The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

dromia wrote:Wouldn't touch the Mitutoyos, had to bin my calibre and micrometer as they just ate up the batteries, I was changing them almost monthly.

Taking the battery in and out is a chew on and they don't have an off/on switch. Went back to my verniers and bought a good magnifying glass. Should have done that in the first place rather than dabbling with digital I knew in my heart of hearts that it didn't make sense.

All of my Mitutoyos both verniers and micrometers have on/off switches. Some of them I have had for over 35 years.
If yours don't have on/off switches then they are not industrial grade and are intended for hobbyists.

Steve E wrote: All of my Mitutoyos both verniers and micrometers have on/off switches. Some of them I have had for over 35 years.
If yours don't have on/off switches then they are not industrial grade and are intended for hobbyists.

Don't know the grade but this is the calipers I bought. Mitituyo don't seem to differentiate between industrial and hobbyist.

http://www.mitutoyo.co.uk/small-tool-in ... 500-752-10

And the micormeter.

http://www.mitutoyo.co.uk/small-tool-in ... rs/293-344

Are these industrial grade or hobbyist?

Either way I paid nigh on £300 for measuring tools that eat batteries, no off on switch. I ask you.

I should be worrying about trying to get a good reading rather watching the numbers fade and have to go and get more bloody batteries.

If your tools are eating batteries at the rate you say, then send them to Mitutoyo Uk and have them examined ( that is if you brought them through an Official retailer and they are not grey imports). The batteries in mine last at least a yèar (but then I have on/off switch) . Are you buying good quality batteries? Low grade cheap batteries will not last. Buy Varta or Duracell there is a difference. Not all batteries are equal.

I bought from the website I have linked to and I always use Duracell batteries.

Yes I could have returned them but I choose not to, life is too short, nearly every contemporary product I buy is faulty and the grief of getting sorted is not worth the upset to me. I buy as little new stuff as possible and rely on tried and tested tools and technology that I understand and am not held hostage to the company greed with their IKEA model of quality control, get the customer to do it.

So I binned the tools as life is too short and as I say I bought a good magnifying glass so I could continue to use my trusted verniers, it is simple, it works and I should have known better than trying to go digital.

Steve E wrote:If your tools are eating batteries at the rate you say, then send them to Mitutoyo Uk and have them examined ( that is if you brought them through an Official retailer and they are not grey imports). The batteries in mine last at least a yèar (but then I have on/off switch) . Are you buying good quality batteries? Low grade cheap batteries will not last. Buy Varta or Duracell there is a difference. Not all batteries are equal.

BTW were the items I bought hobby or industrial grade?

dromia wrote:

Steve E wrote:If your tools are eating batteries at the rate you say, then send them to Mitutoyo Uk and have them examined ( that is if you brought them through an Official retailer and they are not grey imports). The batteries in mine last at least a yèar (but then I have on/off switch) . Are you buying good quality batteries? Low grade cheap batteries will not last. Buy Varta or Duracell there is a difference. Not all batteries are equal.

BTW were the items I bought hobby or industrial grade?

Looking at the website Mitutoyo imply industrial. I reserve judgement on that. When I bought all my measuring equipment as an apprentice machinist, all was purchased from Mitutoyo UK and at the time all professional equipment had on off switches and the non-proffesional did not. If it doesn't have an on/off switch then I won't touch it. You pays your money you make your choice.
All the measuring equipment where I work is mitutoyo, we have no issues with battery life' they last months at a time and are in constant use. Perhaps you have just been unlucky. Mitutoyo support and backup is exemplary in my experience.

I had some cheap calipers, but I didn't trust them and I'm glad I bought a second hand Mitutoyo caliper off E-Bay for £50. I've had no problem with batteries in either, but the problem with the cheap pair is they're too susceptible to wondering measurements with the slightest variance in pressure, you don't get this with Mitutoyo, they're rock solid. They're clearly made to different tolerances. I'd say buy a set, I immediately noticed the difference and I didn't mind paying a bit more for peace of mind.

There's a set here for £55.99

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mitutoyo-Digi ... 339fbbc84e

id rather buy cheap new, than 2nd hand expensive, especially with ebay, you really dont know what your getting or its history. especially with some sort of measuring equipment where little things make all the difference. If i had to buy mitutoyo, i'd buy new, never 2nd hand

I've had a Mitutoyo from new for 25 years on its third battery and still works great.

Mark