Hi all general question - are the 'professional' makes of digital vernier (I'm thinking of Mitutoyo) significantly better accuracy-wise than the cheaper brands that you can get in Aldi/Lidl etc?
Given what I know of the capacitative sensor mechanism I wouldn't have thought there was much in it. I appreciate that there will be differences in mechanical precision, finish, etc. I've also heard that battery life is better in the more expensive units.
Thanks, J^n
What do the manufacturers' specifications say? They will give details of the expected accuracy.
I would also expect he more expansive one to come with a certificate of calibration. I have no idea whether the cheaper ones would. I only ever bought for a business that needed to use calibrated instrumentation.
various reviews I've seen over the years seem to say the accuracy is surprisingly good, it's the finish you pay for, these youtubers have somewhat contrasting styles
In my somewhat limited experience, the relative accuracy of the cheapies seems ok. The battery life is very poor (many seem to run continuously - and turning them off only turns off the LCD). You are unlikely to get any calibration certificate with them though.
Fit an finish is "ok", and being essentially disposable I don't mind using them for marking out surfaces with the sharp corners etc!
I've got one from Aldi which I'm pretty sure is out of the 3-year warranty now. It semi-randomly adds 5.6 mm in some circumstances, although we've discovered that toggling it to inches and back to mm fixes that.
That was interesting - he does not have the battery life issue with his cheap one, but also it forgets its position when powered off and needs zeroing after each turn on. Presumably why they have "fixed" some versions by never turning them off properly to save the loss of position problem.
Early Ave, not quite up to the modern day lexicon :-)
jkn formulated the question :
I have three and cannot fault them. The difference between the expensive and cheap, assuming you seek out the better cheapies, is down to a certificate of calibration. If you don't need that, why pay extra for it?
I have the cheapest of the cheap (~£6). They are accurate enough for almost everything I want, and light enough to put in my pocket when out shopping. Brilliant for those of us who can't read a ruler without glasses.
I do have more expensive ones (~£20). The biggest difference to me is the mechanical positioning of the calipers, when taking a measurement, rather than the electronic device measuring. The more expensive ones have a wheel for fine adjustment.
For precise stuff, I use a micrometer.
I've got one of the cheapest, It does switch off, battery life is so long I do not know what it is (like 6 months or a year or more). i.e. not an issue.
Even my plastic 'anglia components' vernier claims 0.05mm accuracy :-) but realistically 0.1mm is enough for me
Yes. My Mitutoto doesn't seem to be much bothered by leaving it on. My Lidl one will have a flat battery next time you come to use it.
I have three of those from prehistory! Perfectly adequate for most things and free, so I haven't ever mislaid them. I've no idea where my digital caliper is.
I've 2 from Aldidl and they both chew through cells. The first has a silver oxide LR44 and a cell lasts a couple of months left in and not used. I bought the second one as it has a CR2032, so much more energy - it does the same. I slide open the holder after each use but it won't last long it seems as it's a bit flimsy.
I've had a few cheapie failures. Some that have gone wrong, seemingly adding 5.08mm to the dimension.
When comparing cheapies they do give slightly different measurements but can't recall the differences. Not enough to worry about unless you're trying to get an interference fit and even then I resorted to using the same instrument.
On the whole the cheapies are good value for money.
In some units the battery doesn't last that long when just being stored* so its wise to keep a spare battery in the case, or in some easily accessible location, for when you next want to use it.
*I assume the that unit is actually still on when the display is off because the on/off switch doesn't mechanically remove the power.Bigclive dismantle of cheap unit
I now always remove the battery after using. A bit of a faff but at least it works when I want it to!
Tim
The one I have is in a case lined with foam. There is a slot for a spare battery!
I have just bought a set of three micrometers for much the same reason.
Thanks for all the comments.
I already have one of the AldiLidl verniers and it works well enough - I do as others here and remove the battery when not in use (I only use it occasionally), as I'd previously read about the 'always on' issue. Hadn't realised that it might be due to a Mitutoyo patent though.
I also use the cheap plastic ones as well, in fact I think they are brilliantly useful.
I may have a need for a more 'quality' vernier in the near future, and was wondering if it was worth splashing out on a Mitutoyo one. I am not sure that I have made my mind up yet but I definitely have all the information I need...
Thanks again, J^n
The Mitutoyo one I had was supplied with a spare battery in the slot.
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