Harbor Freight 6" digital Caliper (Cen-Tech Item 47257)

I thought I'd put in a good word for the Digital Caliper that Harbor Freight puts on sale time to time at $19.99 +handling (~$5). I think you can pick it up at the retail stores too.

Positive comments:

1)Comes with Extra battery.
2)Accuracy to 0.001". I have verified this from 0->1" range with gauge blocks. Typically calipers (vernier, dial, and digital) have given accuracies in the 0.003 range due to the way they operate--consistency of way jaws grip the measured device etc. So these are working well in that regard.
3)Can switch to metric (this seems pretty standard for these Chinese digital calipers)
4) Price is right.
5) The digital readout really makes life easy.

Negative comments:

1)I haven't really figured out Harbor Freight's shipping/delivery philosophy. I have been receiving the circulars (and e-mails) listing these calipers for over 6 months, but they habitually seem to always have them on back order. I ordered one for a present back in May, and it didn;t arrive till the end of June. The one I received yesterday was ordered the last week in October. It was indicated shipped at the end of November (I was charged at that time). It arrived Dec 16 by US mail. So expect VERY slow delivery, but it does come.

2) Don't drop them (so I have heard). However you shouldn't drop any measuring tool if you expect it to work in the thousandths range.

Just an added comment on HF shipping.. I ordered one of the little cut off saws and it took 15 days to get here. This was an in stock item.. My recommendation would be to buy from a local store if possible otherwise be prepared for a wait.

Strictly for comparison's sake...In '86, I bought a set of Fowler (Swiss) Digital calipers. Had to go hunt them down, too. Cost me $165, delivered. I've used them pretty much 5 days a week for 16+ years now, with a new battery about every year. Accuracy is still excellent, tho the ID ears may read about .0005" off. Sure can't complain about that. If they quit tomorrow, I'd buy another set, or maybe get them rebuilt...or maybe both. Steve

Steve, Who sells the Fowler calipers?

SPI/Fowler...available from many local machine shop supply stores and catalog places...can't say for sure which ones, and really can't recommend some of them. I really hate Enco and Rutland, tho. They're twits. Steve

You are absolutely correct Sir, I'll go swede, swiss, or
german any day, jv.

It was not my intent to imply that the $20 caliper is not a useful tool, but to show that sometimes a better value is gotten from the high priced item. I don't think $10/year has been a bad return, and if you check the Fowler's current price, it is probably below $125. My original price was including our HIGH state sales tax plus shipping. I think the base price was $145. At the time, the only digitals available were Mitutoyo and Fowler. The Mitutoyo had an auto-shutoff, after 15 minutes. It is a real PITA to re-zero every time you pick them up. The Fowlers are on all the time, no off-switch, no snooze, no battery saving. Works great! They all seem to have gone this way, until you get into the larger sized units that don't get used daily. All I've seen have a switch for metric/inch, a handy feature. Steve

Gee, I just hope my HF one lasts more than 2 years!

I agree with you on quality. However sometimes we need either cheap or go without. At this price, I can afford to get some other (cheap) tools that I probably couldn't afford otherwise. At some point I may spring for the higher quality tool. Yes I know, I'll end up paying twice;

I have managed to pick up some nice Starrett stuff during some of my wife's antiquing jaunts. It isn't easy to find machine tools, but there are some pretty good deals out there. E-bay might also be a good place, but I try to avoid it--it is like being a kid in a candy shop--dangerous to my wallet.

One interesting note is that I just bought a Fowler Digital Micrometer from MSC for ~$60 or so. It is a really nice tool. It has a "Made in China" sticker on it.

I understand completely, honest! I needed a depth mike and 0-1" mike to equip the home shop, and went to a pawnshop. In this area, and many areas of the country, machinists tools are cheap in pawnshops. With cash, I got a 0-1" Brown & Sharpe mike, and a 0-6" Mitutoyo depth mike set for $80. The depth mike went to work, and my old Miller Falls came home...it's only 0-3". The 0-1" B&S stayed home, but I have considered taking it to work and bringing home my Mitutoyo. My first set of mikes and first dial calipers were purchased from a pawn shop...0-3" mike set and 6" dial calipers, all Mitutoyo, for $66. Still using all of them, 29 years later, the calipers at home in the model shop. And I'm not all that wild about Mitutoyo, by the way. I have looked at and calibrated Chinese made mikes, and they seem to be good at both ends of the range, but the mid-range is usually about .0004" off. Too much deviation for on the job, but maybe ok for home. I guess having a new Chinese mike fall apart in your hand kinda makes you think twice about how good a deal their stuff is. Steve