Are CHEAP Calipers...Cheap? Mitutoyo vs Neiko Comparison

I don't think you should use calipers (digital, dial, vernier) for accuracy of more that .1mm or 4 thousands of an inch.

I bought an inexpensive I-Gaging brand off amazon like yours about 10yrs ago for $25 that has held up with occasional use. I think i'm on my second battery. Since I don't use them very often (maybe a dozen times a year) I pull the battery drawer out a fraction (just enough not to turn on) and then put it back in the case.

The cheap ones don't actually turn off - it's more of a stand-by mode that is constantly checking if the calipers have been opened so that it can automatically turn the screen back on. I take the battery out before storing them so that it still works when I actually need it.

I just bought another Mitutoyo 150mm. I also have some cheapish digitals, which also aren't bad. Just stay away from the bargain basement vernier which can be rough ground from soft steel. It's hard to tell awful stuff from good by internet photos. I'd only buy cheap if I have a chance to handle it prior to purchase.

Clean the glass scale on your old set with Q-tip & rubbing alcohol.. Should take care of it...

The money is in longevity and build quality, how much abuse they can take before failing.

I have a set of Mitutoyos which I think are the best of all worlds, they have a dial on them instead of an LCD. This sounds crazy but there's no battery and no messing about with little buttons, so they are still available today. I used to have a cheap digital set. They went insane like yours did

Mine went bad over Winter in a garage wouldnt have happened if i put them in a thick plastic bag

I bought a cheap dial caliper from Harbor freight because I'm anti battery whenever possible. Just seems like the batteries are always dead. It didn't last long.

Just by testing a 6” caliper at .1”. 3” and 6” agaist a standard should be all you need to ascertain its accuracy.

If you want accuracy, use a micrometer. This coming from a guy with Mitutoyu, Starrett, Tesa Brown and Sharpe tools measuring up to 6 foot diameter. My "go to" vernier is one with a mechanical dial because the battery is never dead and I only use a vernier to get things close.

Constructive feedback: keep your mic out of your breath. You are thumping my subwoofer pretty good in this one.

I gave up on the digital calipers. Every time I went to use it I had to change the battery. Probably because I would use it infrequently. I went with an analog caliper instead. Good enough for what I need it for.

The harbor freight Pittsburg work accurately for about a year then start showing reliability issues

As far as I am concerned all digital calipers that run on a battery are trash. My Mitutoyo dial calipers and others are more reliable, just as accurate, and you will never find one nonoperational in the box with a dead battery. A shop I worked in had a digital caliper that most every time you went to use it it was dead and if you didn't have a spare battery you were dead in the water. I have a Mitutoyo that I purchased back in the early 70's. It still works today as good as it when it was new. Can't say the same for the foam lining in the case which I had to rip out years ago but you can't have everything. If you can't read a dial on a caliper how are you going to read a dial on anything else and all of those 4 digit digital readouts the last digit isn't worth much anyway.

FYI, Amazon commingles all it's inventory, so it doesn't matter which seller you pick. You may still get a counterfeit, even if you buy from "Amazon" or "Mitutoyo".

The Mitutoyo digitals I got in the mid 90s are still going strong. But then, the Mitutoyo Vernier's I got in 1980 are just as accurate and have never needed a battery replaced.

I still have my old Mitutoyo calipers that are over 30 years old and they are still accurate and working. They were expensive back in the day but well worth the money.

I have a sort of expensive German Caliper and 5 or six cheap ones the German one will last for ever since I never use it, scared I may damage it.

If you're doing serious precision machining, quality (consistent over time) matters. I have a used dial Mitutoyo, and a Starrett vernier (was my Dad's) but for the kind of stuff I normally do the Pittsburgh has been fully adequate. I get a couple of years out of a batter (I by 357 cells by the pack, because some many products use them).

When you buy 357 type cells be SURE to get the silver version NOT the lithium. Costs a bit more but more long lasting and much better voltage consistency.

Another argument for cheap calipers - I travel with mine in car i want to do some designing on the road. I'm forgetful and it would break my heart to lose a $200 set

Low probability that this is helpful, but you might check the battery contacts for traces of corrosion on your old cheap calipers. Cleaning those contacts might just fix it. Of course if that sensor track is worn, then...never mind.

It is truly amazing what can be accomplished with slave labor. Not gonna lie.

There is only one version of the Mitutoyo that's worthwhile, I've had mine for over 20 years. AND.... that is the solar powered version. I've never had to change a battery ever. TBH I also have a Chinese native brand, bought to check tooling in China it was one tenth the price. It's better quality and more accurate than the Mitutoyo when temperature affects measurements, but it chews through batteries, so not all that enjoyable to use.

My Dad swore by Starrett but as a Japanophile who does Japanese carpentry, I've always bought Mitutoyo. For $150 you get a solid reliable 24/7 caliper. I get the idea of cheap versions and as you said, if your on site, don't risk you best tools.

I have the same setup. I have the good ones available, but keep a cheap pair on my desk all of the time.

I'd go with Starrett dial type

Good comparison video, thank you for making good content. I have bought 5 pairs of the VINCA brand you had in the intro (Four 6" (2 given as gifts) and one 12") I've have had my 3 pairs for just over 3 years and use the atleast one of the 6" almost daily. They seem to be some of the "highest" quality cheap calipers, defiantly are smoother then the Pittsburg. Other than eating a battery every 6mo or so they are solid so far. Hope mine dont die soon as yours were the same age haha.

Strangely I own the exact same brands you do: Neiko, Vinca, and Mitutoyo. I own the longer Vinca calipers for bigger measurements. As you will learn, the Neiko are total junk. I am sorry you bought them. My display is partially broken and the battery is always dead. The battery door likes to come off. The Vinca's I use when I need longer measurements but seem to hold up better. And of course, the Mitutoyo calipers are the best. Sometimes I even scribe with them but when i do i die a little. :D

i keep battery out of my cheep calipers but my Mitutoyo last for 2 years. and work good for over 20 years

The Neiko needs the screws on the slide adjusted.

The thumb wheel on the Mitutoyo is what gave me satisfaction.
The HF unit just pissed me off.
I'm tired, knees hurt while setting spring compression on a six foot shredder.
Every winter I service the slip clutch.
The HF thumb wheel was a slip, grab, slip and maybe it would work or not.
So, the one thing the Mitutoyo does that brings a nagging question about HF quality are the buttons. They wobble a lot and have to make sure to press firmly to change settings.
Wearing nitrile or other thin glove while working and taking measurement makes me ask will the buttons hold up?
Only had it for a year so time will tell.
TY for the comparison of the two. As a HF fan boy, I would not recommend their calipers, and a few other tools that I have or plan on gifting!

God you americans love to torture yourself s with imperial ,metric, metric,metric.

Cheap calipers are ok if you have a reference block and check them regularly. But just throw the damn things away when they start to get shitty, because they will, eventually. There isn't enough moisture sealing and the circuit boards start to get flaky which makes the readings erratic.

I have a pair of General calipers I have been using for the last few years. They look a lot like the Pittsburg ones. I have never changed the battery but I only use them a few times a week. Recently, the Zero button stopped working so I have to turn them on and then off to zero. This is annoying, but I am not sure I ready to replace them just yet.

Iv noticed the cheaper ones the battery goes dead even if not use for 6 months..the other ones battery doesn't die..something to think about..after use have to take battery out or it will die on u when need to use again..that happens 100% of the time..even with the carbon fiber plastic ones

I have that neiko one, battery does die even when not on,

I have a set of Craftsman vernier calipers from West Germany that were my Dad's 👍

You never measure centers of 2 holes if you have to estimate them. You use the front edges of those holes. It's the same distance as center to center.

Dial calipers. No batteries needed, easier on the eyes than vernier

I only have the cheaper versions, I have 3 different ones actually, they are not all the same when it comes to draining their battery or their functions though. One of them doesn't drain it's battery and it's display comes on just by opening the jaws, no need to press the on button first.

Your Neiko was probably a return, I bought that exact one and it came with a plastic tab you had to pull out to engage the battery for first time usage

very important, you forgot to measure with the inside caliper, dept caliper and with the head of the caliuper ( dont know how you call the last one.
cheers
ben

Mitutoyo is for sure not worth it for the random diy Jimmy.. I would say for most others its still not worth it, but if you are a Huge production place, where this kind of money is nothing, why not get them. If nothing else, it will scream Pro production place for people looking from the outside. It will never help the worker itself, thats for sure. The absolute function isnt Mitutoyo only, many cheap amazon Calipers has this aswell.. I got one from Amazon UK a good time before brexit, a 300mm version with absolute function, it feels super nice, and i can open it hard and close it hard, and its never off.. I changed the battery i think 4 times, so they for sure eat more power in idle mode then the Mitutoyo, but how much is a battery ? i payed like 25 euro for the 300mm Calipers, i dont use them every day, but like 4-5 days a week i guess.. how much is 300mm Mitutoyo ? ;)

I am from Denmark, sorry for my bad English. :D

EDIT: So sorry, i didnt mean 300mm, i ment 200mm.. SORRY..

I love learning new measurement techniques. it's always nice to see how others do things

pretty good video, i like the objective numbers

AVE showed that the genuine mitutoyo draw about 1/4th the battery power even when on vs the chinese knockoffs that have absolute function when they are on. and the chinese knockoffs that have absolute function draw twice the current when they are OFF vs the mitutoyo when it is on. So in short you could leave the mitutoyo on all year vs the chinese one which you could have in storage (off) and you would still have to replace the battery two times as much on the chinese knockoff. Finally, having worked as an engineer in the automotive sector, if your caliper does not have absoulte positioning it technically cannot hold any calibration. It is not acceptable in production to turn on a caliper, clear the dust from the jaws, and hit "zero". The absolute function will show you there is dust in the jaws because it was set to a gage block at some interval. You have no idea of accuracy with the chinese caliper unless you keep a ring gage to check inner diameter accuracy AND you keep a gage block to check linear measurements. Few do that every time they pick up the chinese caliper....

I mostly have dial calipers, i like them, imo id rather have a cheap set of dials than a cheap set of digitals, no batteries to replace every week like the cheap digitals but i mostly use them in a dusty woodshop and those teensy weeensy rack and pinion do not appreciate all the dust i let them bathe in.

Got some mitutoyos recently so im still putting it through its paces but i have to remind myself im allowed to use "the nice tool" lol seems like it will be fine in my shop, it being more expensive also keeps it a lot cleaner because i put it back in its case

I think if im being honest vernier calipers and some reading glasses might be the best fit for me and my shop

Recently dropped a dual dial metric and imperial and it skipped a tooth and had a little damage to the rack, after cleaning that up in 10 mins, i spent 2 hours messing with the pointers and making watchmakers tools to get them clocked properly again, They were just ever so slightly off by the time i ran out of patience but its basically within the quantum realm for calipers, so i think itll be fine.

The electronics in my 8" mitutoyo's died. They were treated with kid gloves. Big $$$ to replace now, I'm just going with Neiko's

Brilliant video and thanks so much for showing us some clever ways of using the calipers. I feel that if you spend the money they will last you a lifetime and you can hand them down too! My dial Mitutoyos must be really old but work beautifully. I found the cheap digital calipers I have always seem to have a flat battery when I come to them! I worked in the jungle for a while and it was very clear that students could not read a vernier scale (no batteries required). BTW love the way you say 'vernier' to sound like veneer. I guess it is like the way you guys say solder without the 'd'. Thanks again for a fabulous and informative video!