Best Inside Measurement
Bore gauges are typically calibrated with a setting ring and come in two types: simple and direct-measuring. Simple bore gauges are used with a caliper to transfer the hole measurement, while the more complex gauges take the measurement directly, and display it through a vernier, dial, or digital display. Bore gauges have a two- or three-point contact, indicating how many points on the gauge head touch the inside of the bore. Pistol-grip bore gauges are used for fast, single-handed operation with repeatable results from one operator to another.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is a red sticker on the front of the box that says "Check instructions for quantity of anvils", but the instructions are very unclear about how many are supposed to be included and where they are stored."
"However, there is not much label indicating it's a Fowler other than the indicator."
"Nice Bore gauge, As noted elsewhere there should be 3 blank spaces for the anvils, the 2 smallest of each type are shipped fitted to the heads, one (the longest) is not there in the inch set = 3 blank spaces."
"Instructions could be clearer."
"You need an additional caliber to set the base measuring point and it will then give you the difference between the base and what you are measuring."
"Does a very good job for what I need it for."
"Good piece and helped my engine build."
"Update to original review below: After returning the instrument described below, I bought Fowler's 52-646-500 which has much better accuracy and appears to be suitable for engine work. Would be nice if Fowler or Amazon were aboveboard and honestly and OPENLY disclosed in the advertising that the accuracy of this gauge is only plus or minus .0009 inches, and repeatability is only guaranteed to be within plus or minus .0004 inches which values essentially make this "measuring" tool useless for any actual precision work on a modern engine where, say, the allowed out of round is .0004!!"
Style: Standard. Electromagnetic Absolute sensor with improved resistance to environmental conditions such as dirt, oil and water that can cause false readings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is the gold standard of digital micrometers."
"Great tool very well made, exactly as advertised."
"Not bad for an electronic device."
2-6 In Dial Bore Gage w/2923SB-10 dial indicator, .0001 In graduation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very nice gage, worth the extra money for accuracy and quality."
Best Bore Gauges
Bore gauges are typically calibrated with a setting ring and come in two types: simple and direct-measuring. Simple bore gauges are used with a caliper to transfer the hole measurement, while the more complex gauges take the measurement directly, and display it through a vernier, dial, or digital display. Bore gauges have a two- or three-point contact, indicating how many points on the gauge head touch the inside of the bore. Pistol-grip bore gauges are used for fast, single-handed operation with repeatable results from one operator to another.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is a red sticker on the front of the box that says "Check instructions for quantity of anvils", but the instructions are very unclear about how many are supposed to be included and where they are stored."
"However, there is not much label indicating it's a Fowler other than the indicator."
"Nice Bore gauge, As noted elsewhere there should be 3 blank spaces for the anvils, the 2 smallest of each type are shipped fitted to the heads, one (the longest) is not there in the inch set = 3 blank spaces."
"Instructions could be clearer."
"You need an additional caliber to set the base measuring point and it will then give you the difference between the base and what you are measuring."
"Does a very good job for what I need it for."
"Good piece and helped my engine build."
"Update to original review below: After returning the instrument described below, I bought Fowler's 52-646-500 which has much better accuracy and appears to be suitable for engine work. Would be nice if Fowler or Amazon were aboveboard and honestly and OPENLY disclosed in the advertising that the accuracy of this gauge is only plus or minus .0009 inches, and repeatability is only guaranteed to be within plus or minus .0004 inches which values essentially make this "measuring" tool useless for any actual precision work on a modern engine where, say, the allowed out of round is .0004!!"
Best Chamfer Gauges
Hardened and Precision ground 3-Blade steel plunger assures High accuracy and repeatability.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Recieved as expected."
Best Countersink Gauges
Starrett Countersink Gauges are offered in three different angles so that the gauge sets on the angular side of the countersink, as opposed to a chamfer gauge which sets on the top edge of the chamfer.
Find Best Price at AmazonBest Hole Gauges
Range: 5/16" - 6" (8mm to 150mm), 6 pc set includes: 1 gage: 5/16 - 1/2" range x 4.20" overall. 1 gage: 1/2 - 3/4" range x 4.40" overall. 1 gage: 3/4 - 1-1/4" range x 4.40" overall. 1 gage: 1-1/4 - 2-1/8" range x 5.85" overall. 1 gage: 2-1/8 - 3-1/2" range x 5.85" overall. 1 gage: 3-1/2 - 6" range x 5.85" overall. Spring loaded with locking knurled knob. Stainless Steel Construction. Gage expands in a hole to be measured (locks in place and then removed to determine final hole size using a micrometer or calipers).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They work as designed."
"its ok ,u get what you paid for."
"Excellent Quality For Price."
"What can you expect for $20 bucks..."
"Cheap price but do work pretty good if you pay attention to what you are doing."
Best Inside Micrometers
Style: Standard. Electromagnetic Absolute sensor with improved resistance to environmental conditions such as dirt, oil and water that can cause false readings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is the gold standard of digital micrometers."
"Great tool very well made, exactly as advertised."
"Not bad for an electronic device."
Best Optical Measurement
Igaging Super high quality scale magnifier illuminated and distortion free.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Works great for seeing small text (I'm a digital printer looking at 1-3 point type)."
"This is an amazing loupe!"
"It is a little tough on batteries but you need the a "hearing aid" type battery size to fit inside the magnifier."
"The reticle in this loupe is very clear and easy to read."
"I can read things that I could not see for years."
"This magnifier is great."
"Great works great as advertised."
Best Indicators
Functions and Specifications ✔ MIN/MAX distance tracking. ✔ 20 measured value will be remember. ✔ Automatic calculation of area, volume and. ✔ Low battery indication. ✔ Measuring units: M/in/ft. ✔ Historical memory: 20. ✔ Battery type:AAA 2 x 1.5V(Included). ✔ Laser Class II, <1mW power output. Package Content: 1* Tacklife Laser distance measure. 1* 1.5V AAA batteries. 1* User's manual. 1* Belt clip. 1* Hand strap. 1* Gift-box. 1* 24 Months warranty. ▲DURABLE AND HANDY - IP54 waterproof level and dust-proof function protect the laser distance measure to the maximum extent; Portable size and hard rubber body provide a good grip; Wrist strap lets you hold the meter steady and carry easily.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It sure beats a measuring tape for measuring room size, so I would recommend it to real estate assessors and builders. The belt clip is adequate, although not as good as the one on Garmin’s InReach Explorer, which has a back-angled stop that prevents drops when it is accidentally bumped (photo)."
"Professional was impressed by how close we were in our measurements, we were only off because we did not deduct for cut out area like sink and stove."
"Measuring with a laser requires either the use of a level or some sort of level surface to work off of and it's surprising how far off your measurements can be if you don't use the level properly."
"Once I learned the interface quirks, the device works great."
"It takes a bit to figure out all the options on the laser measure, but it seems to be very accurate and is so much easier than using a measuring tape."
"It measures out to 80 meters (actually to many scales from metric to feet down to the hundredth of a foot) combine this with the AdirPro 708-01 it will measure accurately down to 1/16 of a inch out to 80 meters and it will do volume, height and distance and calculations automatically."
"My architect borrowed this one from me and wouldn't give it back after their more expensive one just stopped working."
"Bright days are problematic but much of the problem is just trying to locate the laser."
Best Micrometers
Style: Standard. Calibrated micrometer measures 0 to 1" (0 to 25mm) with 0.00005" (0.001mm) resolution and +/- 0.00005" accuracy, for taking outside diameter measurements in harsh workshop conditions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Awesome and accurate little micrometer."
"I was looking at iGauging and some other options which looked pretty good, but when it's only a little bit more to get a genuine Mitutoyo where you really don't have to stress as much about getting a good one that is in spec, it's worth it."
"I bought it to replace a much more expensive Interapid /Brown and Sharp micrometer that simply failed."
"I've always seen digital mics as a crutch until I was speaking to a younger co-worker that pointed out since we do both SAE and Metric metrology at work its much simpler and cost effective to buy digital micrometers because by the time you buy two quality analog mics you have two to three times the money in them."
"Like the stars say, I love it...but, no cut-off switch."
"excellent quality and great workmanship from Japan."
"Excellent."
Best Snap Gauges
Sound, structurally stable, design and specifications, coupled with a highly experienced, solid manufacturing and quality management system, guarantees YPG Adjustable Limit Snap gages supplied into the USA market are of the highest quality. This certification encompasses the entire organization and confirms the company's management system meets the required standard and in particular confirms the desire to exceed customer expectations and to be continually improving the products and services offered.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Inexpensive and yet solidly made and calibrates perfectly."
"Time will tell how good of tool this item is but so far the gauge is working great."
Best Calipers
Digital calipers are measuring instruments commonly used for inspection in manufacturing to provide the precise measurements of an object. Digital calipers can take differential measurements, which are used to determine the difference in measurements between two objects, by zeroing the display at any point along the scale. Compared to dial calipers, digital calipers provide measurements that are faster, easier, and more error-free, but they are more fragile mechanically and electronically, and do not resist coolant well. Advanced onsite sensor (AOS) electromagnetic inductive sensor for resistance to dirt, oil, and water.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"How to tell if your calipers are genuine / Buy from Amazon.com LLC. Here is how to tell if the Mitutoyo calipers you purchase here (or anywhere else) are genuine: First, and most importantly, I purchased my calipers from Amazon.com LLC because I have come to trust them as a seller, and I knew they would take care of it if I found out the calipers were not genuine Mitutoyo. Secondly, once the calipers came, I took careful note of the packaging and paperwork and took good-quality pictures of it all. I checked these important details: (1) The battery should read “SR44” and “Japan” on the battery itself (not just on the packaging), and there should be no battery already installed in the calipers."
"Very precise all around."
"I settled on these and purchased directly from Amazon (not a 3rd party seller)."
"I bought this to replace my 4" model which was too short for my application of measurein brass and headspacing."
"Mitutoyo digital caliper are without a doubt the best digital calipers you can get."
"I bought these mitutoyo's because i became very disappointed with my starrett calipers and i'm satisfied with the quality so far.The only thing i miss from my starretts is they would turn on with any movement of the jaws and no need to zero them out."
"A great tool, wish I'd just bought a Mitutoyo out the gate instead of buying 3 others and then buying this one."
"Be aware these can be counterfeit and not genuine please google to see the diffference."
Best Reference Gauges
Super strong magnets hidden inside the bottom of the gauge securely attach the digital angle gauge to saw blades. Press the ZERO button to calibrate the angle gauge to any reference surface.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this product, because I have a really old table saw and it just has hash marks on the side to tell you your angle. The table was close, but I would have cut incorrect angles if I used those marks to set my angle. They recommend setting the blade to 90deg off of the table saw, then putting it on the blade and zeroing it out again. By leaving it zeroed to the table, I could put the device on the blade, adjust it, then let it find it's center of balance, check that the table was still at zero(taring it if not) then returning it to the blade to make sure it was still 75deg, which is what I was shooting for."
"I measured it against a digital angle finder ruler by balancing it on the edge of one of the thin steel rulers (this is a feat in itself--that the magnet held this device in place on such a thin piece of metal, even while adjusting the angle to almost 90 degrees)."
"However, when you turn it 180 degrees and use it in that position it becomes very difficult if not impossible to read the screen."
"I used this to set the angles of my driveshaft."
"I'm luckily getting older and don't see as well as I used to, and always set my say blade by eye with a square."
"- I was able to set up my saws and stuff much more accurately than with a T-square or angle square."
"I bought it due to the great reviews I had seen in forums and at amazon and I'm happy I finally went ahead and got one."
"This gauge is small and easily stored when not in use and fits my needs exactly."
Best Height Gauges
The Large Easy to Read Display Reads in Inches with Fractions or Millimeters. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm pleasantly surprised at how well this tool holds calibration."
"This includes the battery, a CR2032. 2)."
"Takes all the guess work out if getting your depth of cuts just right."
"Well made and functioned perfectly."
"Most helpful tool when using a router and switching out bits."
"I use it for setting the height of my table saw blade in relation to the table."
"This will help with woodworking equipment setup quickly and accurately."
"Very accurate setup for router and table saw.Easy to use and zero out."
Best Thickness Gauges
Strong, one-piece tempered spring steel construction with precision-ground tip assures gauge will grip behind siding plank. Malco FCG2 1-1/4 Inch Overlap 5/16-Inch Thickness Fiber Cement Siding Gauges are used to permit one-person application of fiber cement siding by completely freeing the installer's hands. Nail the plank in place leaving an area of about 18 inches over each gauge unnailed. Allows 1-person installation of siding planks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A good job starts with the very first (bottom) row being installed straight and level."
"I decided to try these because I was tired of always having to find help if I was building a shed or garage that needed lap siding."
"I read the description of this tool but didn't completely understand how it worked but the price was right and I decided to take a chance."
"There is nothing like having exactly the right tool for the job."
"I mean if you are going to do it for a living go ahead bud one or two jobs it is awesome and well built."
"They do not hold the siding exactly at the correct amount of overlap, therefore they should be used to rough hold the siding until you get a couple of nails in."
"I was able to install all of the siding myself and it works perfectly."
"I began using them several weeks later and all was well until I put a level on the second row."
Best Depth Gauges
It's perfect for router lifts, and can also be used on shapers and other woodworking machines.The gauge is accurate to within .001 inch, and displays its digital measurements in either decimals (inches and millimeters) or fractions (inches). Accuracy Specifications: Decimal: +/- .001 Fraction: +/- 1/500 Metric: +/- .05 Additional Specifications: Adapts to most commercial router lifts. The WR525 is a kit that can be adapted to a number of woodworking machines, including router lifts, router tables, and shapers. The large easy to read display reads in inches with fractions or millimeters. The fractions are displayed using "Precise Fraction Technology" which gives you 4 times the accuracy of other fraction readouts. Remote display for flexible mounting options.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very easy to shift your router up or down any exact amount without having to eyeball a ruler, count revolutions, or grab your height gauge."
"Too bad we could not get the Jessem Router lift with the Accurate Technologies digital measuring gauge."
"The QC issue was that it didn't work with either of the 2 coin batteries that came with it, I do realize that they didn't have to ship it with batteries at all, BUT if you're going to include batteries, why not send good ones, I mean there are other ways to dispose of your toxic waste."
"As a professional woodworker, I require accuracy in my work and the Wixey gives me that...I can now adjust the height of my router bit quickly and know it is right."
"i dont think you can appreciate it what i am saying until you actually use and cut/machine things to the thousandth of an inch. mr wixey is very fast in helping resolve anything you dont understand about set up."
"Product works perfectly five star for sure, just make sure your lift has little or no backlash otherwise the unit is a bit challenging to use."
"I installed this digital readout on a Rockler router lift."
"Very hard to set up, I'm a fan of their products, but this one should be discontinued."
Best Layout Tools
Durable and Firm. Don't worry about handling your ruler delicately, made of premium quality aluminum alloy. HIGHLY VERSATILE: Amenitee® Multi-Angle Measuring Ruler slides and locks into any desired angles to save you time on repetitive measurements. No need to create a new template for each new job or remeasure the same angles over and over again- the measuring tool saves you both time and effort!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have had the "yellow plastic" version of this tool from Home Depot General Tools 836 Angle-izer Template Tool for years and use(d) it regularly as a carpenter. I wanted the Gold Version (I like really nice tools) of this tool but the black showed up in a Lighting Deal so bolted (see what I did there) to the computer and ordered it."
"I originally bought this tool for my husband but then had a great idea to use it for a mat (for a picture frame) that I was trying to cut It worked so well."
"This is one of those tools that you just can not figure out why it hasn't been made for longer, and why it took so long to try it out."
"My girlfriend's sister, who is a PE and civil engineer, requested this for Christmas."
"This was a gift for my father, a real crafty dude."
"Got this as a stocking stuffer for my hubby but I already used it myself for a craft project cutting fabric for lining an entertainment center."
"Got this as a gift for my husband as he had mentioned a few projects where it would be useful to have this type of tool."
"Given as a Christmas gift."