Help Finding Quality Feeler Gauge Set

[huntb]

Looking for a quality, stainless steel, feeler gauge set. I've found a few sets of metric gauges on Amazon from 0.02mm to 1.0mm for about $8 (Here) but that seems awfully cheap for precision gauges. I also found a set by that is in inches, but also has metric equivalent, from .001" to .025" (.015mm to .635mm) for about $25 (Here) that is getting pretty good reviews and someone actually mic'd them within a tenth (GOOD). What do you guys think?

 

[Nessism]

http://store.snapon.com/General-Use-Gauge-Feeler-U-S-Metric-13-blades-001-thru-015--P635152.aspx

This is what I use. They are not metric nominal but I've never found that to be a problem. Unless the .0015" feeler passes, I change the shim.

 

[Steve]

I have gotten my feeler gauges from the local auto parts store and never felt the pain of a high price. $6.99, with feelers from 0.0015" to 0.025".

I don't think that high-priced ultra-precision will do any good here. When you change a shim, you are changing by 0.05mm or about 0.002" at a time, so ultra precision is not necessary.

Some of the purists will demand that you get metric feelers because the bike was built to metric specs, but clearance is clearance. As long as you have enough, it doesn't really matter how you measure it.

Feel free to take advantage of the offer in my sig. It works with either inch or metric specs. :encouragement:

.

 

[huntb]

Thanks Steve, I think that's the winning answer there. Already have your trusty spreadsheet too, thanks!

 

[dennis]

Bought mine from Mcmaster -Carr,if its made on this planet they have it,good quality products

 

[eil]

I got these from eBay for $4 and they're quite good. If you pay more, you can get them from a U.S. shipper. Yes, they're made in China but they're built well and I've measured them to be accurate within 0.003mm. (E.g., more than enough for a valve job.)

I prefer metric feelers not because I'm a purist, but because it just makes the job easier if you only have one measurement standard to worry about.

 

[williampkerr]

I got these from eBay for $4 and they're quite good. If you pay more, you can get them from a U.S. shipper. Yes, they're made in China but they're built well and I've measured them to be accurate within 0.003mm. (E.g., more than enough for a valve job.)

I bought the same set from eBay. These helped get my valves back in spec successfully

 

[bwringer]

I prefer to get metric feelers simply because it's one less thing to get confused about. But obviously, either will work.

Anyhoo, most any moto shoppe will have a black and red display of Bikemaster tools and sundries. On this display, you'll find a very nice set of metric feelers in the correct size range.

 

[Chris G]

I got these from eBay for $4 and they're quite good. If you pay more, you can get them from a U.S. shipper. Yes, they're made in China but they're built well and I've measured them to be accurate within 0.003mm. (E.g., more than enough for a valve job.)

I prefer metric feelers not because I'm a purist, but because it just makes the job easier if you only have one measurement standard to worry about.

I have the same, no issues with them, my other set did not read below 0.05mm so these were just the job, on another note while doing the shims on my zepher 750 I measured the shim sizes using a set of digital verniers I have had for years, and used in the past with no issues when doing shims on my other bikes, don't know why this time but something just seemed wrong, I rechecked them using my micrometers, well there was a big discrepancy with the digital verniers, literally reading over a shim size higher than the micrometers, I did strip them down, cleaned up the copper strip, circuit boared etc, this brought them back within manufactures spec, but I won't trust them again.

 

[JTGS850GL]

I got these from eBay for $4 and they're quite good. If you pay more, you can get them from a U.S. shipper. Yes, they're made in China but they're built well and I've measured them to be accurate within 0.003mm. (E.g., more than enough for a valve job.)

I prefer metric feelers not because I'm a purist, but because it just makes the job easier if you only have one measurement standard to worry about.

Yep, that's exactly the same one I have as well. I like metric feeler gauges for the same reasons stated above. Keeps things simple. I may be cheap but it works just fine and the tolerances are pretty loose so accuracy is not critical.

 

[Grimly]

I have the same, no issues with them, my other set did not read below 0.05mm so these were just the job, on another note while doing the shims on my zepher 750 I measured the shim sizes using a set of digital verniers I have had for years, and used in the past with no issues when doing shims on my other bikes, don't know why this time but something just seemed wrong, I rechecked them using my micrometers, well there was a big discrepancy with the digital verniers, literally reading over a shim size higher than the micrometers, I did strip them down, cleaned up the copper strip, circuit boared etc, this brought them back within manufactures spec, but I won't trust them again.

Only within the last year did I buy digital calipers, as the price was low enough compared to before. I still don't trust them that much, as they're made to a very tight price and one thing I've always been in the habit of is zero-ing any adjustable measuring device, so hopefully will catch out any discrepancy from these things. Having said that, they utterly transformed the job of shim measurement and made shim changing/swapping around so simple compared to before.