[Newbie] Buying Used Micrometers?

....snip...... I find my Starrett 6” dial calipers the most handy of all my measuring tools. Maybe think of first getting a dial caliper…Dave.
I finally had to retire my Starrett 6" caliper after many years of use. The jaws started showing wear. It would show using gage blocks to check accuracy. The bad thing was, they hardly saw any shop use. I mainly used them for reverse engineering parts back in the day in the engineering office. I gone through a Mitutoyo digital pair, which did great until it started loosing about .008" per inch when measuring!

I have bought used mics off of eBay in the past. Have been burned a couple of times. Most of the buys were ok, a number of them were questionable. The ones questionable were a couple of Lufkin and B & S mics that were repainted to look nice. Still using them! I've manage to put together a very nice of 0-6" Starrett mics that I had a wooden storage box salvage from a dumpster dive. They are my go-to mics only if there is any question about a measurement from my other mics.
 
I would rather buy good mic's new even if 1 at a time if that is what I can afford. I have used Enco when they run a 20% off sale mostly. That's how I got my 1" to 4" set of Mitutoyo mechanical mic's. They are all ratchet type, but I also have friction thimble types. They all work great. I have a 6" Mitutoyo Dial caliper and a Mitutoyo 6" Digimatic caliper. They feel so good compared to the cheap calipers that I feel it is worth the extra cost. They all read right on the money when checked with standards and gauge blocks. I also have an Igaging absolute 6" caliper that was about$35.00 that is very very good. Almost Mitutoyo quality. When MSC ran their 60% off sale I purchased 0" to 4" SPI electronic mic's and 4" to 6" SPI mechanical mic's. They have impressed me with with the quality/price point, much better than the other imports I have checked. The electronics are really nice when switching back and forth between inch/metric. For me I like getting new. If I could inspect them used name brand mic's would be good too. I purchased .2" to 1.2" and 1" to 2" new in box Generic inside electronic mic's from eBay that are decent quality and low cost. I also purchased a new in box 0" to 1" generic electronic thread micrometer from eBay that does just fine. I also purchased a Fowler 6" EuroCal IV caliper from Enco with a 20% coupon that I really like. Smooth and repeatable it was $44.00. I use it for my reloading hobby. I have found that the cheap HF calipers have a lot of slop that makes it read all over the place, even when the slop is adjusted out. That is my electronic tape measure so to speak. I also use it as a scribe for layout.

I am not trying to influence you. I am just telling how I have done it. Since I am only a hobbyist I may be doing it all wrong. The really experienced machinists here are the ones I would listen to. When I worked as a mechanic for a living I only purchased the best tools.

Cavediver I have followed your posts since your first one. I am impressed with your enthusiasm and willingness to ask , listen and learn. You dove right into that spindle problem and got the job done. I think you will be a great hobby machinist!

Roy
 
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I finally had to retire my Starrett 6" caliper after many years of use. The jaws started showing wear.

If you wish you can use your surface grinder to true up the jaws, front step, and measuring rod end to new condition. The only downside is the ID measuring "ears" will not be in sync and will never again provide further accurate readings unless set by a standard beforehand, but the rest of the caliper will be good to go.
 
What ever you do, DO NOT buy a Starrett model # 734 digital micrometer! They eat batteries as fast as you can buy them. No auto shut off. They run down batteries even when they are off. ANY model that needs a Renata battery, yes it is a specific battery, is not worth squat. I had one for many years, I finally tied a dollar bill to it and threw it away. At least the guy that found it found something worth a dollar. They are a POS!
 
Cavediver I have followed your posts since your first one. I am impressed with your enthusiasm and willingness to ask , listen and learn. You dove right into that spindle problem and got the job done. I think you will be a great hobby machinist!

Roy

I can't quite call that one done yet, but it'll get there :) Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks all, I now have a bit of food for thought. I have an old 1" Starrett mic that will do all I need for now, and I'll get to reading and researching some more before making final decisions.
 
You can get some good new imports for the price of used Starretts.
 
If you wish you can use your surface grinder to true up the jaws, front step, and measuring rod end to new condition. The only downside is the ID measuring "ears" will not be in sync and will never again provide further accurate readings unless set by a standard beforehand, but the rest of the caliper will be good to go.

Don't laugh, I tried that on a pair of ancient B & S vernier calipers dad had when I was about 11 years old using a 6" bench grinder!
 
i have all starrett mics . I only buy if I can personally handle them. have some gage blocks long. check the mics. in the middle of there range that is where the most wear is. also close them on a gage block. then hold them up to the light if you see any light between the block and the jaws then the frame is sprung.
 
I've seen my contribution to this string appear in other strings so I can't take credit for the "knowledge" - Ask yourself why the seller is getting rid of the micrometers or whatever they're selling. Are they from an estate sale or flea market? Maybe stay away from those. If they are from a deceased father who was a tool maker, probably well cared for.

I bought used Mitutoyo 6" and 8" calipers off eBay for around $30 each. Both were trash. On the 6" one it looked like they were chipping ice or something with the inside jaws. Bent in and crossed so the calipers wouldn't even close. My fault on the 8" ones, didn't notice from the photos that the dial clamp & screw were missing, plus the end clamp at the depth end was missing the screws (clamp plate was wired in place). I stole parts off the 6" to get a decent 8" caliper, but frankly a HF 8" caliper works just as well.

Bruce
 
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