Starrett Back Plunge?

The Starrett Last Word Indicator is a great old test indicator , don't let the misinformed wet blankets (pr) talk you out of vintage goodness .
http://www.longislandindicator.com/p117.html

The key word here is OLD. Given these tools can be nearly 70 years old there is always the possibility they have been dropped or otherwise abused by a previous owner. Even if they haven't, given their age and the environment they work in there's always the possibility they may just be worn out.

I have no problem with the quality of Starrett instruments. When I started in the trade they were among the best on the market. The great majority of the measuring instruments I have in the shop are Starrett. The big difference is I know their history, so I know I can trust their accuracy and repeatability. Those being sold on eBay and other auctions sites are often being sold by people who have no idea of how the tool was treated, how to test it's accuracy, or whether or not it's worn out. There are very few instances where retired tool and die makers or machinists are actually selling their own tools.

Essentially it's a case of buyer beware unless the seller offers some kind of return policy. I understand the allure of being able to purchase a tool at a fraction of the price a new one sells for. However in order for the transaction to be successful the tool has to be in good operating condition, or returnable if not. If it doesn't work properly and can't be returned you've just wasted however much money you've spent.

My rule of thumb when buying anything used is that if the item isn't as advertised, or doesn't perform its normal expected function it should be returnable. If I go into the transaction knowing the item isn't returnable the total cost of the item (including any repairs that may be necessary) should not exceed 30% of the cost of the same item purchased new.

There's nothing more frustrating than machining a part, measuring it, believing more material has to be removed, removing the measured amount, measuring again to find the part is undersized due to an inaccurate measuring tool. You've wasted both time and material, and can no longer trust the measuring tools' accuracy.
 
If you want an indicator that works, buy a new one, even a cheap import one. I love the look of the old tools, though. I bought a Starrett 196 back plunger indicator at a garage sale. It did not have the hole attachment that makes it useful for measuring bores, so it was not used much. I tried using it once for centering a bar, and I noticed that the magnetic stand shifted as the bar rotated in the lathe chuck. There was a little sticky spot. When I pressed on the plunger, it just got worse. Soon, the indicator was useless, and I had only used it once, unsuccessfully. I called Starrett, and they said they could repair it if I sent it back. It cost $70 or so plus postage. It is perfect now, but I have not used it. It looks so beautiful. They even shipped it back in a nice cardboard box with their logo. That Harbor Freight indicator looked really terrible, but turned out to be a MUCH better deal and has gotten a lot of use.
 
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