NEIKO 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper Measuring Tool, 0 - 6 Inches Stainless Steel Construction with Large LCD Screen Quick Change Button for Inch Fraction Millimeter Conversions, Digital Caliper Measuring Tool

I'm used to using my Mitutoyo 505-626 analog caliper. I figured "It's not the seventies any more, analog calipers went the way of bell bottoms" & decided to "upgrade" to digital. I read a bunch of reviews and watched a bunch of demo videos. I didn't want to spend a fortune, I already have a caliper, and new Mitutoyos are like $200 for a digital one. Analog Mitutoyos are $80! So, I bit the electron & bought a digital iGaging IP54. By the looks of it, I suspect other companies make this same caliper.The good: cheap; digital display makes it easy to read (although it FEELS weird, like going from an analog speedometer to a digital one, your brain has to interpret the numbers, it can't just "feel" the measurement); looks cool; comes with a snazzy, well-padded, although all-plastic, case; pretty accurate (see below); new.The bad: not as smooth as the Mitutoyo (I never considered the Mitutoyo "smooth," but it's WAY smoother than the iGaging); the box that houses the electronics is too large (it isn't svelte like the analog, its boxy in a big-boxy way); quality of materials and craftsmanship, including case, is a notch lower.Why it comes with a spare battery I don't know. I hope it doesn't eat batteries like I do Gummy-bears or we're in for a short honeymoon.I measured a stock piece of cylindrical material used to test and calibrate measuring tools. I guess it's 1/8". Both the analog Mitutoyo and the digital iGaging measured identically: .1265. Now, I KNOW 1/8"=.125, but maybe that is operator error, or maybe the temperature of the materials, but at least both machines were the same. I also tried measuring using different parts of the iGaging calipers' jaws and the reading was identical the entire length. I'm not sure how much more you could ask for, other than the buttery smoothness of the Mitutoyo, but for what it costs, I don't think this tool can be beat.

This review is for NEIKO 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper | 0-6 Inches | Stainless Steel Construction with Large LCD Screen | Quick Change Button for Inch/Fraction/Millimeter Conversions. Let me start of by saying that if you need a gauge that is highly accurate and highly precise, you are going to need to shell out some good coin for something like a Mitutoyos.I picked up this NEIKO caliper, because I wanted something that was quality and not expensive. This caliper has been excellent so far. It is stainless steel, which was a must. I want it to last, and I wanted something more precise/accurate than plastic. I also wanted something digital for ease of use. This gauge is extremely easy to use. You can scroll through millimeters, inches, and fractions of inches. The display is also easy to read. This also comes with a nice storage case, one battery installed, and a spare battery. The owner's manual fits inside the case, and there is room for a spare battery in the case. The only thing I can say remotely negative is that the installed battery arrived dead, but the spare battery was good. I've already used this multiple times around the house for various things, and I wish I had bought one of these sooner. It has been extremely helpful for multiple projects.

UPDATE 2: They apparently mailed a replacement caliper to my old address from the original order, but because I moved it got returned to them and they finally reached out to ask for my current address—a month later. I didn’t even realize they were sending me a whole new caliper. Not complaining (giving back a star), but better communication would’ve helped. Original review stands, it's a solid budget caliper.UPDATE: I emailed them about the issue, and they asked for a video and the order invoice. I provided both but have been ghosted for nearly two weeks now—no reply at all. On the bright side, I figured out the issue was the battery and not the caliper itself.For hobby 3D printing, this caliper is precise enough. However, compared to my iGaging caliper, the jaws are less precisely constructed, and the body is made of plastic. It’s nearly impossible to get accurate readings without the digital display.The supplied battery lasts about a year (less with heavy use). There’s no clear sign the battery is dying until the digital display starts acting up: numbers bounce around randomly without touching the calipers, the buttons make things worse, and the power button stops working. A fresh battery fixes this, but it’s an annoying quirk.Overall, this is a solid budget option for hobby use or occasional tasks. Just make sure to have spare batteries on hand—they’re cheap and will save you some frustration.