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hogman_2002 -- How much can you afford to spend on micrometers? If you spend time hunting them down, there are bargains to be had buying used micrometers provided you know how to judge their condition. If you need micrometers RIGHT NOW, you'll probably need to buy new. Here are my comments and suggestions on the new ones: The Swiss-made micrometers (Tesa and Etalon brands) are pretty much kings of the hill but will set you back a good bit of change. If I remember right, the last new Tesa 1-inch micrometer I saw for sale was right around US$ 200. German-made micrometers are pretty rare in the US, and they run about the same price as the Swiss for about the same quality. Next step down are micrometers from Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Scherr-Tumico, and Mitutoyo. Depending on which model you get and where you buy it, you should figure on spending US$ 75 to US$ 100 for a 1-inch micrometer. Next step down are the Polish-made micrometers imported by a number of "discount tool supply" mail order houses (MSC, Enco, Travers Tool, and so on). My several-year-old MSC catalog shows the Polish micrometers in the sizes you want in the US$ 20 to US$ 40 range. From what I've seen, the Polish micrometers are a heck of a bargain. At the bottom end of the price scale are the Chinese micrometers. You can get a 0 to 6 inch set of Chinese micrometers from Enco for US$ 70 or so that have carbide faces, 0.0001 inch verniers, and "ratchet stop" thimbles. If you know how to clean (they come plugged up with preservative grease) and adjust them they turn into decent tools. On a bang-for-the-buck basis, I believe the Polish micrometers are the belles of the ball. As for the dial bore gage, what exactly are you wanting to do with it? If you're thinking of engine cylinder work, the Starrett "sled" is hard to beat for checking taper and out-of-round to within 0.0005 inch or so; if you need to know bore size to within smaller limits, there are other types of dial bore gages -- with much smaller operating ranges -- that can do that. John
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