Accurate dial calipers

[Mister Bisley]

Looking to get a decent dial caliper, hopefully under $50. I know as with everything, you get what you pay for, but I can't afford Starretts or Mitutoyos. My criteria is non-powered (no batteries), must be reliable and measure within .001" and preferably stainless steel.

I was looking at the Hornady dial caliper, but wanted to see what the tribe thought.
Hornady Dial Caliper 6 SS - MPN: 050075

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[BSG 75]

This one was rated one of the top 5 Best Dial Calipers for Precision Measuring in 2019 | Garage Tool Advisor and is also highly rated on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tool...m=16&tag=garagetooladvisor-20#customerReviews

 

[Mister Bisley]

This one was rated one of the top 5 Best Dial Calipers for Precision Measuring in 2019 | Garage Tool Advisor and is also highly rated on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tool...m=16&tag=garagetooladvisor-20#customerReviews

They look pretty sweet. I might actually throw Bezos a little business for telling NY to pound sand lol

 

[FordPrefect]

@BSG 75 has a good recommendation. I use something similar that I got from amazon as well, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IIS7DWE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[ma96782]

Harbor Freight

And, don't rule out the digital if you're old like me and don't have the best vision. Not to mention that the numbers photograph well.

Aloha, Mark

 

[Mister Bisley]

Harbor Freight

And, don't rule out the digital if you're old like me and don't have the best vision. Not to mention that the numbers photograph well.

Aloha, Mark

I can read a dial caliper in the dark

 

[FordPrefect]

Harbor Freight

And, don't rule out the digital if you're old like me and don't have the best vision. Not to mention that the numbers photograph well.

Aloha, Mark

Dial's do good too. I add a photo to my online reloading ledger.

 

[Used To Hunt]

I have a pair of the Hornady Digital Calipers and am very pleased with them. In particularly I love the auto-on/off feature. Makes the Mititoyo and Fowler ones I use at work seem inconvenient lol. My all time favorite calipers are my Brown&Sharpe dial caliper with the blackface. They are extremely smooth!

 

[coyoteman5]

I just bought a pair of anytime dial calipers 12" for work for $65 they work great I also have two sets of mitutoyo 6"and 8" Digital I like them also but get them in 12" It was looking to be around $400 and what was nice about that anytime dial calipers it's metric and standard it wouldn't hurt to take a look at them.

 

[Mister Bisley]

[

I just bought a pair of anytime dial calipers 12" for work for $65 they work great I also have two sets of mitutoyo 6"and 8" Digital I like them also but get them in 12" It was looking to be around $400 and what was nice about that anytime dial calipers it's metric and standard it wouldn't hurt to take a look at them.

Did you get the Dual?

 

[coyoteman5]

[

Did you get the Dual?

Yes I did

 

[bbbass]

Wow!

I have the Frankford Arsenal Dial Caliper and it works well for reloading.

 

[ma96782]

My HF digital caliper can do "dual measurements" at the press of a button. Geez....that was easy.

Aloha, Mark

 

[Member 5605]

I have a Lyman dial caliper set and it works well enough that I use it to compare and keep my digital caliper honest. So far I have not had any discrepancies.

 

[orygun]

I have a 6" NSK dial caliper purchased in the mid 80's I use at home. At work I have an 8" Mitutoyo I bought from a friend when he "updated" to digital ages ago. I prefer the dial style because of it's pure mechanical simplicity (I prefer to not get quite as basic as a Vernier set, but I have them, too), just like a good old set of dial micrometers. The only benefit I see in the electronic digital calipers is the instant ability to switch from SAE to Metric. I used to use one for conversions because it was handy and quicker than a calculator.
This Anytime caliper is intriguing. If I still worked in a field that required dealing with metric measurements on copied Americano parts, I'd buy a set. I just dislike batteries in my measuring instruments.
I didn't look at any of the other calipers listed except the Hornady. It looks decent and I'd think that Hornady isn't going to sell you cheap crap.

 

[nextgenar]

I would check your local pawn shops and second hand stores, for a good used pair of Brown&Sharpe, or Starret calipers or 3rd choice mitutoyo. I picked up a pair of 8" Starret calipers in the box last year for $65 from a local pawn shop. ( After some cornhole got into my reloading room and stole my Mitutoyos) For serious machining I use Brown and Sharpes, for reloading etc, anything will work.

 

[Mister Bisley]

I would check your local pawn shops and second hand stores, for a good used pair of Brown&Sharpe, or Starret calipers or 3rd choice mitutoyo. I picked up a pair of 8" Starret calipers in the box last year for $65 from a local pawn shop. ( After some cornhole got into my reloading room and stole my Mitutoyos) For serious machining I use Brown and Sharpes, for reloading etc, anything will work.

That's some great advice. Sorry you had your Mitutoyos stolen.

 

[nextgenar]

That's some great advice. Sorry you had your Mitutoyos stolen.

Thanks, it was really weird that the calipers were the only thing stolen, as far as I know. Didn't take any dies or other reloading tools, just the calipers and the box they were in. Odd

 

[Mister Bisley]

Thanks, it was really weird that the calipers were the only thing stolen, as far as I know. Didn't take any dies or other reloading tools, just the calipers and the box they were in. Odd

Inside job maybe?

 

[titsonritz]

I've always been a Starrett fan for precision measuring tools.