need a new dial inidicator

[PixMan]

(12-04-2015, 11:05 AM)Dr Stan Wrote: Browne & Sharpe, BESTEST, TESATAST, and SPI all make very good to excellent indicators.  Since Starrett has moved most of its manufacturing to China (and maintain made in the US prices) I'm done with them.

That is SO not true Dr Stan. I have been in their plant in Athol MA many times (and recently) and can tell you they are quite busy employing American workers crafting many of their tools. The items being made in their Starrett owned plant in China which they supervise and maintain quality control are the No.436.1 and No.734 micrometers, No.120M and No.799 calipers, some of the cheaper digital height gauges, razor knives, tape measures, etc.

The overwhelming majority of the machinist tools, from scales to indicators, vee blocks, parallels, squares, etc, are all still made in Athol MA. Only their higher volume consumer oriented and highly price-competitive metrology items that are primarily cost driven are made in their China plant.

I can tell you that with Hexagon Metrology brands (Brown & Sharpe, Leitz, DEA, Sheffield, to name a few) make only the high end custom gauging products here, in North Kingston Rhode Island. SPI has long been a distributor of metrology products from a variety of sources. When they first started it was mostly Swiss and German products, now shifted to China, Brazil and other sources. Even Mitutoyo had years ago moved production of high volume products from Japan to China and Brazil plants they control.

Welcome to global manufacturing, Dr Stan.

[Highpower]

I can definitely tell the difference in quality of my "older" Brown & Sharpe and SPI items v.s. the "newer" items I have purchased more recently made my those companies. Stanley tools and anything from Cooper Electric are the ones I won't even look at any more....

[Roadracer_Al]

Lowering quality to increase profit knows no national boundaries. Historically speaking, the US has made it's fair share of junk.

[wawoodman]

Does anyone have a trashed Last Word? I just hate to throw old stuff away, even though I'm perfectly happy with the new TÜRLEN I bought. I need the lever arm, with the clip and upper end, intact. Actually, all I really need is the clip. I think I can grind out the rivet, and tap the arm for a small screw to retain the clip.

I took a chance on one on the bay, and of course, that was the busted part on that one, too.

[Mayhem]

I can back up what Ken said, as he took me to the Starrett factory in Athol a few years back.

[Dr Stan]

Actually I feel Starrett's quality declined as soon as it bought out Lufkin.  One thing for sure, machinists have their preferences no matter what.

I found this Ebay store while searching for another combination square:  http://stores.ebay.com/Taylor-Toolworks/...=212293561

Its a USA made PEC.  Haven't had the time to look in his other categories.