Digital caliper

[Shackeng]

Picked one up from Lidl for a tenner yesterday. Excellent value, reads inches or mm.

[dave the builder]

like this clicky
had one a long time ,very useful 
batteries from the pound shop when they die 

[ronnyd]

I,ve got a Mitatoyo caliper with just the etched scale. Trouble is that now i need perfect daylight to read the damn thing.

[Shackeng]

like this clicky
had one a long time ,very useful 
batteries from the pound shop when they die 

And I thought mine was cheap!

[STEMO]

like this clicky
had one a long time ,very useful 
batteries from the pound shop when they die 

And I thought mine was cheap!

Yeah, but you'd have to wait till March for it.

[Alnico Blue]

like this clicky
had one a long time ,very useful 
batteries from the pound shop when they die 

And I thought mine was cheap!

£2.59 . . . +  a long wait . . .to get here from China 

same thing available from UK sellers for under a tenner though 

[dave the builder]

I buy stuff from Lydl too, not just Ebay 
but as with many things ,most is made in china / Taiwan etc ,imported,marked up .
plus ebay China stuff takes ages to get delivered ,though it is getting quicker recently.

I use the caliper to measure odd size pipe,bolts etc and the digital readout is great
.(like ronnyd i struggle to see tiny scales )
I have recently invested in a couple of pairs of +3 reading glasses ,not to read with,just as hands free magnifying glasses to see fine detail,part numbers etc
again , another pound shop purchase 

[Nick W]

like this clicky
had one a long time ,very useful 
batteries from the pound shop when they die 

I have several measuring things that use those batteries, and the pound shop ones don't last very long. The off button on the caliper only switches the display off, the measuring part is still working so it's still using power.


Spending a bit more on branded sr44 batteries doesn't cost much more, and saves the frustration of having to fit a new battery each time you use the tool.


They are very handy and if you're prepared to spend a little more, can be bought to display inches in fractions which is occasionally useful.

[Bigron]

I already have one, but at that price I ordered 4 from ebay as I can wait and they are useful for presents!
Like others on here, the eyes ain't what they used to be, so I love the digital readout and can't understand the vernier scales anyway on the mechanical calipers. 

Ron.

[ronnyd]

Also used  to have a dial and a scale on some models.

[TheBoy]

Picked one up from Lidl for a tenner yesterday. Excellent value, reads inches or mm.

Ouch.  Mine came from a big Chinese online box shifter for under a fiver.  Took 3 weeks to get here mind

[TheBoy]

Chinese online box shifter

The one that sounds like an online knocking shop.

[dave the builder]

Chinese online box shifter

The one that sounds like an online knocking shop.

Five_dollar_longtime(to get delivered).co.uk 
that's been re-named https://www.ebay.cn/

[Nick W]

I already have one, but at that price I ordered 4 from ebay as I can wait and they are useful for presents!
Like others on here, the eyes ain't what they used to be, so I love the digital readout and can't understand the vernier scales anyway on the mechanical calipers. 

Ron.

The real improvement is you're not tempted to convert measurements into your favoured system. Instead, when faced with a drawing in inches, you change your caliper from mm to inches by pressing a button. Not having to remember how to read a vernier is lesser improvement.

[Bigron]

Nick, my mechanical colleagues at college despaired of teaching me how to read the vernier on a simple micrometer, so I regard the digital readout as the greatest boon.
I used to tease them when asking to borrow their digital caliper by asking for the adjustable spanner - the one that could also tell the time! 

Ron.