Do you prefer metric or imperial units of measurement?

[rob_g]

I've got over 30 years doing machine design so I can use either unit of measure and usually convert them in my head as I go. I normally design in metric using imperial materials. As a kid I don't remember seeing metric until I got to college. 

 

[idaho_varminter]

@Blackpaw, I’ve spent my career working in engineering with very precise Japanese equipment. I greatly prefer the metric system, both for its simplicity and its precision. But I still measure my weight in pounds, my height in feet/inches, and outdoor temps in Fahrenheit. I too was told in school that we would convert to metric in the US, and that the cost savings by becoming uniform with the rest of the planet would be immeasurable. It never seemed to happen. Well, my whiskey comes in metric bottles now, so maybe we’re making progress. 

 

[Blackpaw]

@idaho_varminter yeah I do see progress. Slowly kicking and screaming  into the metric future 

 

[ctshooter]

I was watching an interesting Veratasium video on YouTube and basically learned that there is no longer a standard measure for length, weight and a few other things in the imperial system. The foot is based on the meter. The pound is based on the kg. So if all the standards are metric, why not just adopt it?

I prefer the metric system for length and weight measurements.

 

[DesertSilver]

Imperial! Because I'm an old old gezer who was taught that way even though most of the wrenching I do is metric. 

 

[BrickTop]

Imperial 100%. Give me a gauge that measures in BAR and it goes directly in the trash!

 

[Burder.inc]

I wish I was raised with the metric system. They tried to teach us in grade school, (early '80s) but unfortunately they over complicated the system so terribly it was a mystery. How you ask? By using units like decimeters and deciliters and many other odd units of measures. Almost as if they wanted it to be as complicated as the imperial system!

I think it is a superior system when put into practice theses odd units of measure aren't common. Most things now are millimeters, meters, kilometers, without all the subsets of measure. Unfortunately my frame of reference still lie within the imperial system. I use moa reticles, psi, etc. I guess for me it's all what you are used to.

 

[Bigragu]

For those that work with both, I’m curious as to which you choose when bragging about manhood length over a few beers, to one that doesn’t understand the difference.

All kidding aside, being in the construction trades, I was brought up all imperial. About the only projects that were blueprinted in metric were the state prisons.

 

[uhfradarwill]

For those that work with both, I’m curious as to which you choose when bragging about manhood length over a few beers, to one that doesn’t understand the difference.

I use the binary system!!

 

[Windmill01]

I do survey work, our measurements are by the foot, but in 10ths only. So, no 12 inches in a foot, there are 10 units of measurement per foot instead. We also use degrees, minutes and seconds for direction, sounds universal.

It’s not that hard to pick up, just like metric wouldn’t be difficult to learn if you do it enough. We learned metric in school, the rumor was the US would switch, nope, stuck in the past, oh well.

Grandpa left me the biggest box of tools, could be half the size, but no. Like he said, catch as catch can. Try this, which is the next size smaller from a 19/32, verses the next size down from a 10mm?

I live in Australia and we converted to metric many moons ago. I also have a tool set my Grandfather left me and a Sidchrome socket set in metric and imperial my father gave me on my 21st birthday. I believe the next down in imperial would be 9/16 and 8 mil metric.

Gary

 

[Blackpaw]

Or, I could have been wrong!!!

 

[Dan25]

Metric all day long except in construction. Everything is based on a sheet of plywood so we are kinda stuck there.

 

[Blackpaw]

@dan25 like I said I was wrong. if we WOULD HAVE stuck to Imperial system we would have Death Stars and Imperial battle cruisers by now. With the Metric System we have well…3 ppl floating a planet, not dominating a galaxy.

 

[BackStop]

I think in feet, inches, pounds, ounces, gallons, quarts etc. Ask me how much something is, length, weight, volume, etc, I will tell you in inches, pounds, ounces, gallons, quarts, etc.

However, I have no problem using metric. I just don't think in metric.

When I think holdover, it is in inches or fractions thereof.

 

[Therealld]

I grew up in the US of A so Fahrenheit, feet and bar are the standard here. I was told way back in grade school that we would convert to the metric system soon. I am still waiting. Although I still lean towards the SAE the rest of the world uses the metric system so I often have to resort to using it as well.

I can see why we don't make the complete change over though as if we keep our American measuring standards we need two sets of tools in the USA. So, tool makers and many others as well would loose a ton of money not being able to sell us two sets of tools or other items. Probly lots of lobbying and payoffs going on to keep it what it is as well as to keep our useless penny coins.

Congress officially recognized use of the metric system in America back around the time of our Civil War. Recognized, not mandated.

I tried hard to “like” the system, but in Engineering, when our company mandated that all new drawings must have dimensions detailed in both inches and metric (we did have nearly 30 factories around the world) I soon discovered the extra time and effort required to make our drawings this way ended up delaying project schedules and adding un-anticipated costs. I wasn't a draftsman, but had some working for me.

We then decided to just hire extra draftsmen to go back and “upgrade” older existing drawings … huge issues, since a good draftsman lays out views in hi9s mind so the object views and dims fit properly on reasonable size sheets. Many if not most drawing packages grew in size and added drawing views so much it began to be deemed impractical.

Of course a scheme using dual dimensions on hidden layers that replaced each other in computerized files could have worked, but this was at a time when CAD (drawing) was in early implementation where I worked, so though I suspect the worse, I don’t know what happened later.

I know about metrics, since most of our equipment was at least partially made overseas, but after I retired, I really never think in metric.

Our country has designed and built a lot of good stuff using inches and yards when we needed to, and I see no real impediment to its continuance. 

 

[Eaglebeak]

We changed to the metric system in 1974 which was the year that I finished school. It was known for quite some time that we were going to convert so we were well versed in it by the time of the switch. If you ask me how long is something I will still answer in thou, inch, feet, yards or miles because that's what I learned as a kid. The metric system makes so much more sense not just because the decimal divisions are easier to equate but everything ties together for instance water freezes at 0c and boils at 100c, 1 BAR= 1 atmosphere at sea level, 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilogram. The old imperial weight and liquid volume units weren't even the same between the British commonwealth and the US which was and still is another cause of confusion. And by the way, the correct spelling is metre and litre.

 

[coloradochris]

The US made a big mistake by not switching the metric back in the 50s. Ever since I switch to air guns I do everything in metric even bought tape measures woodworking is a lot easier and metric

 

[rcarlisle]

I can use either system for measuring, but when I am estimating or visualizing distances by eye, I use imperial units. I was raised using imperial units and I have a pretty good imprint in my mind for imperial units of length. Not so much with metric. If I am taking physical measurements of an object, it's just a number to me so either works. No doubt, metric is far easier in the math department.

 

[kingsqueak]

I use an ill defined mess of both systems. I would say for precision I’ve grown to using metric and my mind has acclimated as well. I still can’t do F to C well at all, even rough estimates. MPH and KmPH I’m not very good at converting either. For volume and lengths with precision, I’ve definitely evolved more towards metric.

Certain things are just too burned in like how “fast” relatively that 100 MPH is or 6’5” tall or 250 lbs or 95F is, so the conveying of “wow that’s fast” type of magnitude is a weird difference from pure measurement and that is the weird part of the combo.

I imagine hands tall or stones of weight are a similar mess for Brits.

 

[crowski]

I wood work and still use imperial but have no problem with metric, which makes way more sense. 
Being in Canada we’re all ready into metric gasoline, which sucks. Crow