Mitutoyo 500-196-30CAL Absolute Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Digital Caliper with Calibration, Inch/Metric, 0-6" Range, 0.0005" Resolution, +/-0.001" Accuracy

Background:I have had this caliper for over 7 years.I appreciate craftsmanship and critical thinking attention to details of tools and equipment - I call it an engineer's art work. When it comes to tools, in general, I have a "buy once cry once" mentality. Unless, there is a sense of urgency, I usually put tools in my "Tools" list, till I see the price go down to my target, which is when I pull the trigger.I worked with a few Mitutoyo equipment in grad school and at work. I always loved their craftsmanship and sturdiness. As a hobbyist and an engineer, I use this caliper to do a lot of different measurements. I needed something, which was not made in cheap China and was consistent with high level of precision, so I decided to cry once for a precision caliper.Pros:1. It is very well made precision device. The attention to details on this caliper is pure class and worth spending 5 to 10 times more than the Chinese devices. When I first bought it, I had a staring competition every few days, just to see its craftsmanship and what new I would observe on the device that I appreciated.2. Came with a calibration certificate, and it matches to actual calibration measurement tools I have at work, to test it. it has not lost the calibration after 7 years of consistent usage.3. Easy to read display and the actual scale.4. High quality material.5. Long battery life. I am yet to replace the original battery that it came with.Actually nothing I am saying above is out of the ordinary for a Mitutoyo, it is expected.Cons:1. Let's get it out, PRICE. It was just over one bill when I purchased. But to me it was worth it.2. Box - while it is sturdy and well made, I wish it would have come with a cubby to place the calibration certificate. The certificate falls down almost every time I open the box. I know I am nitpicking here.Conclusion:Buy once and cry once, for you will not regret it. Just don't tell your significant other how much was it worth, especially if he/she is not in technical field, for an engineer's art sometime is often unappreciated.

Checked all the telltale signs and details that separate genuine items from counterfeit or fakes. The set I received are genuine. Top quality, smooth as glass and dead on accurate. For the $ these calipers are a bargain and a recommended BUY in my opinion,

Mitatoyo is a good reliable calipers. Purchased at a good price. Well worth the money.

Mitutoyo quality speaks for itself, so there's not much to say. I've been using calipers since the mid-1980s when I had summer college work doing QC for a small electronics company and I've spent many hours holding Starrett, Mitutoyo, and other brands of analog and digital calipers. These feel like the good stuff and I'm 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.

This caliper makes measurements easy and minimizes reading errors.

I was so tired of my cheaper caliper not holding zero. It seemed I could never get an accurate measurement because every time I moved it and then returned to the zero (closed) point, it would be off (no longer zero).I purchased this and it seems to hold zero even if I travel it to the full distance! I return to closed and it reads zero! I feel I can trust it to make better measurements. This is the whole purpose of using a device like this.

This is a very nice, smooth caliper!

Dit is de tweede schuifmaat die ik koop van Mitutoyo. De eerste kon enkel millimeters meten. Daar ik ook inch wou meten heb ik een tweede bijgekocht. Beide voldoen perfect, werken gemakkelijker dan de Gedore, die ik voorheen gebruikte.

Very accurate caliper, I measured with gauge blocks. feels quality in use, unlike the many copies found on certain sites. Sometimes you have spend money to get the best if you need to be accurate.

Very nice product

Excelente producto , cumple todas las expectativas en mi caso.