A feeler gauge is a tool that is basically designed to measure gap thickness. However, in fact, people also use it to set and adjust in order for a gap to have a certain thickness.
As said before, it functions not only to measure but also to set and adjust. Checking spark plug gaps, setting valve clearances, and adjusting space between the string and guitar neck are some of the activities we can do with a feeler gauge. Therefore, the function of feeler gauges spreads over many areas: machinery, engineering, mechanics, music, etc. The users also vary such as engineers, designers, mechanics, musicians, etc.
Measuring a small gap is impossible to do with a regular precision tool such as caliper, especially when it’s located in a hard-to-reach place and the gap thickness is estimated at about thousands of an inch. In that case, a feeler gauge comes into play.
One unit of feeler gauge set consists of several blades. The blade is a thin strip that is made of a rigid metallic material such as steel, brass, and stainless. Each blade is manufactured in a particular thickness and assembled in an increment order.
Most feeler gauges in the US are graduated in inch and mm. The metric graduation (mm) is the conversion of those inch graduation. They are engraved on the surface of the blade to indicate the thickness of the blade.
It’s made of metal, most commonly steel or stainless steel or other rigid material. This creates a strong body. The thinnest one will be bent temporarily. Today, a feeler gauge is commonly made of tempered steel.
On this page, we are going to provide you our top-rated feeler gauges.
Top 10 Best Feeler Gauge Reviews in 2024
| Brand | Overview | Type | Material | Range | Graduation | Blades | Price??? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Starrett 66B |  | Straight | Steel | 0.0015 - 0.035 inch | inch |
| Here! |
| 3. Hotop |  | Straight | Steel | 0.0015 - 0.035 inch 0.038 - 0.88 mm | inch & mm |
| Here! |
| 3. Starret 667 [Purchased Individually] |  | Straight | Steel | 0.0005 - 0.030 inch | inch |
| Here! |
| 4. CTA Tools A308 |  | Offset | Stainless Steel | 0.004 - 0.014 inch | inch & mm |
| Here! |
| 5. Precision Brand |  | Strip | Steel | 0.001 - 0.025 inch | inch & mm |
| Here! |
| 6. OEMTOOLS |  | Straight | Steel | 0.0015 - 0.025 inch 0.038 - 0.635 mm | inch & mm |
| Here! |
| 7. ABN 0075 |  | Offset | Steel | 0.005 - 0.020 inch 0.127 - 0.508 mm | inch & mm |
| Here! |
| 8. Mitutoyo 950-252 |  | Tapered | Steel | 0.0015 - 0.025 inch | inch |
| Here! |
| 9. Proto J000TL |  | Straight | Steel | 0.0015 - 0.040 inch | inch & mm |
| Here! |
| 10. Spurtar |  | Tapered | Manganese Steel | 0.0010 - 0.040 inch | inch & mm |
| Here! |
1. Starrett 66B (32 Blades) Feeler Gauge [Best Overall]
While there are a lot of options to choose from, we end up recommending this Starrett 66B feeler gauge. Why Starrett 66BB? Simply because it has a complete set of blades, accurate thickness and made of tempered steel.
There are 31 blades. These figures should be more than adequate to support your gap measurement job. You’ll see a sequence of numbers that enlist the blade thicknesses from 0.0015″ to 0.035″ below.
The only drawback is the unit reading. The blades come only with inch markings. However, as the inch is widely used in the USA, UK, and Canada; the countries of the audience we are intending to blog this information, surely this will not be an issue for you.
Overall, this is the best feeler gauge overall for you. We are sure that Starrett makes things with quality. Therefore, when you need a serious precise thickness, we recommend this. Further, if you need the certificate of calibration, you could go to the seller and make a request.
Inch:
0.0015, 0.002, 0.0025, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.017, 0.018, 0.019, 0.020, 0.021, 0.022, 0.023, 0.024, 0.025, 0.026, 0.028, 0.030, 0.032, 0.035
Buy Now!Pros:
- Complete 31 blades
- The blades’ order is in SAE standard
- Thumb slot
- Locking device to tight the blades while working
- The blades are removable
Cons:
- The most expensive than the rest feeler gauges in this post.
2. Hotop (32 Blades) Feeler Gauge [Affordable Choice]
Hotop feeler gauge comes with more complete blade thickness. It consists of 32 blades where one of them is made-of-brass blade. Brass is a material which doesn’t stick into any magnetic material. So when you are working close to a magnetic object, it works properly without disruption. However, it tends to be weaker than steel.
0.0015, 0.002, 0.0025, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.010 (brass material), 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.017, 0.018, 0.019, 0.020, 0.021, 0.022, 0.023, 0.024, 0.025, 0.026, 0.028, 0.030, 0.032, 0.035
Millimeter:
0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10, 0.13, 0.15, 0.18, 0.20, 0.23, 0.25, 0.25 (brass material), 0.28, 0.30, 0.33, 0.35, 0.38, 0.40, 0.43, 0.45, 0.48, 0.50, 0.53, 0.55, 0.58, 0.60, 0.63, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.88
Buy Now!Pros:
- 32 blades, more complete thickness size
- SAE standard
- equipped with 0.010″ thickness brassed blade
- Lock nut
- Oily blades
Cons:
- It’s not stainless steel as described in the advertising, it’s manganese steel.
3. Starrett 667 Feeler Gauge (Can be Purchased Individually)
If you don’t need a set of feeler gauge, this choice might be what you want. You can buy only the thickness that you need. So, if you plan to only use two thickness regularly, you can save money with this option. Don’t worry about quality, this is Starrett feeler gauge.
Interestingly, this model comes with .0005″ blade thickness, the only one that we find provide this size.
The leaves’ thickness available to buy per item are the following (inch):
.0005, 0.001, .0015, .002, .0025, .003, .004, .005, .006, .007, .008, .010, .011, .012, .013, .014, .015, .016, .017, .018, .019, .020, .021, .023, .024, .025, .026, .027, 0.028, 0.029, and .030.
Buy Now!Pros:
- Quality
- Save money by buying only what you need
- Thinnest blade .0005″
Cons:
- Little expensive
4. CTA Tools A308 (11 Blades) Feeler Gauge
If you are looking a stainless steel feeler gauge, CTA Tools A308 is what you want. There are many benefits you can get from this: the material, offset type for easy insertion, and comes with two handles.
It’s made of stainless steel which is currently the best material for a feeler gauge, more durable against rust. Moreover, the individual blade use with its handle makes valve adjustment and measurement becomes easier. Additionally, the offset blade-type makes harder adjustment conquered.
Don’t forget about the thickness set. Even though it’s not as complete as we may wish, but the thickness set is adequate. The number of blades might be the reason to keep the price affordable.
It’s not only graduated in inch, but also in millimeter version. CTA Tools A308 comes with great material but reasonable price, why not choose this one. Check the price on the button below!
Inch:
0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014
Millimeter:
0.102, 0.127, 0.152, 0.178, 0.203, 0.229, 0.254, 0.279, 0.305, 0.330, 0.356
Buy Now!Pros:
- Stainless steel
- Durable
- Offset
- A set of two handles
- The single blade is suitable for frequent use
- Money-saving, reasonable price
Cons:
- Limited size
- You have to change the blade manually for different gaps.
5. Precision Brand 19740 (20 Blades) Feeler Gauge
It’s a wide range of thickness size available, accurate thickness, made in the USA, high carbon spring steel, and including 0.001″ thickness.
Precision Brand 19740 feeler gauge is not like the other. Instead of coming with a handle, it comes with a pocket kit. You can just pick a single blade when you think you only need that blade (with certain size). However, you can buy the handle separately though.
Another important thing is the thickness size where you can find the 0.001 inch blade. This is actually a rare size but you can get it here.
There are two sets available for this product. One is manufactured with 5″ length 20 blades and the second is 12″ 20 blades.
Inch:
0.001, 0.0015, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.012, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.018, 0.020, 0.022, 0.024, and 0.025
Millimeter:
0.025, 0.038, 0.051, 0.076, 0.102, 0.127, 0.152, 0.178, 0.203, 0.229, 0.254, 0.305, 0.356, 0.381, 0.406, 0.457, 0.508, 0.559, 0.610, 0.635
Buy Now!Pros:
- Including 0.001 inch size
- Simple use
- Accurate thickness
- Made in the USA
Cons:
- Great for regular use, you don’t need to pick all the blades together with its handle.
6. OEMTOOLS 25025 (26 Blades) Feeler Gauge
One of the best feeler gauges we recommend is OEMTOOLS 25025. OEMTOOLS 25025 is a great feeler blade for medium-level use where you don’t frequently use them. The number of blades is fairly complete. They are readable since the marks are etched. The graduation is in inch and metric, however, the metric is actually the equivalent value of the inch graduation. Don’t worry about the smallest thickness blade .0015″. Unlike the other thin blades which bend permanently, it will bend temporarily.
Inch:
0.0015, 0.002, 0.0025, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.017, 0.018, 0.019, 0.020, 0.021, 0.022, 0.023, 0.024, 0.025.
Millimeter:
0.038, 0.051, 0.064, 0.076, 0.102, 0.127, 0.152, 0.178, 0.203, 0.229, 0.254, 0.279, 0.305, 0.330, 0.356, 0.381, 0.406, 0.432, 0.457, 0.483, 0.508, 0.533, 0.559, 0.584, 0.610, 0.635.
Buy Now!Pros:
- Blade thickness’s order is in SAE order.
- Comes with oiled blades, good to protect from corrosion
- Laser etched graduation
- Affordable
- Designed with thumb slot for blade removal
- Chrome coated blade protector, which looks great.
Cons:
- Only 26, uncompleted size
7. ABN 0075 (16 Blades) Feeler Gauge
If you are looking for an offset feeler gauge with a limited budget, then ABN 0075 may suit your need. The offset shape benefits to reach a hard-to-reach gap and your work becomes easier with this one.
Inch:
0.002, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.017, 0.018, 0.019
Millimeter:
0.051, 0.127, 0.152, 0.178, 0.203, 0.229, 0.254, 0.279, 0.305, 0.330, 0.356, 0.381, 0.406, 0.432, 0.457, 0.483
Buy Now!Pros:
- One year warranty
- Offset
- Oily
- Thumb slot
Cons:
- Very limited size, only 16 blades with increment 0.001 from 0.005 to 0.019
- Having trouble with the accuracy of blade thickness
8. Mitutoyo 950-252 (26 Blades) Feeler Gauge
This is a great 3″ length tapered feeler gauge that will help you accomplish various gap measurement in handy. It’s made of high-quality processing so that provides accurate thickness for reliable measurements.
If you are dealing with serious gap measurements, then there is no hesitation to purchase this one. It’s expensive but well worth the money. As we know that Mitutoyo is the brand of quality precision measuring tool. You won’t go wrong with their products.
Inch:
0.0015, 0.002, 0.0025, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.017, 0.018, 0.019, 0.020, 0.021, 0.022, 0.023, 0.024, 0.025
Buy Now!Pros:
- Mitutoyo Brand
- Accurate thickness
- Tapered-type
- Lock screw
- Detachable blades
Cons:
- More expensive
9. Proto J000TL (25 Blades) Feeler Gauge
It may be a hard job to apply a measurement for a far-to-reach object. Don’t worry! CTA Tools a311 comes with extra longer blades to help you handle that kind of condition. They are 12″ in length which is nice for valve adjustment, flange gap measurement, etc.
There are 25 sets of blades available to serve your various measurement needs, from 0.0015 to 0.040 inch blade thickness. They are etched both in inch and millimeter. The most eye-catching is the 0.040 inch blade which is the thickest blade of the rest. No feeler gauges mentioned previously have such thickness.
Inch:
0.0015, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.010, 0.011, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.017, 0.018, 0.019, 0.020, 0.021, 0.025, 0.027, 0.030, 0.040
Millimeter:
0.04, 0.05, 0.08, 0.10, 0.13, 0.15, 0.18, 0.20, 0.23, 0.25, 0.28, 0.30, 0.33, 0.35, 0.38, 0.40, 0.43, 0.45, 0.48, 0.50, 0.53, 0.63, 0.68, 0.75
Buy Now!Pros:
- American pride, made in the USA
- Long blades for long reach object measurement
- Removable blade
- Thumb slot
- SAE order
- with the thickest 0.040″ blade
Cons:
- Uncomplete blade set
10. Spurtar (32 Blades) Tapered Feeler Gauge
If the tapered feeler gauge of the Mitutoyo is too expensive for you, then the alternative is this one. Even it comes with a great set of blades.
It’s important to highlight that this one comes with a 0.001″ blade. So, this is highly complete. It does not only provide a ton of different thicknesses but also provides the thinnest one. In addition, it’s a tapered model. When the gap width is considered small, there is still a chance to tap. One of the blades is also 0.04″, such thickness that is owned only by Proto J000TL. You could easily analyze it on the blade table on this page.
Another is its material. Manganese steel is recognized as non-magnetic. As it doesn’t retract other ferromagnetic objects, this feeler will work best on any condition.
Inch:
0.001, 0.0015, 0.002, 0.0025, 0.028, 0.003, 0.0035, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.012, 0.013, 0.014, 0.015, 0.016, 0.018, 0.02, 0.022, 0.024, 0.025, 0.026, 0.028, 0.03, 0.032, 0.034, 0.034, 0.040
Buy Now!Pros:
- Complete blades
- Affordable
- The thinnest blade 0.001″ is available
- The thickest blade 0.04″ is also available as well
Cons:
- Cheap plastic nut
How to Choose the Best Feeler Gauge
There are some things we need to put into consideration during the purchase of feeler gauge. We enlist them in the following.
1. Accuracy
How to discover that a particular feeler gauge is accurate? Simply you can read the product description. If you want to check the accuracy of your feeler gauges, you can take advantages of these tools: micrometers, calipers, and dial indicators.
You may concern about the accuracy of feeler gauge caused by heat. Since any metallic material is reactive to heat, choosing the most resistant-to-heat material is crucial. It prevents the blade from extending or expanding. If the blade expands, surely it affects the accuracy. In case you are working in an environment that emits heat; you are measuring a gap around the area of a hot machine and the heat will transfer to the blade and the effect is considerable, you need the best feeler gauge which has good material to handle this issue.
2. Material
As said before, the material you are choosing matters the accuracy. Make sure to buy the feeler gauge that is made of durable material such as steel or stainless steel. It benefits you to save money because it lasts for a long period of time. Don’t buy ones which are made of iron. It’s easy to corrode and last for a few months.
The material has to provide flexible characteristics to the blades/leaves. The best blade of feeler gauge is those with tough material but flexible enough so that it can insert into a hard-to-reach gap.
The better the material, the higher the price. When you focus on the material quality, buy those made of stainless steel. It’s the best material for feeler gauges because it’s durable against rust. However, the tempered steel is adequate, provided that you keep maintaining it by oiling periodically.
3. Range of Measurement
In short, it is around one-thousandth of a millimeter (0.001mm) to one millimeter (1mm). The wider the range the better it is. However, a typical feeler gauge has a measurement range under 1 mm. You need to know the range of measurement your gauge has. If you are handling a gap that you estimate about 0.001″, then find the blade with that size. However, that thin blade is rare to find. In this case, you may need to collect a set of feeler gauges that has various different thickness.
The number of blades also determines the measurement range of a feeler gauge. A feeler gauge consists of around 25 blades in general. More blades mean better because the range between each blade is reduced and the measurement becomes more accurate.
4. Blade Length
You also need to consider the blade length before buying. Many people have to deal with the position of the gap. A short blade cannot work properly, while an extra-long blade is surely capable to do that.
A typical blade is 3″ in length. You can buy the 12″ feeler gauge for better performance with the distance of gap from your hand.
5. Feeler Gauge Type
Another thing to consider is the feeler gauge type. There are a set of feeler gauge types you can choose to see which one you think really best to perform with your work. Surely, the type is associated with the gap condition we are trying to deal with. When the gap is somewhere around a magnetic field, use the brass feeler gauge. Also, when the gap locates in a tight space, use the offset feeler gauge. Moreover, when you need regular use with a certain thickness, just use the single feeler strip.
If you don’t know which one to buy, it’s best to buy the straight type. It’s the most common feeler gauges people use.
6. Unit System
Most feeler gauges in the US are graduated in inch and mm. However, it’s actually manufactured for inch users. The metric graduation (mm) is actually the conversion of those inch graduation which is equivalent in terms of its value. Then they both are engraved on the surface of the blade to indicate the thickness of the blade.
Considering the unit system is necessary when you deal with metric measurement. In an imperial feeler gauge, you will not find thoroughly simple numbers since they are actually converted from inch. For that case, choose the real mm feeler gauge.
Fortunately, in the United States, the vast majority of people are familiar with the inch unit and the companies seem to know what to do with that majority issue.
7. Engraved or Printed
Engraved/etched graduation is necessary for easy reading. After a long use, the graduation may fade due to many scratches on the surface of the blades. Selecting the engraved or etched graduation will resist to this kind of issue. Conversely, printed graduation will fade more easily. Luckily, many best feeler gauges today have been empowered with laser-etched graduation. If the printed number starts to fade, you could engrave it with an engraving pen.
How to Use Feeler Gauge
Using a feeler gauge is simple but takes several times of practice until we become used to it. As its name, “feeler” means you will use your sense of feeling to feel the level of resistance you are wanting. By using a feeler gauge, you can set in such a way what kind of friction you want.
In short, the key to using any type of feeler gauge is the feeling to feel the friction experienced by the blade.
When you need to know the exact width of the gap, then the level of friction you feel should be moderate. The blade doesn’t slide too freely or too though.
Expand your needs. You want to measure the threshold of the gap thickness, at which thickness either the blade inserts freely or starts to get stuck. Certainly, you need to do it several times until getting the feel you think it is the thickness.
You can use two or more combinations of blades to measure a gap. Simply, double up the two blades and add up the thickness. It’s easy to read the thickness because it is etched on the blade.
Need to remember to clean up the dirt from the gap first. The dirt can disturb the measurement. Moreover, it results in an inaccurate measurement. In the end, after the measurement, apply the oil on the blades evenly to prevent the material from corroding.
In addition, it’s better to check the thickness accuracy by inspecting it with a precision micrometer. It’s not rare that the feeler gauge you’ve just bought doesn’t have good accuracy. By inspecting it, we can decide whether the measurement continues or not.
Final Verdict
What is the best feeler gauge? In short, it depends on you. However, you find the Starrett 66B the greatest one because of its complete blade sizes and also made in the USA. The next is Hotop since it provides complete blade sizes as well.
If you are looking for a durable feeler gauge, then pick out CTA Tools A308. CTA Tools A308 also gives you a .004″ blade thickness which is the thickest blade we collect here. Furthermore, if you are looking for the thinnest .0005″ blade, then Starrett 667 provides it. Even, you can only buy that blade and save money.
In the case of accuracy, we actually highly refer to Mitutoyo and Starrett products.