Vernier Digital Caliper Review Website

Mitutoyo 505-675, Dial Caliper Review

The Mitutoyo 505-675 is a middle-of-the-road caliper as far as quality and price go. Made by one of
the best companies in the business, it’s priced at more of a discount than it’s premium products and
generally appeals to a different demographic.

Very sturdy, the 505-675 is made out of a hardened stainless steel. We consider this important as the
heavy construction means it’s less prone to breaking or the calibration getting knocked ajar. If you’ve
ever had a caliper break then you can appreciate this.

On the other hand, heavier materials mean a heavier tool, which some people dislike. Some of the
very low quality Chinese calipers are also very heavy, yet break more easily than some of the more
expensive American models. Either way, if you are looking for a very lightweight caliper you might want
to consider a different model.

Another nice feature about this digital caliper is that the beam wear surfaces are coated with TiN
to decrease degradation and wear. This will help the tool last you much longer, making it a better
investment overall.

Like many calipers, there are 4 different ways to measure- outside depth, inside depth, depth, and step.
This will make sure you can get every just about dimension of the object that you’re looking to measure
with just one tool.

A thumb roller and clamp screw come standard with the Mitutoyo 505-675, to easily get your
measurement and lock it in place to keep it from moving while reading the display.

Because of the price, a lot of potential users aren’t sure what to make of this product. On the one hand
they can buy a very premium Mitutoyo model for almost $1,000, or they can purchase this one for less
than one hundred. Although there are also a number of low priced American models that are priced
even lower (between $30-$50), it’s hard to say if paying the extra money is worth investing in this
caliper or not.

There is currently only one review on Amazon.com for the 505-675. They mention that the product isn’t
bad, but has to be recalibrated more often then originally expected. This can be a hassle and is a small
drain on time and money, whereas other models such as those from True Power cost less initially and
seem to have fewer problems with the calibration.

Another thing to consider is the quality of the battery put into the caliper. Some come standard with a
very nice, high quality battery that can last several years before having to be replaced. It’s hard to tell
the quality of the battery used in this Mitutoyo model, so it’s tough to say how long the first battery will
last before it has to be replaced.

Overall, this seems to be a decent model but is not our top recommendation. If you are looking into
buying a decent digital caliper for a low price, you may want to consider one of the True North or
Carrera calipers instead. With a lower price and more reliable reviews, they seem favorable to investing
in the Mitutoyo 505-675 digital caliper.

Carrera Precision CP9812-TF Digital Caliper Review

If you’re looking into getting a quality digital caliper, you might want to take a look at the Carrera
Precision CP9812-TF digital caliper. This has some pretty high ratings on Amazon.com, and my father in
law who is a machinist has really enjoyed using this model as well.

I have to admit that I’m not a machinist nor will I pretend to be, but I did get to mess around with this
caliper when I was at my father in law’s shop the other day. We got to talking about it and he was saying
that he loved it and was going to order a few more for all of his guys. He’d only had it for a few weeks
at that point, but already really liked it and was convinced that it was some of the best bang for his buck
that he’d gotten from calipers.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you pick up the CP9812 is how heavy it is. It has a heavy duty
titanium head with a stainless steel frame. In other words, you don’t have to worry about this thing
breaking! Obviously I wouldn’t use it to happen anything in or throw around the shop, but you definitely
shouldn’t be too concerned about it breaking or the calibrations getting messed up very easily.

My father in law really likes that, because his last caliper broke after just a few months of use and he
was really disappointed. He’s pretty confident in this one’s sturdiness, so as I mentioned he’s getting
more.

Like most other modern calipers, the Carrera Precision CP9812-TF digital caliper has a very high
accuracy- up to 1/1000th of an inch. You are also able to quickly convert this into the metric system
if you want with the touch of just one button. With the world becoming much smaller and since we
work with more companies that use the metric system, this is nice for saving time on conversions and
whatnot.

If you’re careful with your calipers, then you know that sometimes the limiting factor can be the battery
life. Luckily, the CP9812 comes with an extra battery in the storage case. That way the chances of you
losing a lot of time is much lower, because in case something does happen you have the backup right
there.

Finally, what’s a good digital caliper without a fancy LCD display? This is a relatively large display, helping
you to quickly and easily read the measurement and then move on. You don’t want to spend any more
time than necessary reading the measurement, especially if you’re reading hundreds every day!

That said, there are a number of users on Amazon.com that are 3 stars of customers that weren’t
completely satisfied. They weren’t angry with their caliper, but said that you basically get what you pay
for so for less than $40, you’re getting a mediocre product. However, the other 11/13 reviews were
either 4 or 5 stars.

Overall, the Carrera Precision 9812-TF digital caliper has a lot of great qualities and is a high
recommendation if you’re looking for a decent digital caliper.

Mitutoyo 500-196-20, Digimatic Digital Caliper Review

One of the top models in the industry, the Mitutoyo 500-196-20 digital calipers is definitely worth
considering when looking for a new quality digital caliper. Although there are some models out there for
a much lower investment, there are also those out there that require much larger investments.

Because Mitutoyo is one of the best caliber manufacturers in the world, the brand name alone brings a
certain level of trust and expectation for this caliper. Able to measure 4 different ways (outer diameter,
inner diameter, step, and depth), this model is a one-stop shop for all of your precise measurement
needs.

One of the most popular features of this caliper is how easy it is to switch between Inches and the
Metric system. Simply pushing one button converts the Inches into mm or cm and back again, so no
calculator is required for conversions.

Like most quality digital calipers, this model comes with its own fitted plastic case. It’s highly
recommended that you always use this case to insure the unit’s calibration and protection are not
compromised. Although a lot of the time it’s easier to just through your caliper in a toolbox, it isn’t
recommended by any means!

A quality that sets this caliper apart from many vernier calipers is the large LCD display. Instead of
guessing a reading between 2 values, you can easily see the numbers printed on the large display to
reduce and doubt in your mind of what the reading’s exact measurement is. You can then “zero” our
the readout, and perform additional measurements to see the change or double check your previous
measurement.

The Mitutoyo 500-196-20 digital caliper is very lightweight compared to some other calipers, but
is made of a durable hardened stainless steel. The rated accuracy is .001” (plus or minus), and the
readouts can show measurements as small as 0 .0005”/ 0.01 mm.

Tested to 20,000 hours of battery life, this comes out to about 3.5 years of use at 24 hours a day, minus
holidays and weekends. Thus if you aren’t using it 24 hours a day, chances are it will last longer than the
suggested 3.5 years.

To see what others think about these Mitutoyo calipers, you can check out Amazon.com. We found
some of the best deals on digital calipers on that site, and this model is no exception.

Using Amazon’s 5 star rating system, it currently has a 4.5 rating after 11 reviews. There are no reviews
less than 4 stars, so many people seem very happy with the investment in this caliper.

For example, one person said that this unit is much more accurate and much lighter than Chinese
calipers he’s bought in the past. Because accuracy is so important for machinists and other industries
that need precise measurements, it’s easy to understand why this digital caliper is more popular.

Another couple of reviewers commented on the high quality battery included with this caliper.
Some “discount” digital calipers will come with a very poor battery, and replacing these batteries every
couple of months can get expensive.

Overall, we recommend the Mitutoyo 500-126-20 digital caliper due to its high quality and very
reasonable price.

True Power 6″ Stainless Steel Digital Vernier Caliper Review

For most everyday measuring uses, the True Power digital vernier caliper is all you’ll ever need. Even
though the cost is very affordable (making you might expect the quality to be cheap), this just isn’t the
case with this caliper.

One example of the quality of this model is the display. Although it’s very simple, it’s also very large and
easy to read. When you’ve got sweat in your eyes, dirt on the caliper and you’re getting up there in age
(sorry Dad), then you’ll appreciate this large display. You can very easily measure your object, read the
display, and go without worrying about second-guessing the measurement.

Another nice feature is the quality of materials used for this caliper. Even though the price is low,
cheap materials are not used for this product, and you will get very accurate measurements due to the
extremely high assembly tolerances used to manufacture this model.

Again extremely accurate, this product can display and convert measurements in Inch fractions to the
1/128”, convert them to Inches decimals to .0005”, or display in millimeters to .01mm. Being able to
easily switch from mm to Inches and back is a very nice feature, especially if you’re working with both
international and foreign customers who use 2 different types of measurement systems!

The carrying and storage case is also surprisingly nice and durable for the price paid for the whole setup.
With a hardshell outside and foamy inside, you don’t have to worry about calibrations of your True
Power digital vernier caliper getting messed up or the unit breaking.

If you go on Amazon.com and read the reviews, you’ll find it has a 5/5 star rating. One reason why
is that almost all of the reviewers love it more than the cheap Chinese calipers found on the market.
Although one customer said he’s more attached to his Mitutoyo, but that’s mainly due to the price- not
necessarily the quality being any better!

A lot of customers also like the auto shut off mode. If you’ve ever left a unit without turning it off and
had the batteries wear out or die, you understand why its so popular. The setting is to turn off the
caliper after 4 minutes of no use.

One user said that if you move the caliper at more than 60 inches per second than it might miss a
reading, but realistically doesn’t expect someone to move it that fast. In a real world application,
normally it is only moved at about 1-2 inches/second, so 60 inches is far outside the norm!

Overall, most of the users agree on one thing as far as quality goes- it isn’t quite as nice as those made
by “the Big Boys”, but for the price the quality can’t be beat. So if you’re looking for a pretty good
quality caliper that you can afford to lose (in case someone walks away with it), then the True North
digital vernier caliper is a great choice and a top recommendation.

Mitutoyo 551-204-10 LCD Vernier Digital Caliper Review

If you appreciate a good high-quality tool, then you’ll like the Mitutoyo 551-204-10 LCD digital and
vernier caliper. This is recognized by many as one of the top calipers in the industry, and its easy to see
why.

A friend of mine bought the Mitutoyo a few months back. He was tired of his crummy old caliper that
didn’t seem to be as accurate as some of the fancier ones, so he decided to look for a nicer one. After
searching around for a while he came across Amazon, specifically this model.

Even though there weren’t any Amazon reviews, he’d heard about this caliper before and decided to
give it a shot. He figured he could always return it if it didn’t work out too well, but that’s not going to be
an issue.

It came in the mail a few weeks later and now he’s in love with this thing. A lot of people don’t
understand, but you wouldn’t unless you work with tools every single day. It seems like he never wants
to put it away because he’s having too much fun measuring stuff- even if it’s not for work!

This caliper has a 0 (20) to 450 mm range, and has a mass of 1060 g (just over a kilogram). The resolution
is .01mm, so definitely better than is actually required for most calipers. The Mitutoyo 551-204-10
vernier caliper is definitely above and beyond what’s required, which might be why it’s so fun to play
with too.

A lot of people ask why you would spend so much money on a tool like this. After all there are some
calipers out there that cost $30-$50, so why spend so much more for this?

Well to be honest, it all depends on your needs. If you’re just doing some small projects around
the house or for a friend and need a caliper, then you don’t need to invest in this product. The less
expensive calipers will work fine, just keep in mind that they won’t be quite as accurate as the Mitutoyo.

On the other hand, maybe you work in an industry where you have to measure things to the hundredth
of a millimeter, and having it wrong can spell big trouble. Although these industries are few and far
between, they are out there and require something as accurate as this model.

My friend for example works in one of these types of industries. That’s the only reason I know about this
high quality caliper, and the only reason why I know somebody who would really need it. Personally I
don’t need a caliper of this quality, so I could get one for about $50 that would definitely suit my needs.

So in conclusion- if you’re in a specialized industry that needs very precise measurements, this product is
for you. You can try using something for $50, but chances are your measurements will be slightly off. To
be 100% sure that you’re correctly getting those critical measurements that matter, the Mitutoyo 551-
204-10 vernier caliper is a necessity.