Spent $300 on a fancy edge finder and it broke in a week

I thought I was being smart buying that digital edge finder with the LED display. Worked great for about 5 jobs then it just started giving wrong readings. Took it apart and the little circuit board was fried probably from coolant mist. My old $20 mechanical one still works after 2 years. Anyone else have good luck with the cheap analog ones or is there a mid-range option that holds up?

3 comments

3 Comments

knight.mason15d ago

My first Tormach edge finder gave out after about 50 parts because the spring loaded tip got all gummed up with cutting oil. I actually prefer the cheap ones from Shars or even the no-name ones on Amazon because the simple design just works. The key thing is wiping them down after use and keeping them in a dry spot, that's what kills the fancy ones quick. Your coolant mist probably got into the electronics and there's no way to seal those things for under $500. For what its worth I run a production shop and every single digital edge finder we tried ended up in the trash within months.

the_sam6d ago

Honestly I just use a worn end mill and a piece of paper, @knight.mason, never had to deal with gummed up anything.

torres.sage15d ago

Every single digital edge finder we tried ended up in the trash" wait seriously @knight.mason?