Amazingly accurate but inexpensive inclinometer

[etpm]

I decided that for some of the work I will be doing in the near future a digital inclinometer would be a big help. I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L5VYG1M?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details . Only 20 bucks from Amazon. It has many features besides showing the angle. It shows slope in inches per foot or mm per meter. The inches per foot shows fractions of an inch per foot which I will not use. I will use the mm per meter if I need the slope and then convert it to decimal inches per foot. But the accuracy is really amazing for such an inexpensive device. In my machine shop I can check angles to a very high degree of accuracy so I decided to check this device. It is advertised being accurate to a tenth of a degree. 1 degree results in a slope of approximately .0175" per inch. So one tenth of a degree would be .0175 in 10 inches. Just slightly more than 1/64". Or 2/3 of 1/32" in a foot. That's pretty good. But the inclinometer I was sent is consistently accurate and repeatable to 1/20 degree. Or about .0009" per inch. Or .0105 inches per foot. I checked mine from 0 to 25 degrees. The surface plate I used to check the thing has 20 millionths of an inch maximum deviation from perfectly flat over the whole surface. The gage blocks I used have a plus 8 millionths and minus 4 millionths of an inch deviation from nominal. The sine bar I used is, alas, only 50 millionths from the nominal 5 inch spacing of the rolls, but is within 20 millionths of being flat. I know, over the top. But these are the tools I have easily available and I was curious. I am still amazed at the accuracy of this inexpensive device.
Eric

 

[jyoutz]

The butt pucker factor is a pretty good inclinometer.

 

[etpm]

The butt pucker factor is a pretty good inclinometer.

I suppose, when sitting in the seat, it is. My project involves welding new bushings onto the arms of my FEL in order to change the pivot point of the bucket to get more curl. I'm not gonna sit on the ends of the FEL arms and gauge how much my sphincter puckers on each arm to determine if the new bushings are in line before welding. I don't think I have the accuracy or precision in certain muscles. But some folks have a very well calibrated chocolate starfish and may be able to do this. Maybe you are one of these people. You are welcome to come out to my place and try. I'll be interested to watch the process and will even post a video of it if is appropriate. I'll even hold your beer.
Eric

 

[jyoutz]

I suppose, when sitting in the seat, it is. My project involves welding new bushings onto the arms of my FEL in order to change the pivot point of the bucket to get more curl. I'm not gonna sit on the ends of the FEL arms and gauge how much my sphincter puckers on each arm to determine if the new bushings are in line before welding. I don't think I have the accuracy or precision in certain muscles. But some folks have a very well calibrated chocolate starfish and may be able to do this. Maybe you are one of these people. You are welcome to come out to my place and try. I'll be interested to watch the process and will even post a video of it if is appropriate. I'll even hold your beer.
Eric

You never stated your purpose so it’s not unreasonable to believe that you wanted it for operating on slopes.

 

[cdaigle430]

Download free app on you smart phone

 

[npalen]

I have one and have used it on a number of projects in the machine shop to set up parts for machining in the mill. Its a very handy tool.

 

[Rustyiron]

Millionths of an inch, and I'm being very careful using the little marks on my tape measure.

 

[CalG]

Download free app on you smart phone

I have a Suunto inclinometer I use out in the woods when truing not to hit anything when cutting standing trees.

I have and use "clinometer" app on my pocket phone It has all sorts of bells and whistles. My first phone did have straight sides, so the top and bottom edges were the most reliable. My present phone (Moto G7) has straight sides and a flat back. Works fine.

I did a bit of "reality test" at first. Held the phone in the four jaw chuck on the lathe, and then indexed the spindle in every way but Sunday. I couldn't fault the display value for accuracy or repeatability. 2 place decimal degrees.

Close enough for the girls I go out with.

 

[Smokeydog]

So many factors influence stability. Over 15 causes concern and watch my loading and implements. 20 slow and small moves. No batteries and always on and onboard. Second one does inclination. Wireless sphincter connection.

Digital one in shop helps with bending and fabrication.

 

[Smokeydog]

Commercial and better loaders use a link or four link curl arms to improve articulation and power.

 

[ruffdog]

Commercial and better loaders use a link or four link curl arms to improve articulation and power.
View attachment 745069

Those seem to help more curling down to dump but do little to curl up. There has been other threads with people wishing they had more up curl to better hold their load. It just seems like it is a design trend.

 

[etpm]

You are correct, I did not say the kind of work I would be doing.
Eric

 

[etpm]

Those seem to help more curling down to dump but do little to curl up. There has been other threads with people wishing they had more up curl to better hold their load. It just seems like it is a design trend.

Too bad my tractor doesn't have this feature. So I will be adding 2 new bushings that will change the pivot point about 2 inches. I think this will result in about 11 more degrees of tilt. Already the bucket has tons of dump and goes way past hanging straight down.
Eric

 

[Bill Guenthner]

iPhone / iPad app Angle Pro

 

[etpm]

Do you know how accurate your ipad is? I imagine that pretty much all of these devices use the same or similar MEMS device to measure angles. I know a little about how the things work and the circuitry that is used to condition the signal from the MEMS device which makes me think the accuracy will be close to the same for these devices. But I don't know.
Eric

 

[ruffdog]

Too bad my tractor doesn't have this feature. So I will be adding 2 new bushings that will change the pivot point about 2 inches. I think this will result in about 11 more degrees of tilt. Already the bucket has tons of dump and goes way past hanging straight down.
Eric

It sounds like a good plan.

 

[Smokeydog]

Kubota publishes good articulation diagrams of their loaders. The TLBs always had a little more range, strength and angle. Made a big difference when doing grade work. Also better at manure barn clean out, composting and caming yourself out when stuck.

May consider changing your bucket attachment points instead of the loader? Could even use another bucket to practice. Less risk and easier fabrication. Could even incorporate ssqa.

Changed my M5030 to bobtach ssqa years ago. Simply welded a ssqa plate to the pin on bucket gussets. Lost a little rollback which was noticeable. The gusset plates could have been trimmed before welding on the ssqa plate to fix but never got around to changing. 90% of the time used a grapple.

 

[etpm]

Kubota publishes good articulation diagrams of their loaders. The TLBs always had a little more range, strength and angle. Made a big difference when doing grade work. Also better at manure barn clean out, composting and caming yourself out when stuck.

May consider changing your bucket attachment points instead of the loader? Could even use another bucket to practice. Less risk and easier fabrication. Could even incorporate ssqa.

Changed my M5030 to bobtach ssqa years ago. Simply welded a ssqa plate to the pin on bucket gussets. Lost a little rollback which was noticeable. The gusset plates could have been trimmed before welding on the ssqa plate to fix but never got around to changing. 90% of the time used a grapple.

Q