Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0 to 6/0 to 150mm Measuring Range, 0.0005/0.01mm Resolution, LCD

This is not a cheap Chinese nock off. Smooth action and holds it calibration well. The only reason I rated “easy to use” as a 4 was because it doesn’t have an auto on feature like my 12” Mitutoyo. Mitutoyo evidently did this to help save the battery, but this isn’t the fault of the seller.

No comparison to the cheap calipers.

Before my review on the operation and accuracy of the Mitutoyo caliper, I wanted to share some key things to look for to verify you have purchased an authentic Mitutoyo Caliper and not a fake one. If youve done some research on the these calipers you probably found some reviews on eBay and Amazon about fake Mitutoyo calipers from China. So first thing, if you find Mitutoyo 500-196-30 calipers listed between $30-$60 they are fake (a good price will usually be between $100-$125). Now that said the one I purchased on Amazon was listed at $95.02 (this was best price I found on the internet, and per the info on the internet and to the best of my knowledge they are legit). So here are the top things I found on the internet to help ensure authenticity: - Mitutoyo is a Japanese company so stay away from sellers from China, and the case should say made in Japan not China - The serial number on the back of the caliper should match the Certificate of Inspection - Mitutoyo calipers are shipped in a sealed plastic packet and are wrapped in an anti-corrosive paper - Mitutoyo calipers include a stainless steel battery (SR44) in a separate package, and it should not be installed - Mitutoyo calipers should include a yellow (3) step set up procedure attached to the lock screw at the top of the caliper - Mitutoyo calipers will always have the same size numerical digits and the inch symbol will be to the right of the digits Now for my review...simply awesome! I recently got into reloading match grade ammo for my precision rifle, and +/- .005 can make a huge difference on your group size and hitting a target at 1000+ yards out. When I first started reloading I was using my old $20 Harbor Freight calipers, which is ok for basic reloading. However I wasnt getting consistent measurements and the Harbor Frieght calipers would always lose the zero position, so Id need to recalibrate after every measurement. In some cases on (3) separate measurements of the same bullet it would vary .005 - .015 and thats not going to cut it for reloading precision ammo, in the pictures below I was able to consistently get the same measurement on all (5) bullets I loaded at (3) different lengths. The Absolute zero function works flawlessly and is a must for me since I use a special adapter to measure the bullet length. So end result very pleased with these calipers and highly recommend.

I have been using cheap Chinese calipers for years. The difference between the Mitutoyo and the cheap Chinese calipers is night and day. The machine work of the Mitutoyo calipers is of a very high standard. Granted the price difference is huge, but after using the Mitutoyo calipers I can say the price difference is worth it in my case. I should have bought these years ago. Highly recommend Mitutoyo over anything else.

Incredible, accurate, bought in 2019 and battery still going strong in 2023. Probably been dropped about 50 times and still work just fine.

I have never used one of these tools before, but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly and easily. It helped that I watched some videos while I was waiting for it to arrive of course. It also comes with directions in a whole bunch of different languages Japanese being the first and English being the second and so on, and I am lucky enough to have my husband give me a few pointers as he is more familiar with these tools. The tool seems to read accurately and Ive had fun playing with it by measuring random things around the house. Oh and one important thing to note, if you are a newbie like me, be careful how much you push on the wheel when measuring as this can cause a lot of fluctuation and false numbers in your readings. Dont forget to shut if off when not in use as I guess it does not turn off automatically (forgot to get one with that feature as Im forgetful, oops). The battery comes with it, but you have to install it yourself, which is easy to do. I did not see or read the caution on one of the smaller white papers (they are all white papers) before I opened the tool, maybe they should make that page a caution yellow or red color to grab your attention better, anyways it said to be careful handling the brown paper that is in the bag with the tool as it is a special paper called Ferobrite used to protect the tool from corrosion. I didnt realize that and touched it anyways, nothing bad happened but I did go wash my hands after I finally saw the warning paper. I got this tool to use with 3D printing primarily and I cant wait to start crafting my own versions of stuff. My husband will also be using it for his own various projects. He is the one who recommended this brand stating that it is a great brand for some really accurate measurements at a fair price (he does mechanic work as a hobby and as we need for our vehicles along with other technical stuff that these tools are generally used for, he has a lot of neat hobbies) Overall it seems like a good purchase and Ill update if that changes.

Made in Japan, you know wont go wrong; it does cost a lot more than China copies, but all the controls are smooth and easy to use, no lag on anything. Although Im sure a $20 China made one can do the job too, but if you have a choice will you pick made in China? lol

How to tell if your calipers are genuine / Buy from Amazon.com LLC Here is how to tell if the Mitutoyo calipers you purchase here (or anywhere else) are genuine: First, and most importantly, I purchased my calipers from Amazon.com LLC because I have come to trust them as a seller, and I knew they would take care of it if I found out the calipers were not genuine Mitutoyo. They were offering the calipers for 92.00 USD with free Prime shipping, which would be the best deal on the web for these calipers if they were in fact genuine. Secondly, once the calipers came, I took careful note of the packaging and paperwork and took good-quality pictures of it all. I checked these important details: (1) The battery should read “SR44” and “Japan” on the battery itself (not just on the packaging), and there should be no battery already installed in the calipers. (2) The calipers should come in a sealed plastic bag packed with a bit of Ferobrite anti-corrosion paper and a yellow tag on the locking knob telling how to install the battery and such. (3) The display of these calipers should read, 0.0000 when zeroed out in the inches mode - counterfeits might read, 0.000 and might have a smaller 0/5 digit on the far right. (4) The locking knob on the top should be the same shape and style as shown in my pictures. (5) The ORIGIN button should be recessed as also shown in my pictures. (6) The serial number on the caliper should match the serial number listed on the calibration certificate. (7) The calipers and packaging should not mention China - anywhere - especially not on the box/envelope in which they were shipped. (8) According to Mitutoyo, it is actually okay if the signature is printed on the calibration certificate, which is a little disappointing, as I have always wanted Mr. T. Suzukis autograph. After I checked for these dead giveaways, I emailed Mitutoyo at their tech support page telling them where I had purchased the calipers and I asked if they would please verify my calipers authenticity, and offered to send pictures. They replied quickly and asked for the pictures, so I sent them pictures of all of the components, packaging, and documentation making sure the image quality was good enough that they could make an informed decision. The next day, they got back with me saying that they had confirmed my calipers authenticity. Follow the steps I have outlined here, carefully compare the calipers you receive to the pictures I have given, and hopefully you can have a similar experience.

The calipers are fairly good. The case they come in is fairly poor. THE CASE It may seem superficial but once you remove the papers from the box, there is too much room for the calipers to move inside the case. There is no soft foam or rubber padding to protect the tool from shocks if it is knocked around a bit. You can hear it move too much inside there when grabbing the case. I think Mitutoyo should supply a proper 2-piece case with a proper hinge and some basic padding for the tool, not a one-piece plastic box with no padding and a hinge that will come apart eventually. I actually like the case I got with my fifteen-dollar calipers better, even though that too is made of one piece of plastic with a cheap hinge. I dont feel confident moving the case around with the calipers in there; they jiggle around too much and basically have very little shock protection. If you arent going to be doing anything but storing them on a shelf for when they are needed, then its fine. A better solution is to keep the paperwork inside the case. The case has far less wiggle room this way and its what Im doing now. UNBOXING The unit comes inside the case with a sealed clear plastic that is not easy to open with your hands. It gives you a good indication that you are getting a new unit. The instructions are the big fold-out type with various languages. The SR44 battery packet was stapled to the paperwork in the box. The paperwork talks about the battery: The supplied batteries are used only for the purposes of checking the functions and performance of the caliper, therefore it may not satisfy the specified battery life. Im not sure if this statement is true or false but I know that only one battery was supplied and not batteries like they state. The paperwork suggests wiping off the thin coat of oil that the unit comes with. The oil is barely noticeable and there is a very good feeling of quality when inspecting the tool. There are no overprowering or unpleasant smells either. After installing the SR44 battery & setting the ORIGIN on the calipers and playing around for a few minutes, the unit would eventually return to 0.01 and not 0.00. Had to set the origin again. Mitutoyo makes mention of holding down the ORIGIN switch for more than one second. I guess its splitting hairs but its actually a button, not a switch. You may need a little narrow thing to press it if your fingers cant. The ON/OFF and other buttons are easier to press, for obvious reasons. Anyway, the unit feels good over-all and seems to be working within spec. CONCLUSION I felt that Mitutoyo supplied a cheap case essentially no different to the cheap caliper makers. It felt pretty crude to me and didnt feel like a deserving home for (relatively) expensive calipers. With the battery statement in the instructions, I am reminded of what the printer manufacturers do with new printers (supply less ink or toner with the bundled ink tanks). Im not sure if MItutoyo are supplying a cheaper battery or if the manufacturer simply wants to protect itself in case of returned units with shorter battery life, possibly from units sitting on the shelf too long with shortened battery life. Bottom-line? I like the unit but the cheap supplied case needs some basic padding and a proper hinge. We are paying over 100 dollars for calipers and getting cases basically the same as fifteen-dollar calipers. Mitutoyo should be doing better here. Despite this, I feel confident in the quality of the unit but still look forward to a day I can stop using disposable batteries.

There is no suggestion of non-Japanese manufacture in my caliper. The box stripes, the least significant digit readout, shipping papers, all indicate Japan origin. Its a beautiful caliper. Smooth as heck. Readout not jumpy. No need to constantly re-zero. Button layout is logical and intuitive. I could never understand why some calipers have a separate on and off button. Im quite satisfied with mine. It seems genuine. Id buy it again.