while others prefer higher dollar tools that perform the same function. If you want to see some snobbery, jump in on one of the threads where some guys insist you need a $500 to $1500 reloading press or your ammo will be crap.

Been there, done that. You sir confirmed my short statement.

 

[natdscott]

What a bunch of snobs.

Maybe. But this is a forum where expensive and high quality tools go with the territory.

I started shooting competitively before I could really afford it, in retrospect. Powdered Gatorade instead of buying bottles, PB&J for dinner, sleeping in the car…that sort of thing.

The kind of advice I received on this forum, and others, to buy high quality tools was still CORRECT, even if I had to ease into it and allow my tooling to build with my income.

I didn’t ever consider that my income issues made their experience irrelevant any more than I assumed I had to be pulling in 100k to go to a match and win.

We do what we can with what we have, and that includes knowledge.

 

[cwebster]

I would not buy a $400 pair of calipers or $4 one from HF. Buy the value. A $100 Mitutoyo will serve you well, trust me. I know more than a little bit about such things.......

 

[Joe Maisto]

point taken, and a good point at that. This is a expensive sport. In particular with the cost and scarcity of components the days. However I do question the need for always having the most expensive tools available. How many here will ever see any difference with shoulder or seating depth measured to .0005 ? I am a average middle of the pack F class shooter at this point and I certainly cannot at my level of expertise. Maybe the top .5% - 1% might be able to see a small difference in their groups but the other 99% of us will be better off spending the money on practice so we can make wind calls

The only place I really consider that depth of resolution necessary might be in neck wall thickness and no caliper is the correct tool for measuring that.

Well Done !

 

[1bamashooter]

I had I Gaging mics and calipers and I'll be buying the same to replace the ones I lost

 

[209jones]

Unless you plan on removing the battery while it's not in use, don't buy one of those cheap chinesium ones. You'll end up paying the cost of a Mitutoyo in batteries in about a year.

Have a new Hornady that won't shut off, I just pull the batt when not in use.

 

[rijndael]

A slight necropost ... I just noticed my OriginCal plastic body is cracking after a year of use. It has a 2 year warranty, so I'll see how that goes. I got it from Brownells, they'll take care of it if the manufacturer doesn't.

 

[wwbrown]

I watch Craigslist occasionally for Mitutoyo digital calipers and micrometers. This week I picked up a digital micrometer (0"-1") for $30 and it works great, the woman selling said an old boyfriend had stored it at her place for years and had no idea what it was worth. I brought a new battery and offered $25 for it and she said she could go no lower than $30. The Mitutoyo dial caliper she had I gave her $15 and it is spotless, great to have around when the batteries on others have crapped out. I have picked up Mitutoyo digital calipers for $80 on Craiglist.

You can find good to great deals on Craigslist but you need patience, my buys this week were a little better than normal.