Mitutoyo, wares the quality gone?

[bc30se]

How to put it.... I am a Pole so forgive me for not expressing what I would like to express...

The point is... in the past they made them full fitted in the package, and you weren't even aware that you pay for it being splash proof of whatever... paying for a new caliper which was 3 or 4 times more expensive than a decent one was understood that the tool was supposed to be provided with seals, dust resistance etc.

Today buying MItutoyo or TESA is not the same, their products are categorized so if you want the one that has the package, look at their IP class label. The one you demand is IP67 class and at the moment the most sensible option is Swiss SYLVAC - though right now they got a bit more expensive I see. The rest is just for professional home use, model making etc...

Like you, I bought myself a used TESA IP67 half a year ago, it is like - it looks a bit better than you old Mitutoyo but not too much, it works great and it has a calibration certificate from November last year, I paid 15 punds for it - can you believe?? Before buying I thought I risked nothing, and I know if I paid for a caliper like more than 100pounds I would just use it occassionally keeping it in the box...

https://goo.gl/photos/ETRKU9GfYupoT66F9


What's interesting is that more expensive Chinese calipers are very good for less than half the price... and those sold by branded eu importers like Asimeto avery good quality and much cheaper too, be sure that you buy a IP67 one and you will be happy...

 

[Hood]

I have one that is like the top one in rannsachairs picture and when I first switch it on it adds about an inch to the measurement so I have to press the yellow reset button to get it to read properly.
is there a way to recalibrate them permanently? I don't have the instructions.

You press the Origin button for a few seconds when it is fully closed. That will set the zero position.

 

[Hood]

All of the Mitutoyos I have are made in Japan I think, will double check when I get back to the workshop, some are 20 plus years old, some just a few years old. All are hardened, some I have broken the internal jaws by being careless and placing them on the saddle of the lathe and winding the cross slide out and wondering why it suddenly stops moving
I have 2 pairs that are not coolant proof, one of indeterminate age as I bought over 20 years ago at an auto jumble, they are 500mm ones and ones I bought new again over 20 years ago and they are 150mm ones same as @Rannsachair shows but they are hardened and were made in Japan.

I have also bought cheaper ones but dumped them shortly after as they were not a patch on the Mitutoyos, one was SPI and the other cheapo Chinese ones, the SPI ones were particularly rubbish, if I tried to use them at the Chiron they would jump about all over the place. Them and the Chinese ones were both slow in reading, if you moved the scale you could not read the changing numbers until you stopped, no such issues with the Mitutoyos but maybe the cheapos are getting better nowadays?

 

[rikrobson]

I dropped my pair the other day and they were fine. They are a different design to the ones on the pictures though

 

[Wallace]

I'm wondering now weather it could be a fake, the main thing makeing me think this is the way the inside measuring jaw has bent from a fall from 36", as the old one has a pice snapped off how I would expect quality hardened stainless steel to behave.

Looks identical to one I bough s/h last year. I spent ages researching the fake ones, the paperwork and the full size fourth digit on Imperial are a couple of the differences I remember offhand.

 

[bc30se]

It looks like it hasn't been used....

One more interesting thing that taught me to avoid Mitutoyo. While buying a caliper, I called their dealership in POland to ask if they could possibly check the serial number of the tool I am going to buy, because their products seem to be copied more than anything else. They just stalled me with some ******** which left me with the impression that they just don't really care....

This made me to stay away from them, a self-respecting company will provide you with product identification and even registration on-line after buying to verify if it is genuine....

 

[Spark plug]

Looks identical to one I bough s/h last year. I spent ages researching the fake ones, the paperwork and the full size fourth digit on Imperial are a couple of the differences I remember offhand.

View attachment 107400

Don't drop it.

I've checked the serial number against the paperwork and everything seems to be in order.

I called mitutoyo and I need to send it to them before they will comment in any way, but is it worth paying for it to be repaired if it's going to be so fragile.

 

[roofman]

It looks like it hasn't been used....

One more interesting thing that taught me to avoid Mitutoyo. While buying a caliper, I called their dealership in POland to ask if they could possibly check the serial number of the tool I am going to buy, because their products seem to be copied more than anything else. They just stalled me with some ******** which left me with the impression that they just don't really care....

This made me to stay away from them, a self-respecting company will provide you with product identification and even registration on-line after buying to verify if it is genuine....

Very rare these days my friend...everything seems to be sold and calibrated by the shipping container they come in and not the personal little brown box with grease paper they opened on the shop counter many years ago...the important part to them has taken place,they have sold it and have your money

 

[Spark plug]

Just found the box for my old caliper, it's the same model as the new one (500-172) but there is one big difference the new one says made in Japan and the old one is made in England.

Also the box for the old one is also incedently of mutch better quality than the new one.

 

[Hood]

Don't drop it.

I've checked the serial number against the paperwork and everything seems to be in order.

I called mitutoyo and I need to send it to them before they will comment in any way, but is it worth paying for it to be repaired if it's going to be so fragile.

I have dropped mine before and thankfully never broken them. Anything will break if it hits the wrong way so I am not unduly surprised that the LCD had been damaged but what I am surprised about is the jaw being bent.
Where were yours made?
All of mine are hardened and also all are made in Japan, well when I say all I am not sure about the big ones as they are very old and have no label on them.

Pics of all my Mitutoyo digital stuff below.
Also have loads of their standard analogue mic's (up to 400mm I think) and also bore gauges (up to 150mm). I try not to buy anything else with the exception of Tesa bore Mic's, have a set of them and they are just that wee bit nicer than the Mitutoyos. Have Bowers and don't rate them very highly when compared to the Mitutoyo or Tesa.

 

[Hood]

Ah just saw your post that they are made in Japan. That surprises me as all of mine are made in Japan and all are hardened.

 

[Hood]

Just looked at Mitutoyo site and it states that the model you have is hardened, can't see how yours can be if it bent like that, so you may have a bad one.

 

[Wallace]

It looks like it hasn't been used....

If that comment is aimed at my photo I can assure you it is used daily!!

 

[ronan]

Are the digital micrometers fussy though compared to the ordinary ones ? Do they settle on the size, i have found with the calipers for instance that the display changes with the pressure you apply to the workpiece with them, where with the vernier ones you measure and read the scales.

 

[Hood]

The Mitutoyo ones are the dogs danglers, exceptional repeatability and spot on every time. I had a 0-25mm SPI Mic and it was bad, it would never repeat. Granted it was the last digit that would be different every time so likely good enough for most jobs but they didn't have the feel or quality to them that the Mitutoyo have.
The 0-25 and 25-50 I have are the QuantuMike, very fast action, 5mm per rev I think and are superb, I take bad when I go back to using the 50-75 mic or analogue mics as they take an age to adjust

 

[Kent]

Are the digital micrometers fussy though compared to the ordinary ones ? Do they settle on the size, i have found with the calipers for instance that the display changes with the pressure you apply to the workpiece with them, where with the vernier ones you measure and read the scales.

All measuring items will read directly if you use undue pressure..

 

[hareng]

Use the thimble as a ratchet Ronan cant go wrong then. Probably more accurate but slower to read were the proper Moore and Wright analogues.

Initial startup check or set zero. Have same problem with the old IP66 Coolant Proof when first released last decade, has copped me out numerous times as much as 0.12mm but usually 0.02 to 4. Then add on expansion as it gets warmer.
Had rooks of non coolant proof Mits none lasted more than 12 months at £75 a pop, liquids got at them.