cheap digital calipers from Harbor Freight

[Halo]

My digital calipers quit zeroing so I need to buy a new set. It looks like most of the ones out there are from the same manufacturer with different brand names on them, namely whoever makes these $20 digital calipers from Harbor Freight. Does anyone use these? I'm not opposed to buying more expensive calipers (well, short of $300 Mitutoyos) if they are indeed better, but all the $40-60 ones I've seen look pretty much identical to these cheap $20 ones.

Are the calipers branded Lyman/RCBS/etc really any better than these? To my untrained eye they look like identical products.

 

[zxcvbob]

I bought a pair of 6" digital calipers from HF, not expecting much. They work great. I've compared the readings with a Starrett micrometer, and the HF calipers are dead-on.

The battery that comes with them doesn't last vey long, and neither does the spare battery. I put a name-brand battery in, and it's still going strong for over a year now.

 

[Dave P]

Buy two - they work fine.

 

[Halo]

Cool, thanks guys. I'll go by HF on the way home today.

 

[rcmodel]

There was just a thread here not long ago, and several folks pointed out that the batterys go dead quickly unless removed from the calipers between uses.

Then someone else pointed out that the "fitted" case turns them on when you close the lid!

The cure was to cut a hole out of the lining where the on/off button resides!

rcmodel

 

[jmorris]

They work fine but if it has batteries they will be dead when you need them.

 

[RustyFN]

They work fine but if it has batteries they will be dead when you need them.

And that's why I bought these, they are always ready when I need them.

You can buy these at HF for around $20 also.
Rusty

 

[ar10]

Get a Browne/Sharpe. It was expensive in 1980 when I got mine, (79.00 back then). Reads to 1/10000 and hasn't been off since the day I bought it. Forgot it's one of the first digitals that came out and it actually has an on/off button.

 

[Mike 56]

I have HF digital calipers they work good but i too had battery problems. I have sense bought HF dial calipers and could not be happier with them.

Mike

 

[Halo]

Yep, I have the same dial calipers as RustyFN, which I use as a backup.

 

[deadhawg]

I recently bought a dial caliper from HF, could have gotten the digital for the same price, but as I have been using a dial type for the last 25 years, with no accuracy issues, why change?

Ron

 

[Hiaboo]

I have the digital HF calipers.. Yes the batteries suck but I use hearing aids so I have plenty of the same size batteries in stock :-F But yeah, get the dials as well for backup or for the main, It's up to you.. Easier to read the digital though.

 

[ranger335v]

"Are the calipers branded Lyman/RCBS/etc really any better than these? To my untrained eye they look like identical products."

They look identical to me too. I think they are all made in the same Chinese factory and branded by the loading companies before charging a premium price for them. But, I often see the HF 6" digitals for sale at about $12!

I have two of the HF dial calipers for machine work and one digital for reloading. They all measure my precision Johanson blocks within half a thousanth and that's good enough for me! If I need better accuracy than that I use a micrometer anyway.

I wouldn't use the HF gages for a serious commercial machine shop but I know some people do. Seems even a Starret will get damaged when dropped on a concrete floor and at least some shops have decided it's cheaper, and just as reliable, to use the easily replaced HF calipers in the long run.

 

[cracked butt]

I have a 'Cabela's' branded set of calipers that are identical to RustyFN's.
FWIW, the RCBS, LYman, etc branded calipers are all the same and most likely the exact same model sold by HF. The pricepoint for the next level of quality for dial calipers are $100 more. For reloading, the chinese made calipers are good enough, so buy the cheapest set you can buy instead of wasting extra money on a store or reloading co. branded set.

 

[Otto]

I'm not opposed to buying more expensive calipers (well, short of $300 Mitutoyos) if they are indeed better, but all the $40-60 ones I've seen look pretty much identical to these cheap $20 ones.

I think Mitutoyo are the best quality.
I've tried two different HF calipers and returned both.

You can pick up a 6" Mitutoyo Digimatic on sale for $86.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=610-0045&PMPXNO=952152&PARTPG=INLMK32
You can also get Free UPS Shipping by entering this code WBJP8 at check-out, good till the 30th.

 

[jlbraun]

I've used my Cen-Tech cheapo HF digital calipers in an engineering office for several years. They work and are accurate.

 

[Halo]

Just got back from HF with the digital caliper, on sale for $16.99. Tough to beat that!

Otto - that is a good price for a Mitutoyo. Most of their calipers are well over $100.

 

[redneck2]

For anybody else that's still looking....

try a local pawn shop. It's amazing how many precision tools they have for way cheap. I bought a really nice set of brand name dial calipers for $12.

 

[K3]

I've got some nice Mitutoyo calipers that my dad handed down to me. The calipers are 20ish year old (maybe 30, Idunno) dial calipers that measure to .001 - they have 0 to 100 from 12 to 6 oclock and again from 6 back around to 12. I also have some nice micrometers, Starrett. I'm guessing I have a lot of $$ in those plastic cases, but I never have priced any of it.

That said, I have some plastic dial calipers I bought from Lowes for $25 that have served me very well in reloading. I'm confident enough in the cheapos to use them for loading varmint ammo, and that's serious business for me.

 

[GearHead_1]

I've always found Central micrometers/calipers to be somewhat better than the average for not a lot of money. Of course stepping into a good digital is going to cost 2 or 3 times the price of the dial gauge type. NSK also makes a very nice product though a bit more expensive.

 

[VARifleman]

I use some 6" dial calipers from MSC Direct.

 

[Captal_de_Buch]

My Harbor Freight Digitals died on me.. the display goes crazy..

Fortunately they were my backup calipers..

I got them when harbor freight had a sale.. $9.95 I believe.. so I can't complain.

They were every bit as accurate as my Fowler calipers... till they died..

Here's my primary calipers..

 

[Walkalong]

I bought the same one you linked to about a year ago. So far, so good. They are plenty accurate enough for 99% of reloading unless you are loading rifle competitively. If I need something to double check a measurement, I break out the Mitutoyo or the Brown & Sharp calipers. If you need to measure to the nearest .0001, get a quality micrometer. I don't care if the dial caliper shows to .0001, it won't measure to that.

 

[Chuck Dye]

I am surprised at how many posters claim accuracy for their calipers. I don't know any reloader who has ever calibrated theirs (DIY calibration standards cost a lot more than the calipers discussed here) or had one calibrated by a professional lab.

I'm not arguing that anyone's caliper is inaccurate, just asking how you know.

 

[Walkalong]

I checked mine agianst my pricey micrometers, besides, we are not talking about critical, earth shattering measurements here.

Repeatablility is much more important to us than wether or not it is really 1.234 or 1.235.

For a machinist, accuracy is in a whole nother ball park. We understand that.