Decent brands of measuring tools for beginners?

Don't have to buy new. I'd rather buy used Mitutoyo or Starrett before new import. Doesn't have to be Mitu or Starrett either. Many of my measuring tools are just that, purchased used in great to new condition for excellent prices. Just have to be patient to find the deals.

Quality tools will last a long time, many imports can't be serviced at all. I've only had to have one of my measuting tools serviced, one of Mitu calipers but only cause my dumb arse dropped them & bent the tips. Sent it to Mitu, they fixed them & were as good as new when I got them back.
 
Buy used. Great deals to be had out there for older US, Japanese and Swiss made stuff
Mark
 
you won't ever go wrong with Japanese made- Mitutoyo (new or used- micrometers or indicators) :grin:
i love my antique JT Slocumb mics (.001" resolution micrometers)
I love my old Lufkin's too (.0001" and .001" resolution micrometers)
Tesa is another of my favorites (.0001" dial test indicator)
(old) Fowler is very reliable ( micrometers, dial indicators, dial test indicators)
Starrett is great stuff
Brown & Sharpe is excellent equipment
Federal is good equipment
Mahr is excellent equipment
Ames is well made equipment

if i can think of other stuff i have used, i'll add to the list
but any of the names above is good to go
 
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Scherr-Tumico is another (aka Tubular Mic Co before that).

Older SPI is not bad. Fowler used to be good (IMO). Fowler these days is just a reseller, many of their current products are just rebranded import stuff. Same with current SPI. Many of the current products labeled SPI are the same products labeled by Fowler.
 
I personally use Mitutoyo, Tesa, Mahr and Mauser measuring tools. Mahr, Tesa and Mauser may be a bit difficult for people in the New World to get a hold of but if you can find them, they are fantastic quality.
 
This is one of those fuzzy questions that are difficult to answer. Every person is different, especially the grade of work that they engage in. Or more specifically, the grade of standards. I can tell you what I use, but it may or may not be the right tool for what you do. Basically, I base every thing on price. Then use the highest tolerance tool applicable to what I am working on.

As a rule, building 1:87 models, I work within half a 64th inch, give or take. Usually, a vernier scale caliper is sufficient. As I age, especially the eyes, I become more dependent on dial calipers. If I have a project requiring tighter tolerances, I will use a B&S micrometer. There is a micrometer here that measures in 10ths, but I have only used it a few times over the 30 or so years I've had it. I bought it when times were flush and it was pretty, not because I needed it.

A dial caliper can be found on eBay, from $12 to near $100. Plus shipping, of course. I regularly purchase the low end calipers to give to friends, mechanics and the like. People to whom a 1/32 inch is problematic. That's 0.03125 inch... ... In those cases, accuracy is not that important. And a call you must make for yourself.

When doing cabinet work, for myself of course, a 1/32 error can be filled with paint. The norm is 1/64 of an inch. But that is unacceptable to one working on machinery, a full 0.015 plus a little. It all comes down to a couple of points, the primary one being just how tight you want to get the tolerances, The other being the brand of tool, Harbor Fright being near the low end of the scale, suitable for mechanics and framing carpenters.

My "advice" is like a butt hole, everyone has one and most of them smell pretty bad. I admire the "purist" that buys the best he can swing and only cries once. But I buy high end equipment only when I need it. Just never let it go, and doing so since the 70s, have quite a stock of good stuff that I don't use very often. But have it when I need it. My 10 cents worth, used to be 02 cents but inflation, ya know.

Bill Hudson​
 
If you are careful and patient you can (and will) find Starrett tools on Craigs List, Kijiji and ebay for less that half the price of new. I have been “tooling up” for 4 years, and am now at a point where I am satisfied that I have all the bases covered. I am exclusively Starrett and will say with 100% certainty that buying Starrett has equipped me with tools that have stood the test of time and are still going strong. If you buy cheap, you’ll buy twice..... or more. In the end when you buy the Starrett (or Mitutoyo) that you should have purchased in the first place, you see that you have spent at least 30% more than you had to, and you’ll have “made do” to that point.

Good luck......

Cheers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Shars entry level measuring tools are, I would say equivalent to or better than the harbor freight tools. They also have tools for the serious hobbyist and professionals. My favorite calipers are a Shars carbide jawed digital caliper that costed about $80.
 
martik777 said:
Avoid the cheap (~ $10) digital calipers, nothing but frustration. I highly recommend the igaging ez-view:

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/my-alternative-to-mitutoyo-calipers.77953/
Click to expand...

I recently bought an iGaging caliper and it seems to work well for my needs. I also bought a used Mitutyo height gauge from eBay for $120 that seems pretty nice even though the seller had no clue how to package a precision instrument.

However, I built many championship winning kart engines with my Harbor Freight calipers.

It all comes down to what you're making and how tight the tolerances need to be. There are a wide range of "hobby" machinists on this site, from retired toolmakers, to folks who are literally just beginning. Also, some people are able to spend tens of thousands on their hobbies while others really need those Harbor Freight coupons. Only you can decide where you're at. But, the iGaging caliper is $40 and many on here have found it suitable for their needs. Sure I'd love to have all high class tools but I'd rather be making chips now with what I've got.

Cheers,

John
 
There are lots of barely used quality tools available at reasonable prices. EBay has lots of Mitutoyo tools to choose from,
which offer good value for money. I also see quite a few micrometers on Craigslist locally in good condition.
 
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