Vernier caliper recommendations

[Zirax]

Bit of a random one this. I'm after some vernier calipers. Now you seem to be able to pick them up pretty cheap (both digital and analogue). Does anyone have any experience of some of the cheaper digital ones and if they are worth it? Or should I just stick with standard ones?

I don't have to be incredibly accurate but I'd rather someone said if the cheap digital ones are rubbish :)

Another thing I need to get hold of is some long nosed callipers. I just can't remember what they are called. Something along the lines of this:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beam-long-Compass-10-to-290mm-radius.-Made-by-Jakar_W0QQitemZ370313920769QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=&rvr_id=&cguid=02502b0311d0a0e20310e7e0fefee02b

You would open them up with a thumb screw, measure, and then work out the distance.... just gone blank :(

[kaiowas]

I know some people prefer analogue ones, not sure if it's because they're luddites, whether they feel some kind of superiority in being able to show that they can read a vernier scale or whether they genuinely are better than digital ones.

I've got some Sealey digital ones that work fine for my needs.

[-J-]

I have used Mitutoyo digital verniers for over 15 years as well as various other brands and in my experience they're the best out there

[Flibster]

Always prefer Mitutoyo,
Not cheap, but very good quality and I've not had a set fail yet.

You will need them calibrating from time to time though.

[Zirax]

Thanks all, I just wanted to check that there wasn't some other reason for staying analogue.

[Jonny69]

Cheap digital ones are inaccurate and unreliable. They go out of calibration and you have to keep zeroing them in use. Which renders them pretty useless. Avoid them.

I use manual ones and I'd only trust Mitutoyo digital ones. I have Mitutoyo verniers for the record, definitely the best and you can pick the older better ones up on eBay for about £15 delivered.

For the other bit did you mean dividers, like a compass but the whole thing is metal? You can get internal, external and straight? Also called calipers. Again, buy second hand and look for Moore and Wright, avoid the cheap rubbish ones they sell in Screwfix. One of mine has 1950 stamped on it and it's as good as new :)

I know some people prefer analogue ones, not sure if it's because they're luddites, whether they feel some kind of superiority in being able to show that they can read a vernier scale or whether they genuinely are better than digital ones.
Er, no. Some of us learned on manual verniers and what's the point in spending £100+ on digital ones when my manual ones work just fine?

[Pickers]

We use manual analoge ones at school, extremely hard wearing and very robust. I am sure they are bog standard drapers and they go through all kinds of crap.

Edit: Seems you can pick them up for a fiver here...
http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/529643/Workshop/General-Tools/Draper/Value-Vernier
not sure thats quite the same as what we use - but they seem much of a muchness.

[Mark]

Best not click the above links. I just got insta-banned. :eek:

Well, unless you're using a proxy anyway (like I was :/). And no, I wasn't doing anything dodgy - it's my local web filter/cache.

[Pickers]

eh??? How so?

[Mark]

Done some digging and it seems it's hyper-sensitive to proxies. Turned my local one off and it was fine. :/

They look the ones we used to use at school too.