Metric or Imperial - what camp are you in?

[Bornfree]

I'm Dutch, so raised on metric and that is what I use most.
But after getting addicted to series LandRovers I quickly learned about imperial fasteners. It took me over twenty years and a lot of money to cure that addiction.
Converting inches to mm and vice versa is no problem. Thou, tens, feet. All clear as day. Even de fractions.
But don't come talking about chains, furlongs, grains, stone, cwt. I haven't got a clue.

I did a job several years ago in a Poultry factory and a chap from the Netherlands was running the project. I asked him about the position of a machine and he came straight back with " oh just fix it 18 inches from the line" I was impressed with his instant response in imperial.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

3-2-1...simple, works with any volumetric system.

Yea but how many dry 123s do you need to order up front to fill a total of 2 cubic meters (wet) of holes in the ground?

I had a mate who would just keep ordering until the job was done...then put the excess in the skip .

 

[OJCar]

I use both systems, both have their good points, both have their bad points.
I use whichever system the piece of engineering I am working on was designed and made in to prevent such nonsense as 12.7mm UNF Bolts
(A former workmate was a metric Nazi and actually converted all of the imperial thread sizes into mm for the company catalogue supplied to the Customers - the Management told him he had resigned.)

I can think in base 2, 8, 10, 16 & 32 BTW.

 

[Dozzer]

Why did someone mention Pipe fittings
SAE, BSPP & PT, NPTT & TF, M-ISO. JIC, UNC, UNF.

 

[Woody.v8]

As long as cm aren't used I'm not bothered ,they are school children units.

 

[Jan-DIY]

We use (sorry for german) tausendstel, hundertstel, zehntel, milli, zenti, meter, kilometer.

 

[Barking Mat]

I'm bi, both work for me.

 

[beeRS]

Whenever you work on American cars you reach for the metric sockets. But since 2015, the new Mustang uses 21mm wheel nuts on M14x1.5 thread.
Could it be that if the Americans will slowly convert?

 

[Dozzer]

Whenever you work on American cars you reach for the metric sockets. But since 2015, the new Mustang uses 21mm wheel nuts on M14x1.5 thread.
Could it be that if the Americans will slowly convert?

All Ford stuff that has been designed since 2005 has been metric. or should be since the Global design rules!!

 

[tom2207]

Metrinch ,, I work big things in feet ,, small things in mm's and just call a yard a meter and its all close enough
manys a day Ive gone shopping for three meters of 4x2 though
I can picture 8 inches , but have to think about 200mm , 723 cm would have me reaching for a tape but 23ft 8 in wouldnt be a problem
I think in tons and cwt and not kilos though , I buy beer by the pint and bikes by the liter .
I can get ft lbs on a pull bar without thought but have to convert nm to ft lbs . and its mpg for me not miles per liter.
I think Im just at the age when things were changing and I think in both at times but prefer imperial .

 

[jsf55]

The Gen 3 onwards chevy engines are all metric

 

[brightspark]

i use both work and at home .use whichever is the quickest and easiest to see on tape measures mainly weights in imperial

 

[Robotstar5]

I'm Dutch, so raised on metric and that is what I use most.
But after getting addicted to series LandRovers I quickly learned about imperial fasteners. It took me over twenty years and a lot of money to cure that addiction.
Converting inches to mm and vice versa is no problem. Thou, tens, feet. All clear as day. Even de fractions.
But don't come talking about chains, furlongs, grains, stone, cwt. I haven't got a clue.

Reminds me of a Dutch company (Steelweld) that put in some door building lines at Rover in the late 70's, a few years later they were asked to build a walkway between their machines, walkway fabricated and delivered ready to be installed during the summer shut down, comes the day, crane hired and lifts walkway up only to find it's a metre short many red faces and job postponed until the next shut down.

 

[brightspark]

woodworking i prefer imperial . go to the nut and bolt suppliers and ask for so many 8mm bolts 2 inch long

 

[daleyd]

HectoPascals.
Borrocks.

I worked in the printing industry for 9-10 years, tension was always measured in DecaNewtons! Used to say that word multiple times every day...

Never heard it before or since

 

[Morrisman]

I'm bi, both work for me.

Yes, same here, and I also swing both left handed and right handed.

 

[Erie Fred]

Yea but how many dry 123s do you need to order up front to fill a total of 2 cubic meters (wet) of holes in the ground?

I had a mate who would just keep ordering until the job was done...then put the excess in the skip .

You do all your figuring in cubic meters.
3-2-1 is the ratio.
Gravel, sand, Portland.

 

[Memmeddu]

I've had a Johnson 4hp seahorse outboard from 1974 made in Europe can't remember right now if it was Swedish or wherever, anyway north Europe in the Baltic region ...
It had all imperial threads and bolts sizes

 

[addjunkie]

I've had a Johnson 4hp seahorse outboard from 1974 made in Europe can't remember right now if it was Swedish or wherever, anyway north Europe in the Baltic region ...
It had all imperial threads and bolts sizes

Johnson is an American company!

 

[8ob]

The mericuns went through a few years of metrinch buggerence, some engines were built with metric threads but the rear engine face was tapped for imperial bell housing bolts. Tractors/plant are still bad for the mishmash of both.

Bob.