Best cheap digital calipers

Tool:
6-inch LCD Digital Caliper with Extra Battery and Case

Transcript:
And now it’s time once again for a one-minute review of a great tool I discovered through the Cool Tools blog and podcast. Today I’m going to show off what you can do with a pair of dirt cheap $13 digital calipers.

These come in a plastic case. Mine even had an extra battery included. On the front here you have a power button, a zero button to zero out the measurement, and a toggle between inches and mm.

There are four main ways to measure. You have outside dimension, inside, depth, and step. One main reason to use calipers is because it’s much more precise than using a ruler, especially when you’re measuring something small.

They’re also great for when you want to measure the difference between two things by measuring something, zeroing it out, and measuring the second thing, giving you the difference.

They’re a crazy value at $13. And if you ever want to get into 3D modeling parts that interface with the real world, these are a must.

These same calipers were recommended by John Park of Adafruit in Cool Tools podcast #28. And it’s recommendations like this that make me such a huge fan of the Cool Tools blog and podcast.

I have an Amazon link for these in the show notes here. Buy them for yourself, your friend, your kid — the world’s just a cooler, more quantifiable place when you have digital calipers.

Find more Cool Tool reviews here:

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[butchcynder]

Sometimes when PEOPLE "Abuse" tools, they get what they deserve. The comments I read HERE tell me what I just said... STOP ABUSING YOUR TOOLS. 12 years and STILL strong.

[doctordapp]

These calipers are fine for a few weeks.
Don't use them in a metal shop or anything critical....
Had a few of them, within a few weeks the value starts to jum up and down...

In my opinion not worth more then the scrap value.

[milesup]

Buying calipers like this is a waste of time and money. First, as Wouter Annes pointed out, the accuracy goes out the window after awhile. They also eat batteries. Do yourself and this planet a favor, buy a good quality one like a genuine Mitutoyo (not from the 'Bay either) and be done. I just threw 3 of these types of calipers in the metal dumpster.