Mitutoyos
- Thread starter Chiquita
- Start date
I'm not familiar with a $45 price point Mitutoyo. But I've got a set of Mitutoyo dial calipers (they run $80-$100) that are LIGHT YEARS better than the mainstream $20-$30 digital calipers - sold under many different brands.
Doug Beach
Silver $$ Contributor
Mitutoyo what? They make more than a few things.
Brians356
Silver $$ Contributor
Are you describing brand new Mitutoyos, all typical 1-inch vernier mics?
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Pretty much everything I have at work is Mitutoyo, bought a lot of it at different times, from different salesman. Once and a while they run some super good deals. I don't think there is any "knock off" brand using their name. If it says Mitutoyo that is what it is. We have bore gauges up to 8" diameter, digital mics up to 7 inch Diameter, Calipers up to 72", pressure micrometers up to 4" . Its some of the best equipment I've ever used, as far as quality, longevity and accuracy goes. just my .02
Brians356
Silver $$ Contributor
But are they all the same quality and made in Japan? Many Japanese companies have introduced budget lines made elsewhere.
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For most people most of the time for hobbyist use it's not worth spending $200. In my experience the Mitutoyo (and the Starrett and the Brown & Sharpe et al) are not the same as the lowest price brands but the lowest price brands are good enough.
That said my own choice is U.S. made Starrett - a small fraction of the whole line I suppose - but few hobbyists need something good for use with machinist's milk and with ports for a Datamyte or other form of data collection. Mostly I don't either but why not have it?
I don't argue with folks who say Mitutoyo is the best for dial calipers, likely it is. I use true electronic digital displays. I'm never wearing the right lens to read a vernier or to make fine distinctions on a dial.
That said my own choice is U.S. made Starrett - a small fraction of the whole line I suppose - but few hobbyists need something good for use with machinist's milk and with ports for a Datamyte or other form of data collection. Mostly I don't either but why not have it?
I don't argue with folks who say Mitutoyo is the best for dial calipers, likely it is. I use true electronic digital displays. I'm never wearing the right lens to read a vernier or to make fine distinctions on a dial.
Mitutoyo website and I could not get along was not useful to me.
Anyways this is what I found. I can't just buy based on price just because it has a high price doesn't mean it is better. High priced low priced look identical.
Are higher end calipers worth it for reloading purpose?
Anyways this is what I found. I can't just buy based on price just because it has a high price doesn't mean it is better. High priced low priced look identical.
Are higher end calipers worth it for reloading purpose?
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Like I said, I dont know of any "inferior" product to Mitutoyo, that uses their name on their product. Everything we update every year or 2 is the same good old Mitutoyo quality product as the one we bought years before. That being said, I have seen some knock off products, that are eerily similar, to brand name products, as of late.
John
John
If you are strictly using it for reloading, checking COL, or brass trim length, etc, you probably dont need a 120$ caliper. If you are checking length, or over all lengths on $1000 parts, that is a different story. Again just my .02
John
Are higher end calipers worth it for reloading purpose?
As above, my answer is in general no, the extra features that cost more do nothing on the hobbyist bench. For a commercial operation doing quality assurance a data port is useful for tracking dimensional checks. I'm out of it at 76 but my experience has been with serial ports and of course serial ports are dying if not dead except in specialized hardware.
That said I hasten to add that it pays to know and accept limitations. I have a jig and tooling to check case head expansion to the nearest tenth resolving to half a tenth or a little better for good eyes. It's worthless because as I now know the whole notion of judging pressure by case head expansion has so much noise the process is a waste of time and effort. The point is no matter how much the tool cost counting on the last digit to be meaningful is a fools game and expecting expensive name brand calipers to be better than a cheaper micrometer when a micrometer is the appropriate tool is unwise.
Bottom line, extra money mostly buys features the hobbyist can't use but that's still mostly.
As above, my answer is in general no, the extra features that cost more do nothing on the hobbyist bench. For a commercial operation doing quality assurance a data port is useful for tracking dimensional checks. I'm out of it at 76 but my experience has been with serial ports and of course serial ports are dying if not dead except in specialized hardware.
That said I hasten to add that it pays to know and accept limitations. I have a jig and tooling to check case head expansion to the nearest tenth resolving to half a tenth or a little better for good eyes. It's worthless because as I now know the whole notion of judging pressure by case head expansion has so much noise the process is a waste of time and effort. The point is no matter how much the tool cost counting on the last digit to be meaningful is a fools game and expecting expensive name brand calipers to be better than a cheaper micrometer when a micrometer is the appropriate tool is unwise.
Bottom line, extra money mostly buys features the hobbyist can't use but that's still mostly.
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Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
I have heard from various sources that there ARE some Mitutoyo knockoffs out there. I would suggest buying only from a reputable dealer/source, making absolutely certain the model of caliper you are buying has the features you need/require, and never forgetting that deals that seem to be too good to be true usually are. That means checking the advertised features and/or Manufacturer's Cat. # to be certain what you're getting. I do not recall ever seeing a new pair of 6" Mitutoyo digital calipers go for less than about $100-$125 or so online. I also do not recall that Mitutoyo sells "economy" type calipers that are a lot less expensive than their standard calipers, except with fewer features or lesser precision. That is part of what what makes me a bit suspicious.
A quick search pulled a couple in the $45 price range, perhaps the same ones you are referring to. I would be very concerned about a purchase like that. It may be on the up and up, a recently discontinued model, overstock, whatever. But it may also be a scam. As I noted, you will need to due diligence with regard to both the vendor and that the accuracy/precision/readability/caliper length/etc., will fit your needs. If both pass muster, it may be a fantastic deal on a good set of calipers. But you're going to have to do some checking on your own in order to either support or reject that notion.
A quick search pulled a couple in the $45 price range, perhaps the same ones you are referring to. I would be very concerned about a purchase like that. It may be on the up and up, a recently discontinued model, overstock, whatever. But it may also be a scam. As I noted, you will need to due diligence with regard to both the vendor and that the accuracy/precision/readability/caliper length/etc., will fit your needs. If both pass muster, it may be a fantastic deal on a good set of calipers. But you're going to have to do some checking on your own in order to either support or reject that notion.
XL105
Silver $$ Contributor
There are mitutoyo knock offs. You can get get on eBay cheap. The easiest way to tell is they only measure to .001, where mitutoyo measures to .0001. They look the same. The logo is slightly different. I haven’t done any comparison testing to see how they stack up to each other.
I wanna say I paid $35 for the knockoff and around $100 for the mitutoyo. But I can’t remember exactly. I Certainly didn’t pay $200 for the mitutoyo
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I have found these guys offer the most reliable info without the usual sales pitch:
www.longislandindicator.com
And be careful ALL calipers are accurate to only +/- 0.001 no matter how many digits are behind the decimal.
Long Island Indicator Service
Repair service for test indicators and other precision measuring tools by Brown & Sharpe and Mitutoyo.
www.longislandindicator.com
I have a set of mitutoyo calipers as well as several sets of cheap calipers . The mitutoyo battery lasts nearly forever and the cheap ones eat batteries , any one else found this.
My observation too, even when off.
Is a Good dial caliper needed for reloading, probably not. Is a Cadillac needed to drive back and forth to work, again probably not. A good caliper is reliable and nice to use compared to a knock off or a budget brand and generally last a heck of a lot longer
If your using a quality caliper on a regular basis, you'll never buy a knock off or generic brand again. If it's something you use once a month, buy a cheap one.
If your using a quality caliper on a regular basis, you'll never buy a knock off or generic brand again. If it's something you use once a month, buy a cheap one.
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