Digital calipers — what to buy?

[tooki]

Your wording makes it sound as though I were a survivor of domestic abuse or something...

I'm sorry, Tooki, you take this personally.

In American english, we often say "you" but are not talking to you, the individual. I'm speaking in a general sense as part of a larger discussion. Technically we have a word for this, "one," or you could also replace "you" with "a person." But most people don't talk like this in casual discussion in the last 50 years. I have already read your reasons, and I am not trying to sway you. I was just discussing with the other people who are discussing the (current) topic.

Even when I mentioned you as OP or "OP's issue" I did it in the third person; I did so because I'm not speaking to you, directly, nor challenging your views or reasoning. I'm not trying to draw you into a debate or troll you. Just discussing. With other people who care to discuss. If that's not you, no need to get your feathers ruffled!

In fact, I fully comprehend when you said you have no issue with accuracy, just with the weird skipping thing.

Folks, can we kill the metric vs imperial/customary debate? It’s of absolutely no interest to this discussion, and will end up with the thread being closed.

AFAIC, we were having a civil and interesting discussion and potentially learning things?

You got a lot of good suggestions and info, and you already bought a new pair of calipers. What left of interest is there to "this discussion" which you are waiting to hear, but which this current topic is ruining for you?

No one needs to close it if it gets derailed for no reason. It will die on its own.

I’m an American living in Switzerland, whose native language is English, so please don’t attempt to lecture me on it.

Whether you refer to me as “tooki” or “the OP”, you’re still referring to me. So yes, I can see why I might think you’re talking about me and not a general, nonspecific person. Whether you use second or third person is irrelevant. 

I didn’t buy new calipers yet. No idea where you got that idea.

Hey, hold on a sec. 

Tooki, you live in Switzerland. Your country has been metric since the 1800's, right? You could help settle a bet! 

And just a reminder. You opened up this conversation with your reasoning for not going with Mitutoyo.

What bet would I be able to settle??

All I said that inches is a requirement unmet by most (not all!) Mitutoyo models available here. I did NOT ask for a debate of the virtues of each system. Don’t try and make it out as though it’s my fault.

It’s just that these debates end up going nowhere, usually with Americans getting pissed off becsuse others verbally abuse us for being too “stupid” to switch. And then if you try to show them examples where they still use non-metric in a metric country, they laugh it off and call you stupid again. (Yes, I’ve had this discussion countless times, online and IRL, and I have found that metric champions are overwhelmingly condescending and resistant to objective analysis.)

[KL27x]

So an expat. You don't count, then. You're just another dumb american like me. From the lack of switchable models, I supposed the Swiss don't have a whole lot of use for imperial calipers, even despite the holy mil.

(I am still curious if Swiss use metric router bits. 6mm and 12mm shanks? Or 1/4", 1/2"?)

It’s just that these debates end up going nowhere, usually with Americans getting pissed off becsuse others verbally abuse us for being too “stupid” to switch. And then if you try to show them examples where they still use non-metric in a metric country, they laugh it off and call you stupid again.

I think you're onto something. It's like an endless loop. So depressing....

I got it. We Americans need to take the initiative and preemptively call them stupid!!!
Hey, y'all. Americans here. You guys are stupid! Stoopid!! All of ya's dirty condescending rats, every last one of ya's! 

Yep. This one is going to be different. I can feel it!



... coming in the air, tonight... Oh, Lord! Dun, dun, dun.


 I been waiting for this moment... all my life...Oh, Lord!

[David Hess]

Folks, can we kill the metric vs imperial/customary debate? It’s of absolutely no interest to this discussion, and will end up with the thread being closed... Please knock it off.

There is no reason both sides cannot be wrong.  We should have had a metric like system using base-12.

[KL27x]

https://youtu.be/mBKZvAAp-tk?t=13

Surprise, surprise! Mitts ship with an SR44, whadya know. A $150.00 genuine Mit doesn't save 20 cents by including a terrible battery. (Apparently the $75.00 knockoffs do, lol). This has more to do with the difference in battery life than anything else.

Tooki, this guy has some tool love for iGauging. And if you like battery life, there's an iGauging that takes a CR2032!

Here's a vid from him which you might find of interest.
https://youtu.be/1yqZx_FNbSs?t=144
Timestamped at a point where he shows a potential source of error with the cheapos.
(Interestingly enough, I did this exact test with all 3 of my $10.00 calipers, and my set of feeler gauges. They measure exactly the same using the entire jaw or just the tips. Every one, down to the half mil, except for one of them. In fact, I have to carefully twist the feeler gauge to exactly perpendicular when measuring at the very tip in order to find the lowest reading, otherwise I can get a reading that is 2-3 mils too high due to being slightly out of square. The lowest reading I could get was invariably either exactly the same as the full jaw reading except in one of the calipers, with some of the shims, the lowest reading I could get was half a mil higher than the full jaw reading.
Only when I clamp down on the thumbwheel unreasonably hard can get the reading to drop below the right number, up to 2-3 mils low with enough force.
No daylight or misasligment on the inside jaws on any of mine, neither.

All of these observations pertain to even first pair that is maybe 10 years old. I was most worried about my newest one, TBH. It has noticeably more twisting slop, if you torque the jaws. But it gives the right reading, just like the others.  I guess it's just a bit of a crapshoot, but for $10.00....

[PaulMC]

they often skip, so returning to zero suddenly the number has gone up in  2.54mm/0.1” steps, usually 5.08mm.

I stumbled upon this thread in my search of a fix for a cheap pair of calipers I have which also skip by multiples of 5.08mm. Ultimately, I was able to resolve the problem by fixing a piece of Kapton / polyimide tape over the position-sensing PCB contained within the digital readout housing (PCB shown here: https://woodgears.ca/caliper/circuit_back.jpg). The tape is now located between that PCB and the 6" ruler arm of the calipers. Prior to this, I cleaned the PCB and replaced the battery.

Note that I found a similar fix elsewhere recommending placing a piece of scotch tape in the same location as I have described. I tried this fix as well, but found that it did not resolve my problem. The same fix using the Kapton tape resolved my issue. Hope this helps someone else looking to save their cheapo measuring tool.

[tooki]

they often skip, so returning to zero suddenly the number has gone up in  2.54mm/0.1” steps, usually 5.08mm.

I stumbled upon this thread in my search of a fix for a cheap pair of calipers I have which also skip by multiples of 5.08mm. Ultimately, I was able to resolve the problem by fixing a piece of Kapton / polyimide tape over the position-sensing PCB contained within the digital readout housing (PCB shown here: https://woodgears.ca/caliper/circuit_back.jpg). The tape is now located between that PCB and the 6" ruler arm of the calipers. Prior to this, I cleaned the PCB and replaced the battery.

Note that I found a similar fix elsewhere recommending placing a piece of scotch tape in the same location as I have described. I tried this fix as well, but found that it did not resolve my problem. The same fix using the Kapton tape resolved my issue. Hope this helps someone else looking to save their cheapo measuring tool.

Thanks for the tip. I just applied it, let's see if it does anything...