# Dial indicator quality



## Razzle (Sep 21, 2020)

Hello. I am asking for advice on dial indicator quality. I currently have both dial indicators And a DTI that are chinese cheapos and moderately functional. I also have some used DIs and a used Starrett last word DTI. (Both of the used DIs are old Federal). They are serviceable but sticky. I haven't tried cleaning yet.
I need a reliable DI and reliable DTI for tramming and adjusting my lathe and mill.
So my question is should I purchase new or attempt to have the old ones professionally cleaned and recalibrated.
I have my eye on mititoyu but the prices are making me balk. 
It seems like the only new options are cheap Chinese or crazy expensive US, Euro, or Japanese.
Any one have an opinion?

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## ttabbal (Sep 21, 2020)

They are imports, but I've had good luck with the indicators from Shars. The ones I have move smoothly and are accurate compared to some nice units. The imports tend to have a stronger spring, which can be an issue depending on your setup. I've seen a few videos where they compared indicators on a surface plate with gauge blocks and found even the cheap import (HF!) were accurate, just not as smooth. 

The Starrett Last Word is highly regarded and likely worth fixing up if it needs it. It might be as simple as a drop of instrument oil, but it could need a good cleaning and such as well. 

My DTIs are Compac. One used one new. Both work well and I got a decent price on ebay. New from big vendors will cost you, but if you're in a hurry, it is the best way to be sure. On ebay and amazon you also have to watch out for fakes for at least Mitutoyo. I just stopped buying from them and get new Mitutoyo gear, the few times I do, from a known good vendor. I don't know if the issue exists for other brands.


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## markba633csi (Sep 21, 2020)

The old Swiss ones are good. I have a couple Alina M31 I got from Ebay for around 40$ for the pair.  They made good micrometers too.
-Mark


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## NCjeeper (Sep 21, 2020)

ttabbal said:


> They are imports, but I've had good luck with the indicators from Shars.


Same here. For general work they are my go to indicators. I have a Starrett and some Ames indicators I can use if needed.


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## Aukai (Sep 21, 2020)

I thought that at one time I bought a refurbished DTI from Long Island repair, but I'm not seeing it on the web site. Maybe someone here knows?





						Long Island Indicator Repair Service
					

Professional repair service for indicators and other precision tools and gages




					www.longislandindicator.com


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## mksj (Sep 21, 2020)

I use the Starrett 25-511 or 25-611 which are 0.200 travel and 0.0001" dial indicators. Used they run in the $75-125 range if you look, typically you want ones that have had light use. I have both of these and paid about $75 each years ago and they had almost no wear. They work great and are accurate.








						Starrett 25-511j Dial Indicator 0 to 0.200 in 0-5-0 for sale online | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Starrett 25-511j Dial Indicator 0 to 0.200 in 0-5-0 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




Test indicators, there are quite a few choices, I recommend getting a multiple turn either 0.0005 or 0.0001". On a multi-turn you still have adequate travel. Below is a interapid, at a price which is very good for new. I have the Compaq 0.0001" (215GA) but it comes under different brands these days. 








						Brown & Sharpe 74.111373 Dial Test Indicator T106210 for sale online | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Brown & Sharpe 74.111373 Dial Test Indicator T106210 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




I have lots of indicators, but these are the only two I use/need.


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## mikey (Sep 21, 2020)

For DTI's, at least in my opinion, you cannot do better than the Swiss. Compac, Tesa, Brown & Sharpe produce some of the finest DTI's made. They move smoothly, accurately and with the least hysteresis of any indicator I have seen, even when compared to the best Mitutoyo dial indicators that I also own. 

It may help to know what to look for. If I could only own one single DTI for general use, it would be the Compac 214GA, a long travel/large dial 0.0005" DTI. The best tenths indicator I know of is the Compac 215GA, also a large dial, easy to read tenths indicator. 

Similar in quality are the Interapid indicators from B&S. Many pro machinists swear by these. I own one of these, too, and they are fine indicators but I prefer the movement of the Compacs. Still, Interapids are top shelf indicators and will last you a lifetime in a hobby shop. 

For DI's, again, the Swiss are the best. Compac and B&S are top choices. Mitutoyo's are also good, the 0.0005" model 2776S being a decent one (I have used one for 15 years and its good), and it is repairable to boot. My best DI is a Compac 523LA; they are no longer made and are rare on the used market but it is the smoothest DI I have owned and if you ever find one, grab it. B&S indicators are made in the same factory as Compac's and Tesa's so all of their DI's are good but the older ones are the best if you can find them.

Starrett's Last Word indicators are good basic indicators. I own one of these, too, and have used it for over 35 years. As much hate as these things get, mine has been accurate and reliable. I don't use it anymore because I have better options but for a beginner hobbyist, it will do. They do tend to get magnetized over time and that causes sticking.

I suggest you go to the Long Island Indicator Service site and start reading. In every category, there is one or two "best" choices. Know what they are and start looking for them on ebay. If you are patient, you will find what you want at a good price.


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## bill stupak (Sep 21, 2020)

I have had success cleaning sticky indicators movements and parts with naptha.


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## Aukai (Sep 21, 2020)

I'll drop my pearl of wisdom here, I have a couple Compac DTIs, one looked a little grungy at the needle pivot, and I had some red Brakleen in hand. I was careful with the straw, and just spritzed the pivot. Well the fumes have all the numbers, and divisions totally vaporized, they're there but the ink is spread out making it useless. One of these days I'll send it in for a new face.


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## Razzle (Sep 21, 2020)

Thank you for all the good advice. I will look at all of these. I bought the long island indicator book on rebuilding the last word. But my hands aren't good with small parts anymore so I haven't done anything with it. I have a Logan 820 lathe and a sieg x2d mini mill. My struggle has been getting consistent readings when trying to tram the mill or reduce runout on the lathe. In fact, just squaring the mill vise is an exercise in frustration. I chase my tail for 2 or 3 passes and the find out the indicator was stuck. Guess I just need to bite the bullet and buy something of quality.

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## Tozguy (Sep 21, 2020)

Razzle said:


> have my eye on mititoyu but the prices are making me balk.


I know what you mean but the times I sprung for Mitutoyu I was happy forever after.


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## Splat (Sep 25, 2020)

I have a few and seem to trust my Mitutoyu the most. Don't know why,  honestly. I also like their micrometers. Go for tenths, even if you don't think you'll ever need tenths. Good luck.


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## Mtnmac (Sep 25, 2020)

mikey said:


> For DTI's, at least in my opinion, you cannot do better than the Swiss. Compac, Tesa, Brown & Sharpe produce some of the finest DTI's made. They move smoothly, accurately and with the least hysteresis of any indicator I have seen, even when compared to the best Mitutoyo dial indicators that I also own.
> 
> It may help to know what to look for. If I could only own one single DTI for general use, it would be the Compac 214GA, a long travel/large dial 0.0005" DTI. The best tenths indicator I know of is the Compac 215GA, also a large dial, easy to read tenths indicator.
> 
> ...


Good advice for Long Island Indicator.  A wealth of information and they do great work. I have had several repaired over the years.  Over my 39 year career as a machinist, I found that Swiss made indicators hold up the best.  I used B&S, Girod and Interapid.  I think the Interapid was the most versatile, and can be had for under $200 on sale.


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## ArmyDoc (Sep 25, 2020)

Which is preferred in a DTI, horizontal or vertical style?


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## middle.road (Sep 25, 2020)

ArmyDoc said:


> Which is preferred in a DTI, horizontal or vertical style?


One of each if you're lucky.
I use a vertical in the mill and a horizontal on the lathe.


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## petertha (Sep 25, 2020)

Another factor to consider is the ancillary hardware. Sometimes the dovetails or lugs or lug holes or stem diameters can vary just enough to drive you nuts trying to couple it to a mag base or indicator holder or lock arm or..... The euro ones may well be metric, but often times they can be imperial if sold for the NAm market. Some are offered in either/or flavors. So I'm saying kind of expand your thinking to try encompass the direction you want to go with the 'other stuff' that holds the actual indicator. You may want to screw on a lug back in one application vs a plain back in another.

I've kind of become a Mitutoyo fan boy. It just never has disappointed me & there is local catalog & repair/parts support. But if I lived in the States closer to the deals & more favorable currency, Starrett would be a good longstanding name where you can still get parts readily. I've had some Fowler & no-name brands in the past but they were hit & miss. Some perfectly fine & others... not so much. I'm turning into a buy-it-once kind of guy. Having said that, I bought a brand new Starrett bore dial gage a few years back & was underwhelmed. It was offshore, not USA & it showed in fit & finish. Apparently they are farming out (as do others depending on the instrument) but I would have preferred an oldy in that case.


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## Winegrower (Sep 26, 2020)

I have a random collection of indicators, Starrett, Federal, Teclock, no names, Harbor Freight, etc.   I had occasion to test all these, and found NO difference in accuracy.   All the 0.001 indicators were accurate to .001, and the couple of .0001 indicators were as close as my methodology could discern, comparing to a 1 micron DRO.   

Maybe you will feel better having an expensive indicator...I feel that way about my Mitutoyo digital micrometer.   And perhaps the brand names last longer, can’t say, since all mine all work.   But really, they are mainly trend indicators, and about as accurate as you could expect.   If you examine their construction, you can see that there are not too many causes of inaccuracy...if the dial goes around and comes back like it should, I believe it can be trusted to within a count or so.

If you have had other quantified results or experiences, I’d like to hear about them.


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## Mitch Alsup (Sep 27, 2020)

90%+ of my uses of dial indicators is nulling (making the whole part read zero).
For this kind of use the most important quality of the DI is lack of stiction.

Every once in a while I use a DI to measure "transit" (when I can't trust the dials).
Here actual accuracy is important.


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