I have sinned - Now Using Metric more than English Units

[sign216]

I had to measure a strip of metal.  Reached for the ruler and automatically laid down the Metric side. 
My G-d I realized, when did Metric become my default system? 

What has happened?  My unconscious switch must have been only in the last couple of years.  Sad.

As for my kids, I've given up.  For all I know they may not even have English unit rulers in school.  Hell, I know they're not teaching cursive.

Joe

[mechanicsavant]

It might be in the H2O, I find my self ordering things @ the deli in grams vs. oz.s

[fossil]

It´s about time: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg1007.pdf

[sign216]

It´s about time: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg1007.pdf

Oh great, a German is lecturing me on America law.  Sometimes uniformity/conformity is not the best path.

If it were, we wouldn't be riding Guzzi, would we?

[sign216]

I like the metric system for weighting spices and cures when curing meats. Much easier to accurately weight out in grams than it is to weight out fractions of ounces.

The metric system is a way more rational system based on 10's verses English systems that are based on 3's, 12's, 16's and so on.

Perrazzimx,

I used to working in shipping, loading boxes and trucks, and the English system is actually better for that.  Things are shipped in cubic cardboard containers, and multiples of 4 fit those containers best.  A cube can fit 4, 8, or 12 easily.  5 and multiples of 5, not so much.  Lots of dead space.

The advantages of English units may end there, but I'd like to hear more.

Joe

[malik]

In the loyal colonies, of course, they are known as Imperial units. An anathema in a republic? It seems to me that the language itself is poorer without these historical units in common usage. Rods, perches, tuns, and so on. (The mathematics with these is somewhat painful. It doesn't help that in different juristictions (states, in a federation) the measures for beer, for example, pints, schooners, middies, pots & ponies have different millilitres in them, but a litre of beer is too much - it's gone warm before you're halfway through. Then there's ounces - I used to buy tobacco by the ounce - there's 100 grams in a tobacco ounce. There's not 100 grams in most other ounces, and there likely other other stuff that's weighed differently. Metric may be easier to work with, but the richness of the barstard language that is English suffers somewhat.

[Murray]

Sometimes uniformity/conformity is not the best path.

I have a piece of made in the USA machinery at work it has a John Deere motor Denison Hyd Pumps and motors and NAS axels. The hyd fittings at all dash sized fittings which means preciesly zero to anyone outside the USA the motor is made in Mexico so its all metric and the axels and made in Germany. Why having to carry two tool sets around for the same bit of gear is nesscary is beyond me.

[TDF]

There are two types of countries in the world.  Those who use the metric system, and those who have landed a man on the moon.

TDF

[Thirtyaughtsix]

Welcome to the dark side

A fortnight is 2 weeks, or 14 days. Irrelevant? Absolutely, but now you know if you didn't already 

[canuck750]

As a Canuck I was raised with metric, having 'converted' in the 70's and being an Architectural Technologist, fancy name for draftsman, I have been thinking and inputting metric for decades... but.. I still convert mentally to feet and inches, square and cubic feet since I started in my chosen industry 40 years ago.

Can't explain it but I can only acknowledge speed, volume and area in feet and inches.

[Pizza Guzzi]

I was an apprentice fitter / machinist when we went metric in Oz so I was more or less forced to embrace it. After all these years I still use a mix of metric and imperial in my daily life.
At least a litre is a litre wherever you are, not so much with a gallon. Funny thing that tyre sizes are also a combination of inches for diameter and mm for width - also I will measure tyre pressure in psi until my dying day.
If I could only ever have one system it'd be metric.

Glenn

[GearheadGrrrl]

One of the problems of sticking with the "English" system is that now most of the fasteners and such are coming from metric countries so they have at best only a vague idea of what an inch dimension is... Thus a lot of the fasteners I acquire these days are a poor fit.

[stubbie]

.

There are two types of countries in the world.  Those who use the metric system, and those who have landed a man in the moon.

TDF

I wondered how they got that face on the moon. Now I know.
(Check the quote)

[sign216]

One of the problems of sticking with the "English" system is that now most of the fasteners and such are coming from metric countries so they have at best only a vague idea of what an inch dimension is... Thus a lot of the fasteners I acquire these days are a poor fit.

Gearhead,

I hear you.  I got a vernier caliper (another lost art) from China.  The metric side was okay, but the inch side was inaccurate and unusable.

Joe

[fossil]

There are two types of countries in the world.  Those who use the metric system, and those who have landed a man in the moon.

TDF

Wernher von Braun 

[AJ Huff]

Not a sin. Just took a long time to come around.

-AJ

[Vince in Milwaukee]

My carbs were acting up a while back (turns out one of the vents was plugged).  Brought a carb to the local hardware store and told the guy helping me that I needed some hose @ 2-3 millimeters inner diameter.  I think he said - "looks like a 16th of an inch to me.  Hardly ever touch my standard tools any more.   

[Tusayan]

I like the metric system for weighting spices and cures when curing meats. Much easier to accurately weight out in grams than it is to weight out fractions of ounces.

The metric system is a way more rational system based on 10's verses English systems that are based on 3's, 12's, 16's and so on.

You’re arguably confusing decimal and metric.  Most engineering outside of the construction industry is done in decimal units (for example thousandths on an inch) regardless of the unit of measure.  This solves 99% of the issues associated with any units.

That said, fractions enhance communication in conversation relative to decimal measurement.  If you say your fuel tank is half full, versus 50% full, you do it for a reason.

The advantage we have in the US is that we use all systems of measurement depending on what is best for the circumstances, we are not forced to use anything. That flexibility makes money.  For example, competing in the certified aircraft business is very difficult if you want to use metric materials and equipment - all the certified off the shelf aircraft stuff is made in inch-based standards that will probably never be revisited.  Using certified off the shelf hardware is a huge advantage in both low cost initial manufacture and (even more so) in long term field supportability. On the hand, I’d bet the large numbers of GM cars sold in China don’t have any SAE fasteners that a local mechanic would need to access... in spite of having inch sized wheels!

[Lannis]

Years ago, when the USA was going to be made to go metric whether anyone liked it or not, the various state DOTs began installing highway signs in metric units, with the imperial units in little parentheses below.

The message was clearly "We'll give the curmudgeons a bit of time to get used to it by leaving the miles in little numbers, but kilometers are here to stay, get used to it, be there or be square!"

Forty years on, all the signs I ever see are in miles again, without a bit of kilometer on it.   All the meat in the grocery store, all the cereal packages, everything except weird imported stuff, is all in pounds and ounces.

It may happen someday, but it's probably not going to be forced on anyone ....

Lannis

[stonelover]

I don't have Whitworth wrenches anymore and my SAE stuff is seldom used-  Metric is the way to go.

[Lannis]

I don't have Whitworth wrenches anymore and my SAE stuff is seldom used-  Metric is the way to go.

I've got all three and I use them about equally.   My old Brit bikes aren't going anywhere, so I can't see getting rid of the Whitworth.    About half the equipment I buy is SAE and half is metric, so I use them both, and don't see that changing at all.

Doesn't make any difference to me. Who cares if a bolt head takes an 11/16" or a 17 mm?    I just use what fits.    My metric sockets take up one drawer in the tool box, metric open and box wrenches in another.   Same for SAE.    And the ratchet and breaker-bar handles are all SAE (1/4", 3/8", 1/2", etc.)   Those will never go metric, I'll bet.    Nor will 5/8" or 13/16" spark plugs.   Nor will ... well, you get the idea.

Just not a very big issue.

Lannis

[Lannis]

As a Canuck I was raised with metric, having 'converted' in the 70's and being an Architectural Technologist, fancy name for draftsman, I have been thinking and inputting metric for decades... but.. I still convert mentally to feet and inches, square and cubic feet since I started in my chosen industry 40 years ago.

Can't explain it but I can only acknowledge speed, volume and area in feet and inches.

The English are a bit weird about temperature.   They use Celsius from freezing on up to about 25 degC, then they switch to degF when it gets really hot.   At least the guys I ride with do.

Lannis

[Tusayan]

Doesn't make any difference to me. Who cares if a bolt head takes an 11/16" or a 17 mm?    I just use what fits.   

Which leads us to the very common 3/4 inch auto lug nut hex solution...  or alternately use a tool measuring 0.748 inches (19 mm).   

[tris]

The English are a bit weird about temperature.   They use Celsius from freezing on up to about 25 degC, then they switch to degF when it gets really hot.   At least the guys I ride with do.

Lannis

We're a bit weird about a lot of things 😃

We generally weigh ourselves in Stones, drink pints but measure temperature in centigrade and buy petrol in litres

Nothing like keeping other countries guessing as to where we stand.........which seems to be continuing right now.

[Muzz]

 by leaving the miles in little numbers, but kilometers are here to stay, get used to it, be there or be square!"

Lannis

Lannis, the speedo on the Breva is in both, but although we are in kms in NZ, sadly it is the MPH that is large. the KPH is so small that it could be 10kmh either side and I couldn't pick it.  The speedo is so busy that I actually use the rev counter, 4000rpm = 100kph which is our speed limit. At night the speedo is illegible.

[Mr Revhead]

The hyd fittings at all dash sized fittings which means preciesly zero to anyone outside the USA

 I think you will find dash system is used world wide, standard for hydraulics is still imperial, and truck air lines is still widely imperial.

[molly]

I had to measure a strip of metal.  Reached for the ruler and automatically laid down the Metric side. 
My G-d I realized, when did Metric become my default system? 

What has happened?  My unconscious switch must have been only in the last couple of years.  Sad.

As for my kids, I've given up.  For all I know they may not even have English unit rulers in school.  Hell, I know they're not teaching cursive.

Joe

I sholdn't worry about it. The UK has been trying to get rid of imperial units for decades and we are still using them despite the best efforts of the EU.
I am 6'2" tall, weigh 13 stone, use mpg for the bike but always measure in metric, no problem.

[fossil]

The UK has been trying to get rid of imperial units for decades and we are still using them despite the best efforts of the EU.

Well, these efforts will be stopped in short time.....

[sign216]

I sholdn't worry about it. The UK has been trying to get rid of imperial units for decades and we are still using them despite the best efforts of the EU.
I am 6'2" tall, weigh 13 stone, use mpg for the bike but always measure in metric, no problem.

I don't see the problem.  You can't legislate compliance in a free society.  Let people do what they want.

[Muzz]

I don't see the problem.  You can't legislate compliance in a free society.  Let people do what they want.

I'm a Rebel Without A Clue, weighing in at 74 kgs with a height of 5' 7".