Best Dial Test Indictor for the Money

Leagle

Leagle

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I am posting this thread here because the folks here seem to more represent my philosophy and what I am interested in than other segments. If I am posting here improperly, please accept my apologies. I am an attorney and therefore impaired.

I am in the process of building a shop and equipping it with a lathe and milling machine. Obviously, I am going to need several dial indicators in both 0.0005 and 0.0001 configurations. I already have several 0.001 indicators. The prices for dial test indicators are all over the map. I am of the opinion that you never go wrong by buying quality, but price and name brand do not always indicate quality. My question is this:

What is the best dial test indicator for the money?

Thanks for your response(s) and I realize that this is a "newbie" question.
 
The "best" is arguable and others will have their own opinions/preferences. The "best" DTIs in my book are made by Interapid. Any name brand DTI should serve you well, even an inexpensive import if you take care of it & especially for hobby work. Mitutoyos & Starretts are amongst the most popular but there are other name brands like Browne & Sharpe, Fowler, SPI, etc. Keep in mind that some of these companies have less expensive import versions too. I prefer Mitutoyo which most of my measuring tools are & I'd rather buy a used Mitu than buy a new cheap import when it comes to measuting tools. An Interapid DTI is on my list to get though.

(Moving this to the Metrology section.)
 
Agree with Senna on the link - do take a look because the folks at Long Island Indicator work on these day in, day out.

I have found two very practical differences between DTIs: force required and bezel friction.

1. Force required. One important difference between DTIs is the force required to deflect the point for measurement. The reason this matters is that you are exerting a force on the indicator holder as you measure. If your measurement takes a lot of force and your holder has a many bends and elbows to reach where you're measuring, you will deflect not just the point, but the whole indicator as the holding structure flexes. That will make your measurements inaccurate and not repeatable.

According to one test I've read, Interapids require about half the force of a Starrett Last Word; imported ones required about 2-3x more than the Starrett or 4-6x more than the Interapid. That would make Interapid a better choice.

2. Bezel friction. I have found that the bezels on good indicators turn smoothly and with little effort; friction is just enough to hold the bezel in place securely should you accidentally touch it.

If friction is too much, then you will once again distort the holder as you turn the bezel. That makes it very frustrating to zero the dial as the needle will always move when you make the adjustment.

I have found my imported indicators to be very difficult to use in this regard. The bezels turn with a dry and scratchy jerk and afterward the needle is nowhere near where it started. My Starrett is wonderful: the bezel turns smoothly and with little force. As I don't have an Interapid, I can't compare - but I would expect their bezels to turn like butter, too :)

Tom



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The other thing to consider is the size of the markings on the face of the DTI. Some quality indicators like Compac have models with larger markings that are easier to see by the unaided and admittedly older eye. I like the Compac 215GA for this reason. It is very smooth, takes very little pressure to move the tip and the dial turns smoothly and easily so it passes Therbig's test!

Most of the top quality DTI's are Swiss-made - Compac, Tesa, B&S, Interapid, Alina. Take a good look at the Mitutoyo line, too - they are quite good. I know some guys feel imports are just as good for the hobby shop and they're probably right but my Compacs and Mitutoyo indicators are just as smooth and accurate as they were 20 years ago so I'm happy with my choices.
 
mikey said:
Most of the top quality DTI's are Swiss-made - Compac, Tesa, B&S, Interapid, Alina. Take a good look at the Mitutoyo line, too - they are quite good. I know some guys feel imports are just as good for the hobby shop and they're probably right but my Compacs and Mitutoyo indicators are just as smooth and accurate as they were 20 years ago so I'm happy with my choices.
Click to expand...

Great point, mikey. I was sloppy in my choice of words: when I wrote "imports" I actually meant "low-cost Chinese."

As you point out, Interapid is Swiss and Mitutoyo is Japanese, so they are imports too (unless you live in Switzerland or Japan, respectively :) ). But they are obviously in a completely different class and I consider them of outstanding quality.

Tom
 
Best is a personal thing. I have Mitutoyo indicators and dial test indicators. I have had no complaints and for the money they are excellent. I have a friend on my street who works in a prototyping lab and has a colleague who is an authorized repairer of most of the big name brands in callipers and indicators. He has said on many occasions that the Mitutoyo indicators are extremely well constructed and that they have very robust mechanisms making them the best bang for buck.

For hobby use I believe that if you buy decent equipment it will likely not wear out. I have had my callipers and indicators for probably 10 years now and they have never missed a beat. I bought mine second hand too so who knows how many years they were in use in the manufacturing shop I purchased them from.

Paul.
 
Best is a subjective thing and to me the best LOOKING DTI ever made is this sweet Alina.
Alina K-21.jpg

It's also a good one with the vertical orientation and the long point but the style is fantastic and if I could find more I'd buy them.

Compac DTI.JPG Alina K-21.jpg
 
Last edited:
therbig said:
Great point, mikey. I was sloppy in my choice of words: when I wrote "imports" I actually meant "low-cost Chinese."

As you point out, Interapid is Swiss and Mitutoyo is Japanese, so they are imports too (unless you live in Switzerland or Japan, respectively :) ). But they are obviously in a completely different class and I consider them of outstanding quality.

Tom
Click to expand...

Nah, I knew what you meant, Tom, and agree with you. Its unfortunate that the US doesn't produce the quality that the Swiss and Japanese do. Starrett was good once upon a time and I have an old Last Word that I still like but it is nowhere near the quality of a Compac and that's the truth. Luckily, a top quality Swiss or Japanese DTI can be purchased on eBay for the price of a Chinese import ... may it always be so.
 
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