The fact that Mitutoyo draws ~15-25 times less standby current is enough of a deciding factor for me alone. Steady use over 5 years with quality batteries probably narrows the price gap significantly. In my experience the grind quality and hardness of the jaws is also far superior, and that is probably where a lot of the manufacturing cost comes in (not to mention Japanese quality assurance). The cheap ones are OK for a beater/woodworking pair, but I just prefer to support quality companies making nice tools.
You know, I thought that would be my conclusion going into this. But you can buy a large pack of batteries for next to nothing. I grab the Neikos more than any of the others. I cannot honestly say that the Mitutoyos feel like the highest quality. They don't feel as good as some of the others.
@@RobertCowanDIY do you know for sure your Mitutoyo’s are genuine? I have 4 pair of Mitu’s. I bought my last pair really cheap, like, $40 instead of the usual $130-so then I ended up with first hand knowledge about the fakes. They are really close fakes but they don’t feel as smooth and the color is slightly different when you compare side by side. Case is just slightly different. Paperwork was the same. I’m guessing they have the cheap $25 caliper electronics in them. They do seem just as accurate. I’ve seen somewhere how the battery draining will cause bad measurements on the cheap ones (only when the battery is low).
@@davidawaters For sure? No. I have no reason to believe they're not genuine. I think the power test pretty much proves it. I think the easier explanation is it's not THAT hard to make a smoother and better feeling tool for less than $130. If they had 'cheap electronics', the current draw test would have shown that. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, they're not as well made as the cheaper ones. I need to test the low battery theory. I've heard many people say this, I can test that with the bench power supply. Feed it slightly less voltage and see how they perform. Honestly, I just feel that sometimes you don't always get what you pay for. I think in this case (for hobbyists at least), there's no reason to buy the Mitutoyos. Maybe just get the cheaper ones and some spare batteries. If you buy the $25 calipers and spend $15 on batteries, you'll be good for 5 years.
@@RobertCowanDIY yeah I didn’t think about how low the current draw is on yours. I bet they are real. It’s a shame if the quality is dropping on them. Mutitoyo is all I’ve ever seen at the jobs I’ve had, so when I started a design/engineering/machining business, that’s all I really considered. I do also have a cheap $25 set or two and they seem fine. Good for scribing with. 😂
@@RobertCowanDIY Maybe the "fake" Mitutoyos are like a "3rd shift" fake in that they use genuine parts, but are just assembling the ones that didn't meet QC normally
I have an 8" Neiko I use for work that I really love. The case really is great. I work in a manufacturing environment and sometimes I don't want to carry around a huge clipboard or toolbox on the factory floor, so I use that long slot to hold a pencil and tuck a tiny notepad into the lid.
At home I have a NEIKO I really like, glad to see it made the top 3 of your options here. At work where they didn't care what I spent I got a solar powered Mitotoyo which is like $230 but literally never ever needs a battery swap. It also has no on/off button, its just on whenever the case is open and it's exposed to light. Kinda weird that it basically needs to live in the dark to turn off but it definitely works and feels great.
Knowing now that they make a solar powered caliper, and considering how cheap and ubiquitous solar powered calculators are, it seems absurd to me that the cheaper brands don't have solar on them.
I have found that the cheaper ones have a much less accurate ID measurement. I bought the ip54 waterproof version of the qfun and it has been decent for the price. My eyes don't work so well any more up close so I like the big display.
@15:00 LoL... Explains my experience from when I switched over from a Burgwächter to Mitutoyo Calipers... In the comparable brief time of owning the BW I had to swap out the Batteries like 4-5 times despite the Caliper having an auto shutoff function which obviously always happened at times when I couldn't get a replacement battery sending me into a rage. I'm now in my 2nd year of the Mitutoyo - which will remain on until you turn em off ( which I _constantly_ forget to do thanks to the BW 😑 ) - and I'm still on the 1st battery it shipped with 🥰
Great timing. I’ve had a Husky brand digital caliper (from Home Depot for about $30, if I remember right) for quite a few years now. It was a huge upgrade from the basic-basic caliper I had prior and I use it all the time. I’ve done my best to take care of it- I store it in the case and I’ve dropped it maybe once. But, recently the battery cover has become loose and it likes to randomly reset itself while measuring something, unless I handle it insanely delicately and/or hold the battery cover down while using it, which isn’t always convenient and doesn’t always work. I’ve tweaked the battery contacts, I’ve used a bit of dielectric grease on the contacts, I’ve even taped the damn cover down with various types of tape, but nothing works well long-term, so it’s about time I buy a new one. Edit: I really like the Qfun. I like the bigger display and, honestly, like that it uses a cr2032 battery. I have a bunch of cr2032 devices, so I have a ton of extra batteries on hand, and even have some rechargeable cr2032 cells, so the extra power draw (at least initially) isn’t too concerning. Plus, the IP rating is interesting. I don’t recall ever needing to use my calipers in wet/dusty conditions, but it’s kind of nice to know it’s there if I ever need it.
Robert, nice review overall, but I would have liked to have you comment on two other features, 1. Does the unit auto turn off and then turn on with just a slide of the head, 2. Does the unit power up and refresh with the last known position, or do you have to zero the unit out each time you power on, this is a nice feature that is on the Shars Aventor calipers, plus they have that nice feel and glide like the Mitutoyo.
I was an aerospace machinist working in job shops for twenty years. At 5:49, look at the Neiko inside jaw surfaces. Worst condition of surfaces I have ever seen. Were these used as a crescent wrench? LoL.
The mitutoyo is my favorite , I have a knockoff Mitutoyo also, and it works surprisingly well, but the fit and finish isn’t up to par, and the battery runs out much faster . great info , thanks !
Thanks for the video ! I have the new style HF and the old style HF . They both eat batteries like batteries are free . I got tired of running to DG for batteries and just ordered an 8 inch Shars dial caliper .
Batterylife is something that made a huge difference for me. I have my mitutoyo about 8 years now and it is really smooth and I replaced the battery 2 times (last time is 3 months ago) so 3-4 years with a battery with regular use is really nice in my opinion
Good day, thank you very much, for a very detailed review and very thorough tests. Especially, a test with weights, weighing the smoothness of the course. Have a nice day and good luck
This is a pretty good review. i still have a mechanical caliper set that I inherited from my grandfather. And for what little I use it, never bothered with a digital set. Now that I know they may run down batteries while sitting, it would be annoying for it to be dead every time I reached for it the rare time I would need it.
@@RobertCowanDIY No that is not nearly as bad as i thought it would be. I have plenty of things I need to change cells on regularly. But given how little i need calipers it still stands a good chance of them being dead every time i need to use them. lol. But certainly for anyone that uses them regularly that is of no issue. But i also have to consider that if I had digital calipers I may find more uses for them rather than usually going for a ruler and not fussing with the mechanical set that I have.
I have both the harbor freight and the mitutoyo calipers. One issue I have with the mitutoyo is it seems quite sensitive to the cleaness of the rail, and the reading would mess up at around 100mm if I dont clean the rail regularly. It doesnt seem to be a problem on the harbor freight one, even when it is dropped in the machine oil.
Excellent research and valuable info about the constant current consumption of the cheap calipers! And no one sells calipers with a small mechanical switch. Interestingly, I recently got the cheapest Tool Shop brand digital caliper from Menards and that one draws only 0.5 micro Amp in the OFF state, which is perfect. The common batteries LR44 (AG13) are alkaline and they leak sometimes. That's why calipers with lithium cells is a great idea.
I have had an Insize digital caliper (respected Indian manufacturer sold by tooling suppliers for professionals) but they have gone defective after seeral years. I like the review conducted here although being in the UK I cannot relate to any bar the Mitutoyu. The close relationship of the power consumption data (and many thanks for including this important data set) leads me to conclude that the circuit in all $20-30-ish calipers is essentially the same - perhaps some are the same. I think that perhaps the Insize is the same because I was always (it seemed to me) having to change the battery. I have thus decided that I am going to splurge £140 on a pair of Mitutoyu Dial Calipers with 1mm/rev and 0.01mm resolution. My model engineering club has Mitutoyu dial calipers and they are a joy to use - AND THEY NEVER NEED A BATTERY!!!
repeatability of measuring something would have been nice to do. I use a Hornady in my reloading process. You can measure the overall length of a cartridge 3 times and get 3 different numbers.
Dial calipers are best simply for the fact they don’t walk away from your desk…and if they do the culprit usually returns them to ask how you use them. Metric/Imperial combo dials help this.
The Digital Caliper Shootout video is interesting. I tend to store the cheaper micrometer I have with a piece of paper isolating the battery, as it drains the battery otherwise. RE-Tormusk Micrometer (used in video) Robert did you ever do a micrometer shootout? Do folk tend to just use Calipers now (May 2024)? Any advise would be appreciated.
I just picked up a WEN caliper and after a bit of break in its every bit as smooth as much pricier ones. Noticably better contrast and vieweing angles. Virtually no slop, making measurements easy (especially with the smooth motion) Only issue is they need to be powered on for every use, they dont automatically power on when moving. Although if you power it on after moving it will know its new position 🤔
One of the best reviews i've ever seen - only critique is no mention of which model/type was used for each manufacturer...? Otherwise a very good review👍
The QFun looks good, I like the idea of having a large display. Some reviews suggest the caliper doesn't have fractions. Others say the same caliper isn't available. Does anyone have any feedback on the QFun Caliper now (May 2024) ?
an update or even a new video would be great! it would be great to see some new contenders, conclusions youve reached since this video, testing improved with viewers suggestions (like testing ID measurement accuracy/consistency, mentioning if calipers have absolute function, better current consumption resolution etc.)
Honestly, the Neikos are great. They're my 'everyday' calipers and the Mitutoyos are in the shop. They're nearly identical except for the buttons are easier to push on the Neiko, which is why they live at my computer.
Seems like everyone tests for 1” and greater. I’ve found my Neiko’s do fine when they measure over 5mm. However as a watch repair hobbyist I need something that is super precise at 1.0mm and below. My Neiko’s seem to be off by as much as .2mm at those ranges. Just invested in a set of feeler gauges to see how far they are off at the sub 1mm scale.
I have had the NEIKO brand for several years. I soldered on a AAA battery a few years ago and it still is working perfectly. Its so cheap and the only thing is i lost the slides and the thumb screw so it slides weird and you cant hold the position
i have a pittsburgh that looks like the neiko and tormach. given they all have similar power draws, they're probably all the same caliper from the same factory. i always store it with the battery removed.
It looks like some of them jumped size a bit when moved fast. Having auto shut down time and what they wake up to (absolute or incremental) would have been great additions as well, but ultimately I think your findings generally sum up what I've observed with cheap vs expensive. I use Fowler 54-100-008-2 8" calipers as they were cheaper then mitutoyo and seem to be just as good (6 years old now used daily as a machinist by trade)
Huh, I think the jumping is maybe just the screen refresh from the camera? I have used all of these pretty heavily and haven't noticed any issues. I only wanted to review stuff I am very familiar with.
@@RobertCowanDIY if you slide them back and fourth fast, many cheaper options will jump as they have a distance/time limit. I've never found expensive options do this, but many cheap ones will
@@RobertCowanDIY yup, 0 it properly, move it back and forth fast and see if it's out by an amount at 0. We're not taking like a thou or 2, but usually 100 thou or more, sometimes negative too.
Everyone is mentioning the iGauging brand off Amazonia so… I’ll mention them too!: They ARE very nice finish. Surprisingly smooth action for the price ($33-$40 for the EZcal. class of iGauging calipers. I ordered the 4” version as I seldom measure out beyond 3 or 4 inches so why carry around extra anything!? On that note I’ve decided to return them for a couple reasons: 1. The 4” caliper is less comfortable in the hand as soon as you measure out 2 or more inches, my hand hold simply runs out of comfortable holding room and the bottom of my palm ends up pressing against the depth gauge bar! 2. The tips of the main (outside measuring) jaws points are off center! The tips are SLIGHTLY different, one tip fatter than the other. That being said they close perfectly and hit zero literally EVERY time. 3. I HATE HATE HATE the battery tray. When closed it does NOT seat flat and flush against the top of the scream housing and it drives me nuts. It LOOKS cheap! They should close with a firm, flush and and nearly audible snap for secure closure. In conclusion I feel I may be splitting hairs and may be showing obsessive compulsive tendencies but they are annoying little things that ultimately added up to my decision to return them. BUTT! For all intensive purposes the 4” and the 6” seem to be very good quality and do exactly what they’re designed to do and will serve their owners well. I also have a set of the digital Harbor Freight Pittsburgh 6” and they were just as accurate within half a thou! They are not nearly as smooth as the iGauging EZcal’s but they measured up the same! If I’m measuring and scratching I’m using these! And they’ve always worked. I’m guessing the “Pitts” brand can be disassembled and properly cleaned and they’d be a lot smoother. So, if youre making a living with your calipers then sure, pony up the bones for the Mitutoyo noize makers of some Starrett action mess! For everything else iGauging, “Pitts”, etc. will do the job easily within a thou. So, go with what’s comfortable!
The only thing I would have liked to see is how often do you need to zero them out? For instance, slide it back and forth a few times and then when closed, how close to 0 is it still?
I'm starting to feel like a shill for igaging, as this will be the second time this month I've mentioned them... I think you should check them out and I would be interested to hear how they compare with top quality gear like the Mitutoyo? I don't actually own any Mitutoyo, but the igaging are streets ahead of any of the other cheapo things that I own (about 3 other types). I bought both the Ezcal (cheaper model) and the more expensive model (can't remember it's name?), personally I preferred the cheaper Ezcal as it auto turns off. I don't notice either of them ever deviate from zero when returning to them after some time. In contrast I notice the cheaper of my cheapos are usually floating around 0.02mm ish off from zero depending on temp. So the igaging are significantly less affected by temp About the most accurate things I own are some 25-50-75 blocks (1-2-3 blocks in metric land) and I can only check the 25mm dimension as that's the largest micrometer that I own. The igaging calipers seem to be around the expected reading, give or take 0.01mm or so. So accuracy is plausibly reasonable. I believe the company also sell inexpensive scales for CNC machines? I think they use capacitive sensors, which clearly work out cheaper than glass scales. There are some videos on youtube of satisfied machine builders using them (but equally chinese glass scales have gotten so cheap recently...)
@@RobertCowanDIY my point is that I don't have a mitutoyo to compare but... They have very decently ground edges. The cheaper ones have noticeable difference depending where on the jaws you measure The top and bottom depth measure points are accurately ground. My cheap ones I have to re zero when using the tail depth guage Tension in the slider is very good and consistent. On the cheaper ones I see a good 0.03mm change if I tension the wheel. On the igaging there is more like 0.01mm change if you change the tension. The cheaper ones can be adjusted with a grub screw on the upper side though. This affects the smoothness of the slide (which I think you measured) Vs accuracy under pressure. I guess be careful of penalising smoothness of action since (ignoring cheaper ones being full of grinding dust) the designs use a grub screw to balance smoothness Vs accuracy under tension I've no idea how good they are against a decent marque. However for incremental money they are loads better than the generic cheapos!
@@RobertCowanDIY Igaging OriginCal calipers have excellent standby current. Measured mine at ~1.6uA. About 20uA when running. With CR2032 battery life is excellent. One pair from 2017 is still is on original battery and they included a spare. If you can't justify Mitutoyo, Igaging is probably the nicest cheap alternative. Igaging includes cal certificate, so less chance you'll have to be china's QC. I like Neiko for their bit sockets, but Igaging calipers are far better than Neiko. You should also try and include Shars Aventor in the next review. I saw very good opinions about them. They also come with cal certificate and you can purchase with additional calibration from accredited lab. Newer HF calipers I bought were barely usable. At best maybe to check drill bits. Full of grinding dust, readings/zero randomly shifting a little and absolutely zero deburring so they cut hand during use. Waste of time and money.
I just replaced my digital calipers after the one I've owned for 25 years finally died. I got a cheap "Jiavarry" brand from Amazon and looks similar to the Harbor Freight model. It's OK, but was a bit disappointed with how floppy the thumb wheel was. My old unit was far tighter.
It would have been good if you had shown the display options (mm, decimal inches, fraction). My old HF battery lasted about 10 years before I had to put in the spare. Down side is no fraction display and flexible readings.
Fair. In short, every single one displays metric or imperial. A few of them display fractions, but for me that's never really been a useful feature, since it's always rounding up or down. Like, what is 47/128"? Also, these things are just listed in the specs, I was trying to compare things you can't see on the features/specs page.
@@RobertCowanDIY as an American woodworker, fractions are the most important measurement, and at least 1 caliper will round to nearest fraction if you want it to instead of 47/128th. Those fractions are no help to me and just as helpful as 0.468". Your review was very comprehensive. Thanks.
@@kenerickson4923 Interesting! I found the fraction display useless, because the display continually jumps to different denominators. But what WOULD be good is a display where you can set the finest fraction you want to see (that you're familiar with, say 1/8 or 1/16) and then it would display the decimal number of those for accuracy. So instead of 47/128, you get 5.875/16 or somesuch.
just watched new CNC Kitchen's video about calibration cube where he urges viewers to always use PROPER calipers (like mitutoyo aos from his affiliate link). dude, i got my ender 3 for around $170 so not much more than mitutoyos. i'm using my granddads vernier calipers and micrometers and i would like a nice pair of mitutoyo calipers but this is absolutely crazy. you need to open peoples eyes Robert
Ugh, yeah. That was a bit strange, especially when you consider that most calipers are greater accuracy and precision that what he's seeing as tolerances from the printer. If you can't adjust out 0.01mm, than you don't need to measure better than that. I usually like him, but that seems a bit silly. The Neikos are PERFECTLY fine for most things. Getting better than 0.01mm requires you to take temperature into account and you should probably be using micrometers instead.
Yes, that's what it is. "Force" was just a bit easier to say. But yes, closing force (assuming the weight of the calipers, which was nearly identical for all of them).
The test is only measuring the sliding force, plus the weight of the stationary jaw that's actually sitting on the weigh scale. The weight of the other jaw plus electronics is included in the force going into the slide friction. So the scale measure sliding force + say one-third of the caliper's overall weight.
There are a couple of technologies for measuring encoders, their combination gives the main differences in electronics plus the quality of manufacturing of the mechanical part. this together defines the caliper. 1. glass base or fiberglass (influence of temperature, glass is more stable) 2. absolute counting or incremental. the latter has restrictions on movement speed (about 3m/s) and usually there is no complete shutdown, only the screen. and when turned on, it also checks the positions more often, which also results in increased energy consumption. 3. capacitive or inductive sensor. only induction does not react to liquids (IP76 ). The Chinese have had absolute capacitive ones for a long time and not so long ago they had induction ones, as soon as absolute induction ones appear, then in terms of electronics there will be no fundamental differences with brands. I have a Chinese TERMA with an absolute capacitive line, current consumption is 24 μA on and 1.5 μA off, which with its 2032 batteries is a year of operation and 15 years when turned off :) a check that will easily show the difference in manufacturing accuracy: tighten the fixing screw until it is not fully stif and move the carriage along the entire length of the caliper; if the force everywhere is the same, then it’s good, but if it sticks at all, then it’s bad.
Thanks for the info! In terms of the build quality, they're closer than you might think. The Neiko is VERY similar to the Mitutoyo in terms of feel. Some have some sticky spots as you mention but the Neiko feels almost identical to the Mitutoyo and I actually end up using it more often because the buttons on the Mitutoyo are tiny and difficult to press (most likely on purpose)
Fast opening and closing the cheaper ones usually makes them fail. The Mitutoyo (if legit) are worth buying. But my choice is the IGaging brand, as good as Mitutoyo .
I think I'm going to collect all these rumors and do another test.... opening and closing them fast makes them fail?! Really? I've never experienced that. How fast? How many Gs are we talking about here?
@@RobertCowanDIY Had a cheap caliper that would loose track of position while being used. They were only 3 months old. also ended up with a copied Mitutoyo that didn't last long either. Didn't realize until later that it was a copy. but i guess your the expert.
Nice review; however, you did miss a very important accuracy test. The 'inside measurement'; a common use of the calipers and it does need to be the same as the outside measurement.
Yeah, the upside is if you move them around when they're off, you'll still get an accurate reading. The 'off' button really just turns off the screen. Thankfully the batteries are really cheap and readily available.
If the accuracy of the calipers is .001 inches, then just because the calipers display .0005 does not mean that the caliper can measure to half a thousandth of an inch. They aren't that accurate, yet the reviewer states that some of the calipers are half a thousandth off. You can't say that. The calipers don't support the statements in terms of accuracy.
Did I miss it? Which calipers have auto OFF functionality? And which do not turn themselves off? Of all the details from various calipers, auto off is one that is really missed when not there, and that is functionality that is missing from certain higher models as well as lower models that I cant believe is scrimped on!
Low-end calipers with relative encoders never actually turn off - the on/off button just toggles the screen, but doesn't meaningfully reduce power consumption. Some cheap calipers do actually switch off, but you need to re-zero them every time you turn them on. For the most part, auto-off is just a mildly annoying gimmick. As shown in the video, the Mitutoyos draw 3x less current when switched on than any of the other calipers when they're switched "off". Some of the less expensive brands do offer calipers with absolute encoders, but they aren't all that much cheaper than Mitutoyos. If you're concerned about battery life, my suggestion would be to either buy once and cry once with the Mitutoyos, or go for calipers with a CR2032 and buy a cheap bulk pack of cells. Calipers that run on LR44s will last vastly longer with SR44s because of the flatter voltage curve. Failing that, dial calipers have no batteries to go flat.
cost and size is my guess. 100mah of lithium ion batt would add something like $10 to $15 to the build cost, plus the charging circuit. And would be double to triple the size.
@@KevinSatterthwaite surely that estimate is a bit high. I regularly buy 2000+mah lithium ion cells for under $10, and basic TP4056 chargers can be had for cents on aliexpress. I reckon it would add closer to $5 extra if that; a premium I would happily pay to avoid dealing with constant battery replacement and having to make sure I have spare coin cells handy at all times.
@@m1llie_ and you think a manufacturer will pass those savings onto the consumer?who the heck wants to have something the size of 18650 on a caliper. Sure it will last a long time. But chonky is all i can think of.
@@KevinSatterthwaite I wouldn't actually use a 2000+mah cell in a pair of calipers. It was just a price reference. A little ~300mah pouch cell would work pretty great; the sort of thing they used to use in iPod Shuffles. There are also coin-shaped rechargable cells used in true wireless earphones which can hold about the same amount of energy as an LR44. Smartwatch battery could be a good option too.
I think what makes the difference with these cheaper calipers (especially the harbor freight brands) is the dies they use in the manufacturing process. The cheaper calipers can be very usable for most people, if you're a machinist you probably want something better. But... as they create millions of units of these, those dies wear out. If you can buy one of these cheaper brands when they're first introduced, you're probably going to get a decent tool. But after the unit has been out for a few years, those dies get trashed and because they're cheap, they don't order new dies until the old dies are unusable. So if the model has been out for a few years, the quality goes way way down. So whenever I see a new tool like this show up at Harbor Freight, I snap it up. But I know, in a year or two, that same model will likely be junk even though the original was decent.
I'm not sure there is any stamping here. These are all most likely ground. You may be right on some other tools, but these aren't just stamped steel or die cast.
IMO anything that uses little LR44 etc coin cells is pretty basic, they just about all do the auto-on thing and are constantly killing their own cells, also those types of cells leak a lot more often than CR2032's it seems like, so dead batteries or totally dead caliper attacked by battery acid is often what you end up with at some point when least convenient. I keep cheap ones like those around and modded them to have little SPDT kill-switches so they can't drain themselves. I pull my "IGAGING" ones out if I need any verifiable accuracy though.
@@RobertCowanDIY fair, perhaps that says more about the quality of LR44 cells, or lack thereof, that I've just had on-hand then. Panasonic makes some of the better cr2032 cells at least. Where do you source your LR44s from? Probably just time to rotate all mine out.
No mention of the Mitutoyo’s absolute measurement? If the battery is low or you move too quickly, many other digital calipers will lose steps and can’t be relied upon. Do any of the other calipers use the same principle as the Mitutoyo? That why I watched your video, and likewise why you’re getting a thumbs down from me.
I've heard that from a few people and haven't experienced that myself. I went and tested the others and none of them do that. So it's not something I'm familiar with or can replicate. Maybe significantly older calipers experience that?
It's just a tool, not a religion. I grab the Neikos more than any of the others. The fact the Mitutoys don't turn off really bugs me, and the buttons are much smaller and harder to actually press.
@@RobertCowanDIY I’ve got a coolant proof set of the Mitutoyos and they have a 20 minute auto off feature which is nice. My gripe with the lower end stuff is quality control. Each one might be slightly different. Consistency is everything if you are trying to make money as a machinist.
@@RobertCowanDIY I’ve got two pair of Fowler digital calipers. A 6 and 12 inch pair. The 6” pair are off by .002” on the internal anvils due to a poor grind. The 12” pair are fine. Just one guys experience. But I’ve never had a single issue with the name brand stuff and have dozens of their instruments. Again for hobby stuff/prosumer I think the import stuff ia great as long as you have some standard to check them against. I recently found your channel and dig it. Makes me want to build a battle bot.
when the cheap calipers get low on battery they will give out bad readings the mitutoyo has a battery indicator, but will still give good readings. also at 4:00 the mitutoyo does reads in 1/2 thousands. all the digits are the same size it's less confusing like that. idk how you got confused. to me the ones with different sized digits just belong in the trash. so unpleasant to read the screen.
@@RobertCowanDIY ikr. I try my best to buy American-made but what you said is spot-on. Plus even trying to find stuff that is made in America anymore is difficult
Honestly, I like nice thick callipers. It just makes it easier to make it perfectly flat by a c***hair to what I'm measuring, (if what I'm measuring is close enough to "true/flat". Other than that? Of course, smooth threads and zero "play", combined with smooth travel along the rail make up the rest of what I call good'n'uff for the women I go with.😉🤷♂️ Thanks for the vid bud.
Fair, but my Neikos are almost 10 years old and just fine as well. I just don't think digital calipers are really all THAT challenging to make, so I'm not sure the extra cost for the Mitutoyos is really worth it for most people.
Do NOT get the cheap Harbor Freight calipers. I only got to use them twice before the screen started freaking out and giving me random numbers. I can't even read the fake numbers, because the lines do not fully form. JUNK. I always kept them in their case, but another point against them is the fact that the spreader jaws were out of calibration from the clamping jaws.
The only people should be concerned about accuracy are Machinists. If you work with wood, DIY's or auto work then +/- .001 is NOT an issue unless you're dealing mental issues (obsession).
You missed consideration of durability and usability (size of head to access workpieces). The large display of the Qfun is useless, and if it's glass-based like some others I've had also very fragile. I've broken the large display on a pair that looks to that with a light accidental tap against a lathe chuck. You don't need a big display - it just needs to be large enough to be read easily. A compact unit is also more convenient when taking measurements of mounted workpieces and again, the Qfun is way bigger than it needs to be. So I don't agree with your conclusions at all.
Because of the way digital function, there is no difference in accuracy!! Come on. Accuracy has nothing to do with the fact that these calipers are digital. I am done with this video. This is an example of bad information on the internet.
maybe you should watch that video.. *17 Warning Signs Your Mitutoyo Calipers Are Fake* by: Clough42 Mitutoyo reviews i seen with sound vs the cheaper but same looking the Mitutoyo where sooo quite and smooth
I've seen it, mine are real. They're smooth, but so are many of the other brands. I love overpriced tools as much as the next guy, but for the home machinist/hobbyist, this is one of the tools that I just can't find a justification for.
The fact that Mitutoyo draws ~15-25 times less standby current is enough of a deciding factor for me alone. Steady use over 5 years with quality batteries probably narrows the price gap significantly. In my experience the grind quality and hardness of the jaws is also far superior, and that is probably where a lot of the manufacturing cost comes in (not to mention Japanese quality assurance). The cheap ones are OK for a beater/woodworking pair, but I just prefer to support quality companies making nice tools.
You know, I thought that would be my conclusion going into this. But you can buy a large pack of batteries for next to nothing. I grab the Neikos more than any of the others. I cannot honestly say that the Mitutoyos feel like the highest quality. They don't feel as good as some of the others.
@@RobertCowanDIY do you know for sure your Mitutoyo’s are genuine? I have 4 pair of Mitu’s. I bought my last pair really cheap, like, $40 instead of the usual $130-so then I ended up with first hand knowledge about the fakes. They are really close fakes but they don’t feel as smooth and the color is slightly different when you compare side by side. Case is just slightly different. Paperwork was the same. I’m guessing they have the cheap $25 caliper electronics in them. They do seem just as accurate. I’ve seen somewhere how the battery draining will cause bad measurements on the cheap ones (only when the battery is low).
@@davidawaters For sure? No. I have no reason to believe they're not genuine. I think the power test pretty much proves it. I think the easier explanation is it's not THAT hard to make a smoother and better feeling tool for less than $130. If they had 'cheap electronics', the current draw test would have shown that. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, they're not as well made as the cheaper ones. I need to test the low battery theory. I've heard many people say this, I can test that with the bench power supply. Feed it slightly less voltage and see how they perform. Honestly, I just feel that sometimes you don't always get what you pay for. I think in this case (for hobbyists at least), there's no reason to buy the Mitutoyos. Maybe just get the cheaper ones and some spare batteries. If you buy the $25 calipers and spend $15 on batteries, you'll be good for 5 years.
@@RobertCowanDIY yeah I didn’t think about how low the current draw is on yours. I bet they are real. It’s a shame if the quality is dropping on them. Mutitoyo is all I’ve ever seen at the jobs I’ve had, so when I started a design/engineering/machining business, that’s all I really considered. I do also have a cheap $25 set or two and they seem fine. Good for scribing with. 😂
@@RobertCowanDIY Maybe the "fake" Mitutoyos are like a "3rd shift" fake in that they use genuine parts, but are just assembling the ones that didn't meet QC normally
I have an 8" Neiko I use for work that I really love. The case really is great. I work in a manufacturing environment and sometimes I don't want to carry around a huge clipboard or toolbox on the factory floor, so I use that long slot to hold a pencil and tuck a tiny notepad into the lid.
At home I have a NEIKO I really like, glad to see it made the top 3 of your options here. At work where they didn't care what I spent I got a solar powered Mitotoyo which is like $230 but literally never ever needs a battery swap. It also has no on/off button, its just on whenever the case is open and it's exposed to light. Kinda weird that it basically needs to live in the dark to turn off but it definitely works and feels great.
Knowing now that they make a solar powered caliper, and considering how cheap and ubiquitous solar powered calculators are, it seems absurd to me that the cheaper brands don't have solar on them.
@@nefariousyawn true
Neiko now makes a large screen version that has some different modes and can do fractions (for those freedom units).
I happen to have the Mitutoyo at work. It works brilliantly. I don't have anything to compare it to though. All of these would probably be fine.
I have found that the cheaper ones have a much less accurate ID measurement. I bought the ip54 waterproof version of the qfun and it has been decent for the price. My eyes don't work so well any more up close so I like the big display.
@15:00 LoL... Explains my experience from when I switched over from a Burgwächter to Mitutoyo Calipers... In the comparable brief time of owning the BW I had to swap out the Batteries like 4-5 times despite the Caliper having an auto shutoff function which obviously always happened at times when I couldn't get a replacement battery sending me into a rage. I'm now in my 2nd year of the Mitutoyo - which will remain on until you turn em off ( which I _constantly_ forget to do thanks to the BW 😑 ) - and I'm still on the 1st battery it shipped with 🥰
Great timing. I’ve had a Husky brand digital caliper (from Home Depot for about $30, if I remember right) for quite a few years now. It was a huge upgrade from the basic-basic caliper I had prior and I use it all the time. I’ve done my best to take care of it- I store it in the case and I’ve dropped it maybe once. But, recently the battery cover has become loose and it likes to randomly reset itself while measuring something, unless I handle it insanely delicately and/or hold the battery cover down while using it, which isn’t always convenient and doesn’t always work. I’ve tweaked the battery contacts, I’ve used a bit of dielectric grease on the contacts, I’ve even taped the damn cover down with various types of tape, but nothing works well long-term, so it’s about time I buy a new one.
Edit: I really like the Qfun. I like the bigger display and, honestly, like that it uses a cr2032 battery. I have a bunch of cr2032 devices, so I have a ton of extra batteries on hand, and even have some rechargeable cr2032 cells, so the extra power draw (at least initially) isn’t too concerning. Plus, the IP rating is interesting. I don’t recall ever needing to use my calipers in wet/dusty conditions, but it’s kind of nice to know it’s there if I ever need it.
I kept cheering for my old Harbor Freight calipers! Lol
They were exactly as accurate as the expensive ones I noticed.
Project farm vibes. Good review. Love the current draw test. Great vid!
Ha, thanks! Love that guy.
Robert, nice review overall, but I would have liked to have you comment on two other features, 1. Does the unit auto turn off and then turn on with just a slide of the head, 2. Does the unit power up and refresh with the last known position, or do you have to zero the unit out each time you power on, this is a nice feature that is on the Shars Aventor calipers, plus they have that nice feel and glide like the Mitutoyo.
Gotcha, I can always do a follow-up.
I was an aerospace machinist working in job shops for twenty years. At 5:49, look at the Neiko inside jaw surfaces. Worst condition of surfaces I have ever seen. Were these used as a crescent wrench? LoL.
I'm not really sure what you're seeing, that's just grease from when I measured something dirty. They are smooth and clean.
The mitutoyo is my favorite , I have a knockoff Mitutoyo also, and it works surprisingly well, but the fit and finish isn’t up to par, and the battery runs out much faster . great info , thanks !
Thanks for the video ! I have the new style HF and the old style HF . They both eat batteries like batteries are free . I got tired of running to DG for batteries and just ordered an 8 inch Shars dial caliper .
Batterylife is something that made a huge difference for me. I have my mitutoyo about 8 years now and it is really smooth and I replaced the battery 2 times (last time is 3 months ago) so 3-4 years with a battery with regular use is really nice in my opinion
I noticed that with cheaper ones especially when the battery is low the readings become less consistant and accurate
I need to test that. I've not experienced that, but I can certainly test or at least simulate it.
@@RobertCowanDIY that would indeed not be too difficult with a benchtop power supply. May be interesting!
Good day, thank you very much, for a very detailed review and very thorough tests. Especially, a test with weights, weighing the smoothness of the course. Have a nice day and good luck
Glad it was helpful!
This is a pretty good review. i still have a mechanical caliper set that I inherited from my grandfather. And for what little I use it, never bothered with a digital set. Now that I know they may run down batteries while sitting, it would be annoying for it to be dead every time I reached for it the rare time I would need it.
I have 6 calipers, I replace the batteries maybe every 6 months, maybe longer? It's not THAT big of an issue.
@@RobertCowanDIY No that is not nearly as bad as i thought it would be. I have plenty of things I need to change cells on regularly. But given how little i need calipers it still stands a good chance of them being dead every time i need to use them. lol.
But certainly for anyone that uses them regularly that is of no issue. But i also have to consider that if I had digital calipers I may find more uses for them rather than usually going for a ruler and not fussing with the mechanical set that I have.
I have both the harbor freight and the mitutoyo calipers. One issue I have with the mitutoyo is it seems quite sensitive to the cleaness of the rail, and the reading would mess up at around 100mm if I dont clean the rail regularly. It doesnt seem to be a problem on the harbor freight one, even when it is dropped in the machine oil.
Interesting.
I just bought a Quinn digital caliper from Harbor Freight and it's fine for my needs. For 50 bucks, I don't think you can go wrong.
Excellent research and valuable info about the constant current consumption of the cheap calipers! And no one sells calipers with a small mechanical switch. Interestingly, I recently got the cheapest Tool Shop brand digital caliper from Menards and that one draws only 0.5 micro Amp in the OFF state, which is perfect. The common batteries LR44 (AG13) are alkaline and they leak sometimes. That's why calipers with lithium cells is a great idea.
Good to know!
I have had an Insize digital caliper (respected Indian manufacturer sold by tooling suppliers for professionals) but they have gone defective after seeral years. I like the review conducted here although being in the UK I cannot relate to any bar the Mitutoyu. The close relationship of the power consumption data (and many thanks for including this important data set) leads me to conclude that the circuit in all $20-30-ish calipers is essentially the same - perhaps some are the same. I think that perhaps the Insize is the same because I was always (it seemed to me) having to change the battery.
I have thus decided that I am going to splurge £140 on a pair of Mitutoyu Dial Calipers with 1mm/rev and 0.01mm resolution. My model engineering club has Mitutoyu dial calipers and they are a joy to use - AND THEY NEVER NEED A BATTERY!!!
repeatability of measuring something would have been nice to do. I use a Hornady in my reloading process. You can measure the overall length of a cartridge 3 times and get 3 different numbers.
Dial calipers are best simply for the fact they don’t walk away from your desk…and if they do the culprit usually returns them to ask how you use them. Metric/Imperial combo dials help this.
That's one of the better justifications for not adopting a new technology I've heard. Like owning a manual transmission so it gets stolen less.
The Digital Caliper Shootout video is interesting.
I tend to store the cheaper micrometer I have with a piece of paper
isolating the battery, as it drains the battery otherwise.
RE-Tormusk Micrometer (used in video)
Robert did you ever do a micrometer shootout?
Do folk tend to just use Calipers now (May 2024)?
Any advise would be appreciated.
I just picked up a WEN caliper and after a bit of break in its every bit as smooth as much pricier ones. Noticably better contrast and vieweing angles. Virtually no slop, making measurements easy (especially with the smooth motion)
Only issue is they need to be powered on for every use, they dont automatically power on when moving. Although if you power it on after moving it will know its new position 🤔
Nice! I regularly use my Mitutoyo next to my Neikos and other than the buttons on the Mitutoyo being too small, I can't really tell a difference.
This is super helpful. Thanks for your honesty
You're welcome!
One of the best reviews i've ever seen - only critique is no mention of which model/type was used for each manufacturer...? Otherwise a very good review👍
Check the description, I have links for all the calipers.
The QFun looks good, I like the idea of having a large display.
Some reviews suggest the caliper doesn't have fractions.
Others say the same caliper isn't available.
Does anyone have any feedback on the QFun Caliper now (May 2024) ?
an update or even a new video would be great! it would be great to see some new contenders, conclusions youve reached since this video, testing improved with viewers suggestions (like testing ID measurement accuracy/consistency, mentioning if calipers have absolute function, better current consumption resolution etc.)
Honestly, the Neikos are great. They're my 'everyday' calipers and the Mitutoyos are in the shop. They're nearly identical except for the buttons are easier to push on the Neiko, which is why they live at my computer.
Seems like everyone tests for 1” and greater. I’ve found my Neiko’s do fine when they measure over 5mm. However as a watch repair hobbyist I need something that is super precise at 1.0mm and below. My Neiko’s seem to be off by as much as .2mm at those ranges. Just invested in a set of feeler gauges to see how far they are off at the sub 1mm scale.
Interesting!
I have had the NEIKO brand for several years. I soldered on a AAA battery a few years ago and it still is working perfectly. Its so cheap and the only thing is i lost the slides and the thumb screw so it slides weird and you cant hold the position
i have a pittsburgh that looks like the neiko and tormach. given they all have similar power draws, they're probably all the same caliper from the same factory. i always store it with the battery removed.
I'm looking to get a caliper in the near future. As I get set up for 3d printing. I think I'm going to go with the QFun
Most anything should work for 3d printing. Just pick what works best for you!
Going to try out the qfun. I only have one set of Pittsburgh calipers, so looks like I'm moving on up!
Nice! The qfun and Neiko are decent. I like having multiples, I have one in my office and a few around the shop.
It looks like some of them jumped size a bit when moved fast. Having auto shut down time and what they wake up to (absolute or incremental) would have been great additions as well, but ultimately I think your findings generally sum up what I've observed with cheap vs expensive. I use Fowler 54-100-008-2 8" calipers as they were cheaper then mitutoyo and seem to be just as good (6 years old now used daily as a machinist by trade)
Huh, I think the jumping is maybe just the screen refresh from the camera? I have used all of these pretty heavily and haven't noticed any issues. I only wanted to review stuff I am very familiar with.
@@RobertCowanDIY if you slide them back and fourth fast, many cheaper options will jump as they have a distance/time limit. I've never found expensive options do this, but many cheap ones will
@@andrewburghgraef4556 Got it. But do they land on an incorrect measurement?
@@RobertCowanDIY yup, 0 it properly, move it back and forth fast and see if it's out by an amount at 0. We're not taking like a thou or 2, but usually 100 thou or more, sometimes negative too.
@@andrewburghgraef4556 I am unable to replicate that and almost threw out my arm doing it.
Everyone is mentioning the iGauging brand off Amazonia so… I’ll mention them too!: They ARE very nice finish. Surprisingly smooth action for the price ($33-$40 for the EZcal. class of iGauging calipers. I ordered the 4” version as I seldom measure out beyond 3 or 4 inches so why carry around extra anything!? On that note I’ve decided to return them for a couple reasons:
1. The 4” caliper is less comfortable in the hand as soon as you measure out 2 or more inches, my hand hold simply runs out of comfortable holding room and the bottom of my palm ends up pressing against the depth gauge bar!
2. The tips of the main (outside measuring) jaws points are off center! The tips are SLIGHTLY different, one tip fatter than the other. That being said they close perfectly and hit zero literally EVERY time.
3. I HATE HATE HATE the battery tray. When closed it does NOT seat flat and flush against the top of the scream housing and it drives me nuts. It LOOKS cheap! They should close with a firm, flush and and nearly audible snap for secure closure.
In conclusion I feel I may be splitting hairs and may be showing obsessive compulsive tendencies but they are annoying little things that ultimately added up to my decision to return them. BUTT! For all intensive purposes the 4” and the 6” seem to be very good quality and do exactly what they’re designed to do and will serve their owners well. I also have a set of the digital Harbor Freight Pittsburgh 6” and they were just as accurate within half a thou! They are not nearly as smooth as the iGauging EZcal’s but they measured up the same! If I’m measuring and scratching I’m using these! And they’ve always worked. I’m guessing the “Pitts” brand can be disassembled and properly cleaned and they’d be a lot smoother. So, if youre making a living with your calipers then sure, pony up the bones for the Mitutoyo noize makers of some Starrett action mess! For everything else iGauging, “Pitts”, etc. will do the job easily within a thou. So, go with what’s comfortable!
The only thing I would have liked to see is how often do you need to zero them out? For instance, slide it back and forth a few times and then when closed, how close to 0 is it still?
14:18 Shows the best way to tell between fake and genuine Mitutoyo. The fakes always draw much more current from the battery. Yours is 100% original.
I'm starting to feel like a shill for igaging, as this will be the second time this month I've mentioned them... I think you should check them out and I would be interested to hear how they compare with top quality gear like the Mitutoyo? I don't actually own any Mitutoyo, but the igaging are streets ahead of any of the other cheapo things that I own (about 3 other types). I bought both the Ezcal (cheaper model) and the more expensive model (can't remember it's name?), personally I preferred the cheaper Ezcal as it auto turns off.
I don't notice either of them ever deviate from zero when returning to them after some time. In contrast I notice the cheaper of my cheapos are usually floating around 0.02mm ish off from zero depending on temp. So the igaging are significantly less affected by temp
About the most accurate things I own are some 25-50-75 blocks (1-2-3 blocks in metric land) and I can only check the 25mm dimension as that's the largest micrometer that I own. The igaging calipers seem to be around the expected reading, give or take 0.01mm or so. So accuracy is plausibly reasonable.
I believe the company also sell inexpensive scales for CNC machines? I think they use capacitive sensors, which clearly work out cheaper than glass scales. There are some videos on youtube of satisfied machine builders using them (but equally chinese glass scales have gotten so cheap recently...)
I have a couple of their products, they're 'OK'. I don't have any calipers, but I do have a dial indicator and a squareness checker for my table saw.
@@RobertCowanDIY my point is that I don't have a mitutoyo to compare but...
They have very decently ground edges. The cheaper ones have noticeable difference depending where on the jaws you measure
The top and bottom depth measure points are accurately ground. My cheap ones I have to re zero when using the tail depth guage
Tension in the slider is very good and consistent. On the cheaper ones I see a good 0.03mm change if I tension the wheel. On the igaging there is more like 0.01mm change if you change the tension.
The cheaper ones can be adjusted with a grub screw on the upper side though. This affects the smoothness of the slide (which I think you measured) Vs accuracy under pressure. I guess be careful of penalising smoothness of action since (ignoring cheaper ones being full of grinding dust) the designs use a grub screw to balance smoothness Vs accuracy under tension
I've no idea how good they are against a decent marque. However for incremental money they are loads better than the generic cheapos!
Streets ahead. Nice.
@@RobertCowanDIY Igaging OriginCal calipers have excellent standby current. Measured mine at ~1.6uA. About 20uA when running. With CR2032 battery life is excellent. One pair from 2017 is still is on original battery and they included a spare. If you can't justify Mitutoyo, Igaging is probably the nicest cheap alternative. Igaging includes cal certificate, so less chance you'll have to be china's QC.
I like Neiko for their bit sockets, but Igaging calipers are far better than Neiko.
You should also try and include Shars Aventor in the next review. I saw very good opinions about them. They also come with cal certificate and you can purchase with additional calibration from accredited lab.
Newer HF calipers I bought were barely usable. At best maybe to check drill bits. Full of grinding dust, readings/zero randomly shifting a little and absolutely zero deburring so they cut hand during use. Waste of time and money.
I just replaced my digital calipers after the one I've owned for 25 years finally died. I got a cheap "Jiavarry" brand from Amazon and looks similar to the Harbor Freight model. It's OK, but was a bit disappointed with how floppy the thumb wheel was. My old unit was far tighter.
The new ones are definitely made to a price.
EVERYTHING always forever has always been made to a price.
It would have been good if you had shown the display options (mm, decimal inches, fraction). My old HF battery lasted about 10 years before I had to put in the spare. Down side is no fraction display and flexible readings.
Fair. In short, every single one displays metric or imperial. A few of them display fractions, but for me that's never really been a useful feature, since it's always rounding up or down. Like, what is 47/128"? Also, these things are just listed in the specs, I was trying to compare things you can't see on the features/specs page.
@@RobertCowanDIY as an American woodworker, fractions are the most important measurement, and at least 1 caliper will round to nearest fraction if you want it to instead of 47/128th. Those fractions are no help to me and just as helpful as 0.468". Your review was very comprehensive. Thanks.
@@kenerickson4923 Interesting! I found the fraction display useless, because the display continually jumps to different denominators. But what WOULD be good is a display where you can set the finest fraction you want to see (that you're familiar with, say 1/8 or 1/16) and then it would display the decimal number of those for accuracy. So instead of 47/128, you get 5.875/16 or somesuch.
The iGaging brand is excellent too. I wonder how it would compare.
It seems like a lot of people like them. I have a couple products from them and didn't find them to be noteworthy. I might give them another look.
just watched new CNC Kitchen's video about calibration cube where he urges viewers to always use PROPER calipers (like mitutoyo aos from his affiliate link). dude, i got my ender 3 for around $170 so not much more than mitutoyos. i'm using my granddads vernier calipers and micrometers and i would like a nice pair of mitutoyo calipers but this is absolutely crazy. you need to open peoples eyes Robert
Ugh, yeah. That was a bit strange, especially when you consider that most calipers are greater accuracy and precision that what he's seeing as tolerances from the printer. If you can't adjust out 0.01mm, than you don't need to measure better than that. I usually like him, but that seems a bit silly. The Neikos are PERFECTLY fine for most things. Getting better than 0.01mm requires you to take temperature into account and you should probably be using micrometers instead.
am i missing something, or is the "force" test actually measuring "weight of the caliper PLUS closing force"?
Yes, that's what it is. "Force" was just a bit easier to say. But yes, closing force (assuming the weight of the calipers, which was nearly identical for all of them).
The test is only measuring the sliding force, plus the weight of the stationary jaw that's actually sitting on the weigh scale. The weight of the other jaw plus electronics is included in the force going into the slide friction. So the scale measure sliding force + say one-third of the caliper's overall weight.
There are a couple of technologies for measuring encoders, their combination gives the main differences in electronics plus the quality of manufacturing of the mechanical part. this together defines the caliper.
1. glass base or fiberglass (influence of temperature, glass is more stable)
2. absolute counting or incremental. the latter has restrictions on movement speed (about 3m/s) and usually there is no complete shutdown, only the screen. and when turned on, it also checks the positions more often, which also results in increased energy consumption.
3. capacitive or inductive sensor. only induction does not react to liquids (IP76 ).
The Chinese have had absolute capacitive ones for a long time and not so long ago they had induction ones, as soon as absolute induction ones appear, then in terms of electronics there will be no fundamental differences with brands.
I have a Chinese TERMA with an absolute capacitive line, current consumption is 24 μA on and 1.5 μA off, which with its 2032 batteries is a year of operation and 15 years when turned off :)
a check that will easily show the difference in manufacturing accuracy: tighten the fixing screw until it is not fully stif and move the carriage along the entire length of the caliper; if the force everywhere is the same, then it’s good, but if it sticks at all, then it’s bad.
Thanks for the info! In terms of the build quality, they're closer than you might think. The Neiko is VERY similar to the Mitutoyo in terms of feel. Some have some sticky spots as you mention but the Neiko feels almost identical to the Mitutoyo and I actually end up using it more often because the buttons on the Mitutoyo are tiny and difficult to press (most likely on purpose)
Fast opening and closing the cheaper ones usually makes them fail. The Mitutoyo (if legit) are worth buying. But my choice is the IGaging brand, as good as Mitutoyo .
I think I'm going to collect all these rumors and do another test.... opening and closing them fast makes them fail?! Really? I've never experienced that. How fast? How many Gs are we talking about here?
@@RobertCowanDIY Had a cheap caliper that would loose track of position while being used. They were only 3 months old. also ended up with a copied Mitutoyo that didn't last long either. Didn't realize until later that it was a copy. but i guess your the expert.
Nice review; however, you did miss a very important accuracy test. The 'inside measurement'; a common use of the calipers and it does need to be the same as the outside measurement.
Good point.
Quiescent current is important. I got a cheap no brand digital caliper for $4.00. It will only last few month with new LR44 battery.
Yep, that's what I was showing in the video.
Now I understand why all of my calipers have dead batteries after a bit. Wow. I'm shocked there isn't a better way to turn them "off".
Yeah, the upside is if you move them around when they're off, you'll still get an accurate reading. The 'off' button really just turns off the screen. Thankfully the batteries are really cheap and readily available.
The Qfun, which battery does it use?
Which Neiko model did you test. Im looking at a 01412a for 25.00 and a 01407a for about the same price 20.00
I have these: amzn.to/3vr7kxy Looks like the cheaper ones!
thank you for adding timestamps :)
If the accuracy of the calipers is .001 inches, then just because the calipers display .0005 does not mean that the caliper can measure to half a thousandth of an inch. They aren't that accurate, yet the reviewer states that some of the calipers are half a thousandth off. You can't say that. The calipers don't support the statements in terms of accuracy.
What about repeated accuracy? How many samples did you take for each reading per caliper?
Around 10. They were very consistent and all of them performed just fine in the +-0.001 range as stated.
Did I miss it? Which calipers have auto OFF functionality? And which do not turn themselves off?
Of all the details from various calipers, auto off is one that is really missed when not there, and that is functionality that is missing from certain higher models as well as lower models that I cant believe is scrimped on!
You didn't miss it. I only talked about differences. They all power off.
Low-end calipers with relative encoders never actually turn off - the on/off button just toggles the screen, but doesn't meaningfully reduce power consumption. Some cheap calipers do actually switch off, but you need to re-zero them every time you turn them on. For the most part, auto-off is just a mildly annoying gimmick. As shown in the video, the Mitutoyos draw 3x less current when switched on than any of the other calipers when they're switched "off". Some of the less expensive brands do offer calipers with absolute encoders, but they aren't all that much cheaper than Mitutoyos.
If you're concerned about battery life, my suggestion would be to either buy once and cry once with the Mitutoyos, or go for calipers with a CR2032 and buy a cheap bulk pack of cells. Calipers that run on LR44s will last vastly longer with SR44s because of the flatter voltage curve. Failing that, dial calipers have no batteries to go flat.
How long do the cells last on these cheapo units anyhow? I am guessing a few weeks?
@@wishusknight3009 OH no, like 6 months or longer.
I've often wondered why I can't buy USB rechargeable calipers. It seems like such an obvious idea to me.
cost and size is my guess. 100mah of lithium ion batt would add something like $10 to $15 to the build cost, plus the charging circuit. And would be double to triple the size.
@@KevinSatterthwaite surely that estimate is a bit high. I regularly buy 2000+mah lithium ion cells for under $10, and basic TP4056 chargers can be had for cents on aliexpress. I reckon it would add closer to $5 extra if that; a premium I would happily pay to avoid dealing with constant battery replacement and having to make sure I have spare coin cells handy at all times.
@@m1llie_ and you think a manufacturer will pass those savings onto the consumer?who the heck wants to have something the size of 18650 on a caliper. Sure it will last a long time. But chonky is all i can think of.
@@KevinSatterthwaite I wouldn't actually use a 2000+mah cell in a pair of calipers. It was just a price reference. A little ~300mah pouch cell would work pretty great; the sort of thing they used to use in iPod Shuffles.
There are also coin-shaped rechargable cells used in true wireless earphones which can hold about the same amount of energy as an LR44. Smartwatch battery could be a good option too.
@@m1llie_ seems like a good idea. make a list of all the parts needed
I think what makes the difference with these cheaper calipers (especially the harbor freight brands) is the dies they use in the manufacturing process. The cheaper calipers can be very usable for most people, if you're a machinist you probably want something better. But... as they create millions of units of these, those dies wear out. If you can buy one of these cheaper brands when they're first introduced, you're probably going to get a decent tool. But after the unit has been out for a few years, those dies get trashed and because they're cheap, they don't order new dies until the old dies are unusable. So if the model has been out for a few years, the quality goes way way down. So whenever I see a new tool like this show up at Harbor Freight, I snap it up. But I know, in a year or two, that same model will likely be junk even though the original was decent.
I'm not sure there is any stamping here. These are all most likely ground. You may be right on some other tools, but these aren't just stamped steel or die cast.
ok but COULD you do an ASMR video?
Do you have any metric calipers, or are you imperial-only?
All the calipers in the video can be switched between the two measurements.
IMO anything that uses little LR44 etc coin cells is pretty basic, they just about all do the auto-on thing and are constantly killing their own cells, also those types of cells leak a lot more often than CR2032's it seems like, so dead batteries or totally dead caliper attacked by battery acid is often what you end up with at some point when least convenient. I keep cheap ones like those around and modded them to have little SPDT kill-switches so they can't drain themselves. I pull my "IGAGING" ones out if I need any verifiable accuracy though.
I've owned many calipers over the years and I have NEVER had an LR44 leak. Ever.
@@RobertCowanDIY fair, perhaps that says more about the quality of LR44 cells, or lack thereof, that I've just had on-hand then. Panasonic makes some of the better cr2032 cells at least. Where do you source your LR44s from? Probably just time to rotate all mine out.
No mention of the Mitutoyo’s absolute measurement? If the battery is low or you move too quickly, many other digital calipers will lose steps and can’t be relied upon. Do any of the other calipers use the same principle as the Mitutoyo? That why I watched your video, and likewise why you’re getting a thumbs down from me.
I've heard that from a few people and haven't experienced that myself. I went and tested the others and none of them do that. So it's not something I'm familiar with or can replicate. Maybe significantly older calipers experience that?
Even if the qfun infinite infinite battery life I wouldn’t take them over my Mititoyos. Shard is a good “hobby” option
It's just a tool, not a religion. I grab the Neikos more than any of the others. The fact the Mitutoys don't turn off really bugs me, and the buttons are much smaller and harder to actually press.
@@RobertCowanDIY I’ve got a coolant proof set of the Mitutoyos and they have a 20 minute auto off feature which is nice. My gripe with the lower end stuff is quality control. Each one might be slightly different. Consistency is everything if you are trying to make money as a machinist.
@@matthewlee8917 I hear ya. But of all the calipers I've owned, the one thing they ALL do just fine is measure accurately and repeatedly.
@@RobertCowanDIY I’ve got two pair of Fowler digital calipers. A 6 and 12 inch pair. The 6” pair are off by .002” on the internal anvils due to a poor grind. The 12” pair are fine. Just one guys experience. But I’ve never had a single issue with the name brand stuff and have dozens of their instruments. Again for hobby stuff/prosumer I think the import stuff ia great as long as you have some standard to check them against. I recently found your channel and dig it. Makes me want to build a battle bot.
Unless you are going to go with something highly accurate like Mitutoyo, just get some for @$20
I have not found the Mitutoyo to be any more accurate though, it just has significantly better battery life.
@@RobertCowanDIY in my time as an aerospace machinist and inspector they are significantly better than most with heavy use over time
when the cheap calipers get low on battery they will give out bad readings the mitutoyo has a battery indicator, but will still give good readings. also at 4:00 the mitutoyo does reads in 1/2 thousands. all the digits are the same size it's less confusing like that. idk how you got confused. to me the ones with different sized digits just belong in the trash. so unpleasant to read the screen.
Are any of these made in the USA? Wanna sell me one? No the Mitutoyo tho. Too rich for my blood!
the Mitutoyo is too rich for you, but you want something made in the US? I've got some bad news for you...
@@RobertCowanDIY ikr. I try my best to buy American-made but what you said is spot-on. Plus even trying to find stuff that is made in America anymore is difficult
#NeikoGang
represent!
Honestly, I like nice thick callipers. It just makes it easier to make it perfectly flat by a c***hair to what I'm measuring, (if what I'm measuring is close enough to "true/flat". Other than that? Of course, smooth threads and zero "play", combined with smooth travel along the rail make up the rest of what I call good'n'uff for the women I go with.😉🤷♂️
Thanks for the vid bud.
My Mitutoyo calipers are 20+ YEARS old,,, still as accurate as day 1. Buy once, cry once.
Fair, but my Neikos are almost 10 years old and just fine as well. I just don't think digital calipers are really all THAT challenging to make, so I'm not sure the extra cost for the Mitutoyos is really worth it for most people.
The fact that there is a coupon code for one of the recommended calipers totally negates this review for me. #ad
I was pretty up front about it. The testing is still valid and that coupon code has LONG since expired. The Neikos remain my favorite.
I had to click the thumbs up as I could not leave you at 666. (plus I did like the video!)
Do NOT get the cheap Harbor Freight calipers. I only got to use them twice before the screen started freaking out and giving me random numbers. I can't even read the fake numbers, because the lines do not fully form. JUNK. I always kept them in their case, but another point against them is the fact that the spreader jaws were out of calibration from the clamping jaws.
The only people should be concerned about accuracy are Machinists. If you work with wood, DIY's or auto work then +/- .001 is NOT an issue unless you're dealing mental issues (obsession).
you're right.
Analytics!
👍
Thanks!
Please make caliper ASMR.
Ha, be careful what you wish for...
You missed consideration of durability and usability (size of head to access workpieces). The large display of the Qfun is useless, and if it's glass-based like some others I've had also very fragile. I've broken the large display on a pair that looks to that with a light accidental tap against a lathe chuck. You don't need a big display - it just needs to be large enough to be read easily. A compact unit is also more convenient when taking measurements of mounted workpieces and again, the Qfun is way bigger than it needs to be. So I don't agree with your conclusions at all.
Pittsburgh is not harbor freight brand.. Pittsburgh is pittsburgh brand that harbor freight sells cuz its cheaper
This Neiko costs atm on Amazon 322€ xD wtf xD
Huh, must be backordered or something. They tend to do what when discouraging new orders.
Because of the way digital function, there is no difference in accuracy!! Come on. Accuracy has nothing to do with the fact that these calipers are digital. I am done with this video. This is an example of bad information on the internet.
Yeah, this video sucks.
maybe you should watch that video.. *17 Warning Signs Your Mitutoyo Calipers Are Fake* by: Clough42
Mitutoyo reviews i seen with sound vs the cheaper but same looking the Mitutoyo where sooo quite and smooth
I've seen it, mine are real. They're smooth, but so are many of the other brands. I love overpriced tools as much as the next guy, but for the home machinist/hobbyist, this is one of the tools that I just can't find a justification for.