Unpopular opinion: That $3,500 optical comparator I bought for the shop floor was a total waste of cash

After 6 months of fighting with its calibration on tight tolerances and losing half a day every week to setup, I'm back to my $200 edge finder and a dial indicator, and my parts are passing inspection faster than ever - anyone else regret dropping serious coin on high-end inspection gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant_hart27d ago

Funny thing is that fancy gear usually just makes you second-guess your real skills. Sometimes the cheap old-school stuff wins because it forces you to actually pay attention to what you're doing.

lee7226d ago

Same with kitchen tools. A simple knife makes you learn better technique than a fancy gadget.

paul2512d ago

Huh, I used to be all about spending big on precision gear but you guys are making a solid point. The simpler stuff really does make you slow down and trust your hands more.