Digital calipers at Aldi

[MikeNash]

What ho, chums!

As of Sunday the 7th of Feb Aldi have 0 - 150 mm digital calipers for only £7.99. See here
https://www.aldi.co.uk/digital-caliper/ ... 0020524000

I've had such a tool (either Lidl or Aldi) for a couple of years and they've been good and reliable. Not having other more accurate tools I haven't been able to do a proper check on these calipers' inaccuracies but I've had no reason to suspect them. When checking the ovality of bearings, such as, big ends, mains etc they are ideal.

Regards, MikeN.

[philthehill]

Mike
Next time you visit bring the calliper and you can check its accuracy against a selection of Moore and Wright test pieces I have ranging from 1" - 6".
Phil

[MikeNash]

Right!
This is the check of my own cheap Lidl (or Aldi, I can't remember which) digital caliper versus Philthehill's Moore & Wright test pieces.

Gauge size/Caliper reading

1 inch/0.999 inch
3 inch/3.000
4 inch/3.9975
5 inch/4.9975

Altogether, I think that's good. Calipers tend to be less accurate than micrometers because they're touching the object to be measured at a distance offset from their measuring device, a feature which makes them sensitive to the "touch" or "feel" that you use. Here, as always with hand measuring devices, practice makes perfect.

So in conclusion, I think these cheap calipers are definitely worth the money.
Thanks to Phil and regards to all, MikeN.

[philthehill]

The test pieces had been brought into room heat of approximately 19 degrees centigrade much earlier to normalise.
Variations in room temperature can have a serious effect on accuracy.
Phil