Ebay dial indicators
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Senior User
Joined: May 2005
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From: Jacksonville IL
Ebay dial indicators
Shopping around for a dial indicator and saw a bunch in ebay for cheap. Are they any good? Or am I going to regret it? I am looking for one to do some transmission work. I am not going to use it too frequently.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: San Luis Obispo, CA
Some of the imports are reasonable quality, some are not. I lean toward buying used USA-made old name brands. Take your time and look for a retired machinist that is liquidating his tools. Some import stuff is so poor that it will fail at the first use - it just looks like what it is supposed to be, so "NEW" means nothing. It is still a gamble, but take your time and you usually will do OK.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2004
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I have one of the inexpensive dial indicators that I bought with a c-clamp style base for use on aluminum transmission cases. I've used it a few times and it works fine. I have an older one from my grandfather that seems to be built better, but on a couple of measurements I did with both, they were both within about .0001" of each other.
In truth, I was actually buying the base and got the dial indicator with it.
In truth, I was actually buying the base and got the dial indicator with it.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2005
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From: Jacksonville IL
Most of the ones termed "New" does not list a manufacturer. So I am guessing they are imports. Other than that, I see a few used ones that are either Central Universal, Harbor Freight, Shars, etc
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: northwestern pa
i have a machine shop and as for reasonably priced indicators i have found that fowler is a decent tool you can find them at enco.com or msc-1.com just my opinion chris
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliper
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial_indicator
Very few people have a use for a dial indicator unless they are a machinist trying to measure runout etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial_indicator
Very few people have a use for a dial indicator unless they are a machinist trying to measure runout etc.
Last edited by Torque1st; Mar 26, 2007 at 02:30 PM.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 447
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From: Jacksonville IL
Eric - should have known what you meant by dial calipers - brain is rusted. Don't work with these stuff much - just hobby.
No, I need dial indicator. Need to determine movement on the gear assembly of the C6 before I proceed to take it apart.
No, I need dial indicator. Need to determine movement on the gear assembly of the C6 before I proceed to take it apart.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Home, at last!
My experience is that when buying measuring devises, Cheap is not the way to go.
Starrett and Mitutoyo are good, There are others also as mentioned here. I did a quick check on e-bay and found both of these brands listed at very reasonable prices. I would stay away from the $0.99 (with 19.99 s&h) New for 20 bucks would scare me also.
If it was me buying, I tend to think that anyone who would have purchased a starrett or mitutoyo and is now selling it on e-bay; probably took good care of it for they are not cheap.
Just my $.02
Starrett and Mitutoyo are good, There are others also as mentioned here. I did a quick check on e-bay and found both of these brands listed at very reasonable prices. I would stay away from the $0.99 (with 19.99 s&h) New for 20 bucks would scare me also.
If it was me buying, I tend to think that anyone who would have purchased a starrett or mitutoyo and is now selling it on e-bay; probably took good care of it for they are not cheap.
Just my $.02
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: New Jersey
I have a Starrett which is very precise, however I needed another one and bought an ebay unit with a 2" dial for $15 plus a few bucks shipping. Based on weight and feel it's definately "cheap" but putting it side by side with the Starret and moving my mill's X/Y table to see how they read as compared to each other, only towards the limit of the dial indicators (they're both an inch) did the import one drift "0.001".
For 99% of the work I do, "0.001" is unnecessary because most things I've had to fit, or make, are given a tolerence range anyone, so I actually bought a second one to use with my lathe for setting up the 4-jaw chuck properly. For $15 that saves me digging through the milling machine's drawer and can stand in one place and dig through the lathe's drawer
For 99% of the work I do, "0.001" is unnecessary because most things I've had to fit, or make, are given a tolerence range anyone, so I actually bought a second one to use with my lathe for setting up the 4-jaw chuck properly. For $15 that saves me digging through the milling machine's drawer and can stand in one place and dig through the lathe's drawer
