Where do you usually buy your tools? - Amazon?

I can't seem to find any info that "mitutoyo" has posted about how to find fakes, just people claiming they did. I was told digital calipers can give a false reading from pressing on them too hard vs a dial... I probably need some proper instruction on how to use a caliper, but will save that for another day. Most of my work can't be measured by a micrometer. Generally have .005 to .015 tolerances with the latter being uncommon. Need to find out if they make mitutoyo dial caliper fakes so I can tell if the one I buy is a fake. Thinking about buying the one from amazon so I can get it pretty quick, but because it's sold and shipped from amazon it should be real... But I can be paranoid about certain things and this is one of them.

For my first purchase I think I will be better off buying new.
 
awaqa909 said:
I can't seem to find any info that "mitutoyo" has posted about how to find fakes, just people claiming they did. I was told digital calipers can give a false reading from pressing on them too hard vs a dial... I probably need some proper instruction on how to use a caliper, but will save that for another day. Most of my work can't be measured by a micrometer. Generally have .005 to .015 tolerances with the latter being uncommon. Need to find out if they make mitutoyo dial caliper fakes so I can tell if the one I buy is a fake.
Click to expand...

Generally if the price is too good to be true then it probably is. And I would personally never buy anything Mitu coming out of China. Not saying it will always be a fake, I'm just not willing to take that risk.

http://www.mitutoyo.com/news/counterfeit-mitutoyo-products/

Here's a PDF by Mitu on DIs, DTIs, & dial calipers.
http://www.mitutoyo.com.sg/documents/Imitation leaflet 6pp.pdf

Here's a couple of videos on their most popular model digital caliper. MItu recently changed the look on this model too.


 
darkzero said:
Generally if the price is too good to be true then it probably is. And I would personally never buy anything Mitu coming out of China. Not saying it will always be a fake, I'm just not willing to take that risk.

http://www.mitutoyo.com/news/counterfeit-mitutoyo-products/

Here's a PDF by Mitu on DIs, DTIs, & dial calipers.
http://www.mitutoyo.com.sg/documents/Imitation leaflet 6pp.pdf

Here's a couple of videos on their most popular model digital caliper. MItu recently changed the look on this model too.


Click to expand...
Did you see anything about the 505-742 model when you found those? I haven't found anything, or found any "really cheap" mitutoyo dial calipers.
I would like to confirm that the 505-742 model replaces the 505-675 model?

These are what I'm looking at. Not sure on color. Any of the 505-742 models with prime.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_...words=mitutoyo+caliper&ie=UTF8&qid=1489282016
 
Sorry, no idea. I don't own any dial calipers & I never look at them. In fact I didn't even know that they had imitation DTIs & dial calipers until reading the PDF. I thought they only copied one model digital caliper & one model DI.
 
awaqa909 said:
I've needed my own calipers for a while. I got the guts to ask one guy that recently got a new caliper and pointed me to a MSC magazine. I don't know if he went on the internet or phone call or what. The calipers I want are some Mitutoyo 6" dial calipers. Maybe a different color. I'm looking around on the internet MSC and Rex Supply are the ones I've heard of and Amazon. The tool is $3 cheaper but because I have prime I can get it in just a few days. They actually have a blue dial for less then $100, regularly $118~.

I'm worried about the calipers not being accurate or something being wrong with them. I've ordered from amazon before but never a tool, much less something for work. (Might be finally getting a tool box this weekend)

Thanks,
Awaqa909
Click to expand...
Amazon is great for lower priced tooling simply because if you are not satisfied for any reason at all you can return them free of charge and relieve a full refund. Another thing to consider about cost is at Amazon you pay no sales tax, and if you get a Amazon Prime Crédit Card you get 5% back. In Alaska that means 12-1/2% off and free shipping. I have bought a lot from amazon and am comfortable that they will be reliable to .001". And you can also purchase premium brands by searching by name if you are so inclined.
 
I use dial calipers much more often than mic's. With a good quality caliper, correctly used, a reading within 0.001" or better is the norm.
If tolerances have to be close I gladly pull out a mic. Always double check.
Bought a couple things from MSC but don't like them and they will see little sales from me unless they can show a truly good deal.
None of that guess the price crap!
Don't know who will eventually replace Enco or if anyone will.
Digital calipers are nice. Some may be more accurate than dial calipers but if the reading has to be that close then a mic should be used.
New or used dial calipers are much cheaper than comparable digital calipers and more common to find in this digital age.
Now you can look forward to 30 years of buying tools.
Try Craigs list and pawn shops. I hate having to spend money on new tools when used are so much cheaper and just as good.
Check that they repeatedly zero out and are correct with a known gauge of an inch or better. Also look for any damage to the jaws, ID and OD.
I have rarely paid more than 50% of the list price on a used tool.
An exception to buying used might be an indicator in tenths or another tool for very precise readings.
 
I highly doubt anyone will replace Enco. That's too bad for those of you who don't have a local MSC outlet. MSC is my Enco replacement but of course I buy elsewhere as well.

Ever since my Enco account merged with MSC, often MSC's price is better than anywhere I can find. Not sure what guess the price means. I log in & see my price, walk into MSC, & sometimes I'm surprised when my sales guys gives me an even better price than I'm expecting. I never have to pay shipping either, not even freight items. But if you have an Enco merged account, standard shipping is always free for over $49.

Gotta love MSC's bargin bins too, every location has one. It's amazing to see the stuff they clear out, my sales guy took me to the back to show me the big items. Anyone need a brand new 8" Kurt?
 
I would consider the 8 inch over the 6 inch, they have a more balanced feel when using them and are easier to hold. As for the dial over the digital, the dial even with the rack cover doesn't take much to fowl it up, something as a speck of dust size chip and they will jump a tooth leaving you with a needle that doesn't line straight up at 12 noon any more and at that point you will lose all confidence in them no mater how much you paid.:frown 2: When I get another set I think I will looking at the schars brand. Also the digital will withstand a occasional drop better:rolleyes:
 
I've been using MSC since they were "Manhattan Supply Company" and the catalog was 1/2" thick. KBC is, also, pretty good. I've seen these guys get an honorable mention, but I have no personal experience....

Also, Travers Tool, McMaster-Carr, W. W. Grainger and the like, but prices are unnecessarily high....

Unknown commodity: https://www.futuretoolco.com/

eBay has drifted over to the dark side with far too many "stores," who effectively buy at Tractor Supply and Harbor Freight and resell with profit built into markups and "shipping and Handling." Then, too, stuff is "sight unseen" and returns can be denied at sale. Amazon has a solid return policy and their "Prime" option can pay off in the long run.

Don't forget, you may have one or more mill supply stores, local to you.....
 
I totally second on dig over dial calipers, more than once I had to tear one apart to clean out something snagging it, and realigning the arrow to point precisely to zero...oh my ocd!

Couple years back, I bought an el cheopo Shars caliper to replace a Mitutoyo I misplaced. I found the Mitutoyo since then, yet am still mostly using the cheap Shars caliper. Why? Because it works just as well, that's why. The thing has been dropped, has a cracked glass over the display, still gets within +/- 0.001, good enough for my purposes, and I won't cry if I drop it again and finally kill it.

Tooling sources, I do ok with Shars or their ebay store (careful with their combined shipping, it's sometimes more than individual item shipping) which often beats pricing over KBC or McMaster for same level stuff. McMaster has the best website though, really easy to find stuff. I'll usually reference at McMaster, and then price compare with KBC and Shars using their 'find' tab, and then hit ebay and Amazon for good measure. I hardly ever hit MSC of Fastenel because they're usually overpriced, but sometimes they'll have something the other don't.

This is for budget stuff, eg, drills/mills/taps, dial indicators, that sort of thing. If you're looking for something nicer, I'd try Zoro. Also if you're looking for coolant, lube, that sort of stuff in bulk, Zoro is hard to beat in pricing.
 
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