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  1. #61
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    Hi Simon,

    Just a word of caution, if you are thinking of buying some, there are fake Mitutoyo Digital Calipers around on ebay, try to get them from a known retailer. You can't tell the fakes from the ebay sellers pictures, they often use pictures of the real ones in the ads.

    Ray

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  3. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayG View Post
    Hi Simon,

    Just a word of caution, if you are thinking of buying some, there are fake Mitutoyo Digital Calipers around on ebay, try to get them from a known retailer. You can't tell the fakes from the ebay sellers pictures, they often use pictures of the real ones in the ads.

    Ray
    Thanks Ray. I figured as much, judging by some of the prices some would HAVE to be fake. I think I'll take advantage of some of the links provided in previous posts. Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  4. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pete F View Post
    Before posting I didn't even try to shop around with cunning ebay techniques to find bargains, and a plain search found what look to be an excellent pair of used Mitutoyo Absolute 6" calipers for 60 bucks and change, plus postage.
    But here's the thing I don't get ... it's the same price as a used quality tool

    I'm genuinely interested in what is the logic behind this?
    I think it is just a case that the secondhand market is defined by the next best alternative - those in the know pay more but for the average punter it is a price choice and why pay more for secondhand when you can buy new.

    Michael

  5. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by wheelinround View Post
    [B] Our poor eyesight also failing, yet old engineers I worked with so many years ago used daily none digital gear and produced better quality made gear than is done today with digital.
    . The modern CNC machines can routinely and predictably machine stuff to tolerances only obtained by expensive hand scraping in past years, and they can do it in fractions of the time taken back then. I am no fan of electronic digital instruments, but I also don't have a rosy (and totally distorted) vision of the past. PDW

  6. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayG View Post
    If I was in the market for digital calipers.... I'd go for these..

    WOW. Mitutoyo 500-196-30 AOS Absolute Caliper; 0-6" ONLY $99.95

    Or, I'd probably weaken and get the Mahr, ( I've already got 2 and love em )

    Mahr Federal SPECIAL! 4103003 16 ER Caliper; 6"/150mm Range-Flat Depth Rod,Output

    Ray
    Hi Ray
    did they ship to you or did use shipito or similar?

  7. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by eskimo View Post
    Hi Ray
    did they ship to you or did use shipito or similar?
    Hi Eskimo,

    Was at work last night so I have not made the purchase yet. I did go through the checkout and got to the shipping. I don't think they ship outside US so I may have to go through Shipto. But I didn't have a huge amount of time to navigate through the checkout. They may ship outside but it does not look like it. I did some more research on callipers too. I'm totally sold on the Mahr brand. They seem really nice. Made in Germany too! I just have to get it out of my head that I don't deserve such nice tools, being a backyard hack! I'm pretty much sold on the IP rated ones:

    Mahr Federal SPECIAL! 4103063 16 EWR Caliper; 6"/150mm Range-Flat Depth Rod,Wheel

    But can't decide whether the above or give up the IP rating and for a similar price get 200mm:

    Mahr Federal SPECIAL! 4103004 16 ER Caliper; 8"/200mm Range-Flat Depth Rod,Output

    The above also have a data output capability which I will never use. I'm yet to find the 200mm in IP rated case, mane Mahr don't make them. I couldn't find them on the Mahr website either.

    Anyway, it will be one of the other of these.

    P.S. Ray, thanks for the link to that shop. They are certainly the most competitive prices on the net!

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  8. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    Hi Eskimo,

    Was at work last night so I have not made the purchase yet. I did go through the checkout and got to the shipping. I don't think they ship outside US so I may have to go through Shipto. But I didn't have a huge amount of time to navigate through the checkout. They may ship outside but it does not look like it. I did some more research on callipers too. I'm totally sold on the Mahr brand. They seem really nice. Made in Germany too! I just have to get it out of my head that I don't deserve such nice tools, being a backyard hack! I'm pretty much sold on the IP rated ones:

    Mahr Federal SPECIAL! 4103063 16 EWR Caliper; 6"/150mm Range-Flat Depth Rod,Wheel

    But can't decide whether the above or give up the IP rating and for a similar price get 200mm:

    Mahr Federal SPECIAL! 4103004 16 ER Caliper; 8"/200mm Range-Flat Depth Rod,Output

    The above also have a data output capability which I will never use. I'm yet to find the 200mm in IP rated case, mane Mahr don't make them. I couldn't find them on the Mahr website either.

    Anyway, it will be one of the other of these.

    P.S. Ray, thanks for the link to that shop. They are certainly the most competitive prices on the net!

    Simon
    Hi Simon

    I got as far as shipping and they wanted a US address....I almost got the Mahr...well 2 of em actually a 6" and 8"

    As for Mitutoyo IP calipers Enco are $14 cheaper for the 6" 500-752-10 model

  9. #68
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    I don't think the 8" is enough larger than a 6" to make that difference significant. A 6" and a 12" I could understand, as the latter could be a little cumbersome in certain situations and then the 6" would be ideal. It probably depends on the type of work you're doing, but for me I don't often need a digital caliper larger than 6", but when I do it's annoying mine don't go larger. If budget was tight, I'd probably suggest a 6" Mitutoyo Absolute (not that I'm against Mahr, I just don't have their calipers, although some of their other gear, and just don't know*), and larger calipers as conventional analogue verniers. If price wasn't such a worry, then 6" and 12" digitals.

    I wouldn't sell yourself short regarding not being worthy of quality tools. A very wise person told me when I was a wee lad, "Pete if you want to be successful in life, surround yourself with successful people". How often do we also see the reverse is also true!!! I took that advice on board, but I'd personally go one further and say it can be extrapolated to material goods too. Not all of us can afford to buy nothing but new, too shelf, tools. But in my experience, using quality tooling inspires me to want to try harder to push my own personal limits, and without trying to blow my own trumpet, I'm normally very proud of what leaves my workshop. I don't think I'm unique in that regard either. The other thing is I simply can't afford to buy crap!

    * As feedback on Mahr however. I bought a new Mahr replacement dial indicator a month or so back. I had an old one that required replacement, and sadly was one that I couldn't easily repair as it had a bent pinion gear. It was a depth measuring one, so worked opposite to conventional dial indicators. I found the depth extension anvils didn't fit the new indicator. After much fiddling around I discovered the original anvils were threaded oversize (metric indicator tips are 2.5 mm). I contacted Mahr to ask what was going on here, and didn't ever receive a reply. Not what I'd call good customer support.

  10. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pete F View Post
    But in my experience, using quality tooling inspires me to want to try harder to push my own personal limits, and without trying to blow my own trumpet, I'm normally very proud of what leaves my workshop. I don't think I'm unique in that regard either.
    No your not...certainly does push one that little bit harder


    I have a 12"...I dont have an 8"...and besides its another tool ....someone on here reckons you cant have too many tools...lol

    you guys have turned me into a tool junkie.

  11. #70
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    I had a set of digital calipers I bought about 10 years ago from Total Tools, they were imports and cost around $80.00 from memory.
    I was pretty happy with them and used them mainly for doing quick conversions between metric & imperial.
    They worked well for a couple of years and I don't think I ever changed the battery until I made the mistake of lending them to my brother in law who managed to squash them and I never got around to getting replacements as I picked up a nice dual scale Mitutoyo set in the mean time.

    Having said all of this I wouldn't mind dipping my toe back into the 21st century and the Mahr set posted by Ray and Simon look like the business.

    Just a thought but perhaps if there are a few blokes interested it might be possible to do a group buy and share the shipping costs?

    Cheers,
    Greg.

  12. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pete F View Post
    I don't think the 8" is enough larger than a 6" to make that difference significant. A 6" and a 12" I could understand, as the latter could be a little cumbersome in certain situations and then the 6" would be ideal. It probably depends on the type of work you're doing, but for me I don't often need a digital caliper larger than 6", but when I do it's annoying mine don't go larger. If budget was tight, I'd probably suggest a 6" Mitutoyo Absolute (not that I'm against Mahr, I just don't have their calipers, although some of their other gear, and just don't know*), and larger calipers as conventional analogue verniers. If price wasn't such a worry, then 6" and 12" digitals.

    I wouldn't sell yourself short regarding not being worthy of quality tools. A very wise person told me when I was a wee lad, "Pete if you want to be successful in life, surround yourself with successful people". How often do we also see the reverse is also true!!! I took that advice on board, but I'd personally go one further and say it can be extrapolated to material goods too. Not all of us can afford to buy nothing but new, too shelf, tools. But in my experience, using quality tooling inspires me to want to try harder to push my own personal limits, and without trying to blow my own trumpet, I'm normally very proud of what leaves my workshop. I don't think I'm unique in that regard either. The other thing is I simply can't afford to buy crap!

    * As feedback on Mahr however. I bought a new Mahr replacement dial indicator a month or so back. I had an old one that required replacement, and sadly was one that I couldn't easily repair as it had a bent pinion gear. It was a depth measuring one, so worked opposite to conventional dial indicators. I found the depth extension anvils didn't fit the new indicator. After much fiddling around I discovered the original anvils were threaded oversize (metric indicator tips are 2.5 mm). I contacted Mahr to ask what was going on here, and didn't ever receive a reply. Not what I'd call good customer support.
    Hi Pete,

    Thanks for the input. Yes I think I will probably purchase a 6" calliper. I have a cheap Chinese 8" which will do me when/if needed. I have a bit of Mitutoyo stuff that I inherited, stuff that I could never afford or justify to buy. It's there "traditional" older stuff but it's nice to use and I would never question the quality. I guess in some ways I am lucky in that I do not know what it's like to use a Chinese micrometer. I don't tend to be faithful to particular brands. I like to try out brands that I have not used before. If I don't at least try other brands then I will never know how it compares to what I currently use. I have a soft spot for german made stuff (not that I have a lot of it) and a few people here rave about Mahr so I'm can't help but be curious!

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  13. #72
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    I understand that there are craftsmen on this site that can take full advantage of the accuracy and precision afforded by quality measurement tools but I wonder how many measurements by the average DIYs require this level of absolute accuracy, or are they just needing to size a few drill bits and use the occasional reproducibility property of a calliper e.g. they measure a shaft and then they measure a bore - whether they should even be using a calliper to do this is another story but it doesn't stop people doing it. If they use the same instrument then accuracy is not important and things will work out.

    Where accuracy may be needed is where multiple instruments are used e.g. I often have 2 or 3 callipers in use in any one project. I admit to treating 3 of my 4 callipers pretty roughly and all have been dropped multiple times, I even use one of them as a marking gauge , and like I said in a post above, one spent many weeks buried under a pile of oily swarf - not that I recommend doing this. To test my callipers (especially after they are dropped) I rack them up against the 1" standard length from my Mits micrometer set and I have never found them to be out by more than their reading uncertainty (0.01mm) which I rarely work to. When I bought my first set of budget callipers I borrowed a set of standard lengths from work and the micrometer was bang on across the range and 12 months later it was still bang on. This encouraged my to purchase more of these which I have done.

    At work in our undergraduate labs we used to use Mits analog verier callipers and micrometers but, especially in the first year classes for students that only need to take one year of Physics, we found far too much (of an ever decreasing) lab time was taken up explaining how to use a vernier scale so we switched to budget level callipers. We ended up purchasing many many dozens of them as they are also included in the "Physics lab in a suitcase" kits that are sent out to external students, and despite some questionable handling by users, have performed admirably including battery performance. Given the numbers of units involved this is probably one of the few larger scale tests on these budget products that anyone on this site can report on and thought it may be useful to know how they performed.

  14. #73
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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    ........ I'm totally sold on the Mahr brand. They seem really nice. Made in Germany too! ......................
    Simon
    Simon, although Mahr-Federal is a German based company, I am afraid their digital calipers are actually made in China. They are nice items though.

    Here some good information on who makes calipers where:
    011 : Dial Calipers

    And here the Mahr history page:
    History - Mahr Metrology

  15. #74
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    Hi Chris,

    I don't know for sure if it means all that much, but mine have Mahr GmbH Esslingen, printed on the back.. not that's much help as to where they are actually made.

    IMG_0608s.JPG


    I had a quick look back, and I bought mine from Measurement Depot.

    Mahr 16ER Digital Caliper On Sale!

    The freight for small items like this tends to be a killer, if you buy 2 the freight cost per unit is halved.

    Ray

  16. #75
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    In my experience, if it doesn't say Made in Germany, it probably isn't. That may or may not mean anything, just that the Germans know Made in Germany is a selling point.

    Again, not trying to imply any lesser quality.

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