Starrett S579HZ Self Centring Telescoping Gauge With 2 Telescoping Arms Set, 5/16"- 6" Range, 2-3/8 - 3-1/4" Handle Length (6 Pieces)

Great

I love Starrett, They are my favorite brand for engineering tools, but these are utter rubbish! They are either poorly made in China or they are fake copies, They are literally falling apart and have barely been used under hobby use.

I have two other sets of telescoping gauges that even after spending a lot of time cleaning, deburring, oiling, etc, they still had "crunchy" spots and the lockup is inconsistent. This makes it difficult to get consistent repeatable measurements. The Starrett set has a very different feel to them. The lockup is very light and the same each time. This makes it easier to take accurate measurements that you can repeat 3-4 times in the same spot and get the same measurement time and again. This makes for more trust in the measurement you are getting on critical parts. The price is a little hard to swallow when it is about 10X the cheap imports and still 2X the Mitutoyo, but I've also heard a lot of complaints and bad reviews of the Mitutoyos as well as the Brown and Sharp offerings. I guess the extra cost is worth it if the fit, finish and function is top notch.

Starrett tools are known to be great quality tools and one pays up to hold that quality. I have several Starrett tools and have felt their price was justified. However, my first impression with these gauges was different, and if you have the opportunity, you may want to compare with other in hand. Regardless, the telescoping mechanism works well. No binding. Read about proper technique if unfamiliar: Slightly tighten up while gauge is at a slight angle, rotate pass the diameter once, extract, and measure with a mic or caliper.

Not as smooth as I thought a Starrett would be. Seems to do the job though.

Seems that they are of sufficient quality, but these telescope gauges are not manufactured in the USA. They are imported. Big disappointment for me.