need a tenths indicator - is this one a forgery?

metalmagpie · Jul 9, 2020

If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.
I'm looking for an Interapid 312B3 dial test indicator (tenths). I saw this on ebay. Is this price too good to be true? This is by far the best price I see on the Web - how can he be so much lower than anyone else?

Note, I am NOT shilling his product. I am asking for your experience in this matter. I know there are fake Rolex watches, fake sunglasses, fake all kinds of things being sold nowadays. Just don't want to get ripped.

Interapid 1-1/2" Dial Horizontal Indicator #312-B3 #74.111372 - NEW IN BOX | eBay

metalmagpie

MetalCarnage · Jul 9, 2020

It looks legit to me and it's about $70 cheaper than others I found with a quick google search. Maybe he has no overhead, or is selling out of stock that's not moving, or just got one helluva deal. Could be it's missing the wrench that comes with it (not a big deal but someone might quibble).

Looks like solid feedback as well. I'd probably go ahead and buy it.

-Ron

Hardplates · Jul 9, 2020

I absolutely despise those things. The pointer moves in different directions depending on which way you push the stylus. Just making sure you're aware of that before you buy one. I have mostly all B&S best test including a couple 50 millionths ones.

AARONT · Jul 9, 2020

Thats the same price I can get it from MSC. Seems legit.

L Vanice · Jul 9, 2020

You think $225 is too good to be true? I remember buying a 312b-3 about 45 years ago for the list price of about $35. And then I soon pushed the business end into a rotating end mill and wrecked it. So I bought another one and still use that one. I still have the wrecked one, which has most of its parts still in new condition. Lesson learned.

Yes there are Chinese copies of the .0005" Interapids on eBay for cheap, but they have no brand name on the dial.
.0005 Vertical Dial Test Indicator Swiss Type Graduation 0-0.060" Dovetail Tool | eBay

Larry

EPAIII · Jul 9, 2020

He says he has sold 17 and has 9 in stock. He either found a good deal or is buying them in quantity (lots of 10) from the factory and getting the factory price.

It is about a $300 retail instrument. Just what do you think the factory charges wholesalers or other genuine retailers for them? My guess would be about $150. But you DO need to be a qualified buyer: someone who buys in some quantity and who IS actually reselling them. So he is probably making about $225 - $150 (his cost) - $25 (E-Bay) - $20 (ship and insure) = $30 on each sale, give or take. He does not have a brick and mortar store, just the E-Bay fees. And he is not greedy, just making a small profit.

Oh, BTW, E-Bay is now collecting state sales tax so there will be a tax added to that sale based on the $225 price.

PS: This also illustrates why brick and mortar stores are having a hard time with some types of merchandise. No rent. No mortgage. No utility bills. etc.

johnb53405 · Jul 9, 2020

metalmagpie said:
If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.
I'm looking for an Interapid 312B3 dial test indicator (tenths). I saw this on ebay. Is this price too good to be true? This is by far the best price I see on the Web - how can he be so much lower than anyone else?

Note, I am NOT shilling his product. I am asking for your experience in this matter. I know there are fake Rolex watches, fake sunglasses, fake all kinds of things being sold nowadays. Just don't want to get ripped.

Interapid 1-1/2" Dial Horizontal Indicator #312-B3 #74.111372 - NEW IN BOX | eBay

metalmagpie

Looks good to me; states "Switzerland" beneath Interapid on the dial face. I might add that I am picky, my 6 or 7 test indicators in regular use are all Swiss made.

tnmgcarbide · Jul 10, 2020

do you absolutely need .0001 of an inch . do you use
this instrument for direct comparison? if you're
just 'gonna sweep a vise or a chuck jaw or a parallel?

wtf does it matter if it's english, metric or kelvin?
it's just a balance of x to y . i have no idea what
descartes would have used ... x , y and z ,

tnmgcarbide · Jul 10, 2020

do you absolutely need .0001 of an inch . do you use
this instrument for direct comparison? if you're
just 'gonna sweep a vise or a chuck jaw or a parallel?

wtf does it matter if it's english, metric or kelvin?
it's just a balance of x to y . i have no idea what
descartes would have used ... x , y and z ,

EmGo · Jul 10, 2020

tnmgcarbide said:
do you absolutely need .0001 of an inch . do you use
this instrument for direct comparison? if you're
just 'gonna sweep a vise or a chuck jaw or a parallel?

Or center on a hole ... if it's a good one ? yes.

Had a long travel, long-leg big dial Alina that I loved. The damn thing was built like a brick shithouse, you could read it from across the room and you could tram or center anything in about two minutes and believe it. Fast. Reliable. Worth every penny.

specfab · Jul 10, 2020

metalmagpie said:
If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.
I'm looking for an Interapid 312B3 dial test indicator (tenths). I saw this on ebay. Is this price too good to be true? This is by far the best price I see on the Web - how can he be so much lower than anyone else?

Note, I am NOT shilling his product. I am asking for your experience in this matter. I know there are fake Rolex watches, fake sunglasses, fake all kinds of things being sold nowadays. Just don't want to get ripped.

Interapid 1-1/2" Dial Horizontal Indicator #312-B3 #74.111372 - NEW IN BOX | eBay

metalmagpie

Looks OK to me. That price is the price I recall from about 10-15 yrs ago. Never bought it then, 'cause the price was too high -- besides, I have a really nice Compac (Swiss) unit with about .030 of .0001 travel, very nice. This looks like a pretty decent deal. I might finally buy one.

litlerob1 · Jul 11, 2020

Hardplates said:
I absolutely despise those things. The pointer moves in different directions depending on which way you push the stylus. Just making sure you're aware of that before you buy one. I have mostly all B&S best test including a couple 50 millionths ones.

First time I've heard that. I have B&S, Federal and Interapids. I definitely love my Interapids. To each their own, I guess.

R

ChipSplitter · Jul 11, 2020

The voices in my head have not yet established a majority opinion.

However, my gut says it's probably legit.

gregormarwick · Jul 12, 2020

As far as I can tell, it's really only Mitutoyo that have a problem with forgeries. Nobody else has the brand recognition to make it worthwhile for the forgers.

The Tesa sticker on the box looks legit (same as some of mine) and the paperwork all looks pretty legit. I'd be very surprised if that wasn't genuine.

Hardplates said:
I absolutely despise those things. The pointer moves in different directions depending on which way you push the stylus. Just making sure you're aware of that before you buy one. I have mostly all B&S best test including a couple 50 millionths ones.

That's a pretty strange opinion to have! I use mainly Compac and Mercer, but bi-directional always. They are much more convenient than switchable ones IMO.

Hardplates · Jul 12, 2020

litlerob1 said:
First time I've heard that. I have B&S, Federal and Interapids. I definitely love my Interapids. To each their own, I guess.

R

gregormarwick said:
As far as I can tell, it's really only Mitutoyo that have a problem with forgeries. Nobody else has the brand recognition to make it worthwhile for the forgers.

The Tesa sticker on the box looks legit (same as some of mine) and the paperwork all looks pretty legit. I'd be very surprised if that wasn't genuine.

That's a pretty strange opinion to have! I use mainly Compac and Mercer, but bi-directional always. They are much more convenient than switchable ones IMO.

I'm not talking about switchable. On an Interapid if you push the stylus it spins the needle clockwise and if you pull the stylus it spins the needle counterclockwise, or maybe its the other way around. All my test indicators spin the needle clockwise regardless of which direction the stylus is loaded and that's what my simple brain is used to.

There is no doubt they are a super nice test indicator and function great, I just can't accept the whole clockwise counterclockwise thing.

gregormarwick · Jul 12, 2020

Hardplates said:
I'm not talking about switchable. On an Interapid if you push the stylus it spins the needle clockwise and if you pull the stylus it spins the needle counterclockwise, or maybe its the other way around. All my test indicators spin the needle clockwise regardless of which direction the stylus is loaded and that's what my simple brain is used to.

There is no doubt they are a super nice test indicator and function great, I just can't accept the whole clockwise counterclockwise thing.

Apologies, I misunderstood.

I'd honestly never considered this before! I just checked all of mine, and sure enough they all spin the needle clockwise regardless of stylus direction. Compac, Mercer, Tesatast, Mahr - all clockwise only, I don't have an Interapid to try.

Bill D · Jul 12, 2020

do you really care about accuracy. If all you are doing is locating center or getting something parallel the accuracy and unit of measure is meaningless. All you probably care about is repeatability.
Bil lD.

litlerob1 · Jul 12, 2020

Hardplates said:
I'm not talking about switchable. On an Interapid if you push the stylus it spins the needle clockwise and if you pull the stylus it spins the needle counterclockwise, or maybe its the other way around. All my test indicators spin the needle clockwise regardless of which direction the stylus is loaded and that's what my simple brain is used to.

There is no doubt they are a super nice test indicator and function great, I just can't accept the whole clockwise counterclockwise thing.

Interesting. There are only .008" total travel on my Tenths Indicator. .004+ .004-. Depending on the work I'm doing (like dialing in an OD) it's perfect IMO. I
Maybe I'm just used to it though.

R

need a tenths indicator - is this one a forgery?

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