Dial indicator ???

[sleepertruck72]

I'm looking to buy a good quality dial indicator . What brands should I consider or stay away from ? I am a Toyota technician and I have access to the shops tools however I want to buy my own.. I just would like some opinions ...

[mongocanfly]

I have all of these and this is the order in which I like them..starrett..best,,, mitutoya...2nd best but real close to starrett,,, brown and sharp..3rd best

[mongocanfly]

I also prefer the 0-100 thou per revolution..easier to read..I had a 0-200 but the marks are to close together to see easily...got rid of that sucker first chance i got...

[cg285]

what kind of dial indicator?

[Sturvin]

Starrett and Mitutoyo are your two best bets.

Fowler or Brown and Sharpe aren't bad, but I would go with one of the other two if you can afford it.

Stay away from cheap ones if you want repeatability.

[sleepertruck72]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

I have all of these and this is the order in which I like them..starrett..best,,, mitutoya...2nd best but real close to starrett,,, brown and sharp..3rd best

Originally Posted by Sturvin

Starrett and Mitutoyo are your two best bets.

Fowler or Brown and Sharpe aren't bad, but I would go with one of the other two if you can afford it.

Stay away from cheap ones if you want repeatability.

Thanks guys ! Starrett sounds like my first choice

[_Ogre]

ebay and craigslist are full of good starrett stuff
i sold all of my 3''-36'' inside and 0''-16'' outside micrometers a while back w/ original cases and paperwork for peanuts
but better to pass them on to someone that could need/use them

[mongocanfly]

That's some big stuff you had there ogre..its a shame what this stuff costs new versus what you can sell it for..I know from experience that if you buy it new the cost of it will make you take very good care of it..even if its 20 yrs old its usually just like new..I've still got a box full of machinist tools I've had close to 30 yrs now and it all still looks brand new..I'd hate to think how little it would bring if I was to ever sell any of it.

[Sturvin]

If you get something used you may want to have it calibrated or at least checked.

If you don't have access to gauge blocks you may want to ask to use some at a local machine shop.
If it is reading off you may need to send it in to get it calibrated/rebuilt/fixed.

Anything is better than giving you wrong data.

Think of how much an improperly sized bearing can cost you.

[sleepertruck72]

Yeah I will be buying a new one. I really hate buying used stuff If I don't have to..

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by sleepertruck72

I'm looking to buy a good quality dial indicator . What brands should I consider or stay away from ? I am a Toyota technician and I have access to the shops tools however I want to buy my own.. I just would like some opinions ...

In your day to day tasks, what do you use an indicator for? I have been a machinist for over 40 years and now I own a machine shop and have a bunch of different types and brands of dial indicators. Some are used for relatively simple stuff and other for very high precision.

If you're not doing high precision work or inspection, I wouldn't think you would need a high priced indicator. There are several brands that are very accurate and inexpensive and there are some cheap ones out there that are junk as well.

I think you could get a combo set with an indicator and magnetic stand that would work just fine without breaking the bank.

[sleepertruck72]

A1971Blazer,
By no means is it life or death precision but Toyota has new A/C compressors where dial indicator is used to measure the magnetic clutch air gap. I have needed one when replacing a bearing on a RAV4 Transfer case . There is always The oh so fun brake rotor runout measurement when vehicle is new/under warranty I was considering the Trick Flow kit/ cam degree wheel on Summit Racing but the reviews were not so great..

[cg285]

for general automotive work i would probably recommend something like this
http://www.centraltools.com/dials_clamp.html
and get a magnetic mount to go with it

[sleepertruck72]

Originally Posted by cg285

for general automotive work i would probably recommend something like this
http://www.centraltools.com/dials_clamp.html
and get a magnetic mount to go with it

That seems like a good one ..I think I am going to order this one Starrett costs just a little more than what I am willing to spend ..
Thanks for all the input

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-64PK...ator+with+base

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by sleepertruck72

A1971Blazer,
By no means is it life or death precision but Toyota has new A/C compressors where dial indicator is used to measure the magnetic clutch air gap. I have needed one when replacing a bearing on a RAV4 Transfer case . There is always The oh so fun brake rotor runout measurement when vehicle is new/under warranty I was considering the Trick Flow kit/ cam degree wheel on Summit Racing but the reviews were not so great..

There are several options you could use....One we use here in the shop daily has a magnetic base with a flex arm that has a wide range of mounting options and adjustments......but a mag base won't always work because they need a fairly flat and smooth surface to mount to..... a clamp on style obviously needs something to which you can clamp to that's in close proximity to your workpiece.....so it's kind of a toss up as to which one would suit your needs the best.
What style does your service department have?.....If that type works for you then go with it....all major tool suppliers carry a large assortment of different styles......just a matter of choosing ......the top brands will cost more and be more accurate, but may not be necessary for your application.

I use a fairly cheap one to set up ring and pinion sets.....it has a mag base and has gotten accidentally knocked off onto the floor more than once......I don't like dropping my high dollar indicators on the floor.....

[sleepertruck72]

The shop has one with a flex arm/vise grip style. We mainly use it for brake rotor runout for warranty brake jobs... I will order a flex arm for mine also. I will not be using it everyday, once a month if that , But I am a tool junkie

[cg285]

i have a couple with flex arms but they can be sensitive to movement. i prefer something more rigid when possible

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by sleepertruck72

Yeah I will be buying a new one. I really hate buying used stuff If I don't have to..

total waste of your money imo
like mongocanfly says 20 yr old precision stuff is usually well taken care of
and sells for $.10 on the dollar

[Willie Makeit]

That mitutoyo is overkill for automotive work.

I work for NASA and am responsible for some hardware that is currently aboard the ISS. I have access to some of the most accurate metrology tools that exist, but with that being said, I just rebuilt a 12 bolt rear end using a harbor freight 0-1" travel indicator and mag base.

[sleepertruck72]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

total waste of your money imo
like mongocanfly says 20 yr old precision stuff is usually well taken care of
and sells for $.10 on the dollar

Originally Posted by Willie Makeit

That mitutoyo is overkill for automotive work.

I work for NASA and am responsible for some hardware that is currently aboard the ISS. I have access to some of the most accurate metrology tools that exist, but with that being said, I just rebuilt a 12 bolt rear end using a harbor freight 0-1" travel indicator and mag base.

I love overkill and buying quality tools Thanks for the input

[Shaun64swb]

I have been a machinist for 7 years. Dad has been a machinist for almost 40 years. I have a lot of starrett and mitutoyo and brown and sharpe. They are all nice quality and all repeat how they should. I have always preferred starrett. Now, if you can get your hands on an INTERAPID, those are very nice and i would take that over any brand i mentioned above. Tesa is also a good brand

[mmiddle]

Originally Posted by Sturvin

Starrett and Mitutoyo are your two best bets.

Fowler or Brown and Sharpe aren't bad, but I would go with one of the other two if you can afford it.

Stay away from cheap ones if you want repeatability.

I was a machinist for many years and Sturvin says it well. I am personally a little more partial to Mitutoyo, but quality wise Starrett and Mit's are top-shelf. Used tools from a machinist are probably good. We may get mad and throw a hammer across the shop one minute and the next seen treating our dial calipers like the most valuable thing on Earth.

Some other guys have mentioned the cheepie brands and generally for a one-off use kinda thing they would likely be ok if you have the ability to test and confirm their accuracy through the range. However, I would not use them for machining close tolerance parts no matter what.

[Sturvin]

Just to add some more to the Starrett vs Mitutoyo debate, it seems like our company follows a general rule of thumb.

If it is a digital display (digital calipers, profilometers, etc) it will generally be a Mitutoyo.

If it is a mechanical or scale based display (dial calipers, dial indicators, micrometers, depth micrometers, etc) it will generally be a Starrett.

Each has their strong suit. Personally, I do not like the way a Mitutoyo micrometer feels and I don't care for the way the cylinder lock engages. Their digital calipers however are excellent and honestly, pretty affordable considering the quality you get.

One badly fit bearing can pay for a few nice measuring tools in a few short seconds.