Metro vs SAE

[4570Man]

Has anyone noticed how expensive it is to buy metric bolts? Most places only sell metric in bags for a couple dollars each. After RK opened a store here they sell bulk metric by the pound.

 

[4570Man]

I agree that the metric system has benefits, however not all metric measurements make sense. Specifically, wood volume. The metric system uses a cubic meter as the board volume unit. Not a very friendly or useful measurement for the cabinetmaker.

Doug in SW IA

Just use cubic centimeter. I usually end up calculating in cubic inches anyway and then dividing by 144 or 1728. I’ve never calculated anything in cubic meters but I bet it’s easier than having numbers like 36, 27, 144, 1728 to work with.

 

[Cougsfan]

I agree the metric system is so much better in nearly every way, but I also understand the reluctance to change.

In my working days as an engineer I had a good feel for the energy value of a BTU but no inkling of how much energy was in a Joule. BTU's is what virtually everyone in American industry uses. But what is funny that we learn thermodynamics in College using Joules. One has to re-learn thermodynamics when they get out of school if they go into Industry. All of academia uses the metric systems. Even the US government mostly uses the metric system. But US Industry is stuck with BTU's, inches, horsepower, gallons, pounds and other hard to use but entrenched units of measurement. The difference in units used often leads to different methods of calculating the same thing. Because of this we often had a hard time communicating with European Engineers.

It will be very difficult to get Industry to change. As an experienced engineer, I would have hated the inconvenience! But I recognize it is a necessary inconvenience that is long overdue. And it is happening, but way too slowly.

 

[rd_macgregor]

A few years ago, Chrysler Canada was advertising the fuel efficiency of their EcoDiesel trucks using both the metric (liters per 100km) and English units (mpg). The mpg values seemed high to me...cleverly, in order to boost their figures, they used imperial gallons...which is apparently legitimate here, but pretty misleading in a society so heavily influenced by US media. I'm happy to stick with metric measures for most things...(at least here where I live) one place where we are stuck is acres, since rural land parcels have always been measured that way, it is especially hard to give it up and convert to hectares.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Metric is so far superior it痴 not even fun. I get pissed almost daily trying to use the SAE system. If it wasn稚 already stupid enough go ahead and throw your 10 inch foot engineer scale in the mix.

Boy, I had a good response going, in agreement of course but like so many times, I either accidentally touched the POS I pad or I sneezed or blinked or maybe broke wind but, lost it!

Basically saying, look at liquid volume measurement here. It痴 like the quilting club came up wit it.

1. Teaspoon

2. Tablespoon

3. Pint

4. Quart

5. Gallon

6. Barrel

And the beat goes on.

People are hesitant to Chan e because change makes us uncomfortable and nobody likes that.

Teaspoons, gimme a break.

Thank England!

Now think about inches and miles.

 

[ray66v]

As far as automotive fasteners go, SAE was by far better for people who repaired vehicle bodies.

You can justify all kinds of different size fasteners when you design and build an engine, but on a body, it's unnecessary.

As stated, the SAE sizes were more easily identifiable. With 5 basic sizes, there was enough difference between them, you could tell immediately, what size it was.

Metric fasteners are sometimes so similar in head size, that you waste time with trial and error finding the right size. Then, as if a dozen sizes weren't enough they decided to add nifty ones like 5.5mm. Even, more tools to buy.

SAE fasteners used on vehicle body's were not fine thread. So, they went in and out fast.

The metric fasteners are all, a slow fine thread, and often such poor quality they corrode very fast in the salt states. Small fine thread corroded fasteners can turn a simple job in to a long term one, when they have corroded.

And, when it came to having replacement fasteners in stock, SAE was clearly, the winner there, with no need for a computer to keep track of all of them. :thumbsup:

 

[TractorGuy]

The problem with metric fasteners is the four different standards applied for wrench sizes. The most common diameters of 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm will use three different size wrenches depending on what country it came from. IT turned out to be a far cry from standardizing something that we all knew as standard.

Bolt Depot - Metric Bolt Head, Wrench Size, and Diameter Table

 

[Avenger]

I gotta throw my .02 in here. As a veteran, I can say that the US Military is not exclusive to the metric system. However, most things are. For example, distance to target is measured in yards, not meters. But we use mil-dot (metric) on our scopes and had to do math to convert it. US Military also uses MPH and not KPH. Thats all I can think of now, again, based off my personal experiences.

I am absolutely fine with getting rid of SAE and switching over to metric. Just not all of it, like distance. MPH or even miles. Same for area. I can look at a field, and with a good amount of accuracy, tell you exactly how many acres it is. I cannot tell you how many hectares it is.

How about football? (Not soccer). We all know that a football field is 100yds. How many meters is that? 91.44, had to use the google. Same with volume at the pump. I know how many gallons of diesel that tank is just by looking at it (within a certain amount. 50gal drum for example). I cannot tell you how many liters it is. Especially when it comes to price per liter.

I think, in my opinion, that the metric system is superior for many things. When it comes to nuts and bolts, data transfer rates and storage (gigabit, kilobyte), energy (kilowatt), and Frequency (kilohertz) the metric system is best. However, when it comes to area, length (in most cases), mass, angles, pressure, speed, temperature, and volume, the standard system is best. Again, this is just my opinion, based on what I know.

I know the altimeter setting in my aircraft is 29.92 inches if mercury. Room temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A ton of bricks is 2000 pounds. A gallon of water is 8.24 pounds.... My opinion is formed by what I know. I know somethings very well in metric, like a gigabit. Or the number 10mm socket I can never find. I believe that metric temperature (C) is best for measuring the temp of extremes, but is too granular for fine measurements of everyday, like my thermostat.

Should we change, probably. And if we ever do in my lifetime, I'll adapt.

 

[WranglerX]

What's the problem....


Convert for Windows – joshmadison.com

Dale

 

[Captain Dirty]

In his 1968 science fiction short story Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut describes the Cape Cod Ethical Suicide Parlor at Hyannis. Old men were encouraged to die to help keep the world population stable at 17 billion. The lethal injection is administered by a hostess who must be a virgin, hold advanced degrees in psychology and nursing, and be at least 5 feet 10 inches tall. Vonnegut then adds parenthetically:

Although a lot had happened in the intervening centuries, America had yet to adopt the metric system.