I finally tried the cheap caliper I kept avoiding and it works fine

For months I kept seeing these $14 digital calipers on Amazon and figured they had to be garbage compared to my old dial one. Last Tuesday I needed to measure some cabinet hinges and my dial caliper was locked up after I dropped it in the shop. I grabbed the cheap one just to get through the day and honestly it reads within a thousandth of my old one. I tested it against a few known drill bit sizes and it hit every mark. The plastic body feels flimsy but the battery lasts forever and it zeroes out fine. I've used it all week for drawer pulls and shelf pins and I can't find a real reason to spend $60 again. Is there a longevity issue with these cheap digitals after a year of daily use or am I just lucky so far?

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noah4152mo ago

Man, that is basically the plot of every guy who finally caves on cheap tools. I got one of those free harbor freight calipers in a promo once and it literally sat in my drawer for two years because I figured it would lie to me about measurements. Then my car mechanic needed a quick measurement and I handed it to him as a joke and he brought it back with a huge grin saying it was spot on. The real catch is the battery contacts, those little springs get loose and you have to wiggle the battery every few months. But even if it dies after a year, you can buy three more for the price of one fancy one and still come out ahead. Honestly, my $14 one has outlived my $80 one because I don't cry when it takes a dive off the workbench.

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