0-1" Digital Electronic Micrometer w/Large Display Inch/Metric

I bought this to measure the thickness of some paper. It did that perfectly, but what I didn't expect was how often I would use it after that. I've measured things like wire thickness (helps to know what size heat shrink to get), sheet metal (for writing a manual), components (for figuring out how long or thick screws need to be), and lots of other stuff. Basically, it is *vastly* more useful than I expected it to be. As for the accuracy, I'm completely satisfied. Yes, sometimes when I close it it says 0.001 mm (or 0.0001 inches) instead of 0.000, but I don't need more accuracy than that. To give you an idea how close that is, a piece of paper I just pulled out of my printer is 0.105 mm. If you need more accuracy than that you're going to have to expect to spend a lot more money on a more accurate instrument. Given the price I simply can't fault this tool. The UI isn't great, but it's quite usable. Switching between mm and in requires holding down a button for a bit longer than it should, as does setting the zero, but it's not a big deal. And the fact that it *has* the ability to switch between the two at all is a huge win, IMHO. All in all it's easy to use, more than accurate enough (at least for me), and inexpensive. Good tool, great value.

This is a pretty neat micrometer. Plus the price was great! The display is easy to read. I did have to read the manual to set the different modes. Though the buttons are a little hard to press at times to change modes. The metal parts look well made and they move smoothly. The micrometer also cones with 2 CR2032 batteries, i thought that was a nice touch. It also came with an S shaped metal thingy which fits into the battery cap. Im guessing its use to twist open the batter compartment. I was able to do it with my fingernail, unless its used for something else? Its a nice addition either way. One thing i did note, the speed adjuster on back end of the rotating shaft can screw off. It does screw back on, no damage done. Just something i thought i should mention. Other then that, it was such a great value. I would definitely recommend it!

I have bought several inexpensive micrometers, but they always go bad and I end up throwing them away. This one is obviously in a different class.

4.5 stars I have never used an expensive micrometer that all the reviews recommend. But then, I don't want to spend $150 either for the things I'd use this for. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well this works, and the digital readout is great (compared to the manual ones.) I subtract a half star for the "user manual" being so sucky. You're going to have to figure a few things out on your own. I use this for measuring monofilament leader material and tippet for fly fishing. The labels are usually wrong on the spools. I plan to use it for other handyman jobs as well. It has a plastic handle and cover, which is good because it insulates the metal tool from your hand heat, which causes expansion and throws off small measurements. It gets out of whack by about .00005" pretty easily simply by opening and closing, but that is within the stated tolerance of the tool. If you need precision beyond that, buy a more expensive micrometer. Having said that, it's very easy to recalibrate to 0 on the fly too - just hold the button down for a few seconds.

When 3D printing, the quality of the results are strongly affected by the diameter of the filament, and adjusting for the actual diameter is an important part of the process. Understanding the amount of shrinkage that is expected as the part cools is also critical when designing and printing parts that require a precision fit. Many 3D printing enthusiasts use calipers to make these measurements, but I have had better luck getting repeatable results with this micrometer. It seems to be well constructed and reliable, and still fits a hobbiest's budget. I consider this tool to be essential, especially when trying to get the most from decent filament that doesn't match the nominal size quite as well as the good stuff.