The best thickness gauges

The thickness gauge is a device for measuring the depth of protective and decorative paint and varnish, putty and other types of coatings. Without it, it will be difficult to buy a supported car that has not been in an accident, after which car owners had to repaint the body. But such devices have different readings, which is why we have compiled a rating of the best thickness gauges. It includes the most reliable, safe, convenient, functional and high quality tools.

Which firm thickness gauge is better to choose

This TOP considers the products of 9 manufacturers specializing in the development of measuring instruments. Each of them has proven itself well and is well represented in the market.

The list of leaders of the best firms for the production of thickness gages includes such companies as:

• Horstek Is a German brand that produces professional devices for measuring the thickness of surfaces made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Its products are actively used to check car paintwork and make it possible to carry out high-quality diagnostics of the car before purchasing. Their advantages are low weight, compact size, low probability of error.
• Novotest - a brand under which tools are produced to control the quality of various types of coatings in construction and automotive production. The core of its assortment is represented by ultrasonic models, suitable for work with both non-ferrous and ferrous metals. They do not violate the integrity of the surface and are suitable for assessing the depth of several layers at once.
• Starmeter Is a Chinese manufacturer of professional measuring instruments for determining the thickness of metal, glass, plastic. His products are of high quality, but still they are guaranteed for an average of 12 months. Against the general background, they are favorably distinguished by low error, excellent measurement speed, a wide range of operating temperatures, large and bright displays.
• Chy Is a Taiwanese manufacturer that began operations in 1984. The firm specializes in the creation of professional measuring instruments for the automotive and construction industries. The brand's products are certified according to ISO 9001: 1999 and are recognized worldwide. Its devices are intended primarily for work with paintwork. Chy products are sold complete for more efficient use.
• Stroypribor - under this brand, products are produced for quality control of applying various coatings to car bodies, reinforced concrete products and building structures. The company offers to buy thickness gauges with the best characteristics of the ultrasonic and magnetic type. They are designed for use with ferrous and non-ferrous metals as well as plastics. The main advantage of the offers of this company is a wide range of thickness measurement, on average, from 0.7 to 300 mm. Also, his products can be used at low temperatures.
• Etari - the company focuses on the creation of devices for determining the thickness of the paint layer on the body. They give results that are almost 100% accurate, work quickly and without interruption for a long time, and only rarely needs calibration. The company's devices are easy to operate and have an intuitive operation.They are equipped with sufficiently large and bright displays on which readings are displayed. The internal memory is large enough to store the received data for several months or even years.
• Carsys - a supplier of tools for assessing the condition of cars during their insurance and purchase. The main advantages of the brand's products are a low probability of error, high accuracy of readings, and automatic operation. Brand devices are warranted for 3 years.
• Micron - this corporation includes 3 manufactures, its factories produce machine tooling, electrical appliances, measuring instruments. The latter are mainly represented by manual indicator models. They are worthy of attention because of the wide range of possible measurements, accurate readings, precision graduations, compact dimensions.
• Megeon - this company has ultrasonic, indicator, magnetic, eddy current models in stock. They operate at a speed of 1000–9999 m / s, are powered by batteries that are easy to replace if necessary, weigh about 200 g, and have various measurement modes with an accuracy of ± 0.05 mm. Selected products are equipped with illumination and calibration kit.
• Constant Bulat - manufacturer of tools for the protection and quality control of coatings of various types. The assortment of the company includes both budgetary mechanical and ultrasonic models. Their key advantages are determination of the depth of the paint layer in a wide range, effective work with complex cylindrical products made of non-ferrous and ferrous metals.

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Rating of the best thickness gauges

To compile this TOP, we relied on customer reviews, test results and product characteristics. The selection parameters were:

• Device type;
• The accuracy of the readings and the degree of error;
• Operating temperature range;
• Materials with which the device can work;
• The minimum thickness to be determined;
• Coating type - paint and varnish, putty, etc .;
• Required calibration frequency;
• Method of power supply and duration of operation from batteries;
• Size and weight;
• Brightness and clarity of the screen, the presence of backlight;
• Information processing speed.

The criteria for selecting the best thickness gauges for paint and varnish and other coatings were versatility, ease of use, safety for products, and functionality of devices. We also evaluated them in terms of affordability in price and in terms of its relationship to quality.

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Best Ultrasonic Thickness Gauges

This is the most versatile type of such devices, which is used to work with completely different materials - metal, plastic, glass. It is convenient for polishers, paint controllers, insurers and expert appraisers. There are 3 thickness gages of this type in this review category.

Horstek TC 015

The device "Horstek TC 015" is focused on measuring the thickness of coatings of aluminum and iron materials. The device is primarily intended for use by motorists. With its help, the machine parts are checked for additional painting, the depth of the anti-corrosion layer is estimated, the quality of the treatment with varnish, primer, putty is controlled. He copes with his tasks without violating the integrity of the surface.

Advantages

• Suitable for use in winter - withstands exposure to low temperatures;
• Low degree of reading error;
• Comfortable wrist strap;
• Wide display;
• Dimensions are not large;
• 12 months warranty.

disadvantages

• Frequent calibration is required - once for 5-7 checks;
• Checks are not fast;
• High price.

Horstek TC 015 is the best choice for those looking to buy a used car. Thanks to him, it is possible to assess the true condition of the body and determine whether it has been repainted, for example, after an accident.

Novotest UT-1

Ultrasonic thickness gauge "Novotest UT-1" is designed to work with steel, alloys, plastic, cast iron. But for this, there must be free access to the control object - to pipes, tanks, building structures. The assessment method involves the use of a special liquid, which can be water, grease, oil, cyatim, the accuracy of the readings does not depend on its type. The device works with rough and corroded as well as refurbished surfaces. The test results are displayed in large numbers on a display of considerable size.

Advantages

• Wide range of measured thicknesses;
• Good metering speed;
• Low level of reading error - ± 0.001T;
• Works without interruption up to 10 hours;
• Supported temperature range - from -5 to +40 degrees;
• Lightweight at 0.2 kg.

disadvantages

• Very high price;
• The error increases when measuring the thickness of fine-grained coatings.

Novotest UT-1 is powered not by batteries, but by rechargeable batteries, which, if necessary, can be charged with the appropriate device from the kit.

Starmeter TM-8811

The measuring device "TM-8811" in the rating of thickness gauges stands out for its versatility and has a wide selection of modes of operation with various materials: red copper, zinc, aluminum, cast iron, steel, quartz glass, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene. Each of them has its own ultrasound propagation speed in the range of 500-9000 m / s, which increases the accuracy of the readings. It provides data in the section of 1000-200000 microns, this guarantees quality control of a wide range of coatings, including multilayer ones. Reviews indicate the ease of control of the device, all buttons are located in a prominent place.

Advantages

• Weight 250 g;
• The accuracy of the readings fluctuates within +/- 0.5%;
• Reliable communication with the computer;
• Continuous metering option;
• Small measurement step - 0.1 μm;
• Auto power off.

disadvantages

• Not very large screen;
• No display backlight;
• Requires 4 batteries for power.

The speed of sound of the thickness gauge "Starmeter TM-8811" depends on the material, it is the highest for aluminum (6320 m / s), magnesium (6310 m / s) and titanium (6070 m / s).

Best Magnetic Thickness Gauges

Such devices work by using magnetic properties. They change with a decrease or increase in the thickness of the paint and varnish or putty layer. This device provides information on the distance from the probe tip to steel or iron, which provides the desired data. The best models of this type include two options.

Chy 113 automotive

The thickness gauge "Chy 113" is distinguished by high accuracy of readings, but it is also included in the rating because of the safety for the car body. It is primarily used to detect signs of an accident by measuring paint thickness. This is possible only on surfaces made of steel, cast iron and other ferrous metals of the magnetic type.

The continuous metering option improves the application quality of the device and reduces inspection time. The backlit LCD makes it easy to use in poorly lit areas. Simple, high-quality calibration improves coating condition assessment results. In this case, it is enough to carry out it only once for 5 measurements.

Advantages

• Accuracy of readings;
• Measurement range - from 0 to 1000 microns;
• LCD backlight;
• Bright and clear screen;
• Durable body;
• Easily defines the boundaries of areas of repainting;
• Calibration washer and plate included.

disadvantages

• Not very comfortable handle;
• Not universal in terms of the choice of materials.

Stroypribor TM-20MG4

The key feature of this model, which makes it stand out in the TOP of thickness gauges, is the ability to work with galvanic, paint and varnish, sheet, film, electrically conductive and fire retardant coatings. The device is suitable for use in the field of construction, automotive, metallurgy.

TM-20MG4 can measure the thickness of the paint layer on private machines. If necessary, it can be connected to a PC, all results are stored in the internal memory for 200 readings. Their error is very low - ± 0.003 mm, but the more thorough the coverage, the higher it is. The measuring range ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 mm.

Advantages

• Low level of current consumption;
• Works on the same batteries for a long time;
• Together with the converter it weighs no more than 0.4 kg;
• Ferromagnetic base included;
• Durable cable;
• The warranty period is 1.5 years.

disadvantages

• The screen is not big;
• The sizes of the numbers are not large enough;
• Not very bright display.

The best electronic thickness gauges

These are multifunctional devices that usually cost more than their magnetic counterparts. They are highly accurate and serve as a thickness gauge for car paintwork. With their help, it is possible to assess the condition of the layer of putty, rust, soil and even dust on the metal surface. 2 models, selected based on test results and customer reviews, cope with this with dignity.

Etari ET-11P

Coating thickness gauge "Etari ET-11P" is specially designed for operation at high temperature differences - it operates in the range from -25 to + 50 ° C and is suitable for use in winter. At the same time, this factor does not affect the accuracy of the readings. The weight of the device is 157 g and you hardly feel it in your hand. Automatic detection of the material type allows even non-professionals to use the tool.

The main advantage is considered to be the correctness of determining the thickness of the coating of both non-ferrous and ferrous metals, however, even here there is a limit - up to 1000 microns. Over time, the results may not be displayed entirely correctly, therefore, the device needs to be periodically calibrated, which takes a few minutes. The backlight of the display makes it easy to read data, but does not "eat" a lot of energy, moreover, the indicator warns in advance about the battery discharge.

Advantages

• Adequate price;
• 1.5 year warranty;
• Works on ferrous and non-ferrous metals;
• Menu in Russian;
• Doesn't crash when used in cold weather;
• Quick determination of thickness.

disadvantages

• Different operating principles - electromagnetic on ferrous metals, eddy current on non-ferrous ones.

The model "Etari ET-11P" is recognized as quite accurate, but the results are somewhat dependent on the values: for 0-199 microns, the permissible deviation from the norm is ± 10 microns, for 200 microns to 1000 microns - ± 3% + 10 microns

Carsys DPM-816 Pro

Carsys DPM-816 Pro device is compatible with non-ferrous and ferrous metals: steel, aluminum alloys, zinc, iron. It is actively used by motorists to assess the condition of the car body and is widely used in industry. High accuracy of work is maintained throughout its entire service life due to automatic calibration. However, if necessary, manual adjustment is also possible.

The thickness gauge is designed to determine the thickness of paint and varnish coatings. This model received an informative LCD display with a wide range of operating temperatures - from -25 to + 50 ° C. The device notifies with a sound signal about the type of metal base and about the completion of the measurement. Carsys DPM-816 Pro has 5 modes of operation in different conditions and is equipped with responsive control buttons.

Advantages

• Wide measurement range - 0-3000 microns;
• Low percentage of error: ± 1%;
• Light weight - 50 g;
• Bright backlight;
• Large numbers of information display on the screen;
• Fast measurement - 0.5-1 sec.

disadvantages

• The error depends on the thickness of the coating.

The thicker the paint layer, the higher the risk of measurement errors. On average, at 0-3000 microns it is ± 1%, and at 3000-3500 it rises to ± 3%.

Constant Bulat 1M modernized

The Constant Bulat 1M device deserves a place in the rating of the best thickness gauges due to the flexibility of its settings and high accuracy of operation, the error of which does not exceed ± 0.002T + 0.05.It does not change at low temperatures, the device can withstand such influences in the range from -20 to + 50 ° C, but if necessary, you can order a model that is more resistant to frost. With frequent measurements, there are no problems with storing the results in the internal memory, its volume is 2000 measurements.

The propagation speed of ultrasound in this thickness gauge is 1000-9000 m / s, which makes it possible to better determine the depth of various types of coatings. But if it exceeds 300 microns for steel, then the device will be ineffective. Its weight is 170 g, and this is together with two batteries, which are enough for the smooth functioning of the device for a long time. The main "trick" of this model is the measurement of surfaces, both metal and others - cars, sheets, pipes, etc.

Advantages

• Sensitive digital control button;
• On the same batteries it works up to 150 hours, although the backlight reduces this time;
• USB connector for PC connection;
• Several wear-resistant converters for various purposes;
• Adjustable speed control;
• The set degree of discreteness.

disadvantages

• High price;
• The control buttons are not signed.

Best Mechanical Thickness Gauges

Such products are outwardly similar to scales, they use an indicator mechanism for operation. With their help, the thickness of the paintwork, which has not yet had time to harden, is monitored. This goal can be successfully achieved through one model from this category.

TR 10-120 0.01 Micron

This is an inexpensive option, but the quality of the readings is high. The measuring mechanism is indicator, divisions are millimeter, which practically reduces the risk of error to zero. However, it can only be used with sheet materials - leather, plywood, rubber. To take readings, a reading device is used, connected to a tip located in the upper part. The tool is small and light enough.

Advantages

• Acceptable price;
• Ease of Management;
• There are small divisions on the monitor;
• Convenient stand;
• Large numbers;
• Robust case.

disadvantages

• Measurement range - from 10 to 120 microns.

Best eddy current thickness gauges

This is a rare type of devices with such a purpose, which are relevant for testing highly conductive surfaces made of non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum. Their principle of operation is based on the use of Foucault eddy currents. Their value is influenced by the distance from the base to the coil, the larger it is, the less this indicator. Basically, they are used to work with non-metallic coatings, this option is convenient for assessing the depth of the paint layer. Among the 10 models, only one of the best thickness gauges was selected.

Megeon 19210

This eddy current type thickness gauge has excellent visualization of measurement control thanks to its bright and large enough display. It is easy to operate thanks to the intuitive keypad. It can be used to work with products with a slight curvature up to 11 mm. However, this may slightly increase the error. The device runs on batteries, which are saved when it is automatically turned off. The minimum thickness of the material to be checked is 0.5 mm, therefore it is inconvenient to examine very thin sheets.

Advantages

• Weight - 0.063 kg;
• Wide measurement range - from 0.1 to 1800 microns;
• Withstands exposure to humidity levels up to 95%;
• Works at temperatures from 0 to +40 degrees;
• Small size;
• Selection of units of measurement;
• Bright screen backlight.

disadvantages

• Not suitable for measuring layers on non-ferrous metals;
• The minimum area is 12 mm.

Model "Megeon 19210" shows accurate data, but from time to time, calibration is still required. But its automatic execution is not provided, which somewhat complicates the configuration of the device.

Which thickness gauge is better to buy

Magnetic testers are great for detecting significant thickenings in car paintwork.It is logical to choose mechanical models if the integrity of the investigated product is allowed to be violated and you want to save money on such a check, but for professional purposes they are practically not used.

When working with non-metallic structures, the eddy current option is useful. Those looking for a versatile instrument should look for an ultrasonic instrument that can handle almost any material. For the purpose of assessing the condition of the body elements of technological equipment, pipelines, car bodies, the electronic type will be relevant.

The choice of one model of the thickness gauge is usually dictated by the tasks assigned to it:

• Chy 113 and Horstek TC 015 do an excellent job with non-ferrous metals of the car body.
• To work with ferrous metals, you can use Megeon 19210 and Novotest UT-1.
• Among the universal models, it will not be a mistake to pay attention to Etari ET-11P, Constant Bulat 1M and Stroypribor TM-20MG4.
• With non-ferrous and ferrous metals, the Carsys DPM-816 Pro thickness gauge works well, with flexible settings and the most accurate readings.
• To assess the thickness of non-metallic structures, TP 10-120 0.01 Micron and Starmeter TM-8811 will be useful.

It is best to choose a thickness gauge taking into account its purpose - for ferrous and / or non-ferrous metal. You also need to pay attention to the type of coating with which he works - varnish, paint, putty, etc., this is the only way to get a really useful measuring device.