I am looking for Digital Calipers. Something that will not break the bank, but is reliable and durable.
What do you recommend?
What Are you using?
I have mitutoyo and harbor freight, the harbor freight work fine for general use and are cheap enough to replace.
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Thank you I was going to head to HF after work before I saw this. Just so I have something while I look into this further.
I picked up one from Menards. Haven’t had any issues so far. Measures bolts quite accurately
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I’ll second the harbor freight $20 digital calipers are pretty good for $20 calipers
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I had to google that I did not know what Menards was LOL LOL
Thank you
Thanks got a 4 inch and a 6 inch from HF
They seem okay.
I’ve bought a number of oil/dust resistant Shahe branded calipers that have done me right, mostly 6" and 8". They’re noticeabley better than HF calipers, but not as nice as my Mitutoyos. Then again, I don’t curse for a half hour straight if I accidentally drop a pair on the concrete, I just grab another pair from the drawer. Being oil/dust resistant is nice in a garage with mills, a lathe, and a cnc plasma table.
One caveat, they’re doing the same thing many made in China brands do, and the quality is getting a bit less good over time. The last batch I ordered was still good value, but not as well made as the first pair I ever bought.
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Buy extra batteries! Cheap Calipers eat batteries.
Mitutoyo’s last and last. Depends on how important your measurements are to you.
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This is true, however I’ve noticed the Shahe ones are also better in this area than the HF calipers.
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Yes, the cheap calipers don’t seem to ever fully shut off even though they appear to, and they eat batteries.
Genuine Mitotoyu’s are great in this respect but be wary of knock offs. There are a lot of fake ones out there.
https://www.mitutoyo.com/news/counterfeit-mitutoyo-products/
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I never heard of them, seem reasonably priced thank you
You are the second one to mention the Mitutoyo the ones I am seeing are $160. I am new to all this and I am in the learning process. I thought it was high to learn on.
I have Mitutoyo in my primary workshop. I’ve had them so long I can’t remember when I got them but it was through my company and I needed professional quality.
For my summer home I currently have iGaging and a bunch of extra batteries and have tossed a bunch of cheaper ones along the way… The iGaging seems good enough for hobbyist work.
Like most tools, it depends on what you need and how long you want them to last.
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Shars brand might be a reasonable option if Mitutoya seems high. Also, KBC tools usually has decent lower cost options.
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I see this is your first post.
Welcome.
Thank you I will take a look at KBC Tools that you mentioned.
Mitutoyo for the win. Very solid brand, used them for many years. Here at the day job we use the 6" standard sets for in-process inspections at our die cut presses and we have the 12" silver colored monster set in the Quality office. We call it Excalipur.
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When you will be ready for Mitutoyo you will know it. To me it seems a little much to buy them as first calipers 
especially when used for plasma cut stuff, where the tolerances are not that high. I second the advice to keep batteries around. On my Harbor Freight one I need to replace them every six to eight months, the display becomes weak
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I am not there at this point. I am new to all of this and learning as I go. Thank you for the help to guide my decision.
I would buy a micrometer before I bought an expensive pair of calipers.
expensive calipers aren"t that much more accurate than cheap ones.
I have had the same pair of Mitutoyo calipers for 35 years, they last because I never need to get them out of the box 
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