17 Warning Signs Your Mitutoyo Calipers Are Fake
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- Ever wondered if those too-good-to-be-true deals on Mitutoyo calipers you find on eBay and other marketplaces are legitimate? Wonder no more. I bought a couple of fake calipers on eBay so you don't have to. Today we will look at them carefully and I'll show you how to tell the difference.
Here are some of the tools I used in the video. I'm not providing links to the calipers. I don't recommend purchasing them, for obvious reasons.
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Power Supply (Amazon*): amzn.to/2FHtSfz
EEVBLOG Brymen BM235 Multimeter (Amazon*): amzn.to/2YKFSEk
Raw Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
00:00 Intro
00:49 Packaging
06:40 Plastic boxes
08:04 Internal packaging
11:16 Documentation
14:55 Battery installation tags
16:07 Batteries
18:34 Plastic molding and labels
20:17 PCBs
21:17 Machining and grinding
22:55 First power-up behavior
25:06 Printed graphics
25:54 Origin button height
26:31 Screw alignment
27:09 Label on the back
28:11 Current draw and battery life
30:47 Low battery behavior
33:09 Satisfying screen protector peeling
33:24 But are they worth the money?
34:23 Wrap/how the counterfeit markets thrive
mitutoyo digimatic metrology mitutoyo caliper battery caliper battery
the battery test and off-set screw holes are the only useful differences here and I was expecting the entire vid to be about accuracy....if they are just as accurate who really cares? Would I throw perfectly functioning calipers in the trash if the font was not right??
Mitutoyo has spent decades developing and improving the digital caliper, and the result is a quality product that people are more than willing to pay for. They're creating value. At the same time, other companies are making alternatives with various levels of price and quality. This provides many options that are less expensive, and are good enough for people who don't want or can't afford the Mitutoyo. These companies are creating value. They're also providing a competitive force that keeps the price of the premium product reasonable. The counterfeiters are creating confusion so the buyer can't tell what they're getting and can't make an informed choice. They're not creating value; they're creating waste. They're also diluting the profit incentive for companies like Mitutoyo to make the next big thing that makes our lives better.
The cheap ones are probably untraceable, so not useable in a commercial shop. The battery lasts a bit less than one year, just preventing you from finishing that project while you go look for a replacement battery. Accuracy is almost the same.
Disclaimer: I use the cheap ones, but they cost a lot less since they don't have any fake names. Added a switch to one, so I can turn it off. Another one is in its box, battery out, spare battery nearby. And the third one probably has a dead battery.
Accuracy is not such a simple question. How accurate is it over time and temperature variations as electronic components drift? How accurate is it after experiencing the normal handling and contaminants that get into the device with normal shop use? How will reading be affected by the start of a low battery condition that the product does not warn you about? Even the better quality electronic calipers can have measurement errors if they are not kept very clean, but it will be interesting to learn how lower-cost and counterfeit products compare in this aspect. With counterfeit products, nobody knows who made them, so the manufacturers don't care about what happens 6 months later.
@@Clough42 Well said. Put another way, the counterfeiters are freeloading off the original makers' engineering, product design, package and graphic design, and more importantly their good name.
If you were to buy these knockoffs, you're not saving 60% off the price of Mitutoyo calipers, you're paying $80 or so for a $12 caliper. Just dressed up a bit. And you'll be throwing them away soon enough.
Thank you thank you for doing a comprehensive video on this. As a calibration technician, you wouldn't believe how many fake mitutoyo calipers come in, out of spec, and the customer wants to argue about it.
Had the genuine - original design product been sold at a fair and reasonable
price that people could afford - knock-offs would not exist - or at least be at
a minimal level -- The fact that CORPORATIONS desire to MAXIMIZE their profits
rather than produce quality products and sell at affordable prices is the root of
the problem -- Greed and Love of money.
The other big problem is the USD - which should - like the F ing Temperature scale
and US Imperial measurements should ONLY be used DOMESTICALLY --
The world needs a completely separate currency for International Trade -
- The Metric System is a system used for International Trade that North Americans
are not intelligent enough and too lazy to wrap their head around - as they cannot
count to ten without using their fingers.
The US currency is the Metric system - and it is that because the metric
system for currency has been made compulsory.
The reason why people 'Domestically in General use the modified Imperial
system is that it has not been made compulsory for common domestic use.
International trade would be difficult with different measurement
standards - which is why the Metric System is the international system
for weights and measures - including the USA.
in 1975 the U.S. passed the Metric Conversion act.
U.S. METRIC BOARD
P.O BOX 7700
Washington D.C. 20044
2022 was the 47th anniversary of the Metric Conversion Act -
which was signed on December 23 - 1975 - by President Gerald R. Ford.
The people just do not know that:
The USA committed to the metric system in 1875 by signing an international agreement.
'LA CONFÉRENCE DI MÉTRE' in Paris [FRANCE]
Signed by M. Ashbourne the U.S. Envoy to France
All its units have been defined to the metric standard since then in the
USA for Trade and Commerce.
Search for 'THE CODE OF LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'
§205b clause (1) states:
To designate the metric system of measurement as the preferred system
of weights and measures for the United States Trade and Commerce.
If North Americans were as smart as they claim - they would instantly abandon
Imperial measurements and start working with the metric system on their own
without the GOVERNMENT forcing them to do it - But the population as a whole
is generally mentally lazy.
- Note that there is ONLY one road in the entire USA that is posted in Kilometres
and not miles.
I know which road it is.
@@andrew_koala2974 the imperial system was from old Europe and the British. Many countries TODAY use mixed units. UK is an example, they do measure longer distances in miles. People that can use mixed units are actually more intelligent, it takes more brain power to convert or have another paradigm for units, just like ppl that are multi lingual.
yeah how dare the customer question your shoddy calibration work 😂 must be mitutoyo's fault 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@andrew_koala2974 I want some of whatever this guy is smoking.
@@andrew_koala2974 Thanks for the great comment, Stalin
This is the most thorough comparison of fake vs genuine Mitutoyo calipers I've seen. Having been bitten by what I thought was a good deal on a used fake caliper a month ago, I would have loved to have seen this sooner. That said, I was able to return them as I determined them to be fake using the other, less-detailed and less-accurate videos. I think G. Tucker's comment that you're paying $80 for a $12 caliper is spot on!
I think AvE did a much more thorough evaluation. Check it out.
I am a retired purchasing agent for a manufacturing company. I ordered all of my measuring instruments directly from MSC. Some department managers wanted digital instruments for employees that were less skilled in reading dial calipers. 90% of the other departments wanted dial calipers.
I bought a the 6" set of Mitutoyo calipers a month ago. They remained unopen until I started watching your video. Fortunately I believe I did buy a genuine set of Mitutoyo calipers.
I followed step by step in looking over my new set of calipers. All of paperwork checked out including the serial number which appeared to be printed at the same time as the inspection card. The instructions were printed on a high resolution printer and the diagrams were printed in the same font, spaced well, with no apparent differences in saturation. In looking over the instrument itself, the battery cover die was of sharp and all of the lettering was clear, and crisp. Under the battery cover, the battery terminals looked identical to authentic battery terminals in your video. The circuit board also appeared to be the real deal. On the face of instrument the origin button was slightly proud of the plastic face covering. The tensioning nuts were centered. Looking at the machining of the tool, it appeared all of the marching tools were sharp and the speeds and feeds left no chattering marks. After turning on the caliper the four dashed appeared and it booted up just like the genuine calipers did for you.
However, I did find one issue after opening the instrument storage case. The packing was sealed. It was made from a crinkly, crisp plastic. The packaging was about a 1/2" too long and was folded back under the caliper. It was also a bit to wide, maybe a 1/4" too wide. The paperwork was slightly rumpled. The battery was stapled correctly and the expiration was for 09/25.
Unless the forgers have corrected many of their imperfections, I do believe my instrument is the real deal. Even the cardboard sleeve looked authentic.
Thanks for your video. I am going to pass the video along to my replacement.
Alan from NC
I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to stumble on this brand new 6 inch for $36! I snapped it up. After a while I started to think my old beat up calipers from the harbor where working better. I think I know why now. Thanks for the heads up!
They all have a fool proof mechanism and are all equally accurate.
I have 30 year old Mitutoyo and 10 year old Harbor freight digital calipers I use daily. They both work fine. Everyone who has used name brand calipers know the fit and finish are good. The HF calipers needed sharp edges on the beam and the slide dressed with an oil stone, but for $10 on sale there wasn't much to complain about. Say what you will about HF, they don't try to deceive you as to who made their products. If purchasing calipers, micrometers, or dial indicators I would open the box at the store and check to make sure the jaws or mic spindles close cleanly
.
Battery life in both calipers is usually three or four years. I do, out of habit, always turn them off with the power button. Neither has memory so that may explain the longer battery life.
Being an old guy who used mechanical dial calipers way back when, I always wipe the jaws and reset "zero" every time I use the calipers. In the shop trash would get into the dial caliper beam rack and cause the indicating needle to jump a tooth often resulting in spoiling the workpiece.
Buy your bargain tools from a reputable dealer like HF, Shars, Little Machine Shop. If your tool is defective, they will replace it. You are only saving a couple of dollars with Ebay or Amazon counterfeits and if something isn't right, you're just left urinating into the wind
.
There is something to be said for buying Starrett, Mitutoyo, or other quality manufacturer's tools... after 25 years you won't be able to remember what you paid for it.... but the quality will still be there.
Calipers are not for precision measurement anyway. Micrometers are for precision. When all you need is 'close enough' like in woodworking, the HF calipers work a treat. And if you drop them and step on them? No problem, back to HF to buy another one.
@@MrSloika Precision actually means repeatable, while accurate refers to how close the measurement is to being true.
An improperly calibrated and/or zeroed mic will still feed you precisely the wrong number all day.
Also, dial or digital - or even vernier! - calipers are mostly way too accurate for woodworking, while being quite adequate for many machining operation and layouts where +/- 0.003" is all that you need.... sometimes even down to +/- 0.001"
If you are working on optics, or something similar, by all means, get out your mics... and check their calibration against a standard!
Why yes, I have had mics get out of adjustment between uses...
The metal HF calipers are well worth it IMO. I did the same thing to clean them up and have used them nearly every day for at least 2 years. However their digital micrometer is a steaming pile. It was fairly accurate when it first worked but the plastic mechanisms quickly deteriorate and break.
@@chemech I'm not a manufacturer of aerospace components, so I don't need the absolute highest tier of measuring instruments. However, I do appreciate the robustness of steel and do need equipment that is going to consistently be more accurate than "eyeballing" the workpiece.
Frankly, I have found my General Tool brand digital caliper to be adequate.
@@MrSloika cheapo mechanical calipers may have a glass lens, may be stainless steel... but they have crusty STAMPED racks and gearing, which will suddenly fail. I threw away all my stainless ones as they broke, then got disgusted and tossed brand new spares. Replaced with import electronic ones that have been good so far.
I’m 2000 miles from home on a work trip and all I want to do is go out to my shop and see if my calipers are ligit.
Its a fake lol
I won’t know until Thursday!
@@benjaminshaw80 let us know
😂
Hilarious
A comparison in measurement reading accuracy/differences would have been great, as it would potentially be the final nail in the coffin of the counterfeits.
No, they are equally accurate. That's why he is staring at fonts and other such nonsense.
I think you missed the point.
And so did you.
There is zero difference in accuracy. The mechanism is simple.
@@LronhoyabembeIt's very very likely that they are entire equal in accuracy. Watch a video on how they work.
I'm surprised not seeing @MitutoyoAmerica in this thread expressing their gratitude for your hard work. This video is incredibly helpful for customers and extraordinarily valuable to Mitutoyo.
Same reason you don't see @SanDiskCorp thanking people for outing fake SD and USB flash.
Thank you for going into so much detail - it's quite frightening how much trouble people will take to dress a $10 caliper up in $100 clothes.
Well if you can get 5-8x times for that work - why not? But it's for us consumers not to reward these criminals. It's not whether the packaging is accurate, fonts or even the accuracy of the device - it's about not funding criminals - plain and simple. As the channel owner said, if your product is almost or close the original - compete on price. They can't. I bet they make much more money on the fake than on their own brand which is lost in a sea of similar competitors. Here's the simple fact..most people don't need a Mitutoyo..makes you feel better? go ahead...but unless you're working for SpaceX you don't need it. Buy a much cheaper no brand one and move on. I got one. I design and measure in 1/10th of a mm and most probably cut +/-3 mm.
Part of my work duties are calibration and I've caught and rejected several counterfeits that were brought to me by employees purchasing personal tools. This can't be shown on the video but the counterfeits all had notably grittier, rougher, and less consistent feel to them as you slide them, genuine Mitutoyo calipers are very smooth and consistent, and require only a gentle touch to move. Calibrating the genuine article will yield results that mirror the certificate very closely if not exactly due to them actually testing the tool, while those on fakes tend to be completely made up. A big tell that James missed is that the scale on the genuine calipers has a very fine semi-gloss finish and the counterfeits are much courser and rougher matte. A smaller one is that the genuine calipers have red lacquer keeping the adjustment screws from turning. Unfortunately I've seen the quality of the counterfeits rising as time goes on, though the extremely fine attention to detail that Mitutoyo has is still very much unmatched. Amazon is not a completely reliable source, I've personally received both genuine and fake tools off the site.
Yep Mit's are smooth as silk, we use the fine points at work and I always loved getting a new pair out of the box so smooth and fine to use, nothing is like a Mit except a well tuned Tesa, they are like glass and hard to find one tuned in Dial caliper..gears are lapped and you cannot feel them mesh
After going through 2 pair of mits because of coolant, I will go with no names or off brands. Yes the Mits were rated for coolant and were fine for a few years before I could not revive them after coolant got in. My regulars are 25 dollar no names that were given to me as a joke. After I disassembled and cleaned them well. Then put them together and calibrated them. They are smooth and read as well as calipers can. Yes some are only worth their scrap metal value, others will do a fine job.
I'm wondering if each size of counterfeit caliper shares the same serial number. Why wouldn't they?
The battery drain on the off brand calipers is terrible. Fine for my shop if you have a few pairs for different grades of work. Gotta have banger tools too. Yeah you Mastercraft, Craftsman, and Princess Auto. ✌ 😃
@@bw1532 Yeah, Amazon are bad for doing that. When a manufacturer puts an item on Amazon they agree to let Amazon use their marketing and sales imagery and IP to sell that product *from any vendor*. So when you click "Mitutoyo" and think that you're going to the Mitutoyo store, you're actually going to Amazon's storefront for Mitutoyo products being sold by anyone. Amazon effectively allow counterfeiters to use manufacturers intellectual property to market and sell counterfeit goods. A favored tactic is to sell the item out of a port-city warehouse in the US for low/zero shipping cost, but then to require returns to China or India at high cost. Amazon will usually step in and refund without the return, but it's hassle.
It's always important to look at who the product is actually being shipped from on Amazon. The manufacturer or reputable vendor is ideal. Amazon fulfillment are usually ok too, although I have had them ship me a counterfeit before. (I ordered a quality brand pair of Kevlar shears, they shipped me a two-pack of cheap sewing scissors. The replacement was correct though.)
I noticed two other small differences. The background color of the LCD display is yellowish on the eBay calipers, but the genuine ones are silver. Also, the black labels on the ruler (fixed) is matt, while the eBay ones seem to have a texture to them.
Great video, James! Thanks for sharing. I would also be interested in a test of their precision if you have an opportunity to test that.
Was going to point out the same thing.
Thank you for the way you handled mentioning Shars in this video. Briefly stating that you recommend and use them and that no one should trust you on that since they are a sponsor is spot on. Heck, nobody should trust themselves if they know its in their best interest to promote something. Ironically, by carefully _not_ promoting Shars, you've actually made me trust you more.
What a bonus ! Today 2nd of September, I'm just on my way to an industrial supply shop to purchase a Mitutoyo model 500 753 20 8" caliper as a gift for my daughter (Just finished her CNC programing). I did look at what Amazon offered but something didn't seem right. Can't say what threw me off but decided to go directly to a known supplier. So glad this video popped up. I feel much better prepared. Now I'll look much smarter when talking to the sales rep. ......as if I know what I'm talking about !
Great and thanks a million.
Amazon and ebay
Same sellers sell both places
I have purchased quite a few branded items from the above sellers that turned out to be bootlegs
Cautions
@@plusblood5101 I did get the Mitutoyo caliper and after a good discussion with the employee at the shop I registered on line with the Mitutoyo web page and with the item number. They authenticated the product by the model number. Like they say; buyer beware !
I was under the impression that Amazon mixes inventory of the same SKUs, and if seller Alice sends inventory to warehouse near your house and then you buy from seller Bob, Amazon may send you one of Alices’s stock rather than ship an item from Bob’s stock from a further warehouse.
Maybe I’m mistaken but I am wary buying anything from Amazon that is frequently counterfeited, even from official merchants.
Yep, that has been a problem in the past, at least. Not sure if it's still a thing, because I don't buy things where authenticity really matters there anymore...
This is one of many reasons I don't shop on Amazon.
If I can't buy it directly or from an authorized retailer, I guess I just don't need it that badly.
Yes that definitely happens if the seller chooses to co-mingle items. They can even have Amazon put a label on it. Usually if they come from the closest seller, there will not be an fnsku label on it (the specific seller label they can track) and Amazon just goes by the UPC code. Fakes can be a big problem but if you get one, Amazon will usually make it right. I agree I would be careful and stick to authorized sellers, or Amazon as the seller, for big ticket name brand items.
Have never personally had an issue with ordering commonly-counterfeited items from Amazon (ships from/sold by Amazon), which seems to be common with tools (and even books) nowadays. I didn't know that was a possibility until I just looked it up. Although I am curious if Amazon's items are commingled with the rest of the FBA seller items, and it seems like sellers have to opt-in for commingling to happen. For items worth more than a few hundred dollars or so, I usually just try to purchase them from another known-good vendor if possible (like MSC for tools or B&H for electronics).
@@yellowcrescent At least in some cases, Amazon does co-mingle their inventory with FBA sellers. I have received multiple counterfeit products that were shipped by/sold by Amazon.
A very in depth review showing the differences. Thank you for making this video. You did a superb job at comparing visually and electrically as you did. Bravo!
I have a fake mitutoyo purchased vía eBay 10 yrs ago. Not cheap, still working but battery do not last. Thanks for the video!
I have a genuine Mitutoyo 6" purchased from MSI-Viking (an authorized reseller), but mine was purchased in 2009. Some notable similarities to your newer models:
fit/finish is excellent, end-milled recess in the back, nice plastic molding, ABS visible in the battery compartment, two contacts visible on the PCB.
However, a few differences which are actually more similar to your knock-offs:
The yellow swoop ends above the S, not the O of ABSOLUTE on the front.
Battery insertion goes straight to 0.00mm, or a completely bogus number if left for a while first, not flashing dashes
Origin button is recessed, top of it is flush with the top of the plastic on the front.
screw alignment of one hole is is ok, the other is not great.
So it seems the knock-offs may be copying some older models (poorly)
I too have a 150mm older model with exactly these same differences. On all other points they match with James' description of the genuine article.
I agree, I have a set here at my desk that are only 5 years old and I'm confident are genuine and the certificate has the high print quality but the same T Suzuki QC manager and the Ferrobrite sheet looks very similar to the knock offs shown here so it looks like they've copied them from a few years back. Everything else is a match for the new genuine shown here.
same here too!
same with mine.
Yeah same. I have two contacts etc. but no white writing on label and off centre screw holes. Mine is genuine (all other tells are aligned with your genuine) so I think probably the knock-offs are mimicking an older model. I’ve had the same battery in for the last 5 years
I have an over 40 year old Mitutoyo dial caliper. No battery issues ever with that. I really agree with your comment about why use another company's name when you're actually making a decent product that fills a need within the market? At least to some extent this does seem to be happening with Banggood.
Because if they sell it as the Bang Ding Ow company calipers, they're only worth $12 like the other cheap generics, but if they slap some fake mitutoyo stickers on them, now they're $100 calipers
@@gorak9000 How did Mitutoyo become to be a respected brand? Remember when very, very few people would buy a Japanese car? Look at Japanese cars now.
I've got a couple of cheap Fluke instruments made in China that are actual Fluke products. They were made in China for the Chinese market, some leaked outside the border via eBay. Sure maybe some will be fooled into thinking they're getting a real bargain buying a Mitutoyo for $100 but whoever is making these would sell a lot more at $50 and build a reputation for their own brand.
@@robroysyd Well you see a lot of slightly premium-ish (above $12, below let's say $40) priced calipers on Ali which are some seller's or factory direct brand, and by all reason, some or many of these probably share production with these fakes, but might have extra benefits such as better QA etc, if the seller isn't here today gone tomorrow type of deal and actually intend on building their brand - sellers of fakes have no intention of processing customer complaints long term, they rather disappear. I think there is a sort of saturation, there's a lot of these brands, and there's only so much product you can sell that way without access to large distributors and retail. This opens a window for some small operation to order a fake product and make a killing selling it to likely largely unsuspecting buyers. I think a lot of people, maybe hobbyists etc, heard that Mitutoyo is a good brand but they don't know who distributes it legitimately and how much it really costs, so they see and grab and that's it, and they don't have alarm going off in their head because $80 appears expensive enough for a premium tool. They have some recourse if they notice, but that's effort and distress, so they may decide to not care.
So i think it's not an either-or situation but an and-situation.
I was always a Starrett man and I only bought one Mitutoyo tool in my 22 year career. It was a 24' dual beam dial caliper (built like their height gauge) that I bought in 1980(?) As I watched this video, I had a Harbor Freight (CEN-TECH) 6" digital caliper in front of me. I paid $19.95 almost 20 years ago. As you went through details, so did I.. Almost everything that was sloppy in your fakes, is much cleaner on my cheapo HFT. I heard that Harbor Freight has grossly down graded what they sell now, but these old models are pretty good especially for ther price.. I sold my 24" Mit's on EBay 10 years ago and the guy that bought them was ecstatic at the quality and workmanship of the tool. I had built a custom case for them and engraved my initials in several places, The buyer happened to have the same initials as me, and he got the case too... I don't remember how much I paid originally but I think I might have gotten a little more when II sold them... .BUY QUALITY and you'll never be disappointed....
Well I headed back over to EBay after watching this excellent tutorial and could spot the fakes at a glance. Thank you so much!
Great info with excellent detail... as usual. Note: time stamp 15:08, comparison of yellow tag, the authentic caliper has Mitutoyo printed on it and the "ebay" versions do not.
Good eye.
Good Catch. I noticed the spacing between the word "First" and "!" on the ebay version. "First!" vs "First !"
Based on a number of things in this video, I am pretty sure a few of the calipers floating around at my work are fakes. The battery consumption being a big one. They churn through some batteries, and give no indication of low battery, but just randomly start behaving exactly like the fake ones did here.
Yep cheap calipers will burn batteries.
My genuine 8" Mit. goes for many years on one cell.(I think I'm over 6 years now, infrequent use so that is mostly storage drain. The genuine seiko silver cell that came with it. Silver chemistry works better in low temps btw.)
abt the battery i use put put it out when i donk work... my pov is the auto opening is a stupidity... often u forgot it so it consum for nothing....sry for poor english !!
Would have been interesting to see the PCB (electronic board) differences. Just from the display differences I can tell the PCB will look way different from the original.
Fantastic video, thank you! I'm impressed by your meticulousness. I also appreciate how honest you were about your relationship with Shars.
I appreciate your doing this video. The slightly older Mitutoyo calipers came with a piece of scientific equipment from Japan and have a Mitutoyo metrology lab certificate in addition to the normal paperwork. My set have a recessed origin button but aside from that have all the other signs that you pointed out for genuine Mitutoyo calipers. My set was made in 2013. I think the counterfeiters based their molding off of the slightly older models. Thanks for the video and for doing the power draw. That is what separates the Mitutoyo stuff from the rest. I hate dealing with dead calipers. That said, my favorite calipers at the moment are iGaging and they use a CR2032. I do wish you has shown the light passing through with the jaws closed; that is the biggest problem with crappy calipers.
The grind and fit on these were good. I didn't see any differences, and decided to focus on things that were different.
Bruce, any reason why the igaging are your favorite? I use about a dozen different Mitu calipers in my shop, but would love to find a more affordable brand I can hand to employees and clients to borrow.
My older ones have the recessed origin button and when battery is installed it immediately flashes numbers. My battery compartment is different design with no writing. They are about 20yrs old.
@@Hunteratloppshop Hi R&R, The reason I like the iGaging calipers is they have a decent feel and are as accurate as the Mitutoyos. As I said, the biggest problem with most cheap calipers is the grind on the jaws and the iGaging jaws are very flat and parallel. Being that they use the CR2032 battery the battery lasts a long time. Another benefit, if it something that is useful to you, you can get them to measure fractional inches as well. All for a much cheaper price. If I were you I would keep the Mitutoyos for your shop but try the iGaging for the other uses.
@@lofingboy That's interesting. I just checked mine and they do the same thing. I guess its just the older models.
“Mitutoyo” (on the caliper image) is missing from the yellow/red “first” tag.
I worked in anti-counterfeiting and can tell you that people will go to amazing efforts to take advantage of a successful product. If they put the same effort into honest labor, they’d probably make better money.
No they wouldnt, because what they are actually stealing is the money Mitutoyo as spent developing their reputation as well as the money they spend manufacturing high quality instruments. They might make a good product but no one will know them.
Yes at 15:12 the mitutoyo logo just above the battery is missing from the fake.
Also note that Clough doesnt notice this.
Great video, well documented, laid out and explained. I learned something and will have my eyes open on these tools from now on.
Excellent many thanks. I have a genuine Mitutoyo caliper which is 30 years old, used regularly and it is still functioning perfectly.
Thank you for making this video! When I bought my 8” Mitutoyo calipers I had heard of the problem with counterfeit’s. I made sure I bought from a reputable dealer. Comparing mine with your video reaffirms that mine are genuine. Thank you!
As always, thanks James for an interesting comparison. One very minor difference you didn't mention is on the Yellow 'Battery' tag... The ebay ones do not have Mitutoyo printed above the battery compartment whereas the genuine ones do, just as the actual calipers have on them.
I have been amazed at the amount of counterfeit items on both Ebay and Amazon for years! Sadly, online sales is pretty much like the Wild West where anything goes. I imagine that most people have no clue that they are being duped. I spotted the difference in packaging immediately. Of course, I pretty much expect a product to be counterfeit based solely on my experiences in the past. Great video.
I was never surprised about ebay, since it is independent sellers, but I was about amazon at first, since I thought that everything was sold my amazon. The independent sellers who use amazon are in some cases just as bad as the ebay sellers. Even bestbuy now has independent sellers, so you need to beware of that too. One of the worst things to buy is SD cards and other memory, where they mislabel them to look like they have a lot more memory than they do.
You presentation is first class, diction, voice, tempo and everything technical.
Got there by mistake but watched the whole 35 minutes of it.
Good - the 6 inch Mitutoyo that I found under a cupboard in a lab that was being cleaned out and rescued from the scrap bin appears genuine. I didn't get the orange box or the operating instructions, but I have the calibration certificate and the black plastic case, and all is as you say. You can't beat that price!
I have a nice Fluke 87 acquired the same way. Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time.
That was very interesting. If you could do the current draw test on the shars that would be great. And no, I don't think that shars being a sponsor makes your reviews fake.
Totally agree, who cares if Shars sponsor the channel.
Thanks for this analysys. It's very instructional and in depth.
Nice work James, very informative. Thanks
Thanks, you just saved me $70. I use genuine Mitutoyos at work but have never had the packaging to compare so when I saw a caliper for sale on a local buysell your packaging analysis showed instantly that the one for sale was fake.
Cheap Chinese calipers are usually fine enough and we also use them at work for rough measurement on the shop floor. It doesn't really matter if a $20 caliper gets dropped or lost vs dropping a $300 Mitutoyo.
Thank you James, I watched this while checking my own callipers and was satisfied that they are genuine. I _do_ think it matters, the power consumption alone makes the counterfeits almost worthless when you look at what dirt cheap callipers cost that perform no less well. And I _know_ that my Mitutoyo’s will last _years._ The cheap ones I tried corroded inside the battery compartment and packed up in just months.
What difference does it make whether it lasts 3 years on one battery or 1.5 years? The battery is a consumable item.
Don't put crap batteries in your instrument and they won't ruin the battery compartment.
Awesomely detailed and meticulous comparison. Thx!
Thank you for a very useful video. There appears to be different grades of the fake callipers. I have one that passed some of these checks. The case and documentation was the same as the genuine unit. The thing that alerted me to the possibility that my calliper was a fake was because the battery didn’t last very long. Your current drain test was most useful. I had intended to do the test before I saw your video but having you current readings was particularly useful. My fake draws 15µA when on and off.
An interesting thing about my fake is I have had it for several years and it’s an older version 500-196-20. A genuine seller listed the later 500-196-30 but still had the photo of the older 500-196-20 on their website. The tale on graphics is short and is the same as on my fake so I suspect the graphics has changed between 500-XXX-20 and 500-XXX-30 and the fake makers have not updated their artwork.
I just bought a genuine replacement, which passes all the checks. The confusing thing is the price offered by genuine sellers vary enormously.
Thanks. You are absolutely great in your presentation. Lots of time and dedication. This is very favorable. What I like the most about this video is the suggestion for counterfeiters to make their own product If they got to a point where they believed that they are great in their manufacturing . I am personally switching most of my items to US, Japanese and European made only items. I know it is very hard and expensive but I am definitely besides being against counterfeits, as well as an abused kid from overseas, against countries that employee under aged kids for the absolute benefit and egocentric care of their self interest.
Thanks for being this up.
One sure way to verify this down to without a shadow of doubt is to have the power on/off current evaluated or ask your electronic friend to do so. Genuine model test data: Power on = 5uA; off = 2uA. Any larger then that is fake.
Also pay attention to at difference on the back side label.
Thanks for this very thorough and well done. I appreciate it
Great video with details that show obvious difference. I noticed that the strip on the bar was rough looking.
@25:33 One thing I noticed that was different was the black plastic on the scale of the eBay ones looked more grainy and rough in texture than the real ones. The real ones the plastic looks smooth.
Thank you for this James, you just saved me a bunch of money bc I was just about to buy a 8" & 12" myself off eBay. Just going to buy through a actual dealer instead. 👍👍
Wow appreciate the in depth look into this. I have learned along the way, You get what you pay for when it comes to machinist tools. But this just validated my beliefs even more.
Thank you for the informativo video. Do you have pins or cereramic standards to compare how they perform measuring?
I got one today, and the quality is superb! Thank you so much for making this video!
I was following along with my calipers and I knew they were real but since I bought them on Amazon there was always a tiny bit of doubt. Now I can be 100% certain mine are genuine.
Well now you made me check mine... They're quite old but seem legit.
Nice rundown. Funny that these items are now obviously a status symbol, I thought only watches and handbags would be a market for this.
Now that mine seem legit I feel my status has been elevated 😉
Tools are never status symbols... They are lifestyle symbols 😋
Amazing detail! Well done and thanks!
Very eye opening ! Good sharing , thank you very much for the detailing.
Great work on doing the current comparison, this is relevant even for the non-fake cheapies - when you go to use them the battery is always flat. Sadly.
Also great shout out to @EEVBlog using his meter :)
Brymen meters are world class on their own merits.
If I recall, the eevblog meter contains some extra Aussie voodoo for measuring low current accurately.
Just watched your video, and was curious to take a critical look at my older (ca. 1987) analog Mitutoyo 6" calipers. It's worked perfectly for thirty-odd years, and seems to be well made. I did, however, notice that the fixed jaw did not have a chamfer, unlike the digital version. Thanks for getting me to go take a close look!
Brilliant video. Thank you for your time making.
Thank you for standing up with this comparison , helping consumers.
Something i noticed using a genuine Mitutoyo Caliper were the perfect parallel jaws. If ii's well cleaned you can't see light shining throuh the gap of the two outer jaws. Furthermore if you have set the origin correctly it's nearly impossible to push it to a negative valiue - in comparison with cheap ones where you can push it up to -0,05mm. The second thing i noticed . Cheap calipers sometimes lose the origin point after really fast jaw movements. (But i think that's only a Problem with non absolute calipers.
Notice the fake ones do not really spell absolute..... an attempt to avoid prosecution ? ABS ( like the plastic ) then the big Olute
Hi James.
Great video! I have a few more things that differ between the genuine Mitutoyo calipers and the fake ones:
- The thumb screw that locks the caliper is much thicker on the fake calipers
- The end stops are not located as close to the end of the caliper as they should be on the fake calipers
- Mitutoyo 12" calipers are much thicker/wider and uses a completely different electronics/plastic housing
- The angles of the jaws/tips are much steeper/different on the fake calipers compared to the genuine ones
- Genuine LCDs are light gray background, vs. greenish
Incredible attention to detail in this video!
Highly informative. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for making this video. I wish there were more videos out there like this exposing counterfeiters and helping consumers prevent themselves from being ripped off. I am actually in the market for one of these calipers and now I know what to look for.
Go American! Buy Starrett! Big pinch on the wallet but utterly top quality!
True, I believe many people would have their eyes opened to the reality of the counterfeiters!
If these are true indicators of counterfeit products then the Mitutoyo Store on amazon is also selling fake products. I bought a dial caliper from the Mitutoyo store on amazon and some of the packaging "flaws" are present such as line thickness and Serif on the R, but the angle, logo (snowman) and color are all correct or I should say they match what he is saying above.
Modern genuine Mitutoyo calipers use inductive sensors which should be immune to a little water or oil getting on the scale. I'm not sure, but I would bet the knock off calipers are using capacitive sensors. It would be interesting to see a test of what the display does after getting a bit of coolant on there.
Yes capacative sort of
Big Clive tokk some apart a couple of times so did somebody else about 5 years ago.
The calipers had similar to vernier fingers so that as they slide to measure - only 1 pair of fingers align perfectly. But I believe it was Clive that suggested they were using capacitave coupling to couple a transmit oscilator to a receiving finger and scanning the fingers for max signal to equate to a lookup table.
However they were surprisingly accurate when re-assembled even with parts missing and glued strips pealed off.
Somebody copied the scale to cad and made an extrapolated pcb about 2 feet long and it worked properly in the ripof calipers.
Or in worst case they might use a potentiometer (variable resistor). Optical shaft encoders, using infrared light pulse as it rotates or slides. I don't know if they could get ten thousandths or finer accuracy though.
@@ElectricBillAlbright Nah resistive sensing is just not a thing. $3 calipers (the plastic 0.1mm ones) are already capacitive, once you have an ASIC, and they do, shared across all these brands and models and manufacturers, that's just cheap, and does the job. Optical isn't cheap, finicky to get the process right. All they need for capacitive is two PCBs (flex under the scale sticker and rigid for the toolhead) and a gloptop ASIC, and the PCB quality they do is bloody filthy and they're still getting away with it, kinda works. Holy shit that resist application and via termination, it's beyond terrible. And yet it works.
Could not possibly have asked for any more detail. Excellent! I have made the same purchase and analysis.
Hi James, your work is great! The video is very clear. What camera/lens/camera was used to shoot it? It’s very clear. As a 50-year-old mechanical designer, we also want to shoot such a video for record purposes. Thank you for your advice opinion. we like this tools just the same as we like your video !!!
If you also understand Japanese culture, they are absolutely meticulous to the T. It's a big giveaway from the label making to how you explained the way things are neatly packaged.
Meticulous until it comes to writing in English lol
The tech used in digital calipers has been refined to the point where it’s hard to mess up. Bigclive did a good video on how cheap calipers can be so accurate with such a high resolution.
Knock offs will spend the vast majority of their design cost trying to rip off Mitutoyos look so they can charge over 100 times more than it cost to manufacture them.
Honestly it’s hard to justify Mitutoyo when it comes to calipers unless you have the disposable income or your employer is buying them. I use a company provided Mitutoyo 8” caliper to verify the calibration of my inexpensive Amazon calipers I use in the field. They are always spot on.
Only thing I would suggest is just going straight for less expensive calipers with their own brand name so you aren’t paying for nothing. Something I wish inexpensive brands would do is use a better tech when it comes to battery life or just put a compartment for a triple A battery in it or something if the lower power tech is expensive.
I would point out that many of the mitutoyo are IP rated and coolant safe.
My favourite chap brand are igaging and their cheap ones aren't coolant resistant. They do a more expensive version that is, but not at a discount over the mitutoyo...
I think it's useful to have lots of calipers.. get a few decent low cost options and keep the mitutoyo for when you need to do inspection quality work?
I agree. This guy inherited some money. He's got expensive toys.
I don't mind investing in expensive tools. When I quit my job, they go with me. I think my 9 to 5 boss would like these calipers. It complements his cheap Chinese lathe.
Oh, not all all cheap calipers are good. I have some I got at Aldi and they’re unusable. Aside from the ludicrous battery consumption, they skip readings, so eventually you’ll be off by some multiple of 0.2” (5.08mm). Easy to spot when you’re measuring something half that size, but not at all obvious when you’re measuring something 3” across. Screwed me over more than once.
Love the detail. Thank you for this.
Thanks for your awesome video! Was eye opening to an issue I wasn't privy to.
The sad thing is, all that work they did to make fake calipers probably made the counterfeiters rich lol. Still though, the level of detail is still kinda impressive. Now that you pointed out the errors hopefully they'll step up their game 🤣.
Thanks for the vid, James. If I buy junk tools they better be the genuine junk tools 😁.
Cheers!
Something else to keep in mind is that the original Mituoyo gear will last a lifetime. I got a 6" Mitutoyo digimatic caliper in 1990 - at which time I think digital calipers were pretty new to the market and looked like witchcraft to me. Anyway, 33 years later, they're still doing a flawless job - maybe the fakes will last that long... maybe.
Thank you~ Your detailed vid aided me in making purchase choices. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Your observations are a blessing because I recently bought one and I'm a long time toolmaker who has owned only genuine tools' whole life I happen to have bought a 8 inch off of eBay which is the genuine article thank you so much
Another thing: the surface of the printed scale is rough in the counterfeit items, while smooth for the genuine. Also the printed scales stop just shy of the end, right under the pinning. Not so for the fakes.
27:57 Note that those tiny QR codes are basically useless on the fakes, while perfectly readable (though small) on the original
I was going to mention the QR codes. My phone was able to read the QR codes on the two genuine Mitutoyo off the screen and it was the three lines of identification: Code#, Model#, and Serial#. The QR codes on the fakes not only are muddy and unreadable, but they appear to be identical. I'm at work so I don't have access to my Mitutoyo for me to check the QR code. And, I can't check my coworker's Mitutoyo because the calibration sticker (it gets an annual 17025 calibration unlike my personal one) covers the QR code.
Other easily visible differences I’ve noted are that the locking screw is machined differently and the riveted retaining plate on the end of the beam is in a different location, further from the end.
I have a number of cheaper brand calipers (not fakes) and a 6” and 8” pair of genuine Mitutoyo’s.
The cheaper ones are maybe just as accurate but live on the lathe headstock or the mill table, get used occasionally as a pair of dividers and are considered disposable items.
The Mitutoyo’s are considered metrology instruments, are used during the design process to evaluate existing components for fits etc. Both of these slide like they’re on melted butter and are a joy to use, unlike the others.
If you place any value on what you do, you probably already have or need to experience the genuine items, but why pay elevated prices for fakes to kid yourself that they’re equivalent? Simply buy the cheaper non fake items if you don’t place any value on the differences!
Yes, I noticed the riveted retaining plate as early as the initial picture at the start of the video.
Great video! One of the other things I noticed is that the edges of the Mitutoyo LCD "glass" are radiused, while the counterfeit products seem to have a flat face leading into the edge.
Very in depth and thorough forensic investigation and comparison between the genuine articles and the counterfeits. The only thing that is missing is perhaps one of the most important things, which is an actual side-by-side comparison of their function. 1st I want to know if it's fake and then I want to know if it works and how well it works and if it's repeatable and how it compares to measuring a known distance.
However I watched the whole video so good job!
A tip to save battery is to always do up the lock screw when you turn it off. This will stop the calliper from moving and turning on automatically when you didn't mean to.
Real Miyutoyo's don't turn on automatically
Good advice, I'll use that!
Mine, real, won't turn on automatically.
The Mitutoyo IP67 coolant proof ones turn on automatically. Also a lot of other brands will turn on automatically.
The Mitutoyo IP67 coolant proof ones turn on automatically. Also a lot of other brands will turn on automatically.
That was good "spot the difference" there.
I too would like to see actual measurements and hardness testing of the work surfaces.
I completely agree, they should just use their own brand, especially if the metallurgy and accuracy are comparable to the Mitutoyo. Battery draw is a pain though.
I have a Mitutoyo vernier callipers from the early 80's. Battery hasn't gone flat yet. :)
This seems to have the same circuit boards as cheap calipers. They don't really power off, only the screen goes off.
Very useful, informative and professionally presented video. Thank you. I have a Mitutoyo on the way and will certainly use this video as a reference to check if it's genuine.
Thanks for showing the differences between real and fake. Easy to spot now.
I wish you would have compared the accuracy of the calipers. On the job use is important.
I appreciate the detailed in depth nature of this comparison. I also understand the purpose to demonstrate the visible differences between a genuine product ad a counterfeit. I have seen this on Amazon particularly with camera equipment. I'm a little disappointed that there wasn't a comparison between the accuracy of the genuine and counterfeit. I would encourage everyone to avoid companies that trade on the work of others. It is immoral to support theft. I am just curious. If you end up buying a counterfeit product, whether by mistake or not, did you at least end up with a tool which does what you purchased it to do?
It's an interesting philosophical theory.
for instance, in China - the VW GOLF was copied - and numerous improvements
were made to the original VW design - INCLUDING - style changes - that motoring
magazine editors themself described the Chinese knock-off as a more appealing
car.
I have phoyos of then - and I agree.
The second point is that U.S. CORPORATIONS -often with the assistance of the
CORPORATE GOVERNMENT in the District of Corruption have stolen ideas and
designs of foreign manufacturers such as the U.K and Russia. - having acquired
Russian technologies - and paid peanuts - when the SOVIET STATE was broken
up - not to mention that the APOLLO rockets were purchased from Russia -
The U.S. was unable to produce a rocket small enough with the same thrust as
the Russian rocket - and the U.S. COPIED - YES - copied it.
U.S. CORPORATIONS are among the biggest pirates in the world.
Calling out others is the pot calling the kettle black.
U.S. CORPORATIONS ARE Hypocrites.
The other point is that China has more honors students than the USA has 'students'
when information is free flowing - one has the advantage if a global collective
educated - genius mind - that is able to improve technologies and various products
much more rapidly - and surely that can only be more beneficial for everyone in the
world and not just a handful of greedy self-centered CORPORATE criminals whose hands
tremble when donating a dollar or two - such is their greed -- and what they donate
is not without conditions or some indirect economical advantage to the donor.
The moral objective is to create and build for the benefit of ManKind - the developers wil STILL make some financial gain from it.
The thing to remember here is.
"One cannot make ALL the money in the world ' 'One can only make some of it'
You cannot take your money with you when you die - you can only take someone else's.
Great video to help people spot a fake item, but also a master class for the Chinese knock-off shops in how to make their fakes harder to detect.
So true but it confirmed my second hand ones are genuine!
True, but they are basically too lazy to correct even obvious errors. Clearly, they take an existing caliper design and dress it up with a PCB and casing that mimics a Mitutoyo and call it job-done.
They could easily make near-perfect copies, but that would take more time & effort and "profit" is the absolute motivator here and it -always- wins.
I can't give you two thumbs up, but I would James. Thanks for the informative video. You always keep me riveted!
Great video. I know this video is titled how to tell a real Mc Coy from a fake, but maybe if you haven't yet make one comparing the accuracy against benchmark pieces or just different gauges of sheet metal. That would be interesting to know. Also if they are consistent after measuring one then going back to a previous thickness, see if you get the same results.
Thanks for taking the time in letting everyone know this. I bet the knock off ones probably don't have provisions for adjustment when they get recertification.
thanks james. this helps a lot because companies like mitutoyo are consistent along their product line when it comes to packaging, documentation and labeling. this means one could be able to spot most mitutoyo fake products.
33:30, camera shows a clear difference in the display background clolor. the fakes are a darker grey.
Another thing I decided to check out of curiosity was the QR code. On the genuine 4" and 6" calipers, the QR code can be scanned, and the info contained within is the Code No, Model No, and Serial No, each separated with a space. The QR codes on the Ebay fakes seem to not be readable at all.
Great video, very useful. I still have my 6" caliper I bought over 25 years ago, and yes, it is the real deal, still working fine.
Very informative video. I enjoyed it.
Totally agree with your analysis. A more meaningful comparison would have been the accuracy comparison.
Best to buy from a known authorized supplier to get the genuine article.
I’m surprised that US Customs do not confiscate the fakes, like they do with the Guicci bags?
An accuracy comparison would be better able to quash the desire for the knockoffs if that's the goal here. Being able to show functional differences and deficiencies along with the more readily identifiable differences like fonts and packaging tints would convince the majority of the viewers to avoid making the wrong decision.
We missed the rest of the battery test, but it was interesting to see the current of the counterfeit was so high. Would have been nice to see an accuracy test, but they are probably very close.
I hope viewers report these on eBay.
There are many sellers, and they're getting shut down and new ones are popping up. I ordered from two different sellers in two different states, but both came from the same address in California.
@@Clough42 James, that address might be a clue to shutting the scam down. If the items were shipped by ordinary mail, file a report with the inspectors of the U.S.P.S.
@@Clough42 BTW -- the QR code on the genuine one says: 500-195-30 CD-4"ASX B22148743 , which matches the data written in text on the back. The fake one is unreadable.
I paused the video on the first picture of the 4 calipers, and right away I could tell which was which by the small riveted plate at the end of the calipers. On the genuine Mitutoyos, it is straight and very near the end, whereas on the counterfeits it is somewhat crooked and not quite at the end of the calipers. Great demo, thanks! BTW, my 24 years old genuine Mitutoyo 8" caliper isn't quite the same as modern ones, it also came in a light grey plastic casing instead of black, but performs as well and is very reliable. It should be, I paid $120 back in 1998 for it!
Hey thanks for the eye opening info, good content- subbed.
Actually the typical cut‐off voltage (i.e. the threshold they use for measuring battery capacity) is 1.2V for SR44 cells. So the fake ones work as expected, despite the lack of battery low indicator.
It would be interesting to see if the original calipers work down to 1.2V without producing errors. Perhaps you could check?
the video cuts off before he tests it since 2 seconds later he accidentally ran 12V through the genuine ones
@@thetooth oops
33:05 was it at this point where 12V was applied to the 1.5V input?
@@thetooth How do you know?
I'm pretty sure Mitutoyo changed the button height on the origin button somewhere along the way. I have a 6" caliper from ~2014 that has a recessed origin button. Same with an even older pair I have (non -AOS).
As for the test certificates, I think Suzuki-san retired somewhere along the way because they signed my 2014 pair.
Also you missed another detail on the backside of the cases. The genuine cases have support ribbing from the edges.
Yeah. There are many more details. Good eye
It might also be a feature that's different on mm and mm/inch models, my mm-only model has the origin button very much recessed and it's not older than about 5 years.
I discovered Shars about 3 years ago when I needed to replace a 4-5" micrometer that had grown legs and walked away. I'm am more than impressed with the quality and motion and feel.
Nice video. And I liked to see the eevblog DMM as well :) In addition to the mentioned deviationes, the presumed genuine calipers have a much whiter LCD background compared to the fake ones
also a clear difference the color of the displays, real ones are light grey, the fakes are darker and maybe a green tint
An absolutely beautiful analysis, thank you. My calipers are cheap enough that I'd be happy to let a group of Kindergartners use them for a day, so it doesn't effect those, but it's great to have more pointers about what to look for when I do, eventually, upgrade them.
Thank you for making the video. I'm so glad I have a real Mitutoyo caliper from 20 years ago. The machining
on mine is flawless. It's hard to believe that in the twenty first century with CNC machines we have this horrible
quality of tooling AND fake tools.