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

Just what I needed. Arrived in excellent condition.

I purchased this after reading up for a couple of days about calipers, how and when they should be used, and what to expect from them. I started looking after I came across a Starrett #231 micrometer and compared measurements with my $30 Chinese calipers. I was stunned to find they were 3 thou off at 3/4 inch, but right on at 1 inch! Rude awakening! Into the trash. I was then surprised to find that there are problems with counterfeiters. Look, all I want is a caliper accurate to a thou. Seems to be a tall order. I am slowly learning that it is worth buying quality tools, and the cheap stuff is an illusion. These cost 3x what I would have previously spent, and given the possibility of a counterfeit I was hyper critical when they arrived. These are the genuine article, based on the photos on the web, and from comparisons against the Starrett. The calipers came with paperwork that claimed this unit is good to a half thou across its full travel. They work smoothly, and are very repeatable. I had grown used to fiddling with my calipers - these simply work. Having no other reliable reference over 1 inch, I’ve decided to trust these until proven otherwise. As funds permit I’ll be getting 1-2, and then 2-3 inch micrometers, reputable ones, in the future. Stay away from the cheap stuff! I would recommend these to my friends.

This is a very solid product. After using it I understand why the cost so much. Well worth it and I wish Id bought one years ago.

Mitutoyo quality speaks for itself, so theres not much to say. Ive been using calipers since the mid-1980s when I had summer college work doing QC for a small electronics company and Ive spent many hours holding Starrett, Mitutoyo, and other brands of analog and digital calipers. These feel like the good stuff and Im glad I finally invested in quality. I have several very good Chinese pairs, but the smoothness and confidence these inspire is fantastic. Regarding counterfeits and knock-offs: Several sellers list products on Amazon and you need to pay close attention to the sold and shipped by information. In my case, MSI Viking was listed as the seller and I am confident I received the genuine article. How? Several things to check: - Is the seller a real company? (Yes in my case). Is that company actually listed by Mitutoyo as a legitimate distributor? (Google mitutoyo distributor [company name]. In my case, the company came right up on a mitutoyo.com website with addresses listed.) - When the box arrives, does it come from an address associated with the right company? (Again, in my case, yes. The FedEx origin label listed the exact street address that was on the Mitutoyo website.) - Does the company provide information in the box? (Yes. A business card with contact information and reminders about calibration services was included.) - Is the overall quality up to Japanese standards? (I immediately noticed several good signs: the paperwork included was stapled with a battery and every single edge lined up like origami. Every fold was crisp. Even the staple was perfectly straight and centered in the space on the battery card. The back of the staple was perfectly folded. This is Japanese attention to detail on insignificant accessories, not a $5 Chinese knockoff factory. The grinding marks on the steel were perfectly parallel with the caliper. All the edges were broken with no stray marks. The locking screw was captive with a reasonable-sized head, not a giant bulb that can fall out and get lost. The plastic cover lined up PERFECTLY with the screws it covered, and the screws were sealed with sealant to prevent tampering (and red in color). Also, there was no wavyness to the grind on the back, real Mitutoyos ship with no battery inside, and the battery itself was marked Made in Japan.) - The card hanging on the lock screw was plastic, durable, legible, and simple. Pictogram of the first 3 steps to put in the battery and set the origin, not some flimsy paper with lots of writing on it. - The label on the back is laser etched, crisp, and you can feel the relief in the printing. - The ends of the jaws meet perfectly. - On a set of gauge blocks, they measured perfectly, only showing a 0.001 different on a 4 inch block. - They return to 0 every single time you close the jaws with a reassuring snap. Do your homework, and enjoy your investment.

Its a delicate lab instrument and not a wrench that you just throw on the bench while measuring bullets or whatever. I received mine with a battery that is only a few months old. PROS - - Accuracy is high and consistent - I like the fact someone put their name on the QA/QC data sheet CONS - Mechanics of the jaws have a bit of slop, if you take a measurement inside the jaws measurement is consistent. If you take the same measurement towards the outer edge of the jaw the reading will be the same IF you do not drive the thumb wheel too hard. If you press the thumb wheel hard the measurement will be reduced a few thousands. I find its easier and more consistently accurate if you just close the jaws (press at the base rather than the tips) manually and do not use the thumb wheel.

I researched a number of digital calipers before purchase and made the conclusion that the iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-6 Digital was a pretty good unit for the price. I also saw the most of the folks felt the Mitutoyo was top of the line, but may not be worth the additional cost - $95 vs $40. I purchased the iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-6 Digital calipers but I am returning them because of the display, which I have not seen discussed on this forum. I also purchased the Mitutoyo calipers. When comparing the display on the iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-6 Digital vs the Mitutoyo you very quickly see the reason for the price difference. I expected to find a quality difference between the two, but was blown away by the clarity, size and quality of the display on the Mitutoyo. (500-196-30) I cannot fault the iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-6 Digital as it appeared to be accurate and pretty well made, but for a tool that I plan to use for many years, I decided the price difference was worth paying. Bottom line, you wont be disappointed in the accuracy of the iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-6 Digital, but if you can afford the Mitutoyo calipers, go for it. For those that are concerned about fake Mitutoyo calipers, the one I ordered came from Amazon LLC, and the calipers came in a sealed package that had to be cut open. Not the box mind you, but the actual packing that contained the calipers. All the included paperwork, box battery etc. said made in Japan. I dont think for a second that the calipers I received were not genuine.

I used the Mitutoyo 500-196-30 150mm caliper for years as a student machine shop hand in undergrad, and now I bought my own set. Its as good as I remember. They are a small piece of perfection in your hands. It came with a Certificate of Inspection that is specific to my caliper (the certificate has the serial number matching my caliper). It shows measurement errors at 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200mm lengths, as well as 0, 2, 4 and 6 lengths. It is NIST traceable via No.683/283699-13. It is also NMIJ/AIST and PTB traceable. I dont know if this is the same as the certificate of calibration that is optional on mcmastercarr, but it is a convincing document. As noted by others, it does not have an auto-off feature. The batteries last a long time, so I dont think this is an issue. One small disappointment: I bought the Mitutoyo 050083-10 75mm depth gauge attachment (

Great craftsmanship, solid in the hands and when you need to be exact this is exactly what you need.

Smooth accurate and genuine Mitutoyo calipers. Fast delivery service. Would recommend to anyone needing accurate calipers at a reasonable price.

I just purchased this thru Amazon, this is an excellent high-quality digital caliper. For those searching on eBay and elsewhere, this is the real Mitutoyo product in the original case, with the OEM 1-year warranty, and an official calibration certificate whose serial number matches the instrument. This is NOT a cheap imitation, its the original Mitutoyo product and the seller (listed as MSI-Viking Gauge) is an authorized Mitutoyo reseller. I did a lot of research on the Internet to be sure I was buying the real thing, and this is it! The differences between this caliper and the imitations are: The action is very smooth, the readings are stable and repeatable (tested with gauge blocks), the readout is four decimals for inches, two decimals for millimeters, and the construction is very solid, no wobble or shake. Plus, this caliper has an absolute scale, it always remembers the zero-point and you only have to reset it when you change the battery. The cheaper scales drift and need frequent resetting. You can make relative measurements easily (yellow button), but when you turn that feature off, it returns to the original zero without resetting. I highly recommend these calipers, the only caveat is that these are NOT auto-off, you must remember to turn them off after use. However, based on my experience with other Mitutoyo gauges and micrometers, the battery lasts a LONG time so I dont see this as a problem.