After having my not so cheap Measuremax 8" go haywire, I bought a Mitutoyo 8". I use a 6" clock face type for everyday use.

I've had my 8" Mitutoyo digital for over 30 years …. still going strong …. put the odd battery in it – not very many at that. I think the latest ones don't even have an off-switch because of the low power consumption.

Mitutoyo is probably the standard by which others are judged and has been for years. Perhaps pricier than some but not really a big outlay. I can't imagine that you'd regret the purchase.

Edited By Bandersnatch on 23/10/2015 23:13:12

Watch out for clones of the mitutoyo callipers and dti's you can check on thier website for what to look for to pick a clone from genuine.

Buy from a reputable tool store and you should have no problems , stay away from the ebay ones some sellers use a photo of genuine set but supply a clone which is difficult to pick from the real mcoy if you dont know what to look for.

Starrett are another good item but i feel not as nice as mitutoyo , they just seem to feel a fraction smoother but the accuracy is identical.

I just scored a set of 6 inch starrett callipers , brand new for $99 au so saved about $100 .

I have a few items made by measumax and they seem ok although none of my items are electronic .

Ian

On offer at the moment:

**LINK**

Genuine Mitutoyo items are sometimes sold at substantially reduced prices. This might even because the shelf life is up. They will have one. Sometimes manufactureres discount goods to suppliers as well. Personally I wouldn't rule out buying them. All of mine have come like that. After a number of items have been measured including various setting bars, reamers and what ever I think rubbish would easily be sorted out. As a for instance I tested the setting bar that came with the super cheap draper mic I posted about recently. Mitutoyo reckons it's 1um out. The mitutoyo was at it's max measurement range.

John

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Hi steamdave, I like you have just brought a Mitutoyo 500-196-30 to replace my older same brand one which still gives exellent service. The new one is called Absolute which can be set to zero or any number when the battery is first fitted, then the recessed origin button is pressed to retain this setting until it is again reset. So I do not think it should show the number you say comes on every time it turns on if you have reset it to zero (thats my understanding). The advantage of this absolute model is that you do not have to keep zeroing it every time for the correct measurement. One of the irritations of the older model was that when I zeroed it, it could get a small metal sliver between the jaws due to magnetic attraction, which would upset a correct zero setting. I was constantly wiping the jaws to achieve a correct zero setting. This has now been solved somewhat by making a simple demagnetizer that Mike Cox wrote up in MEW234, Thanks Mike.

Alan

Maybe I'll have to re-read the instructions to remove the frustration !

Dave
The Emerald Isle