Best cheap paint depth gauge

On this basis, I will be buying a Highline this week.

 

How come HighLine doesnt advertise how accurate the gauge is? Or am I just not seeing it?

 

Dunno, but I'm going to buy one, as I've heard lots of good things about them.

 

There has been a ton of talk on these meter's, on every forum out there. I encourage anyone looking to buy one to do so. You'll be hard pressed to find any negatives about them. And yes as previously stated I own one.

 

Awesome information! This has me sold on one. :applause2:

 

Most quality manufacturers DO NOT include bare metal plates. For best accuracy, paint meters should be adjusted to the particular metal being painted. The steel and aluminum included with paint meters is often NOT automotive metal. Adjusting to them may induce errors.

Permanently calibrated meters like the PosiTest DFT and other quality instruments do not require bare metal plates for adjustment. The included plastic shims (strips, foils) are used to confirm the meter is working correctly and to verify the user is operating it properly. Simply place the shims over a previously measured surface and confirm the meter correctly adds the shim thickness.

 

All meter's (in any field) need to be calibrated from time to time.

 

I have the DFT combo. It works well!

 

OK here's where I have a problem: What if the gauge is off to begin with. You read a panel with a meter that is out of calibration and it reads 150 microns when in fact it's 120 microns. Then you use the calibration strip over the previously read (although read wrongly) 150 microns. You then read 150 microns plus whatever the strip thickness is. You don't have a correctly calibrated machine you have one that just read the strip thickness plus 150 microns which was wrong to begin with.

If you read a known thickness strip over bare metal it tells you if the gauge is properly calibrated. I'll take my chances with the bare metal and calibration strips over your method since I take a variable of an incorrect original reading out of the equation.

 

all i know is that i have a defelsko 6000 and i LOVE IT!!!! i know it isn't 200..but i did get it for a very good price.. i am sure phil would do 10%.. i am loving messing around witht he software and the printer as well which is so easy to use you cannot screw it up. so many great features. I love it because as you go around the car and look on the meter you see the pattern of how much clear is there.. I always wanted one of these toys and boy am I happy i got one. I Love how it comes calibrated so there are no issues with that though you can recalibrate it if you want to. but there is no need if it was already done.

 

The word CALIBRATED has two meanings. For paint meters, the correct (shortened) definition is "the process of obtaining measurements on traceable calibration standards".

The second "slang" meaning is the act of ADJUSTING the meter to "improve the accuracy of the gage on a specific surface or within a specific portion of its measurement range".

I agree cheap meters need to be ADJUSTED from time to time because of probe wear and component drift. Good meters do not. They have ruby tips that don't wear or scratch the paint surface, and quality components that won't drift over the normal life of the device.

You make an interesting point. CHEAP meters drift over time. But laying a 150 micron strip down will likely NOT result in a cheap meter indicating a 150 micron increase. And ADJUSTING it to read "0" on the included steel zero plate does not guarantee it will read "0" on uncoated automotive steel.

Besides, when a meter is OFF by 30 microns (as in your example) THAT'S BAD. The soft metal probe has likely worn OR circuit board components are drifting from spec. Quality meters won't do that. And many have a RESET that loads factory calibration settings specific to automotive metal.

This is where people say, "My meter is so cheap, I can buy 2 for the price of 1 good one". But are they diligently watching to see when it drifts out of calibration?

Try both methods. I'm betting they tell you the same thing about the meter's accuracy. Zero plates have long been abandoned by most manufacturers, but the Chinese and Korean instruments MUST include them because their calibration drifts over time and use. I'm not saying that's bad. It's just another example of what you get for your money.
.

 

OK, stupid questions from me.

1. How do we know that the expensive meters don't drift as well?

2. If you can calibrate a cheap meter - what's the difference if it "drifts?" I can point the cheap tool at a piece of calibration steel a LOT of times for $400+ difference.

I'm not trying to be a smartass, I promise. I'm trying to get educated before I spend some of my hard earned money on a meter.

 

Ok not sure how you come up with your "slang" term for calibration. I work in the electric power industry and the instruments. gauges, and transmitters we use range anywhere in cost from $500 to tens of thousands of dollars. So we aren't talking about cheap instruments and we "slang calibrate" them every six months due to drift. Calibration is crucial to accuracy not the other way around. You contend that an instrument is accurate because you don't calibrate it. Well how do you know its accuracy to begin with if you aren't comparing it to some baseline. You keep saying that cheap meters need to be calibrated because they are less accurate over a period of time but the Highline that is in question here is backed by Elcometer who is probably considered one of if not the best in the coating thickness industry.

 

There's no guarantee -- but it's much less likely. Check the strips regularly.

More work, but perfectly acceptable.

I prefaced my remarks by pointing out the definition of CALIBRATION as it applies to paint meters (see ASTM D7091, B499, ISO 2808 and AS 1580). These documents state calibration of paint meters can ONLY be performed by the manufacturer or by a qualified lab using a documented procedure in a controlled environment. Annual calibration is recommended.

You're right about a baseline. Coating thickness STANDARDS are available with thicknesses directly traceable to a National Metrology Institution. They're MUCH better than plastic strips at ensuring accuracy.

I wasn't specifically talking about the Highline. I have one in my collection and it's manufactured by an Asian company, not Elcometer.

 

So then ALL meters should be sent back to the manufacturer annually to be calibrated according to them. So even the "expensive" ones should be calibrated according to these documents right?

 

Strictly speaking, you are right. If your operation subscribes to a quality standard such as ISO or QS-9000 then you should be returning your meter for annual calibration and receive a new Certificate of Calibration. It costs between US$95 and $150.

But most detailing operations are not accredited. Nor do they need to be. So the plastic strips (shims/foils) are sufficient for both high and low quality instruments.

Measure all the strips regularly to ensure the gage is measuring within tolerance. At the first sign of trouble contact the supplier to determine if it is necessary to return the meter for service.

These are general suggestions. Manufacturers usually supply accuracy verification instructions specific to their products.

 

So, uh, tax returns just showed up and told me that I should buy something. Looks like the Highline is the way to go. For the amount of detailing I do, i think it would suffice.

 

what does 200 have which 600 doesnt? is 600 enough? still confused deciding which one to get...600, 200std, or 200advanced?

 

Well 6000 is meant for ferrous and non ferrous panels. The 200 is for only plastic, fiberglass ect..ect..panels.

When I first got my 200std gauge I thought it was good but I quickly realized that it only gave me the total of the paint, the 200advanced will be able to read up to three different lawyers on a surface. I sent my 200std back and upgraded to the 200advanced. I did that because I wanted to be able to know how much paint/primer and clear coat is available to each plastic or fiber glass panel, but that's just me.

 

so if i got 200adv, would i need 6000 to use on ferrous and non ferrous panels? or 200adv can read all types of panels?