Starrett dial caliper options?

[ear3]

Saw that Woodpeckers is going to be offering Starrett dial calipers for sale:
https://www.woodpeck.com/starrett-dial-caliper.html

This unit has a combined fractional and decimal system, with fractional measures on the outside and decimal down to .01 inches on the inside.  I'm wondering, are there any Starrett calipers that combine fractional with a finer decimal scale to .001 inches?  All the other Starrett calipers I've seen that offer .001 capabilities only have a single decimal scale that doesn't appear in combination with a fractional one.  Ideally I'd like both, which I can currently get from my digital calipers. 

 

[rvieceli]

Short answer is no. Dial with fractions only to .01 decimal
http://www.starrett.com/category/110202#currentPage=1&displayMode=grid&itemsPerPage=24&sortBy=wp/asc

 

[Bob D.]

I believe the Wixey digital calipers will display both decimal inches and fractions simultaneously, and mm as an option.
http://wixey.com/calipers/technology/index.html#precise

 

[Cheese]

Hey Edward FWIW...I'm a Starrett guy, have been for the last 50 years, I'm definitely all-things Starrett. However, their dial calipers are manufactured from some relatively soft stainless. That's the reason I swapped mine out for an Etalon dial caliper and a Brown & Sharpe digital caliper, both Swiss made.

However, if all you're measuring is mostly wood or plastic parts don't fret about it. Just giving you a heads-up.

 

[PaulH99]

iGaging makes some pretty solid digital calipers as well. The cheaper (non-absolute zero) model also display fractions:http://a.co/g6FUyj6

 

[ear3]

Thanks -- actually have the Wixley.  As I replace/upgrade/add more measuring and layout tools, I'm trying to convert over to Starrett whenever possible, but I will take under advisement what [member=44099]Cheese[/member] said.

I believe the Wixey digital calipers will display both decimal inches and fractions simultaneously, and mm as an option.
http://wixey.com/calipers/technology/index.html#precise

 

[waho6o9]

Etalons work well for me.

View attachment 1

 

[ben_r_]

Go digital and get a Mitutoyo.

 

[Peter_C]

Go digital and get a Mitutoyo.

I have had a set of NSK digital calipers since the early 1990's that have served me well. Blue printed many an engine with them. They are considered on par with Mitutoyo.

The ability to change between standard and metric accurately is what I need. Mostly I work in metric.

 

[Cheese]

I’ve owned 2 Mitutoyo dial calipers. A 6” and a 8”.  They were cheaper than the competition but not by a lot. They were accurate but they were not enjoyable to use on a daily basis. They were stiff and tended to jump teeth in the rack. Not a big deal, but surely an annoyance. That’s the reason you always kept that thin piece of brass shim stock inside the caliper case. I ended up gifting my neighbors with both of them.

I then moved to Starrett and found them 2-3 times smoother than the Mitutoyo but they were softer and wore out sooner if that’s possible.
I finally settled on Etalon for a dial caliper. Swiss made, it’s silky smooth and is just a pleasure to use on a daily basis. A smile comes across your face when you use it. Seriously, it just glides across the rack.

For a digital caliper, the Brown & Sharpe is the best of the best.  Also Swiss made, it too is a joy to use. If you enjoy using quality measurement tools, these are just a pleasure to use.

 

[Cheese]

I just remembered that after the Mitutoyo calipers but before the Starrett, I picked up a used Helios dial caliper, made in Germany. I think I paid $25 for the first one on eBay.

They're very nice and I still have 2 of them that I keep with my mechanics tools. A regular imperial version and then an imperial/metric version which has 2 hands, a black hand for imperial and a red hand for metric. Very handy because you can read both imperial and metric at the same time. It also helps you gauge what, for instance, 1/4" looks like in mm.

These Helios calipers were actually German copies of the Swiss Etalon brand, so they're smooth. They were also marketed under the Fowler name, having the Helios name on the body of the caliper while the dial would have the Fowler name. They're still inexpensive  but pleasurable to use.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=brown+sharpe&_sop=1&_osacat=12582&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l2632.R2.TR8.TRC1.A0.H1.Xhelios+ca.TRS0&_nkw=helios+caliper&_sacat=11804

 

[greg mann]

Any rack and pinion caliper is a step backwards. The rack needs to be kept clean and that will be more difficult in a woodworking environment than in a metal one. There are a number of good well sealed units out there that laugh at the wood environment. Do you really need fractions? I think that limits you to lesser quality units. I use a Mititoyo presently at home but we have trended to Starrett at work (metalwork) as they seem preferred by a majority of users and the QC guys feel they hold up better. No one has made note of wear due to the softness mentioned. Don’t overlook their utility of being an immediate source of inch to metric conversions either.

The cost is a one time bite and, you know, this is the FOG.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Any rack and pinion caliper is a step backwards. The rack needs to be kept clean and that will be more difficult in a woodworking environment than in a metal one. There are a number of good well sealed units out there that laugh at the wood environment. Do you really need fractions? I think that limits you to lesser quality units. I use a Mititoyo presently at home but we have trended to Starrett at work (metalwork) as they seem preferred by a majority of users and the QC guys feel they hold up better. No one has made note of wear due to the softness mentioned. Don’t overlook their utility of being an immediate source of inch to metric conversions either.

The cost is a one time bite and, you know, this is the FOG.

Hi Greg!

A step backwards from what? Aren't all the above calipers rack and pinion? Just a question not a challenge  [smile]

 

[greg mann]

The new digital calipers use an electronic scale with a reader head, no mechanical movements. This makes then significantly easier to seal against contamination and with no potential for wear or certainly no potential for tooth slipping.