Who Makes The Better Blade Micrometer Starrett or Mitutoyo?

Jon:

You may want to correct your implication that Starrett's frame is cast.

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Rigid one-piece frame of drop forged steel ===================================================

Updated With Correction And Question:

Starrett's blade micrometer measures to .001

Mitutoyo's blade micrometer measures to .0001.

Mitutoyo's 0-1 blade micrometer is not painted and easier to keep clean than black paint steel.

Mitutoyo's blade micrometer sells for less money than the Starrett and IMO Mitutoyo's blade micrometer has a much smoother feel.

Knowing the above (and most don't appear to... until recently myself included.) why would anyone buy the Starrett over the Mitutoyo blade micrometer?

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Jon, I have a Mitutoyo blade mic that has worked well for me. It doesn't have the feel of my Etalon mics, but then that's like comparing a Cadillac to a Chevy in my opinion.

Starrett mics with the black painted frame are crap in my opinion and I've replaced mine over the years with Etalon.

Best, Steve

So... what determines "feel"? All the micrometers we are discussing are thread ground.

Starrett tells me they lap the threads together after they are ground. My guess is that this is where Mitutoyo and Etalon do a much better job than Starrett is doing... they probably take more time / care more. The other factor is where the spindle goes through the frame. I know from personal experience that Starrett often doesn't get this right and the clearance is too tight. I cheated to make one work but what I really should have done is make or buy a lap, buy some diamond paste and put the spindle assembly in a collet in a lathe and lapped it down.

I also see no one has the guts to step up and answer whether it make a difference that Mitutoyo blade mics can read tenths using a vernier scale and Starrett's non-digital blade mic can only read to .001. Instead we got some other b.s. thread with a generic question that I consider about worthless as a cheap Chinese vise knock off or paying $1,500 for a Quad-I that has been manufactured with zero care and is out .0005 in flatness. This country sure has gone to "s". I guess I should be grateful because this FACT and this economy makes me a lot of money.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

I've had the same problems with the Starrett mics. I wonder if it's the fit of the spindle or an alignment issue that causes the Starrett mics to bind?

Most of my measuring as of late with the blade mics don't require tenths, but it is a nice feature when needed.

I like Stan Dornfeld a lot, but I think his current version of the Quad one vise is over priced especially because they are only machined and not ground. I haven't seen one in the flesh to really give an honest assesment.

It is very sad that we are losing our manufacturing base in this country. I don't think this bodes well for the future.

Best, Steve

IMO all you need is a part that has a .0001 call out and it's no longer a "nice feature" but a necessary feature.

Nope. They are ground but the grinding job sucks. Most likely the two Quad-I vises I saw / used were ground on a surface grinder where the magnet was out of square to the spindle and needed to be reground. Very, very sloppy on a vise where the asking price is so high. We would have paid the price if the vise had been manufactured correctly. Stan's quality control seems to be non-existent. The other vise Stan showed me to replace the one I rejected that was out .0005 was also out and had been smashed in shipment so badly that one end was badly mushroomed. Stan can be nice and he can be a jerk. He's a jerk when you point out / demonstrate that his vise is out .0005 and you don't want to test it till you get a good one. Isn't this totally unreasonable of me, Steve! ;>) I get the feeling Stan didn't inspect the vises when they were delivered to him and missed that they were ground so poorly. When you sub out critical operations you lose control.

I'd manufacture a vise like this myself and sell it but the concept of dealing with shop owners who would be my customers doesn't appeal to me because the vast majority of shop owners aren't the kind of people I wish to be around.... kind of like most / all lawyers.

It means that quality machining is going to be a niche industry. This is been happening since I got in the trade in 1992. An "a" hole like Ed Huntress thinks that buying old used equipment isn't the way to go and is a niche. As I pointed out back then, Ed Huntress is an idiot and his concept of buying only the best equipment is for fools. Further Ed Huntress's advise to that jerk off kid in Canada turned out exactly as I thought it would with the jerk off kid being let go.

It's too bad that Dobe Dave has lost his drive (under the circumstances it's understandable why he has) because this market is designed to make an aggressive, smart, experienced and *nice* guy like Dobe Dave very wealthy.

Would I quit my job with it's big pay, unbelievable benefits, incredible stock options, etc. to work for someone like Dobe Dave who knew who I was and wanted to teach me.... see one of the few posts from Bill Triffet that tells it like it is about what someone who wants to be a great machinists should be. I think it said something like every year and 1/2 you should move on. One of the few specifics that Bill Triffet has ever posted here and it's the best advise that can be given to any machinist who wants to be well rounded instead of just a mill guy reduced to "s" wages working with an "s" CAM system and cheap Chinese Kurt vise knock-offs.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Dear Jon-the-CAD/CAM-Energizer-Dummy,

So you want someone to point out yet ANOTHER of your mistakes, again!

Starrett sells both .001" and .0001" graduated Blade Micrometers......

-- Tom

I was wondering if someone was going to point that out. I've had a 0"- 6" set since the early seventies and have had none of the problems described.

JC

Wow Jon,

YOU would use a .0001" graduated blade micrometer to check a .0001" tolerance?

What is your accuracy and repeatability on that blade micrometer?

What temperature are you checking that part at?

Most people would take a step up to a gage that reads out a minimum .00001" graduation, with repeatability of .000001". AND it would have to be something that took operator "FEEL" out of the picture and a lot better than simple friction or ratchet thimble.

.0001", ya, right JON, like you have ever dreamed of such.....on poorly maintained POS machines to boot.....LOL.

Tom

This could be one of the all time most hilarious Jonnie Bonkers posts! Thank you for the entertainment!

Looks like JB is trolling for a job. LOL

JC

My favorite part is when he says he doesn't like shop owners. Gee, I wonder why? Because every shop owner he's ever known either slammed the door in his face on the way in, or slammed the door on his ass on the way out.

Could you even imagine a "Banquer Manufactured" vise? I would gladly pay money just to see his design!

Can you imagine working for the guy? Pheew....

You probably already can and for free. I'm sure it would just be a copy of something already done. Maybe a Quad-I

JC