Brown & Sharpe VALUELINE IP67 Digital Caliper

Big Plus: The Brown & Sharpe IP67 Valueline Digital "waterproof" calipers have a really large digital display. The design is Swiss but, like other calipers on the market, much of it comes from… (fill in the blank).

This is the best, basic digital caliper you can get with a thumb roller. The caliper offers simple switching between inch and metric. Nothing fancy, nothing confusing. Just slide and read. Our TV remote should be so simple!

You can take depth measurements with the standard flat depth rod.

Are you new to IP67? It's a somewhat cryptic way to tell you that this caliper, and other IP67 gages, will be able to withstand a considerable amount of moisture in the form of water spray, mist and dust without going haywire. You should look for this if you work in such an environment. It does not mean that you will be able to take it scuba diving, though.

Digital calipers are used the same way as dial calipers. They have the advantage that no specialized skills are needed to read the dial. It is important only that the jaws are closed just to the point of contact and no extra force is applied. This is a highly precise measuring tool which can only give accurate readings as long as the measuring jaws are not damaged. Always wipe the jaws clean before using and always keep the calipers safe and dry when not in use.

Hint: it's easy to take comparative measurements with these digital calipers: close the jaws onto the master piece and set the calipers to zero by pressing the button. The display will read zero. Now close the jaws onto the test piece and any deviation from the master piece will be displayed digitally. You can test many pieces this way.

More information on caliper use can be found on our mechanical dial calipers page.

• Measuring range: 6" 8" and 12"

• Resolution: 0,01 mm or .0005"

• Precision: maximum error of 0,02 mm per first 100 mm and maximum error of 0,03 mm from 100-300 mm (.0008" for the first 4" and .0012" for the 4-12" range).

• Repeatability: 0,01 mm (.0004")

• Display: LCD with large 11 mm high digits

• Maximum measuring speed: 2.5 meters per second

• Temperature range: working temperature 50°F to 104°F (you may safely store this gage at temperatures from 14°F to 140°F)

• Maximum relative humidity: 100%

• IP67 dust and water protection rating

• Battery: CR2032 (3V)

Construction: stainless steel jaws, beam and mechanical parts hardened and ground; glass scale coated with a highly resistant protective film; display housing made of industrial plastic.

Cleaning: wipe the calipers clean and only use alcohol if necessary. No other solvents should be used. Don't immerse the calipers in anything.

Error Messages

Just because your display shows an error message does not mean that it's malfunctioning. The most common error message is "004" and this indicates that you have moved the beam too quickly or that water has gotten onto the beam and the electronic component is not 100% sure of the reading. In this case, dry the beam (if necessary) and reset the calipers to zero before taking another reading.

Warranty and repair

The manufacturer's warranty is 12 months from the date of purchase against defect in design, manufacture or material. The tool must be returned to the place of purchase in order to make a warranty claim.

Repairs are probably not going to be worthwhile. If the electronics fail, you will have no choice but to replace the entire assembly at a cost of over $90 for the part alone. If the jaws become misaligned or worn, you may be able to grind them or lap them back into shape but it is a job that requires skill. More than likely, you will make things worse in the attempt.

For these reasons, we do not repair this particular model digital caliper and consider it a "throw-away".

Manufacturer's product description

The Brown & Sharpe 00599393 Valueline IP67 series electronic calipers has a 0 to 12"/0 to 300mm measuring range with 0.0005"/0.01mm resolution and 0.001"/0.03mm accuracy for obtaining outside, inside, step, and depth dimensions for a variety of precision measurement uses. The LCD has 0.43" high digits and its function buttons control on/off, zero-set, inch/mm conversion, and mode. It permanently stores the zero-set position in Absolute mode, which saves time between measurements. A knurled clamping screw locks the slide to save a measurement. The stainless-steel frame and slide are durable and corrosion resistant, and the jaw faces are precision-ground for measuring accuracy. It has a thumb wheel slide control and a square depth rod.

The calipers meet International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 13385-1 dimensional standards and it is Ingress Protection rated IP67 for protection against dust and liquids. It comes with a lithium battery and a fitted storage case. The electronic calipers is suitable for applications such as quality control for machined parts.

(Description provided by the manufacturer.)