That $200 digital edge finder I bought was a waste of cash

I spent about $200 on one of those fancy digital edge finders last month thinking it would speed up my setups. Turns out it’s finicky on our older machines and gives weird readings if the spindle isn’t dead perfect. My old mechanical edge finder that cost me $30 is way more reliable and I can bang it around without worrying. I’ve went back to it after wasting 3 hours fighting the digital one. Anyone else have a pricey tool that just didn’t work out for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_foster6823d ago

What brand was it?

amy97522d ago

Bet you ten bucks it was one of those big name brands that everyone thinks is bulletproof. The ones with the lifetime warranty but you gotta mail it in and wait six weeks. Had a digital angle finder do the same thing to me. Worked great for two weeks then started showing 45 degrees when it was clearly a 90. Tool companies just slap a fancy box on junk now and charge triple.

xena_kim23d ago

That's a real bummer, and I can definitely relate. Back when I was still working in a production shop I bought one of those fancy digital protractors that was supposed to save time on chamfer measurements. It was nothing but trouble. The battery door kept popping off, and the display would go dim halfway through the day. After about the fifth time it gave a false reading on a critical part I threw it in a drawer and never looked back. Sometimes the old, simple tools are just more honest.