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Small hole gauges... are imports any good?

Rustypigeon

Plastic
Joined
Mar 3, 2013
Location
PA, USA
I am looking for a set of small hole gauges for measuring valve guides. Are the Chinese sets that go for about $20 any good? Are there any import sets that are better than the others, or are they all about the same?

I don't know that I want to spend the money on a Starrett or Mitutoyo set for measuring an occasional valve guide, but if the Chinese ones are junk I might find one of the better brands on ebay.
 
You get what you pay for, I use Starrett, worth the extra money. Ive used import telescoping guages and I found them to be useless.
I find the import stuff sticky,poorly finished and a pain to use.
 
We have always bought Vermont gauge class "Z" gauges for general stuff. They are plus .0002 minus 0 or minus .0002 plus nothing. For closer work we buy Deltonics in tenth increments (class X), Deltronics will sell "libraries" of 10 or 25 gauges at a significant discount.
If I walked into your shop and saw Chinese pin gauges I would walk out in a hurry.
I did not fully read the question. Valve guides that wear out of round are a completely different animal. I have a small set of those expanding gauges I bought 30 years ago and have never used them, so opinion does not count for much. If you need them buy them from a reputable source that will take them back if they are junk. I dislike taking chances with stuff that is critical so I would probably buy name brand if I had the need.
Now if you had needed pin gauges, I would still reply as before.
 
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I am looking for a set of small hole gauges for measuring valve guides. Are the Chinese sets that go for about $20 any good? Are there any import sets that are better than the others, or are they all about the same?

I don't know that I want to spend the money on a Starrett or Mitutoyo set for measuring an occasional valve guide, but if the Chinese ones are junk I might find one of the better brands on ebay.

I cannot speak to the quality of the tools you are asking about. I am assuming you want to measure guides in used heads. A reminder to be careful measuring used guides, they often wear oval, which a hole gauge will not give accurate results.

I use a Sunnen guide bore indicator tool that measures across 2 points and will tell you if you have a problem with the diameter (ovality)or taper of a guide. It will not however tell you if your guide is straight.

Using the pin gauge and bore indicator together would be a good system.
 
If the OP is referring to the split small hole gage with the telescoping wedge, then I'd say it doesn't matter much who makes them. They all require that you develop a feel for rocking them in the hole and through the micrometer gap.
 
If I walked into your shop and saw Chinese pin gauges I would walk out in a hurry.

That's kind of a prejudicial statement to make. I have China made pins and don't see anything wrong with them. The 'under sets' are properly undersize, and the 'over sets' are properly oversize.

A better point would be if you have pin gages in only .001" increments, you're very limited to what you can really determine about a given hole diameter using those pins for testing with.
 
. . . it doesn't matter much who makes them. . .

Oh, it matters all right! The cheap ones don't have balls, they just have a thin 'tin' half ball or bell with the edge right at the max diameter making it nearly impossible to measure a hole. The edge is relatively sharp and the curve is NOT circular which causes even more problems.
The machined-ball type like the Starrett are pretty good.
 
I am looking for a set of small hole gauges . . .


Offer retracted due to no response.

-----Tell you what, Rustypidgeon, you PM me your mailing address and I'll send you a 1/8-1/2 set of the Chinese garbage. I don't know why I haven't thrown it away yet, but you can have it if you want it. I'll pay the postage too!-----

Offer retracted due to no response.
 
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Oh, it matters all right! The cheap ones don't have balls, they just have a thin 'tin' half ball or bell with the edge right at the max diameter making it nearly impossible to measure a hole. The edge is relatively sharp and the curve is NOT circular which causes even more problems.
The machined-ball type like the Starrett are pretty good.

You guys are taking about two different things. Hu is talking about pin gages. You know a cylindrical piece of steel that looks like a thread measuring wire?

As far as small hole gages I would agree that the imports I've seen are sorely lacking in quality.

And now that I've reread I see Hu did post about the small hole gages also, my apologies. Didn't notice that he had posted twice in a row.

I have noticed that the import small hole gages don't seem to adjust as well in tiny increments like the good brand names, they are sort of sticky in their adjustment - probably due to inferior surface finish on the sliding surfaces.
 
"Small hole gauges... are imports any good?"

I have been using an import set of small hole gages I bought new over 40 years ago with total satisfaction. They were made in Japan by Mitutoyo and are the flat bottom type that work in shallow or deep holes..

You guys are writing import, but meaning Chinese. Don't confuse good imported stuff with bad imported stuff and I am not saying all Chinese tools are bad.

Larry
 
True, Larry. I have a Phase II QCTP that is very nice, made in China and has held up as well as any under regular use. I will say that all of the truly horrible junk that's come my way was either from India or China. That's not to reflect on the abilities of these people, since they are as capable as any of producing top-quality goods. Its just that the probability of getting quality from these areas is very low in today's market.
 
I have found SPI to be a good lower cost option for some things we buy. We do a lot of close tolerance bores, I bought a complete set of SPI bore Mic's and have been very happy. The set was just about $2500.00 for nine gages .275 to 1.45 they come with standards and extensions and read in .0001 graduations.

This was a great purchase for us and the gages are well made and dead on. You can buy the set or one gage at a time. SPI is a good quality product for the money IMO

Make Chips Boys !
 
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there are often all kinds of quality levels with different prices of tools in any country.
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Chinese $10. tool and a Chinese $100. and a Chinese $1000. tool set would normally have different quality levels.
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always amazed at people who buy a $5 socket set then complain about the quality level. most tools imported from China to the USA was cause a American made the bad decision to import that low quality tool.
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Dewalt tools often made in China but i dont see a lot of complaining about low quality Dewalt tools. its cause they insist on importing only the better tools
 
Buy a used Starrett set or something similar for the same price as new Chinese ones. We have a new Chinese "Brown & Sharpe" set at work that is pure shit. Seems like a simple tool that would be hard to screw up, but they are unusable.

Tim
 
Buy a used Starrett set or something similar for the same price as new Chinese ones. We have a new Chinese "Brown & Sharpe" set at work that is pure shit. Seems like a simple tool that would be hard to screw up, but they are unusable.

Tim

and where are the Starrett ones made ? Starrett like most companies makes stuff in different countries i believe.
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it is usually not where made but the company brand. Mitutoyo makes stuff in many countries too
 
Buy a used Starrett set or something similar for the same price as new Chinese ones. We have a new Chinese "Brown & Sharpe" set at work that is pure shit. Seems like a simple tool that would be hard to screw up, but they are unusable.

Tim
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Brown and Sharp has not been the same since the union strike back in the 1980's
 
Telescoping gauges? For measuring valve guides? On what engine?

Photos please, engine or telescoping gauges, I don't care which.



You get what you pay for, I use Starrett, worth the extra money. Ive used import telescoping guages and I found them to be useless.
I find the import stuff sticky,poorly finished and a pain to use.
 
Telescoping gauges? For measuring valve guides? On what engine?

Photos please, engine or telescoping gauges, I don't care which.

I was simply making an analogy, I have Starrett and Mit. Telescoping and Small Bore Guages.
And I have used the cheap stuff,no comparison.
Matters not what your trying to measure.
 








 
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