I should've mentioned that I've almost exclusively used dial calipers during my entire career as a machinist and welder. As some others noted, I prefer dial over digital simply because they're 100% reliable and require no battery. For general everyday use I have a Chinese dial caliper that's the same one Mitutoyo used to market as its "Mitutoyo Value Line," which is what my workplace issued to the CNC machine operators back several years ago. I also have two very nice vintage Brown & Sharpe 599-579 6" dial calipers that are reserved for more critical applications. These old ones are arguably the finest 6" dial caliper ever made; they are not made with the same quality today.
While on this subject, there are two general classes of small Chinese dial calipers. The first one usually costs less than $30USD, and comes in this exact plastic case with a distinctive "W" shape molded into the lid:
These are the ones you want to avoid. There is a nearly identical (but even worse!) caliper that sometimes also comes in the featureless plastic case seen below with a fitted foam insert. These may say STAINLESS STEEL, STAINLESS HARDENED, STAINLESS STEEL HARDENED or nothing whatsoever on the beam.
These grades are identified by the usually very rough surface ground finish (visible here even in this poor photo), poor overall fit and finish, and especially the poor quality etching on the beam. This etching is usually faint, not very clean or crisp, and dark gray instead of black, which is especially true on the lowest grade. Instead of each number being positioned directly adjacent to the corresponding graduation mark on its right, it's almost perfectly centered between the graduation lines, as seen in the above photo. The
really low grade version is identified by its numerals being positioned next to the graduation marks on their
left! In other words, the 1 mark is next to the 0 graduation line, the 2 mark is next to the 1 graduation line, and so on. This means you must be extremely careful when reading it, lest you make a mistake.
The second (better quality) major Chinese type looks pretty similar, but typically costs about $40USD and up. They nearly always come in this exact case with a fitted foam insert:
Here's my "everyday general use" caliper, which is basically the same grade/type but with some cosmetic differences:
Note that this particular version has a front cover with an integral thumb rest in addition to the thumb wheel, one of many superficial differences found between the various examples of this grade of Chinese caliper.
But, they all have fairly decent fit and finish, with black, crisply etched graduations on the beam, and the numbers (properly) positioned directly adjacent to the corresponding graduation line on their right. The text will always read STAINLESS STEEL HARDENED or STAINLESS HARDENED, and never just STAINLESS STEEL (Photo#1). These will
generally also have a model or serial number etched on the beam (Photo #2) when branded with an established and reputable name instead of a generic marketing name.
Not surprisingly, these aren't as good as hi-end Swiss, Japanese or U.S.A. made calipers, but they are nevertheless remarkably smooth and accurate for the price. If kept clean, stored in the case and not dropped or impacted, it will last a lifetime. Use only denatured or 99% isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free microfiber cloth to clean it should it ever become necessary, blow any dust or lint out of the rack with canned air duster as soon as you find it, and
never lubricate anything.
Rusan