NTPI - North Texas Precision Instruments

Wayne Lynn _{on Google}

Aug 7th, 2014

I work as a machinist and I own a pair of Brown and Sharpe 599-579-3 dial calipers. These are nothing super fancy, just a nice pair of Swiss made calipers; and of all the calipers I own these are my favorite to use.
Recently these calipers developed a problem; the metal housing around the movement became loose. Technically the calipers worked ‘ok’, the wiggle from the looseness of the metal housing moved the dial 0.0005” either way depending on how you closed the jaws, and over the course of the day my zero would float 0.001” and would need to be adjusted. Knowing there was a fault with the calipers really bothered me. I felt I could no longer trust my favorite calipers and soon thereafter I discontinued using them.
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been without my favorite calipers. I’ve been using some Mitutoyo digital calipers that were tucked away in my tool box. They’re great but they don’t have the same feel as my B&S calipers.
I now faced a dilemma. Should I replace my Brown and Sharpe calipers or should I try and have them repaired? The exact model I own is no longer produced, but a comparable model from Brown and Sharpe is available for around $100. The thought of buying a new pair of calipers is always exciting but would these new calipers feel ‘right’, after all, my current B&S calipers have been ‘broken in’ over years of use.
Ultimately I choose to try and have my Brown and Sharpe dial calipers repaired and that’s when I found North Texas Precision Instruments in Richland Hills. I called them up and asked if they repaired Brown and Sharpe calipers (they do), if I should mail in my calipers or bring them in person (they do both), and what their hours were(9-5). I didn’t tell them what was wrong with my calipers because frankly I’m sure I could have explained it well over the phone; when they said I could bring them in person I was determined to do just that so I could show them what was wrong.
As soon as I got off the phone I grabbed my calipers and I just left for Richland Hills. Mind you, their place of business is not just downtown or across the street for me. I live north of Denton, north of Sanger in the small town of Valley View. Their place of business is 1 hour away according to Google, but in reality, with DFW traffic and construction, more like 1.5 hours.
When I finally arrived at North Texas Precision Instruments and walked through their doors I was promptly greeted by their friendly staff. I walked up to their counter and showed them my calipers and the loose metal housing. Their tech knew immediately how to fix them. He ask me have a seat on their sofa and told me it would only take him 10-15 minutes. While I waited I was offered a beverage which was nice. Ten minutes later he brought my calipers and guess what, they were perfect! In those short 10 minutes their tech disassembled my calipers, re-secured the metal housing, and reassembled the calipers and had them back in my hands.
I was so impressed by the level and quality of service and hospitality I received at North Texas Precision Instruments I could not ever imagine considering anyone else but them. I would recommend them to friends, family and co-workers alike. They are absolutely amazing!
I have my favorite calipers back in good working order thanks to North Texas Precision Instruments!