Which calipers to purchase?

[Freeman Keller]

One other minor thing about the digital calipers, they will switch easily between decimal inches, fractional inches or metric. I do most of my setup in digital inches since I can do the math in my head but if someone brings a classical I like to switch to metric. Fractional inches in small measurements I find difficult.

 

[bottlenecker]

You can find older Starretts as well for <$50 and they will outlast your great grandkids!

BTBACO!

(buy the best and cry once!)

Well, no they won't. Not if you use them. Calipers are not meant to last forever. They may last your lifetime if you don't do metalwork and only measure soft parts, but one drop can end any calipers ever made. In regular use, the measurement faces wear until they're no longer orthogonal, and the different measurement features no longer zero at the same point.
If you find old starrett calipers from before they started rebranding cheapo calipers, and they are somehow not worn, then great. But nothing special. And starrett calipers have been overpriced, rebranded cheapos for a long time now. 20 years?
If you want the best dial calipers, buy Tesa calipers, made in switzerland. In the US, they will be branded as browne & sharp or etalon (all entities owned by hexagon metrology). But there's no real need for the best, I just bought them because I make my living with them every day and I want to use what I like best.

 

[bottlenecker]

Starrett is the name everyone goes to

For some things, yes. Not calipers! See my post above. Starret hasn't made their own in a long time, and starrett branded calipers are not professional quality. Some stuff they make still is great, but less and less. Mitutoyo and Tesa/Hexagon are the most important companies in metrology today.

FWIW: I am a professional machinist (/programmer/welder/fabricator), and I work on a large variety of exotic and difficult stuff for NASA and other entities involved in space travel. Some of my work is orbiting us now.

 

[telekus67]

Had a digital one and every time I needet it the battery was dead.
So I changed to an analog one.
"Standard Gage" this one is metric.

 

[Freeman Keller]

For some things, yes. Not calipers! See my post above. Starret hasn't made their own in a long time, and starrett branded calipers are not professional quality. Some stuff they make still is great, but less and less. Mitutoyo and Tesa/Hexagon are the most important companies in metrology today.

FWIW: I am a professional machinist (/programmer/welder/fabricator), and I work on a large variety of exotic and difficult stuff for NASA and other entities involved in space travel. Some of my work is orbiting us now.

Thanks. I have a 24 inch Starrett rule. I was pretty puckered when I bought it..

 

[Texicaster]

Well, no they won't. Not if you use them. Calipers are not meant to last forever. They may last your lifetime if you don't do metalwork and only measure soft parts, but one drop can end any calipers ever made. In regular use, the measurement faces wear until they're no longer orthogonal, and the different measurement features no longer zero at the same point.
If you find old starrett calipers from before they started rebranding cheapo calipers, and they are somehow not worn, then great. But nothing special. And starrett calipers have been overpriced, rebranded cheapos for a long time now. 20 years?
If you want the best dial calipers, buy Tesa calipers, made in switzerland. In the US, they will be branded as browne & sharp or etalon (all entities owned by hexagon metrology). But there's no real need for the best, I just bought them because I make my living with them every day and I want to use what I like best.

I disagree. I had a cheesy Peacock brand that was already 20 years old when I got it 30 years ago and it worked fine till my tools were stolen. Maybe if you work on nuclear subs or need .00001" accuracy....they wont be ideal.


Starrett DOES indeed make its own dial calipers in Athol Mass USA, the 120 series.

 

[bottlenecker]

I disagree. I had a cheesy Peacock brand that was already 20 years old when I got it 30 years ago and it worked fine till my tools were stolen. Maybe if you work on nuclear subs or need .00001" accuracy....they wont be ideal.


Starrett DOES indeed make its own dial calipers in Athol Mass USA, the 120 series.

You disagree that calipers aren't made to last forever based on your sample size of 1?
What makes calipers not last is use. The measurement surfaces wear down. Maybe you didn't use yours much, or maybe you never had them calibrated and weren't aware how out they were.
I still use a 1972 Mitutoyo 6" at home. I bought them when I started my career because I thought "old stuff was made better", and hadn't yet learned why that doesn't matter with calipers.

I was not aware starrett was making a caliper in the usa again, for $368 for a 6" dial! Please don't buy that.

 

[Texicaster]

You disagree that calipers aren't made to last forever based on your sample size of 1?
What makes calipers not last is use. The measurement surfaces wear down. Maybe you didn't use yours much, or maybe you never had them calibrated and weren't aware how out they were.
I still use a 1972 Mitutoyo 6" at home. I bought them when I started my career because I thought "old stuff was made better", and hadn't yet learned why that doesn't matter with calipers.

I was not aware starrett was making a caliper in the usa again, for $368 for a 6" dial! Please don't buy that.

My anaology is a good quality older used caliper will outlast a new cheap caliper.

Thanks for making my point in that you use a 50+ year old Mitutoyo! That is all the OP was looking for; a good quality for basic guitar work with low tolerances.

I'll be happy to take that piece of junk Mitutoyo off your hands so you can buy a new cheap one!

;D

 

[bottlenecker]

My anaology is a good quality older used caliper will outlast a new cheap caliper.

Thanks for making my point in that you use a 50+ year old Mitutoyo! That is all the OP was looking for; a good quality for basic guitar work with low tolerances.

I'll be happy to take that piece of junk Mitutoyo off your hands so you can buy a new cheap one!

;D

But the 1972 mitutoyo is inferior to a new $15 caliper. It is not actually good. It was good.
I don't use it for anything that matters, but when I do use it, I'm doing things to compensate that the average person won't have a clue about. It was made better than a new cheapo, yes, but now it's worn out.
I just taught my 8 year old how to measure center to center distance between two holes with it the other day. It's not a serious tool, but I think he got close enough.

Ok, before I could finish this response, my wife asked me to fix a loose 100 year old doorknob, so here it is. I am identifying this ancient worn out screw with an ancient worn out caliper:

With a tolerance of +/- a buttload, I think it was a 10-32 screw.


Oh, I don't need to buy calipers. My etalon 6" dial and b&s 8" digital sit at home because the shop I work in makes stuff for NASA. All inspection equipment is controlled, calibrated on schedule, and we are not allowed to bring in our own. I am allowed to requisition new stuff for the shop, but I've got my sights on bigger fish than calipers.

 

[max_twang]

I broke down and bought the Stew Mac ones. They work great and I use them for more than just guitar work. Buy once, cry once...

 

[Aaronious90]

I am a fan of my StewMac digital. Don’t seem to have the battery drain others have mentioned of their digital. There also currently 20% off for a few days.

 

[Tellytwister]

Only that unless you use it regularly, when you do go to use the digital one it will probably have a flat battery, and you'll have to search for the exact right button cell type, which will probably be the one size you don't have in stock.

I will have a thousand of the right cell button in a drawer somewhere, but because these types of batteries tend to have a relatively short shelf life, they will all be dead.

 

[Tellytwister]

I bought this digital calipers in September 2023. It's proven to be very accurate (deadly accurate when measured against small string gauges, even) and is still on its first battery. It doesn't get very heavy use but it has more than paid for itself.