# Recommend a good pocket calculator



## stioc (Jun 2, 2019)

Hey guys, I have several pocket calculators but none that's my go-to calculator. I really like my Calculated Industries https://www.amazon.com/Calculated-Industries-8510-ProjectCalc-Calculator/dp/B0011Z5VCK  that I got about 10yrs ago before getting into machining and fab work but it's missing the trig functions. They do have the 'pro' version and a machinist version but I'm leaning towards the 'pro' one. Or may be just a basic Casio/TI trig calculator.

Anyway, what do you guys use/like that have functions useful for fabrication/machining/DIY stuff?

Not looking for an app based calculator.


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## BtoVin83 (Jun 2, 2019)

I love my TI 83 but I think the TI 84 is sold


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## RJSakowski (Jun 2, 2019)

I have used Casio calculators for the last twenty years, at lest.  My FX270w plus is probably fifteen years old and still on the original battery despite almost daily use.  I have had a fx260 solar as well for more than a dozen years.A far cry from the $100+ TI SR50 that was my first scientific calculator back in the seventies, today's scientific calculators are available for around $10.

They all do the same job.  The differentiators are display size, key size.  You will most likely only need the trig functions in addition to the basic four banger.  TRhere are machinist's calculators available that also includ various machining related functions but they tend to be relatively expensive.


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## martik777 (Jun 2, 2019)

Take your pick:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=calculat...ix=calculators+sc,aps,187&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14 

I always have a desktop PC on in my shop - no end of calculators available
Realcalc for the phone


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## T Bredehoft (Jun 2, 2019)

I depend on my TI 36X - Solar, but I'm not sure they are still available.


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## Cooter Brown (Jun 3, 2019)

Amazon.com: Calculated Industries 8025 Ultra Measure Master Professional Grade U.S. Standard to Metric Conversion Calculator Tool for Engineers, Architects, Builders, Scientists and Students | 60+ Units Built-in: Home Improvement
					

Buy Calculated Industries 8025 Ultra Measure Master Professional Grade U.S. Standard to Metric Conversion Calculator Tool for Engineers, Architects, Builders, Scientists and Students | 60+ Units Built-in: Basic - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com
				




Or they have an app... I love the app....









						Ultra Measure Master - Apps on Google Play
					

The Ultra Measure Master for Android from Calculated Industries.




					play.google.com


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## Littlebriar (Jun 3, 2019)

Cooter Brown said:


> Amazon.com: Calculated Industries 8025 Ultra Measure Master Professional Grade U.S. Standard to Metric Conversion Calculator Tool for Engineers, Architects, Builders, Scientists and Students | 60+ Units Built-in: Home Improvement
> 
> 
> Buy Calculated Industries 8025 Ultra Measure Master Professional Grade U.S. Standard to Metric Conversion Calculator Tool for Engineers, Architects, Builders, Scientists and Students | 60+ Units Built-in: Basic - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
> ...


Wow, the app is impressive and it will now always be in my pocket. Thanks for the tip.


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## ThinWoodsman (Jun 3, 2019)

TI 89. It is definitely overkill, but every other calculator I had died after 5 or 10 years.


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## higgite (Jun 3, 2019)

T Bredehoft said:


> I depend on my TI 36X - Solar, but I'm not sure they are still available.


I can't believe somebody else still has one of those. I've lost track of how old mine is. At least 25 years. I use it every day. It might be a little big to be called a "pocket" calculator, but definitely no larger than hand held. Or a large pocket.

Edit: You might want to look at a Machinist Calc Pro 2. A little pricey and I’d say more handheld size than pocket size, but does a ton of machinist related calculations. I use mine a bit for machining and would use it for every day stuff if I didn’t already have the TI.

Tom


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## mmcmdl (Jun 3, 2019)

Solar TI-30 since my college days , it's all I need . I have about 5 of those higher end calcs from my kids that I can't figure out !


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## Winegrower (Jun 3, 2019)

I have an HP11C and an HP12C depending on whether it’s for business or pleasure.      

(Scientific 11C and financial 12C)


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## stioc (Jun 3, 2019)

RJSakowski said:


> I have used Casio calculators for the last twenty years, at lest.  My FX270w plus is probably fifteen years old and still on the original battery despite almost daily use.  I have had a fx260 solar as well for more than a dozen years.A far cry from the $100+ TI SR50 that was my first scientific calculator back in the seventies, today's scientific calculators are available for around $10.
> 
> They all do the same job.  The differentiators are display size, key size.  You will most likely only need the trig functions in addition to the basic four banger.  TRhere are machinist's calculators available that also includ various machining related functions but they tend to be relatively expensive.


One of the ones I have is a fx260 solar (don't like the solar only calcs but it's not too bad even in dim lighting). It works fine, even has fractions, basic trig functions but no built-in Pythagorean calculator that I'm aware of. I was looking at the $17 fx115Es that has really good reviews and seems to have a Pol button so I should be able to do pythagorean calcs quickly https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007W7SGLO/ 

Calculated industries have some very nice calcs, even with my cheapie I listed above I find it very useful when just adding numbers in different systems (feet+inches+yards etc) without doing the conversion first. I can do similar stuff with the fx260 but I have to know how many inches in a yard etc...so not fast/easy. I just can't decide if I should get the ever popular construction master pro (Desktop size sounds nice now that I'm past 40) or the machinist specific one that someone mentioned above. I usually don't look up feeds/speeds often though, it's the general conversions and Pythagorean, and trig functions.


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## homebrewed (Jun 3, 2019)

I often use a spreadsheet for machining calculations.  It's been useful because I can also include notes to explain (later to myself) what the thing does....as long as I remember to SAVE the spreadsheet 

The one negative about spreadsheets is the trig functions expect or return angles as radians.  There are radian<->degree conversion functions but you gotta remember to use them, and know which one to use.


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## MrWhoopee (Jun 3, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> Solar TI-30 since my college days , it's all I need . I have about 5 of those higher end calcs from my kids that I can't figure out !



TI-30 solar for me too. I have 2 or 3 of them over 30 years old. Never needed anything more.


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## Duke (Jun 4, 2019)

My favourite so far is the old HP 32SII. Although only for desk work at my PC.

I got this one while still in school - about 1990. It is still absolutely spotless.


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## stupoty (Jun 4, 2019)

BtoVin83 said:


> I love my TI 83 but I think the TI 84 is sold



theirs a free TI 89 emulator for android , you can download the rom from texas instraments.

Stu


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## stupoty (Jun 4, 2019)

stioc said:


> Hey guys, I have several pocket calculators but none that's my go-to calculator. I really like my Calculated Industries https://www.amazon.com/Calculated-Industries-8510-ProjectCalc-Calculator/dp/B0011Z5VCK  that I got about 10yrs ago before getting into machining and fab work but it's missing the trig functions. They do have the 'pro' version and a machinist version but I'm leaning towards the 'pro' one. Or may be just a basic Casio/TI trig calculator.
> 
> Anyway, what do you guys use/like that have functions useful for fabrication/machining/DIY stuff?
> 
> Not looking for an app based calculator.




I have a casio FX 83MS

It has a history / replay function that I find very helpful.

Caluculators seen at thrift shop / flee sale can be helpful , low cost = handy workshop oily hand fodder. 

Stu


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## matthewsx (Jun 4, 2019)

Sorry, couldn't resist....


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## Eddyde (Jun 4, 2019)

I often use the calculator app on my phone for regular and scientific also have a machinist specific app that has a bunch of handy calculators like Sine Bar, Bolt Circle, Speeds and Feeds, 3 Wire Thread measuring, etc.



matthewsx said:


> Sorry, couldn't resist....


Good one! I saw them live a few years back, definitely the most conservative rock show I've ever seen.


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## matthewsx (Jun 4, 2019)

Eddyde said:


> I often use the calculator app on my phone for regular and scientific also have a machinist specific app that has a bunch of handy calculators like Sine Bar, Bolt Circle, Speeds and Feeds, 3 Wire Thread measuring, etc.
> 
> 
> Good one! I saw them live a few years back, definitely the most conservative rock show I've ever seen.



I never saw Kraftwerk live but back when I was a working sound engineer this was my go-to for testing systems.

John


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## Bill_729 (Jun 4, 2019)

In general, many (all?) TI calculators are higher-priced because TI has pushed them into being the "standard" in education.  It's been a while since I checked, but there was a time when the only calculator you could take into an SAT or ACT exam were specific models of TI calculators.  Like I said, it's been a while since I checked, or priced TI calculators.  My dad brought home the first (HP) calculator I ever saw in the 60's. It did the 4 basic operations, as I recall, using what would be called "prefix" notation (operand first, number <enter> number<enter>), and not much more.  It was about $600 and required custom batteries.  I think that was almost 10% of his salary at the time. That was the first step after the slide rule.  At least things have improved.  : )


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## MikeInOr (Jun 5, 2019)

Robot Check
		


Unit conversion functions plus trig functions... to pricey for me though!


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## Bill_729 (Jun 5, 2019)

homebrewed said:


> The one negative about spreadsheets is the trig functions expect or return angles as radians.  There are radian<->degree conversion functions but you gotta remember to use them, and know which one to use.



All you have to remember is 2PI radians =360 degrees.  So divide by 360 or 2PI and you get
1 degree = PI/180 radians or
1 radian = 180/PI degrees.

Then for example, PI/3 radians = PI/3*(180/PI) degrees = 60 degrees.
As long as your angles are acute, or between 0 and 90 degrees,  there won't be any sign issues in your sine issues! : )


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## homebrewed (Jun 5, 2019)

Or use degrees() and radians().  Available in my spreadsheet, which is mostly Excel-like.


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## Downunder Bob (Jun 5, 2019)

When I was studying engineering we weren't allowed to use calculators only log tables and or slide rules, so I never bothered getting a serious calculator, on the odd occasion I need to do some calculations I use the calculator in my android phone , works good enough for me.


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## homebrewed (Jun 5, 2019)

Downunder Bob said:


> When I was studying engineering we weren't allowed to use calculators only log tables and or slide rules,



Not formally so for me, but the $400 for the first HP scientific calc (this was in the 70's) was an effective disqualification.  The slide rule I had was good enough for what was needed.  I remember a bucks-rich student using his calculator to give an answer down to 4 decimals (3.1412 or some such) , and the professor said that 3.1 was good enough.  So much for $400 vs $40 (and that was for a fancy slip stick)  

BTW I still have mine.


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## Bill_729 (Jun 5, 2019)

homebrewed said:


> Or use degrees() and radians().  Available in my spreadsheet, which is mostly Excel-like.



What do you do if the angle is given to you in mils and you wish to convert it to degrees?


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## matthewsx (Jun 5, 2019)

homebrewed said:


> Not formally so for me, but the $400 for the first HP scientific calc (this was in the 70's) was an effective disqualification.  The slide rule I had was good enough for what was needed.  I remember a bucks-rich student using his calculator to give an answer down to 4 decimals (3.1412 or some such) , and the professor said that 3.1 was good enough.  So much for $400 vs $40 (and that was for a fancy slip stick)
> 
> BTW I still have mine.



I have my dads slide rule. He sent men to the moon with that thing. 

Literally


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## Boswell (Jun 6, 2019)

I have a collection of TI, HP, K&E (slide rule) but in the shop I most often go to a LARGE Display with Large Button 4 function calculator because it is easy to use with oily fingers. When I need more than 4 functions It is ether a TI 36x (solar) or Excel.  I was in the Slide-Rule club in my high school in the Mid-70's I think that it was the last year that they had a slide-rule club.


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## matthewsx (Jun 6, 2019)

They made me use a slide rule for chemistry in 1982. Just barely passed the class, everyone else had circular rules and I was stuck with my dad's old straight one. He was a chemical/aeronautical engineer and insisted I take that class, I wanted to take "Machine Tool Technology". Wish I had been able to do both but now I understand why he insisted on chem....


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## homebrewed (Jun 6, 2019)

Bill_729 said:


> What do you do if the angle is given to you in mils and you wish to convert it to degrees?



If you're talking about a change of Y mils over a distance X:  angle = atan(Y/X).


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## MozamPete (Jun 6, 2019)

Duke said:


> My favourite so far is the old HP 32SII. Although only for desk work at my PC.
> 
> I got this one while still in school - about 1990. It is still absolutely spotless.


I had one of those back in the early 90's and loved it, but it was stolen after a couple of years and when I went to replace it it had been superseded by the 48G which I got and still use every day. But I did like the form factor of the 32S better.

I'm getting older and so used to it now I have been looking on ebay, etc for a spare in case something happens to it (before they become 'collectable' and too expensive)


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## whitmore (Jun 6, 2019)

stioc said:


> Hey guys, I have several pocket calculators but none that's my go-to calculator.


Yeah, me too.   I keep a few solar calculators (TI and Casio both are good) and a slide rule in the shop,
but when fingers are greasy... 'Siri, what is two plus two' will sometimes be the pocket calculator
interface of choice.


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## Bamban (Jun 6, 2019)

Downunder Bob said:


> When I was studying engineering we weren't allowed to use calculators only log tables and or slide rules, so I never bothered getting a serious calculator, on the odd occasion I need to do some calculations I use the calculator in my android phone , works good enough for me.



My friend, you are dating yourself. I still have my K&E sabre complete with the orange scabbard. Started school in 69.


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## hman (Jun 6, 2019)

One of my more amusing memories, while a chemistry student at U of Texas, was seeing an (obvious) engineering student with a calculator case on one hip and a slide rule case on the other.  That was in the early days of calculators, and battery life was limited.


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## Bill_729 (Jun 6, 2019)

homebrewed said:


> If you're talking about a change of Y mils over a distance X:  angle = atan(Y/X).



Not "miles", mils.  There are 6400 mils in a full rotation. Mils were more popular in an era where it was desired to eliminate "fractions" of a degree, to simplify the math.  On the average, you can express angles more accurately using mils rather than degrees, since 1 mil is about  1/18th of 1 degree.   They are still the "norm" in some environments. My main point is that if you are willing to learn the math, you can work yourself out of more problems.


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## Downunder Bob (Jun 7, 2019)

homebrewed said:


> Not formally so for me, but the $400 for the first HP scientific calc (this was in the 70's) was an effective disqualification.  The slide rule I had was good enough for what was needed.  I remember a bucks-rich student using his calculator to give an answer down to 4 decimals (3.1412 or some such) , and the professor said that 3.1 was good enough.  So much for $400 vs $40 (and that was for a fancy slip stick)
> 
> BTW I still have mine.


Me also, and I still occasionally use them.


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## Downunder Bob (Jun 7, 2019)

Bamban said:


> My friend, you are dating yourself. I still have my K&E sabre complete with the orange scabbard. Started school in 69.



Whose dating themself now, I finished school in 59 started my apprenticeship in 60 finished that in 66, 69 I was studying to become a marine engineer.


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## homebrewed (Jun 7, 2019)

And here I thought a "mil" was .001 inch.  I've been making stuff wrong for years


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## rock_breaker (Jun 7, 2019)

Excel spreadsheet then Casio fx 2200,  The Casio is at least 30 years old, maybe more. Battery life is good. I have a couple of books concerning machinist data and I like the challenge of doing the research and calculations.
Have a good day
Ray


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## Bill_729 (Jun 8, 2019)

homebrewed said:


> And here I thought a "mil" was .001 inch.  I've been making stuff wrong for years



Since you brought it up, I heard a friend call .00001" a "mil".  I said that .000001" would make more sense to me.  He did not have an explanation, but it was apparently the termination they used where he worked. Maybe someone here can resolve this, or provide us with further insight!

Bill_729


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## Z2V (Jun 8, 2019)

I think you are correct Bill


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## Bill_729 (Jun 8, 2019)

Z2V said:


> I think you are correct Bill



Thank you for the vote of confidence.  Your attachment shows my reasoning. 
Do you "know" that this is the terminology used in the field?  (I'm just an innocent bystander! ha)


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## Z2V (Jun 8, 2019)

I took up the hobby when I retired from a 40 year career in a different trade. I never worked as a machinist so I can not answer your question. I’m sure others will add to the conversation


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