Expensive vs Cheap Calipers

[@yevgeniyfedorov2381]

Mitutoyo calipers don't need zero calibration each time when they are powered on. Once in three years the battery needs replacement, that's when you set the zero point. After that, they are ready to measure whenever your power them up, even with jaws open. Which is a huge time saver and (IMHO) the biggest reason to buy them over the cheap ones.

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks for watching!

[@smnkm4ehfer]

There are plenty of reasons to re-zero. Comparative measurements being one, vastly different inspection temps would be another.

[@granthamilton2695]

I just bought a Starret dial vernier calliper and it is just sensational. The vernier is by far the most used tool in my woodwork workshop. Buy once cry once

[@MakewithJake]

Nice!

[@robbiewilliamson357]

Second time today that I’ve seen someone praise the Starret dial calipers.. starting to think it may be worth a shot

[@glenj.taylor2938]

​​@@robbiewilliamson357 I prefer American made tools and Starretts are not only American made (not all unfortunately) but they're also the highest of quality.

[@4321Woodworking]

I have a Husky from the orange store which was around $35 and been happy with it so far. I believe it came with a 2nd battery but honestly don't think I've changed it in over a year so far now. Also came with a case which I liked. Maybe one day have a bit nicer one but honestly this one has worked perfectly and is accurate.

[@MakewithJake]

awesome, maybe I need to check out these HD and Lowes calipers. A lot of comments saying the batteries last over a year. hmm...

[@gregfaris6959]

I do not have verifiable source information on this, however I have been told by some knowledgable sources that these devices are a bit like LCD screens : There are 100 or so brands, but only one or two actual manufacturers. I would not say as a certainty that the orange store device is made in the same room as the Mitutoyo, with a different logo stamped on it, but I would also not go into a months-long depression were I to learn this to be true.

[@BedsitBob]

I have a Workzone Digital Caliper, which is at least 10 years old. Cost about £15. I've just checked it against 2 Micrometer standards (1" and 2"), and it's dead nuts. 😎

[@DeanStampfli]

I have pretty much all of the calipers you talked about - even Mitutoyo’s. I disagree with your assessment of the $10 plastic ones. I get them for $7 when they are on sale. Use them all the time for woodworking. They do the job and work fine.

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks for the input!

[@smnkm4ehfer]

Lol, woodworker. Try them on machine work and say they're fine 😂 let me know if you hit your tolerances. Woodworking doesn't work in the kind of resolution that metalworking/machine work does. The error on the cheap ones won't even be noticeable in woodworking but could mean scraping a part in machin3 work. But then again we don't use calipers for accurate work anyway

[@rtaskyy]

@@smnkm4ehferthis is literally a woodworking channel

[@DaSlotho]

2:54 finally after an hour going through many Expensive vs Cheap Calipers vids i finally come across a person who within the first 2 mins answered that question...fit n finish...so no i know...i do not need to carry on with the rest of this vid.....

[@droneforfun5384]

Great video but thumbs down for suggesting imperial over metric! 😢

[@ivolol]

Most cheap calipers DO NOT save energy when off. They turn off the digits but the current draw is only a teeny tiny bit less. So unfortunately one must remove battery to have good battery life with them. This is actually one specific area where the mitutoyo stands head and shoulders above the others. They tend to use 1/3rd the amps of others when operating, and turning off, 1/15th.

[@JD.307]

I might break down and buy a set of those Mitutoyo digital calipers, though my Etalon dial calipers have always done the job and will likely outlast me.

[@EditioCastigata]

1:50 Microtech calipers, and some other brands, actually have a mechanism to indicate when you press with a predefined force (0.8N and 8.0N usually).

[@bskbishop]

I have a set of metal Pittsburgh calipers that I've had WELL over a decade, and STILL haven't switched the battery out. I still have the spare that it came with. The movement on it is kinda scratchy feeling, but otherwise I have no complaints with them.

[@rodpotts2666]

I like the fraction read . I just bought a set of seconds, I gauging with the dial indicator. No more batteries. Like 30 bucks.

[@MakewithJake]

sweet! Thanks for watching!

[@mlob535]

Oh man... I have one of those cheap ones I got from Amazon and worked well for what I was using it for. But somehow, I lost the lid/cap or whatever you want to call it that covers the battery, so now the caliper is useless. I may have to invest in a better one, like the $30 range you mentioned. Thanks for sharing this info!

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks for watching!

[@rickden8362]

I've tested my metal digital HF calipers that I bought about 15 years ago for $12 against a friends Mitutoyo and they tested fine for all but really fine machining work. You can get the same ones today for $23($16 if you wait for 30% sale). After all, it is only carpentry.😉

[@HermesTrismegistes369]

I bought the $10 ones from Harbor freight. I’ve never used any, my first pair. I’m going to use for ordering bike parts online. Some of these parts come in a variety of sizes, so I’m not using them to build anything or make precise cuts or whatever. e.g. choosing between 26.4 or 27mm.

[@jeremiahbullfrog3090]

Buy once, cry once. Just buy the good ones and enjoy! Mitutoyo, Brown and Sharpe, Starrett, etc.

[@DavidPT40]

I had Mitutoyo calipers, cost $220 in 2009. Needed to use WD-40 or white lithium grease (mfg recommended) to keep them smooth. However, they were *awesome*. High quality. I used them to measure weld defects when doing ultrasonic flaw detection. Unfortunately, one day someone stole them out of my desk. If you are going to use digital calipers every day, get Mitutoyo. That being said, I just bought a $20 pair of calipers at Harbor Freight (Pittsburgh brand) for a job I have tomorrow.

[@ShepherdsWorkbench]

This is awesome lol I have those black plastic ones and keep them in the truck just in case but I have some that I bought at lowes for $30 and they have been a work horse. Had them for over a year now and battery is still kicking

[@MakewithJake]

haha, nice! Thats pretty good battery life! Im really curious to see if the new battery in mine lasts a while. (it came back to life, so the experiment continues!)

[@ShepherdsWorkbench]

@@MakewithJake nice hopefully it stays alive

[@TheStobyReport]

When doing woodworking, even the cheapest calipers are as good as the most expensive. The amount wood expands and contracts over the course of a single day makes one part in a thousand accuracy absurd. Cabinet making isn’t machining.

[@gregfaris6959]

I would even say for woodworking none of these machinist's calipers are appropriate, as the dust and chips will end up damaging them. There are woodworking calipers that are more robust and measure to within 1/64 in, with no batteries or dials etc.

[@tomg6284]

No battery powered tools. No battery powered scales. Gravity is free and works every time.

[@freedivert]

​@@gregfaris6959Good callipers have ip68 certificate.

[@norbertrivera]

Thanks for share ...Yep, QFUN Digital Calipers battery life is horrible i read in Amazon reviews so is so bad because was the caliper i pretend to buy for the advantage of the big display .

[@abdolreza82]

We have dial analog calipers that are both metric and imperial and they also display fractions :D I'm actually thinking of buying one. They have two needles.

[@philipzielinski]

Considering 1/128 of an inch is .008" for woodworking, we don't need to chase thousandths of an inch. But calipers are awesome in the shop for wood as well as metal. There are decent dial calipers that also have Fractional markings which are handy for woodworking. No batteries and familiar markings. Win win.

[@MakewithJake]

Exactly!! Thanks for watching!

[@ajquestell]

That Pittsburgh caliper you threw away is my favorite. It's very accurate...and cheap enough so you can buy five or six and have one within reach anywhere in your shop.

[@gregfaris6959]

I agree!! While I have never used the Harbor Freight brand per se, I have used good quality plastic calipers for anything where tenths of a millimeter are good enough - and let's face it, that's just about anything.

[@ashbeef1987]

Your editing, quality of video and presentation punches so far above your subscriber count. Your channel is absolutely going to explode one day. Hang in there!

[@MakewithJake]

Wow, thank you!

[@HowIDoThingsDIY]

We have the same Mitutoyo calipers. Very informative. Great video.

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks man! I seem to have quite the collection of calipers. Idk how that happened.

[@HowIDoThingsDIY]

@@MakewithJake Ya, that escalated.

[@RLLWoodworks]

The king is back!

[@MakewithJake]

Where? 😱

[@MakerBeach]

Great job. Dial calipers are legit. I cut my teeth on dial calipers which reminds me of how much I hate things with a metallic aftertaste.

[@MakewithJake]

Especially after drinking orange juice. gives me the heebiejeebies just thinking about it...

[@PDillz]

Damn, i literally just got nack from HF to buy the composite caliper, also didnt get them on sale so $9.99 it was. It was the only option they had available at the moment and i really wanted to check a bore size on a random set of wheels i have. tryong to be hub bore rings and thats where i am. Did not plan for these to be my last pair tho, looking at getting quality middle of the road quality soon

[@jimmywalden1615]

I just use 7$ calipers from my local hardware store they work perfectly fine I have bought them a few time but that cause I work with metal and use them for making scribe lines if I used them properly than one set would last forever

[@MakewithJake]

Awesome!

[@Unknown-mn1ui]

Plastic or metal which is better?

[@NelsonWoodworks]

Awesome video Jake, I love my calipers!

[@MakewithJake]

thanks for watching!

[@wemcal]

Great video and great information

[@BassadorWoodworking]

Love this video! Calipers are the only tool I always have with me in the shop and within arms reach at my desk. I completely agree on the cheaper calipers burning through batteries. I have a pack of 50 or so batteries I ordered on Amazon that I just keep in a drawer. 🤣

[@MakewithJake]

Man, that's a lot of batteries!

[@sprocketandwheel]

If you are looking for accuracy with no battery issues or chips in the rack, get yourself a vernier one..little harder to read, but it is significantly more accurate..

[@kevinhoppenworth6708]

Your solution for the batteries is to just slightly disconnect the battery when not in use. Now they have lasted over a year and still going. Will stop that pesky cursive battery problem.

[@FirstFruitsDesignCo]

Truth.

[@MakewithJake]

Dude, way too lazy for that! The Carrera set require a screwdriver to open and close the battery compartment, making things difficult...

[@mawilkinson1957]

Cool. I've never seen a set of calipers that displayed fractions.

[@graftedin3]

I loved you video on how to make dowels and subed. Thanks

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks for watching!

[@christopherthorn1906]

I buy cheap calipers ( less than $20) because the accuracy is sufficient for the woodworking that I am doing. My problem is that even though I treat them carefully and regularly replace the battery, they only last about a year or two and then the display starts to freak out or dies completely. I am afraid to buy good ones as they may do the same thing.

[@tron3entertainment]

Just picked up a Pittsburgh Caliper yesterday because 30% off made it 7 bucks. I am not doing machining and such so this was more of a fun buy. Plastic jaws. "Close enough for government work."

[@dougprentice1363]

I have expensive one at work, cheap ones for home wood shop. Both work fine. But the cheap ones eat thru batteries so fast.

[@MakewithJake]

Right on! Thanks for watching!

[@kaasmeester5903]

For woodwork I just use mechanical calipers, with a regular vernier (not a dial). Small and sturdy enough to just live in my toolbox, no battery to run down, and accurate to 0,05mm which is plenty for woodwork. I do have that Mitutoyo for more accurate work, and the battery lasts forever. I just hate the case it came in, way too hard to open.

[@allenc5200]

The Hyper Tough $9 caliper drops to 1.5 uA when off.... Hyper Tough is the only one I have (out of 5) that goes below 16 uA when off... So oddly, my cheapest crappiest caliper is the only one that really shuts off when it is off.. (well almost off at 1.5 uA) ... The others I have, all cheap, when off still draw 16 uA to 25uA which might drain a battery in 200 to 300 days or so.... when off... I assume the more expensive calipers do not do this...... NOTE: uA= Micro Amps. If the above does not make sense... it just means on some calipers, when off, they draw almost the same energy as when on.... really weird... but I checked all 5 of mine and 4 of them did... I checked them because my batteries kept going bad even when I did not use a caliper for a while...

[@markderlo212]

Pity you do not show the name of the calipers you talk about , for example @4:00 - what is the name ? QFUND , QFUN .... ?

[@Fanaleds-software]

Lol about the Imperial, love how stubborn some people are.

[@noiamhippyman]

This is a great video and I appreciate the comparisons but that water test wasn't fair. It said splash resistant and you drowned it in the faucet. Pretty funny bit for the video though. lol

[@N1ghtR1der666]

i just discovered that my CraftRight calipers are over half a millimeter out from reality, this is not even close to usable and has cost me days of headache trying to prototype some new fittings the last few weeks, Do I am telling you now that there is a rice point that is too cheap to go.

[@brok3ncube770]

05:16 I REFUSSSEEE!!!!!

[@calvinatdrifterstudio8438]

If my cutting board is 27/32nds thick, it was on purpose 😤 Also millimeters are too small. You can't make anything with those, it would take forever.

[@MakewithJake]

What is this, a cutting board for ants!!??!!??

[@krige]

5:16 Ah ah ah, no.

[@FirstFruitsDesignCo]

When’s your caliper giveaway video coming? Ha ha. My calipers I bought 16 years ago are miraculously working on only their second battery. It’s like the Hanukkah of measuring instruments.

[@MakewithJake]

dang! thats crazy! Maybe we can think about giveaways around 10k... haha

[@thenijni3018]

The only difference between spi's and mitutoyo's is when they got wet, then would jump 0.04 (the spi jumped)

[@chrissmith2114]

The original battery in those calipers will be really cheap make, and could have been in the caliper for a long time.. I always fit a decent brand new battery and have always had good battery life, even with cheap Lidl or Aldi digital calipers.. Most calipers actually come with a second battery in the case, but it will be a cheap make.

[@MakewithJake]

I replace them too, and they still are always dead. :-(

[@andrepost7571]

One place the plastic calipers shine is when electricity is involved.

[@sunriseboy4837]

Yeah, the digitals might look impressive, but I've had two pair die on me, and a new battery didn't bring them back to life. So, I'll go Vernier's next time!

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

This dude has a nice clean face. He should do commercials.

[@OldAndGettingOlder]

I prefer dial calipers. No batteries. I enjoy reading them. It's no fun to see a digital readout. I have a conversion chart handy to convert the decimal to fractions and millimetres.

[@AJVAN_]

Most machine shops (even in the US) use metric sooo..... mayve you should use metric 🤷‍♂️

[@tripplebeards3427]

My RCBS set display went out so bought a Pittsburg. $9.99 vs $89 they seemed physically the same but the cheaper Pittsburg gives incorrect readings nonstop. I don’t trust it at all.

[@csimet]

I personally do not like the digital versions... batteries are always dead and you have to power them on for each use, fidget with modes, zero them out, etc. I have and use a set of iGaging fractional inch dial calipers that cost me

[@lesliefranklin1870]

Note that 0.0005" is five-ten-thousandths of an inch, not five-tenths. Five-tenths is one-half. Measurements in increments of 0.001" is commonly needed for work with guitars. The cheap calipers that you just bout provides measurements in increments of 0.01". That would be fine for most woodworking, but not some. That store where you bought it sells some much better calipers, at a more expensive prices.

[@ellieprice3396]

Your observation is correct. However, most metal working machinist, right or wrong, refer to .0005 of an inch as "five tenths".

[@MakewithJake]

You are technically correct, however, in the manufacturing/engineering field, we refer to 0.0001 as a tenth. (or 0.0005 as five tenths).

[@RaadMambles]

Why do woodworkers use fractions? Fractions are stupid. Metric is so much easier.

[@abdolreza82]

You have no idea! Fractions are much easier to work with! This has nothing to do with metric or imperial systems and I wish we had fractions on metric reulers! If you notice we have it in the middle between each measurement values it is 0.5, but we don't have 1/4, 1/8 etc.

[@gregfaris6959]

He left off the most important issue in making this choice today: Absolute origin. The Mitutoyo caliper shown here "might" do it, and all iGauging products do - this means you do not have to continuously set the "zero' point (or wonder if you did). It is ALWAYS right! This feature by itself is far more significant than any of the quality comparisons made here, so this video is unfortunately a bit useless. Japanese Mtutoyo dethroned the famous US manufacturers decades ago because of their supreme quality control, but what goes around comes around. Mitutoyo have now been dethroned by iGuaging Absolute Origin products, not so much through supreme quality control, but through technical innovation. If you want the best of the best today, sadly it is no longer Mitutoyo, but iGauging.

[@realtruenorth]

I just want a set of calipers that doesnt have a cheap battery cover that breaks.

[@EditioCastigata]

5:40 Probably wouldn’t have happened if you left them at metric. ;-P

[@jamespotts8372]

*Or* you could just use the correct system of measurement, like the rest of the world. Except for Liberia and Myanmar. For clarity, Myanmar is in the process of transitioning to the metric system.

[@krige]

No real accuracy comparison on the calipers though 😕

[@veracity91]

There was so much going on with this video to the point that it distracted me from the Callipers. AND I AINT MAD AT IT 😜

[@MakewithJake]

I mean, at the end of the day...its just calipers...right? XD

[@Shifty51991]

Ok so i've gone my whole life calling those Vernier's lol......are those completely different?

[@miguelsalazar3239]

You keep a set of harbor freight 10 dollar calipers when someone wants to borrow your caliper.

[@michaelflowers6048]

Cheaper tools just do not hold up to the reliability of more expensive tools

[@Mindsaw]

Hey Jake! If you're looking for a guest on your KZbin channel, I would be thrilled to share my expertise on ranking in the Google three-pack for woodworking businesses.

[@MakewithJake]

Subscribed! Were you at Workbench Con this year?

[@Mindsaw]

@@MakewithJake Unfortunately, I haven't.

[@piotr2951]

patent on battery saving, only in the USA 😂

[@1Samuel1524]

I've never heard of ten-thousanths of an inch referred to as tenths of an inch.

[@leaver02]

물속에서 쓸려면 IP68이나 돼야지

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks for watching!

[@MiQuentin]

Ok why a sticker

[@Moxxi]

was almost going to listen to what you have to say.. then you said to use imperial.. mmmm yikes

[@Lickemstick]

I don't mean to be a hater but every time I see someone who weighs less than my coveralls driving a truck I have to just shake my head. I mean can you, in all honesty, even change the tire on that F series? Do you know where and how to use a tow strap? Have you ever used tire chains? A winch? A 5th wheel? Do you know how to trouble shoot trailer wiring? SMH. Good video on calipers though. Sucks you had to buy/beg for all those calipers considering the average joe will do just fine with the $9 ones from harbor freight.

[@JustVaza]

0.47 "measures down to .01 mm, which is less than I thickness of a human hair" *Shows a picture with . 01 mm scale at the bottom that is clearly much shorter than the thickness of a hair* Buddy...

[@julianweiser9985]

Thumbwheels are garbage... Press on the movable jaw itself, not the body when measuring.

[@mooksieb]

Use imperial? Unsubscribed

[@xml7sxGaming]

ZERO information given.

[@MakewithJake]

is that the metric equivalent of awesome?

[@xml7sxGaming]

@@MakewithJake wood elf, imperial wood elf...

[@Alexander-m3o1u]

$20 for the calipers is not cheap at all.

[@avery8818]

𝓅𝓇o𝓂o𝓈𝓂 😀

[@MakewithJake]

Thanks for watching!