Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0 to 6/0 to 150mm Measuring Range, 0.0005/0.01mm Resolution, LCD

I rarely have need for a caliper, and could probably have gotten by much more cheaply, but I appreciate well-crafted items that last, and Mitutoyo has a reputation as the ne plus ultra of digital calipers. I was afraid I would feel like a fool for having spent this kind of money on a tool I will likely rarely use, but I have no regrets. This thing is worth it. It could have cost twice as much and Id probably say the same thing. The fit and finish are superb. The edges are crisp and have no burrs, the movement is silky smooth, and it just generally feels great in the hand. This is how tools should feel. I see no reason to suspect it wouldnt last for decades if properly cared for. The case could be a little more robust (the hinges are just a single piece of plastic, the type you may recognize from every plastic case with broken hinges youve ever seen), but thats a relatively small gripe. Note: I purchased mine directly from Amazon, and Im confident that what I received was authentic, but things happen. These things are widely counterfeited. Even if you are buying from an authorized channel, it doesnt hurt to do some research on what to look for so you can be confident that you have the real deal. Also, if you are a nerd about such things like I am, it will help you appreciate just how excellent the real deal is.

I just purchased this thru Amazon, this is an excellent high-quality digital caliper. 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, its the original Mitutoyo product and the seller (listed as MSI-Viking Gauge) is an authorized 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 caliper and the imitations 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 millimeters, and the construction is very solid, no wobble or shake. Plus, this caliper has an absolute scale, it always remembers the zero-point and you only have to reset it when you change the battery. The cheaper scales drift and need frequent resetting. You can make relative measurements easily (yellow button), but when you turn that feature off, it returns to the original zero without resetting. I highly recommend these calipers, 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 micrometers, the battery lasts a LONG time so I dont see this as a problem.

The difference between Mitutoyo and the cheap knockoffs are readily apparent the 1st time you use them. These are smooth and accurate and the fit and finish are very nice. They are pricey but you are paying for precision.

I am a hobby machinist constantly overhauling flat head engines. Having a repeatable accurate vernier caliper is a must. This is a quality tool at a reasonable price.

I have never used one of these tools before, but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly and easily. It helped that I watched some videos while I was waiting for it to arrive of course. It also comes with directions in a whole bunch of different languages Japanese being the first and English being the second and so on, and I am lucky enough to have my husband give me a few pointers as he is more familiar with these tools. The tool seems to read accurately and Ive had fun playing with it by measuring random things around the house. Oh and one important thing to note, if you are a newbie like me, be careful how much you push on the wheel when measuring as this can cause a lot of fluctuation and false numbers in your readings. Dont forget to shut if off when not in use as I guess it does not turn off automatically (forgot to get one with that feature as Im forgetful, oops). The battery comes with it, but you have to install it yourself, which is easy to do. I did not see or read the caution on one of the smaller white papers (they are all white papers) before I opened the tool, maybe they should make that page a caution yellow or red color to grab your attention better, anyways it said to be careful handling the brown paper that is in the bag with the tool as it is a special paper called Ferobrite used to protect the tool from corrosion. I didnt realize that and touched it anyways, nothing bad happened but I did go wash my hands after I finally saw the warning paper. I got this tool to use with 3D printing primarily and I cant wait to start crafting my own versions of stuff. My husband will also be using it for his own various projects. He is the one who recommended this brand stating that it is a great brand for some really accurate measurements at a fair price (he does mechanic work as a hobby and as we need for our vehicles along with other technical stuff that these tools are generally used for, he has a lot of neat hobbies) Overall it seems like a good purchase and Ill update if that changes.

I have this one for the workshop. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPIWAYO/ I wanted a second one for inside the house. So I bought this caliper. Knowing what I know now, Id have spend the extra money to get the one I bought before for 2 main reasons. 1 - This one doesnt auto-power off. 2 - The buttons are small and practically flush with the plastic face. Neither of which was an issue with the other one. The other doesnt even have a power button it powers up and down automatically. Functionally it works fine and seems well made. Id just rather not be annoying by trying to press buttons it should be easy to press. Or opening the carrying case and noticing it was still turned on.

I bought my first Mitutoyo calliper 50 years ago and its still in good condition except the edges for inside measure gets little round. Now its much easier to read in mm and inches (not guessing), i like it (Ok its all depends how you care for the tools) . . .

I went with a 35$ digital caliper initially. it seemed good, but when i got some extra money i decided to try what everyone else recommended. The size of my groups not only shrunk but also got more consistent. Using these I found the cheap ones were usually off by .001 often more. Im sure these will make up the cost difference over time.

Nice build sturdy and very accurate

What can I say, I LOVE THESE CALIPERS!!! Ive had around 12 sets from various makers over the past few years and every set has had a week point whether it be jumpy, inaccurate, constant need to rezero, rough sliding mechanism, extremely sensitive to pressure, you name it. Not with these! I primarily use them in my reloading and occasionally to get a rough measurement on parts I make on my lathe. If you are thinking about getting them just go ahead and do it, and save yourself some time and aggitation. If I had bought these to begin with I wouldve even saved a few bucks overall.