Customer Reviews

General Tools 142 6-Inch English and Metric Plastic Dial Caliper

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This caliper is low on price but strong on performance! There is nothing really cheap about this, it is lightweight, due to the fiberglass reinforced nylon framing. But it is accurate, with an easy reading dial and a thumb roller with friction grip stop. The dial has both .01" and 1/64th" increments on the dial, with mm on the bar scale.

It's best feature is the 4 way measurement. It does inside measurement, outside measurements, plus a "step/graduation" measurement (height of table saw blade, or router bit) and depth measurements (hole depth). This is a very versitial caliper. I have found it to be very accurate is its readings, it can easily be re-calibrated by turning the glass case cams.

This caliper is made in Switzerland for General Tool. A great product that I am very happy with, recommended for all.

I've been using this tool for a few months now, and it sure is handy. My first project was making a box joint jig, and this thing made my measurements dead-on accurate! A must have for any woodshop.

I've used these exact dial calipers for years for measuring natural body jewelry. We exclusively use these calipers in my company, and find them to be far superior to those cheap and inaccurate brass ones. As they are made from fiberglass reinforced plastic, they do not mar the jewelry surfaces as metal calipers often do. However, this means that the jaws will eventually wear down with repeated use (check to see that there is no light appearing between the measuring surfaces, especially at the tips), making period replacement necessary with frequent use if accuracy is of high importance.

The glorious thing about these calipers is that fractional, decimal, and millimeter measurements are all available. There is a handy mini-conversion chart on the back side of the calipers that makes fractional inches in 64th's easier to understand. Inside and outside diameters are easy to measure, as are the less frequently used (by us, at least) step measurement and depth gauge.

The only drawback, as mentioned above, is that the pointer on the dial may get knocked out of position if the calipers are dropped, though this is remedied by either twisting the dial back to zero with the provided knurled clear plastic covering to match the new position of the pointer, or removing the plastic covering and manually moving the pointer back to the 12 o'clock position.

A note on price: we've found these for under $30 at large home improvement stores.

I like the display it is easy to read and accuracy is repeatable. I've used mine for 8 months and have not had to calibrate it yet. I like it's ability to display in fractions and it holds it position well. It comes in it's own clear case which is holding up fine even though I use the tool a lot and it goes in and out of the case often. For the price you get all the accuracy a woodworker should need.

Very good caliper for the price. Easy to read and use.

I tried this in my woodworking shop. It was great at first, then the cover fell off the dial, then the hand fell off the dial. For a few dollars more(not counting what I wasted on this junk) I bought stainless steel, still going strong. This tool violates the rule that all General(R) tools are great.

...not worth the asking price. Drop it and the internal gear gets knocked out of its rack requiring you to pry open the dial and fiddle it back into position. Also, the neadle on the dial broke off for no apparent reason. I'm getting a metal caliper like I should have in the first place.

I needed a caliper in a hurry and didn't want to spend the money on an expensive metal one. I naturally presumed that this plastic model would be less accurate, and would drift further off with larger measurements.

I was wrong.

The precision on this device is tight. Set the needle adjustment at 0 inches and then test it yourself. As you expand inch after inch, the needle repeatedly hits dead on 0. Would a more expensive metal one be more precise and more rugged? I'm sure it would. But this unit is sure to surprise you with its great performance.

I bought this Caliper at the beginning of my Santa Fe Community College Fine Woodworking class. It is the same brand and type provided by the shop tool room so I thought it would be reliable and sturdy.
It is a very reliable tool. As with all calipers it needs to be zeroed occasionally but that is just part of the normal set up as you mill. Do not worry about it being plastic as it has been very durable for me.
If you are just starting to accumulate your woodworking tools this and an encra rule are great places to start.

I bought this caliper for measuring bicycle seat posts, stems, etc. Not very exacting work. Well, forget it. It's only accurate to 1mm. The dial only measures in .01" or 1/64th", not mm. When the dial shows exactly 1 inch, the scale shows 25 mm, not 25.4mm. Measuring a marked 22.2mm stem, it shows 21.5mm. The only way to make this device work is to measure in inches and convert to mm.
If you never measure anything metric, you might be ok, but even if you argue that the mm scale is provided as a convenience this level of accuracy falls short of any reasonable expectation.