A few times recently I’ve realised that having such a tool/instrument would be very handy (like when trying to measure the seatpost and inside the seat tube on my wife’s bike to be able to order a new one the right size, correct diameter of plastic piping for under the sink, etc). Trouble is I know nothing about such things (I’m not an engineer) and haven’t a clue what to look for. Are cheaper ones still ok, as I’ve seen some can go for hundreds. What would I need for the type of tasks exemplified above?

Just get a cheap digital one, that’s what I did and they just work – you only need a minimum of 1/10 of a mm.

cheap

those tasks you describe could be completed with a ruler

(aldi have ’em now & then, digital electronic or vernier – works pretty well IME)

Aldi, Lidl / similar all good enough for your needs. You’ll get something decent for under £20

can you read a vernier scale ? – i do like a traditional analogue one

but if if not get a reasonable smallish digital one for about 25 quid.

more money = more accuracy

we use some at work that cost hundreds but ive never had a need to have anything at home more than 20 quid for my uses – including seatposts , tube ODS and IDS.

if i was turning and machining stuff then i would be spending more.

The cheap digital ones on ebay arent bad. But keep them somewhere dry – Ive had to junk one because the watch batteries corroded and took out the PCB.

Ignore the brands – just buy the cheapest – if they look like this, they are all the same, and made in the same chinese sweatshop. Fine for tyre width/seatpost diameter/bar diameter measurements.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310632826393

Buy a cheap, digital, metal one. Usually less than £20. Avoid the plastic ones and try not to drop the one you buy. We go through about 4 a month at work so stick to cheaper ones. They will be fine for your needs.

can you re-calibrate cheap digital ones?

Aye, stoner’s link is remarkably like my aldi one

(there’s a little cutout in the foam of the case to store the battery outside of the device. mine’s lasted about 3yrs so far)

Mitutoyo digital, probably a 150mm one would be fine. I have them at work and at home and they just work.

You can get cheap Chinese imports that are fine when nice and clean but stop working when they get a bit of swarf/cutting fluid on them.

brakes – Member
can you re-calibrate cheap digital ones?

Yep we had a sticker that said +/- Xmm

guess thats not what you meant

I bought a cheapy cheap digital one from the local bargain DIY store. Can’t have cost me more than a tenner, nothing in there ever has. It works fine. Not the smoothest in the world to use but it does what I need it to. Unless you’re tool-making, you don’t need an expensive one IME.

irelanst – Member

Mitutoyo digital, probably a 150mm one would be fine. I have them at work and at home and they just work.

You can get cheap Chinese imports that are fine when nice and clean but stop working when they get a bit of swarf/cutting fluid on them.

Another vote for Mitutoyo if you can stretch to it (£70?), although that *may be overkill for your needs.
I’ve dismantled, cleaned, reassembled and calibrated pretty much every brand of vernier and digital caliper and Mitutoyo is always the one I’d recommend.
Mine’s about 15 years old now.

ETA: *will be overkill. If you’re not going to use it that much a cheap one would be fine.

Lovely! Barely time to make a cuppa before the replies flooded in! 🙂

Will this be ok?

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/3368292221105344337?q=vernier%20caliper&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44011176,d.ZGU&biw=1176&bih=737&sa=X&ei=A51JUZLiDoK-PIiMgXA&ved=0CFYQ8wIwAA

Or spend a little more?

those tasks you describe could be completed with a ruler

Not, as in the case of the seatpost, accurately enough. As I found to my expense. 😳

Maybe not this one:

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/8042242716308854928?q=vernier%20caliper&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1176&bih=737&sa=X&ei=v51JUY6xMIPYPM3AgKAC&ved=0CGIQ8wIwAw

😯

Will this be ok?

Even for DIY, I firmly draw the line at Silverline. Nobody makes shittier tools and consumables than Silverline. Really. Please. Don’t keep them in business. 😀

i’d get this one:

(or one like it)

linky

£12.

and i’m a measuremment geek for an aerospace research lab*.

the gate-effect scale takes a little practise to read, but it’ll never run out of batteries, or stop working because it got wet.

*my other measurement device looks like this:

Even for DIY, I firmly draw the line at Silverline. Nobody makes shittier tools and consumables than Silverline. Really. Please. Don’t keep them in business.

Ok ok I won’t! 😆

I did think that less than a fiver was possibly a bit too cheap.

Are the mechanical ones better at the lower price end than the digital ones? It would probably live in the basement, so I’d be a bit concerned about the battery corrosion that Stoner speaks of.

Maybe not this one:

😯

I used to have one of those, except it was the metre long version.
£800. 🙂

Mitutoyo coolant proof. Last for ages.

ahwiles – Member

*my other measurement device looks like this:

I used to play with CMMs, handy for checking your frame has been welded together straight. 🙂

mitutoyo(its what we use at work also) it is a bit like recommending a festool mitre saw for cutting fire wood though.

Moore and Wright, comparible to Mitutoyo but British.

http://www.moore-and-wright.com/products/show/204?lang=English

Right, I told a lie…I actually bought mine from Maplin. Must have seen it on special by the tills.

Just behold its beauty though. Check out the presentation case with proper German feeling foam insert which grips those calipers and keeps them secure wherever you go. Even comes with a spare battery.

All for £14.99 (but I didn’t pay that for it at the time).

I like it – the black and yellow on the ruler bit makes it look like it’s used by people working in REAL IMPORTANT situations where a cordon is required and only ENGINEERS can enter the MEASURING ZONE.

I like it – the black and yellow on the ruler bit makes it look like it’s used by people working in REAL IMPORTANT situations where a cordon is required and only ENGINEERS can enter the MEASURING ZONE.

😆

what size are you after? i have 300mm Mitutoyo sat here in front of me that you can have for the cost of postage, Its not calibrated but works fine oh and its vernier not dial or digital. Oh and its pretty much identical to the one in the pic further up.

got one of these and does the job

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toolzone-Electronic-Digital-Vernier-Caliper/dp/B001W99N6U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363782438&sr=8-1

£8

what size are you after? i have 300mm Mitutoyo sat here in front of me that you can have for the cost of postage

😮

Fantastico!

How do I give you my details?

can you re-calibrate cheap digital ones?

They usually have a zero button.

Push the jaws together and press the button. And since they also have a scale on the length, you can see if you are out.

Mail me at m.pawley@ram-innovations.com

Thanks Marcus7; email sent.

Mitutoyo, used off ebay.

Just like to say a massive thanks to Marcus7 who very kindly sent me a lovely 30cm Mitutoyo Vernier gauge without any payment! Top man! 😀

Impressed! Top man indeed.

Aren’t you nice! 8)
Top quality caliper as well.