Pros
Great value for price
Measures in inches, millimeters and fractions
Cons
None
Full review
The Neiko 0-6” digital caliper is made of stainless steel. It features a metric measuring range of 0-150mm. It is capable of measuring in inches, millimeters and fractions. Although most people won’t use the fractional mode, it is nice to have the option.
The Neiko caliper is capable of taking outside, inside, step and depth measurements. The manufacturer claims that the caliper has an accuracy of .001” or .02 mm.
I tested that claim by measuring various gauge blocks sizes over the entire measuring range of the calipers and found them to be well within the claimed accuracy. Quite a feat for a budget friendly tool.
The most important quality of any set of digital calipers is good accuracy and these Neikos got it.
The display on the 01407A reads out to .0005” or .01 mm when in metric mode. The fraction mode has a resolution of 1/128 of an inch.
Unfortunately the caliper is incapable of rounding to a different fraction such as 1/32. 1/128th of an inch isn’t exactly the most practical units to use. The display does display reduce the fractions down so you will see 1/2″ instead of 64/128″ which is nice.
The display is large which makes it easy to read, but I am not a fan of the format. It is obvious that it is made like that to read the fractional measurements, but having 2 or 3 of the digits smaller is just weird. It’s not a deal breaker but it does take a little getting used to.
The digital caliper comes with an extra LR44 button cell battery which is handy because many report issues with dead batteries on arrival. I ran into the same issue and quickly swapped in the fresh battery.
Luckily the battery is easily changed with no tools required. The battery cover simply slides off with a swipe of your thumb.
Additionally the caliper is often reported to turn itself on frequently which causes the battery to die quickly. The caliper can be locked in place to keep it from turning itself on but it still might not be a bad idea to try and keep an extra battery on hand.
The caliper also comes with a sturdy plastic case to protect it.
One of the harder qualities to convey is the overall build. Some might call it the “feel” of the tool. This is where the Neiko 01407A excels.
They feel like a much higher priced tool. The jaws slide smoothly along the frame. This is one area that many budget level calipers struggle with. Often they can get the accuracy but the tools just feels like junk when using it. Not the case here.
The only other build quality item I would note is the fine adjustment roller wheel. While other cheap calipers either tack on a bad one or skip it entirely, Neiko has added one that is comparable to much higher priced calipers.
When you combine the smoothness and the excellent fine adjustment, it is much easier to get the accuracy you want because over time you will be able to feel your measurements. This is not something that would be possible without this kind of build quality.
Verdict
The Neiko 01407A digital caliper is not the best caliper that money can buy, but it just might be the best value.
The display is a little quirky but it is definitely something that you can get used to.
In the end, the overall accuracy and the build quality at a bargain price are what make the Neiko 01407A digital caliper one of the best around.
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