- Joined
- Dec 21, 2013
- Messages
- 186
Hey guys, pop quiz!
I have the opportunity to get my hands on what I believe to be a brand new Starrett Last Word DTI. Haven't looked at it, but I will tomorrow. I believe it's basically brand new, but the needle won't move. I'm not going to try to guess on the reason, I'm clueless when it comes to the innards of a DTI. I recall it being graduated in half-thou increments, may just be .001.
Anyway, I'm not sure how much my pal wants for it, but he almost implied giving it to me. Now, looking at new ones, new Last Words run about $160 to $180. Would it be worth it to fix this indicator, including the actual quality of the tool itself?
Looking at Long Island Indicator Service, they say they charge $90 before anything for repair on an un-tampered-with Last Word DTI. The guy who owns it was going to call Starrett and see how much they would run (I would assume a similar charge), but he's old and forgetful, y'know!
Anyway - if I get it for free or for a couple of tens or something, plus at minimum $90 to repair it, is it worth it? It would seem Starrett's quality has been questionable for the past few years. I don't know firsthand, as I only own a Starrett combination square which I regret buying due to the cost and 6" dial calipers which were given to me.
If it really wouldn't be worth the time, I can buy the supposed king of DTIs, a Brown & Sharpe BesTest for about as much as a new Last Word.
I have the opportunity to get my hands on what I believe to be a brand new Starrett Last Word DTI. Haven't looked at it, but I will tomorrow. I believe it's basically brand new, but the needle won't move. I'm not going to try to guess on the reason, I'm clueless when it comes to the innards of a DTI. I recall it being graduated in half-thou increments, may just be .001.
Anyway, I'm not sure how much my pal wants for it, but he almost implied giving it to me. Now, looking at new ones, new Last Words run about $160 to $180. Would it be worth it to fix this indicator, including the actual quality of the tool itself?
Looking at Long Island Indicator Service, they say they charge $90 before anything for repair on an un-tampered-with Last Word DTI. The guy who owns it was going to call Starrett and see how much they would run (I would assume a similar charge), but he's old and forgetful, y'know!
Anyway - if I get it for free or for a couple of tens or something, plus at minimum $90 to repair it, is it worth it? It would seem Starrett's quality has been questionable for the past few years. I don't know firsthand, as I only own a Starrett combination square which I regret buying due to the cost and 6" dial calipers which were given to me.
If it really wouldn't be worth the time, I can buy the supposed king of DTIs, a Brown & Sharpe BesTest for about as much as a new Last Word.