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

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.

I work at a machining shop where I have to get thousandths quite often-while its obvious that its accuracy is at its highest by being unworn, every time I zeroed with the jaws shut, it held a perfect zero no matter how hard I tried to press it together. Likewise, if performing the same measurement and done the same way, the results matched to the 5 tenths with no hesitation. Came with quite the little calibration test sheet, which was nice for the guys who calibrate the tools at the shop. Also, while its just a feel thing, it glides when measuring. Its the smoothest set of digital calipers Ive handled. While the jaws arent the fancy super-hardened steel some other options have, they do very well and show no sign of problems. Very happy with them, especially knowing I dont have to try to find one of the regular shop calipers for ten minutes.

Purchased this to replace a Mitutoyo caliper that Ive been using for over 15 years. This set works great.

What is there to say? Mitutoyo is the gold standard. This was my first caliper, and I immediately checked its accuracy (perfect within the limits of what I can check). Ease of use is excellent: measuring inside, outside, or depth; metric or imperial; absolute or relative. The case is rugged and convenient. Unlike other calipers, this one doesnt devour batteries (solar obviously doesnt use batteries at all but does require that it sit out in strong light and is considerably more expensive). BE SURE TO BUY FROM AMAZON. Do NOT buy from a third party through Amazon. There are simply too many counterfeits floating around. Amazon is an authorized dealer and so your caliper will be genuine (other reviews on here will help you ensure authenticity when it arrives). This was the best deal I could find from a legit source. There are purists who want dial or vernier, and thats fine, but for a first caliper you want something that does imperial and metric and is a no-brainer to operate. My only critique is that Amazon doesnt make it easy to find genuine accessories. In my case, the shoulders for depth measurements. There are other very reputable brands out there, but for this product Mitutoyo is the default unless you have some compelling reason to grab something else.

I own multiple brands of calipers and in my opinion the Mitutoyo is the best I have ever purchased !!

Constructed to last. Good accuracy

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.

As of this writing, Im eight months in and I grow increasingly happy with this investment. Im far from a heavy user of precision measuring devices. Because of that, the extent of my caliper investment was a couple twenty dollar wannbes. Their dependability was such that I avoided using them, except when there was no other option. Each time I wanted to use the cheap ones, I had to replace or install the battery. Now, with the Mitutoyo, I have no qualms about reaching for them to, for example, determine the inner and outer diameter of bearings for my pieces of equipment. Unlike the cheap versions I had in the past, these are ready to go with just a touch of a button. Regarding accuracy, these go well beyond anything I need, for what Im dealing with (bearing sizes, bolt sizes, etc.). SIDE NOTE: Going by information others posted, mine is the genuine article. P.S. I gave the other two, battery eating toys away.

You just cant beat the quality and performance of Mitutoyo Id say theres only one other brand as good and thats Starrett. The precision on these are incredible theyre accurate to less than .001 and the battery included literally lasts a year maybe more if you are a machinist working with jobs that have tight tolerances then these are for you, their worth every penny. Just be aware these calipers are VERY sensitive particularly the jaws, just one drop on a hard surface will throw these things off by a couple thousands or so, so be very careful if you take good care of these theyll last you a lifetime youll be a very satisfied customer.

I’ve used these calipers and many other mics and tools offered by Mitutoyo in my career. They never failed me. Tough. They take the oily, dirty jobs you are work on.