Commonly used in fields such as metalworking, mechanical engineering, machining, carpentry and medicine, electronic or digital calipers are measuring instruments commonly used for inspection in manufacturing processes to provide the accurate measurements of an entity. Some digital calipers can switch between standard and metric units, and some can be output readings to a computer or printer for reading measurements. Compared to dial calipers, digital calipers provide measurements that are faster, easier and more error-free, but they are more fragile mechanically and electronically. Therefore, it is important to get a good and durable digital calipers. Here are the 10 best digital calipers that are not only accurate but also very durable.
Fowler Digital Calipers ($31.00)
This is Fowler’s stainless steel digital calliper featuring a maximum measurement of 150mm. The unit has a measurement accuracy of +/-.001″/.02mm with a resolution of .0005″/.01mm. The stainless steel allows for a corrosion resistant long life and digital LCD readout shows the readings in inches or metric units. The package comes with a protective case and CR 2032 lithium battery.
“This is one of those tools you never think that you need, but having it certainly does make many jobs easier. No more fumbling for the right size socket or wrench. Clamp this on a bolt head, read off the number, and grab exactly the right size tool. It’s also fabulous for taking any measurement where accuracy is critical and eliminates a lot of mistakes.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Green Toolz Digital Calipers ($29.95)
This is Green Toolz’s stainless steel digital calliper. The unit has a large LCD screen which shows the readings in inches as well as mm. It can measure in three ways, i.e., external, internal and depth measuring jaws. It allows precision and accuracy and can reset the device at any stage you want. The thumb roller allows smooth sliding and locking screw to ensure accurate positioning. Includes extended battery and comes with instructions.
“It arrived last week, with a little plastic enclosed battery. But lo and behold, it also had a battery already installed! I used it to measure the beaks of a few dead birds I found on the beach and was able to get the same measurements several times in a row, which is why I got it in the first place. A win!” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Dr Meter Digital Calipers ($19.95)
This is Dr.Meter’s stainless steel digital calipers. This unit measures in inches, decimals, mm with following specifications:
- Range: 0-6.”
- Accuracy: 0.001″
- Repeatability: 0.0005.”
- Resolution: 0.0005″/0.01mm/1/128″
No room for sloppiness and the large display reads the numbers in clarity. The well-polished stainless steel frame with knurled thumb roller and locking screw ensures smooth sliding and accurate positioning in use. The zero function allows measurements to be reset to zero when opened, allowing measurements of “stepped” features from a common datum. It shuts off after 5 minutes of no use to save battery life.
“I was kind of shocked how well this works. Super easy to use. Great tool. For the price, you don’t have to be a machinist to need it.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Digital Aid Digital Calipers ($24.47)
This is a heavyweight, rugged stainless steel measuring calliper with a digital dial. The unit automatically shuts off after 5 minutes of no use to save battery life. Provides smooth and accurate readings. It does not require a battery to operate and automatically turns ON as well.
“This item is exactly what I was looking for. I am an auto mechanic, bought a local store plastic one that had measurements printed on plastic and unfortunately, numbers rubbed off in about two weeks at work. This one seems sturdier, and numbers haven’t rubbed off yet.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Hornady Digital Calipers ($24.40)
This calliper by Hornady measures bullet length, inside/outside case diameters and overall cartridge length. Comes with a protective case.
“I am very pleased with the Hornaday Digital Caliper set. The Nice hard plastic case with a spare battery and a cutout in the padding for that additional. Great massive stainless steel set of 6″ callipers, easy to zero out, a nice large digital display for the ageing eyes, easy to use buttons, US and Metric measurements, feel very rugged. These are a great addition to the reloading arsenal or the general toolbox. Overall these are an awesome value that would be very hard to find a better set. I would highly recommend to friends, family or anyone wanting a good inexpensive digital calliper at a fantastic value!” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
EAGems Digital Caliper ($32.99)
This calliper by EAGems is a smooth and sleek high quality, durable stainless steel calliper. With one touch, you can switch between SAE/Metric/Fractions for up to 6″/150 mm. It has automatic ON/OFF and alerts when the battery is running low. It also has position lock for duplicate measurements and is capable of measuring inside and outside dimensions, step and depth measurements and can be set to zero at any position, for differential analysis.
“I’ve used this calliper for a few weeks now. Its construction is of high quality, easy to use and accurate. I have also liked the follow up from the company with care instructions, helpful tips and just to be sure the product is as I expected.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Mitutoyo Digital Caliper ($87.99)
The unit measures 0 to 6 inches in 0.0005″ increments for precision use. It has a bright digital readout LCD which shows an inch or metric units for versatility when measuring. The advanced onsite sensor (AOS) inductive electromagnetic sensor resists dirt, oil, and water. The unit measures inside, outside, depth, and step values for versatility and comes with a protective case and SR44 silver oxide battery.
“I just purchased this thru Amazon; this is an excellent high-quality digital calliper. For those searching on eBay and elsewhere, this is the real Mitutoyo product in the original case, with the OEM 1-year warranty, and an official calibration certificate whose serial number matches the instrument. This is NOT a cheap imitation, it’s the original Mitutoyo product, and the seller (listed as MSI-Viking Gage) is an authorised Mitutoyo reseller. I did a lot of research on the Internet to be sure I was buying the real thing, and this is it! The differences between this calliper and the limitations are: The action is very smooth, the readings are stable and repeatable (tested with gauge blocks), the readout is four decimals for inches, two decimals for millimetres, and the construction is very solid, no wobble or shake. Plus, this calliper has an absolute scale, it always remembers the zero-point, and you only have to reset it when you change the battery. The cheaper levels drift and need frequent resetting. You can make relative measurements quickly (yellow button), but when you turn that feature off, it returns to the original zero without resetting. I highly recommend these callipers; the only caveat is that these are NOT auto-off; you must remember to turn them off after use. However, based on my experience with other Mitutoyo gauges and micrometres, the battery lasts a LONG time so I don’t see this as a problem.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Vinca Digital Caliper ($16.16)
This unit by Vinca is a high quality, low price stainless steel digital calliper with inch/metric/fraction conversion. Ideal for home DIY and professional use.
Technical Specifications:
- Measure Range: 0-6 inches/150mm
- Accuracy: ±0.001″/0.02mm
- Resolution: 0.0005″/0.01mm, 1/128″
- Display: 1/2″x1 1/2″ (13mm x 38mm) Extra large LCD
“Way more accurate than what I would ever need. I moved the slide all the way from one end to the other several times, and with different amounts of force, and it always came back to exactly zero. (unless I pushed it a little harder when returning it back to zero, then it showed -0.001, but it went back to zero when I released the pressure on it) I had purchased one of the $8.00 plastic dial types, but I sent it straight back because it was pure junk! This one is built to a whole different level of quality! I wanted a dial type calliper, but apparently you have to pay big bucks to get one of those that is decent quality. (An added benefit of the digital ones is you can quickly switch from mm to inches with the push of a button.) For $4.00 more than the plastic junk, this is a steal! It came with a nice case, and it even included two batteries though the listing said batteries were not included. VERY HAPPY!” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
iGaging Digital Caliper ($27.95)
This is an electronic digital calliper with a stainless steel body. The unit displays the readings on a large LCD screen in inches, metric and fractions. Along with being oil, dust resistant, the assembly’s hardened body makes it resistant to impactful shocks and drops as well.
Technical Specifications:
- Range: 0-6.”
- Accuracy: 0.001″
- Repeatability: 0.0005″
- Resolution: 0.0005″/0.01mm/1/128″
“Per the video review and comparison of callipers by GadgetClass, I chose this great pair. I wished I would’ve paid a little extra and bought the iGaging Absolutes, but these are perfect for my hobby use. They have that solid feel.. You know they’re well made. Tight tolerances and spot on measurements. If that’s all you need, these are for you. My ONE and ONLY complaint- the little depth stick that slides out from the bottom- I wish it were cylindrical like a Mitutoyo. They come in a nice, opaque-gray, plastic storage case with very nice, dense foam. The foam is precision cut to shape so the callipers fit snug and secure. I love the fractional measure feature which is much handier than I first imagined. I frequently switch from inches to fractions to find my nearest size drill bit I need after measuring the I.D. of a hole with the small top jaws of the calliper. If the hole isn’t critical, and say your hole is 17/32, you don’t have a 17/32 bit, I just gently open or close the calliper until I fall on the nearest sized bit I do have.. speeds things up a touch.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
Neiko Digital Caliper ($22.99)
This unit by Neiko has three measuring modes namely inches, fractions and mm. The finely polished stainless steel frame with knurled thumb roller and locking screw ensure smooth sliding and accurate positioning in use. It can measure inside, outside, depth and step with two sets of jaws and the probe and display the readings on the extra large LCD screen for easy and clear reading.
Technical Specifications:
- Measurement Range: 0 – 8” and 0 – 200mm
- Resolution: 0.0005” / 1/128” / 0.01mm
- Accuracy: 0.001” / 0.02mm
“For the money, you cannot beat this product. I worked in a Navy calibration laboratory and calibrated it with gage block standards and it was right on, dead nuts.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
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