Calipers reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 186 Reddit reviews across 34 subreddits and 45 posts to rank the best Calipers brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/Tools, r/machining, r/Machinists, r/MechanicalEngineering, r/RedditPHCyclingClub. Top-rated brands include Mitutoyo (4.7/5), Starrett (4.4/5), iGaging (4.1/5).
Stats
Reviews186
Subreddits34
Posts45
Brands67
Products67
186 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Mitutoyo
4.7
(58)
"Fowlers at minimum, Mitutoyos if you want to be spendy, Starretts fall in between the two, in both price and quality."
"Mitutoyo. As I'm thinking about it, I use mics for everything up to 12"... i only use my caliper as a reference tool."
"Mitutoyo for sure."
"If you don't abuse them they stay accurate for ages. I have a set that's 25 years old, still spot on checking on gage blocks and pins."
"Mitutoyo are the only calipers that can reliably hit those tolerances."
"I’ve used Mitoroyo for years. They are top of the line and not cheap."
"I have the mitutoyo on my bench and they've lasted years. I drop them. A Lot."
"Mitutoyo. Alternately, Neiko."
"Mitutoyo is the gold standard right now. They’re $80 on amazon."
"There are a lot of Mituoyo fakes on Amazon. It would be safer to spend the little extra money and buy from a distributor like MSC."
#2
Starrett
4.4
(16)
"Honestly a good Starrett would put a Hutton on someone."
"Starrett"
"My shop has most starrett dial calipers and I haven't seen any bought new in the 15 years I've been here."
"Starrett and Mitutoyo are the best brands."
"If price doesn’t matter then go with a mitutoyo or starrett!"
"If you have money, brand new Mitutoyo or Starrett."
"Starret is my personal preference since they make a lot of their tools in the US."
"If you're looking for a dial one I would say Starrett and Mitutoyo are going to be the best bet."
"Starrett"
"Fowlers at minimum, Mitutoyos if you want to be spendy, Starretts fall in between the two, in both price and quality."
#3
iGaging
4.1
(9)
"Get an iGaging caliper instead— they are still inexpensive compared to the premium stuff but they have the similar circuitry as the nicer ones- the batteries last a LONG time and the calipers themselves are much closer in quality to the pr"
"I slightly prefer these iGaging calipers."
"I have used these iGaging calipers."
"I'm happy with iGaging calipers (Accuracy: 0.001" Repeatability: 0.0005" Resolution: 0.01mm) for 3d printing related measurements, but they are 2-3x your budget."
"IGaging 6" Electronic Digital Caliper."
"I agree that iGaging makes some nice mid-tier calipers"
"IGaging makes some nice mid-tier calipers"
"These calipers are a great alternative to Mitutoyo, offering good quality at a more affordable price."
"It's $30 on Amazon and lasts a long time. I have a bunch around the house to get good measurements."
#4
Tektro
4.1
(7)
"Go for tektro, completely nothing wrong with them."
"Tektro c550 dual piston mechanical disc brake. Mas okay siya kesa sa naunang kong ferrino hydraulic cable actuated chuchu."
"Nakuha mo na yung tektro mo OP? How's the experience?"
"Get the tektro kahit mechanical yan."
"Go for tektro, nagleleak yang zoom."
"Meron yung tektro 2 side 5k"
"If they have a Tektro logo, there may be little improvement, if any."
#5
Insize
4.0
(5)
"I've been seeing a lot of people vouching for INSIZE lately as a reliable caliper that is more on the affordable side."
"Insize is the best cheap caliper you can probably get. I would recommend dial for those because their digital ones will just stop working."
"I've been really impressed with Insize, come with a fantastic box too that you actually want to use"
"I don't know about best but I used to be team Starrett and now I prefer Insize. I heard it was started by a bunch of senior Starrett folks and the quality seems similar for significantly less."
"Insize is a good alternative, mind you I’m a welder not a machinist lol!"
#6
Shimano
4.5
(4)
"Br-m8000 calipers (xt 2 piston) work just fine with your levers."
"Nagpalit ako from cable na tektro to hydro na shimano 105... very happy ako sa performance nya."
"I have solved the problem, combo was XT 8100 calipers, BH90 banjo hoses, and new rotors just in case."
"Lower price options include the BR-MT520 and BR-MT420."
#7
Harbor Freight
3.4
(5)
"I have the harbor freight one and have never felt the need to upgrade. I do pull the battery after using it though."
"I have an 8" digital caliper from harbor freight that passes calibration every year, I've had them for over 15 years and got them for $20."
"Harbor Freight has a cheap pair of plastic calipers."
"Use Harbor Freight calipers and then mics. Calipers are only for rough inspection anyhow"
"Old SPI was good, their modern stuff i would not touch. Give me the harbor freight instead"
#8
Calipers
4.7
(3)
"See if you can find aisen oem ones from a Toyota speciality place possibly techno toy tuning etc."
"Rockauto can get alot of parts and they ship super fast
"
"Autozone"
#9
Powerstop
4.3
(3)
"I did the full calipers/pads/rotors replacement in 2018... they are still performing great."
"Power stop has always been a good compromise of cost/quality for me!"
"The powerstop logo comes off easily with light solvent."
#10
Fowler
4.0
(3)
"Fowler is solid mid-level. I've purchased several non-caliper items from them and have been pleasantly surprised."
"Have you looked at Fowler? I would consider that a good mid-level brand"
"Grab a set of fowlers and they'll be good enough for whatever you need in the garage."
#11
Shars
4.0
(3)
"I love shars because I currently can't imagine affording mititoyos"
"For upper mid range, I'm partial to Shars."
"Decent calipers that are accurate enough and affordable."
#12
Raybestos
5.0
(2)
"Given these options I would choose the raybestos"
"Raybestos makes new calipers for many models and the prices are much, much lower than OEM."
#13
Unknown Calipers
4.5
(2)
"I find [this one](https://a.co/d/9J4GPji) to be perfect for woodworking. It is very easy to read inch fractions with, and no batteries to fuss with"
"I use old version (no digital readout) of these type of calipers https://a.co/d/fEmOxJk"
#14
C550
4.5
(2)
"Update: Binili ko na po yung C550 and sakto naka-kuha ng voucher from shopee."
"Yung C550 ang kunin mo."
#15
Brembo
4.5
(2)
"Brembo or Wilwood."
"The STI Brembo calipers can fit"
#16
Mastercraft
4.5
(2)
"Mastercraft"
"Canadian tire has some cheep, they work great."
#17
Renault
4.5
(2)
"£300 is peanuts for a pair of good quality 4-pot calipers and there's a fantastic range of pads available."
"Megane 225/Clio 197/200 brakes are the go to for small disc BBKs. £300 is not a lot for a BBK."
#18
Chrysler
4.5
(2)
"The front brackets are worth every penny to do!"
"The master cylinder is the same as the Journey."
#19
Rockauto
4.5
(2)
"Everything you need for $900."
"Rockauto or remanned ones from Autozone are fine."
#20
Dial Calipers
4.0
(2)
"After using dial calipers I kinda prefer them over digital now."
"If you don't have money, buy dial calipers and learn the dial well."
#21
Preciva
4.0
(2)
"How do these look? https://www.amazon.ca/Preciva-Stainless-Electronic-Mi"
"I really like my Preciva caliper, it's about 30$ on Amazon and found it more precise that similar priced others."
#22
SPI
4.0
(2)
"SPI is a good brand on a budget, I’ve never had any problems"
"I got myself a pair of SPIs. I may have gotten lucky but ive never had any problems except when the battery gets low they start bugging out."
#23
Mercedes-Benz
4.0
(2)
"The stock silver color looks great, and the red calipers stand out nicely."
"The black GLA35 with the Night package looks stunning, especially with the red calipers."
#24
Duralast
3.5
(2)
"I would probably just pick up a refurb from a local parts store."
"I bought a Duralast one from Autozone."
#25
Shahe
3.5
(2)
"I heard good things about Shahe from a machinist I trust. They sell on AliExpress."
"I have Shahe calipers and mics for my home shop. They pass but they aren’t fantastic."
#26
Carbotech AX 6
5.0
(1)
"Excellent cold bite and never fade."
#27
Nissan 240SX 1989 Calipers
5.0
(1)
"The 89 calipers seemed to be the best fit."
#28
Nissan 300ZX 1984 Non-Turbo Solid Rotors
5.0
(1)
"The 89 calipers seemed to be the best fit."
#29
Vernier Calipers
5.0
(1)
"Go old school and get a set of vernier calipers."
#30
Mitutoyo Digital Calipers
5.0
(1)
"Buy decent calipers. Good calipers are going to be over $100 point. Look into Mitutoyo, they have excellent digital calipers for just over $100."
#31
Wilwood
5.0
(1)
"Brembo or Wilwood."
#32
Brown and Sharpe
5.0
(1)
"For a non-digital set, Brown and Sharpe."
#33
GoFit Body Fat Caliper
5.0
(1)
"10 seconds on Google.."
#34
TRP
5.0
(1)
"For a few more hundreds you can get trp spyre c"
#36
350 and 250
5.0
(1)
"The 350 and 250 have the same rear brakes."
#37
350 Front Brakes
5.0
(1)
"You can fit 350 front brakes for an OE+ upgrade."
#38
ADVICS
5.0
(1)
"I would only fit remanufactured ADVICS (OE) brakes."
#39
Mazda
5.0
(1)
"The sport brakes are a great OEM upgrade and compatible with various models."
#40
Reputable Manufacturer
5.0
(1)
"Carbon fiber is being used by reputable manufacturers to make calipers, ensuring accuracy."
#41
Z1 Motorsport
5.0
(1)
"They have discounts sometimes and can be around 1200 bucks for all 4 calipers in red."
#42
Kobalt
5.0
(1)
"My Lowes Kobalt brand calipers are +/- 0.0005 every time I put them on a gauge block."
#43
Nissin
5.0
(1)
"Nissin makes most if not all of Honda's brake components including the calipers."
#44
Technafit
5.0
(1)
"Special banjo bolts are another $20 for 4."
#45
Anytime Tools
5.0
(1)
"Seems to be well made. I’ve had it about 2 years. No discernible wear on measuring faces or slide/gears."
#46
Honda
5.0
(1)
"Soaking the caliper in brake fluid and using a grease gun effectively popped out the piston, leading to successful rebuilds."
#47
New Rotors
5.0
(1)
"You will need new rotors, calipers, pads, and dust shields."
#48
Infiniti
5.0
(1)
"I put Infiniti decals on mine instead."
#49
DOT 4 Brake Fluid
5.0
(1)
"Always use DOT 4 brake fluid for optimal performance."
#50
Vacuum Pump
5.0
(1)
"Using a vacuum pump ensures fresh fluid and responsive brakes."
#51
Vinca
4.0
(1)
"I use a Vinca digital one from Amazon that's fine."
#52
Neiko
4.0
(1)
"Neiko 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper."
#53
Starrett, Mitutoyo, Browne & Sharpe
4.0
(1)
"Starrett, Mitutoyo, Browne & Sharpe."
#54
Raybestos Element3
4.0
(1)
"They bite good, are quiet and dust free."
#55
Shinwa
4.0
(1)
"Shinwa is also a solid japanese brand when it comes to measuring tools."
#56
Napa Autoparts
4.0
(1)
"I would say Napa Autoparts for something like that."
#57
Koolstop
4.0
(1)
"For braking performance upgrade do consider brakepads from Koolstop or Swiss-Stop"
#58
Juintech
4.0
(1)
"Juintech f1 or other models ng juintech"
#59
NAPA
4.0
(1)
"NAPA"
#60
Partshopmax
4.0
(1)
"Partshopmax also do decent reproductions."
#61
Hope
4.0
(1)
"Blingy option Hope RX4+ (they come in both SRAM and Shimano compatible variants)."
#62
Avid
4.0
(1)
"Avid BB7 R, Avid BB7 R-SL, TRP Spyre, at Hy/RD, Shinano BRRS305 …."
#63
Dodge
4.0
(1)
"The brakes are effective and comparable to the Lancia version."
#64
M-Sport
4.0
(1)
"Repainting the M-sport brakes is a feasible option if they are off the car."
#65
AMG
4.0
(1)
"AMG brake calipers are a little lame on non AMG models but I think red would be really nice."
#66
Nieko
4.0
(1)
"Nieko are pretty solid for what they are, and 1/5 the price."
#67
Mitutoyo, Starrett
3.0
(1)
"Mitutoyo’s are gunna run you ~$150 for a 6” digital caliper. Don’t buy them from Amazon, they’re probably fake. Starret still exists, and has US made tools, but check country of origin."
Discover your audience
GummySearch is an audience research toolkit for 130,000 unique communities on Reddit.
If you are looking for startup problems to solve, want to validate your idea or find your customers online, GummySearch is for you.
Sign up for free, get community insights in minutes.
Tell me more
Get started
