Tired of my digital calipers chewing batteries.
Hornady and Frankford Arsenal Dial Calipers are available for around $100-$120
Any recommendations? Cautions?
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Tired of my digital calipers chewing batteries.
Hornady and Frankford Arsenal Dial Calipers are available for around $100-$120
Any recommendations? Cautions?
Just remember Dial and Digital calipers are 2 different animals.
Sorry but I will answer this question with the most expensive response - Mitutoyo.
I have Mitutoyo Digital Calipers, purchased maybe over 20 years ago. Expensive but never regretted it. Looks like they will outlast me.
Also have Brown and Sharp Dial Calipers. Bought second hand off Ebay. They are Swiss made and are like the proverbial Swiss watch in quality. I use these a lot.
In the shed I have some ancient Japanese NSK Vernier Calipers. I use these for marking out small steel projects and don't have a problem dragging a scriber along their jaws.
They are still in great nick. Unfortunately my eyes are not so I have trouble reading them nowadays.
I did buy some cheaper 8" Chinese Digital Calipers a couple of years back. The first set was returned under warranty. Readings not repeatable. The second set, when I do use them immediately start flashing the display at me indicating yet another new battery required. This happens even though they are turned off (automatically) between uses.
If you want to go good mid range look at Insize. They are still Chinese but of very good quality. Insize is a huge company.
Don't be tempted by Mitutoyo off Amazon. My research shows they are most likely Chinese copies.
I cant help you with Hornady and Frankford Arsenal Dial Calipers. Have only noticed their Digital ones advertised. Probably perfectly serviceable for a handloader.
It all depends upon your type of usage and your accuracy and expected life of the tool. I use the best I can afford because mine are used for other purposes as well as reloading.
Thanks. Yes I get the difference between digital and dial. The Mitutoyo available from, say the Toolshed, are not only hundreds of $$ but also all in metric. I'm sure they could get imperial or may have some in stock, but, frankly, the $$$ are out of my range. Mine are only used for reloading. So probably the Frankford Arsenal or Hornady will do the job.Quote:
Originally Posted by zimmer
the batteries last forever unless you fit them by hand as your skin oil will affect the discharge,
Nah all the digital one, well as best I know, can be switched between metric and imperial. Actually a useful feature if you want to convert a measurement you have just made. The dial ones you buy either metric or imperial (uncommon now.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jhon
Yes, you are probably correct on the choice of FA or Hornady for your use.
Explain that to my crappy 8" calipers. I never handle batteries by hand.Quote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
So that would be for digital calilers correct? How would you be able to switch a analog dial caliper between metric and imperial? Do they come with dual face markings on the dial?Quote:
Originally Posted by zimmer
Ahh I see you amended that to digital..so answered. I'm not after Digjtal. Mine chews batteries unless I remove the battery between use. Even then the life is not long, certainly not years. They have a place. But so does a dial caliper
Yeah dial calipers are nice and you can surprisingly read quite well between the smallest division and estimate 1/2 thou etc. If you need to be that finite.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jhon
The thing you might have to consider though is with digital caliper you can zero out a reading. Example of this is if using a comparator you fit to the jaws and you then zero the comparator out then take your readings. Bit harder to do with a dial caliper you have to do the arithmetic and subtract the comparator from the reading..
Mate, just buy digital mitutoyo 150mm (easier handling) no guess work reads to the thousandth (0.000”)
Closest thing to a micrometer, not to mention its accuracy and repeatability, best bit of kit for your reloading.
If you're on a budget keep an eye out for some second hand Mitutoyo dial calipers. Then find a friend or machine shop with some gauge blocks to verify their accuracy. I did and couldn't be happier.
Thks for all the input. May be overthinking this. For reloading I only measure lengths and diameters. Nothing fancy. I have $100 digital calipers that work fine. I'm keen to get analog dial calipers also so I'm not caught out by flat batteries. Its not either/or, its both. I can get Frankford Arsenal or Hornady for around $100. Baring bad experience from others, that's where I'm headed. Thks again.
Interested in what this is caused by or how much will affect discharge.Quote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
Is it a problem with all batteries such as those in car remotes and bluetooth helmet speaker for radar detector?
Odd that your batteries don't last.
I use Insize calipers with a 2032 ? battery. They last for years...
I bought a Mitutoyo digital caliber about two years ago, wasn’t cheap. Totally unreliable, never zeros and never gives the same reading twice, very disappointed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jhon
I’ve a normal one and that fine, I use that on the lathe.Quote:
Originally Posted by hamsav
Crikey. Got Mitutoyo in digital. Same league as CM 1500. Robot reliable. Great pieces of kit for reloading.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maca49
I've plunked my money down on a set of Hornady for $105 delivered. Will see how they work out.
As above, very affordable for what they are, will have them for life:
https://industrialtooling.co.nz/coll...no-data-output
Sorry, to add to the reasoning, when bumping shoulders 0.001-2” - well enough said I spose. All the best either way mate, you may get a really good set of hornady’s to.
Jhon, curious how the Hornady calipers worked for you and if you still use them, or if you've since gone another path
Cheers
I bought a pair if Insize ones and they have been great. They live in my shed and battery is still going after 10 months
Greetings,
My dial callipers are Mitutoyo metric bought new in the late 1970's. At the time I was working as a draughtsman and had worked only in metric from around 1974. I couldn't see any point in measuring anything in inches and still can't. The callipers have been great and will see me out.
Regards Grandpamac.
Probably the only time it's worthwhile is when all your drawings are imperial. Some stuff ex the states is still like this, pain in the bum...Quote:
Originally Posted by grandpamac
I was apprenticed under 2 old guys. I was born 3 years before metric happened in England so all my schooling was in metric.
Their attitude was we are too old to learn metric, your young so you can learn imperial. It didn't hurt me to know both systems.
Vernier probably the most used tool in my shop and i have tried many of them but none last as long or as good as Mitutoyo.
Used to bought Wurth, insize and alike for new guy but those didn't last long.
Look for 2nd hand Mitutoyo on FB Market or trademe but watch out, as there are so many fake Mitutoyo around.
There used a good fella here that help other member buying Mitutoyo vernier with his trade discount before he retired but forgot his username.
My trade discount is not much, from memory we paying $280+ for 150mm digital Mitutoyo for 500-196-30 version and slightly more for the 158 version.
Go to bunnings. They will be fine.
Starret digitals auto on and off. Mitutoyo don't for some reason. I have 2 dial imperial ones I may part with.
I work in metric..
My calipers drain batteries rapidly also. However if i drop the battery after using them, no issues.
Bought a set of Italian Dasqua digitals from Geoge Henry when on sale about 85 bucks, can't fault them.
https://carclips.co.nz/dasqua-digita...00mm-and-300mm
What flavour and how much you thinking,Quote:
Originally Posted by robhughes-games
I bought a set of these, https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...1?bof=HffpxoNw (Bluepoint, cheaper Snap On, they used to have decent quality I don't know if that holds in todays market) it is early days yet but they measure the same as my super expensive analogue Mitutoyo callipers. I can't speak for their longevity although, I have only had them a month. They hold zero good when I move them randomly back and forth as you do. Initial impressions are good, ask me again in five years if I actually recommend them :)
Greetings,Quote:
Originally Posted by No.3
I had lots of experience with drawings in UK units. As part of my job I had to produce schedules of quantities in metric from UK unit drawings. Feet, inches and fractions. I had very useful conversion charts and an even more useful scale rule that read metres from the old scales we used to use. Not long before I retired, 40 years after the metric change, I was working on some old plans and wondered how later generations would cope with the conversion. I believe that there is an AP for that that goes on your cell phone. Should have guessed that.
Regards Grandpamac.
Honestly,, 0.1mm = 0.0039"
I won't touch the digital. Some, as mentioned flatten batteries in no time flat.
I just bought some cheap calipers, dial, metric, off ebay. Ummm, I think abt $25
I check them occasionally, always spot on.
We are not sending man to the moon. We are making ammo.
Unless your into long range competition $50 to $100 will be fine.
Likely $25, with a huge "hornady" marketing mark up!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jhon
Yes,, just go to your app store. Type "unit converter".Quote:
Originally Posted by grandpamac
There are a few to choose from.
Very handy indeed.
Mititoyo digital calipers 200mm. 150mm is too small imo for holding onto it.