Metric system vs. inches and others

[antonioledesma]

imperial system is archaic and useless

[graywolf624]

just the gen. public can't grasp the simplicity... kinda sounds stupid... but we are dealing with the US

Not necessarily.. A new system thats the basis is kinda like a language. If you try to learn swahili at 40 your screwed. Same goes for metric versus imperial. That being said they have been teaching both systems in schools since I was a kid. That being said Id argue neither is really superior. Once you get to know the systems you can use any of them.

[novass]

Growing up in the US I learned to use our system ever since I was a kid. Metric only came up every so often.

Now that I am working on Ferraris and other European cars, I have to use metric constantly and since I am doing that and living in the US at the same time, I have to know how to convert one to the other and vice versa.

I must say I do prefer metric over other measurement systems. In my line of work dealing with vintage cars from all over and race cars, you get exposed to numerous types of measurement. BSP, which isnt used so much anymore and is an absolute nightmare, then youve got SAE, AN-.....it can get a little confusing.

[GT-R_R34]

i grew up with the metric system until i moved to the US. i know how to use both, but metric is taking over most of measurement here if you notice most car now have metric instead of standard. the only good think about miles is that it seem that you're going slower than kilometers. (160km to 100miles)

[Mattk]

I agree with graywolf. Neither system is superior to the other. I naturally prefer metric, because it's what I was taught and brought up on, but you can't really say one is simpler, or one is less confusing. It's all a matter of preference.

[T-Bird]

well Mojo most Mechanics have both sets already since even Hondas (which I work with eventhough they are labeled Acura) use both sets and so does my pathfinder and the Thunderbird they are mixed together and that gets confusing enough but you start to get used to it quickly. And most basic sets of Mechaincs tools from like Craftsman have an equal amount of both metric and standard (as they are called in the US)

Actually a really funny thing is that on the morning radio station I listen to the DJ does a thing called Lin's Bin where he answers peoples E-mails and their relations to Rock and this morning the question was (simplified) is Metric rock and roll and he went on this huge thing about how Imperial is much more rock and roll in the sense when you are saying she was 5 foot 4 and not so and so CM or they were four miles high instead of Kilometers high but then in Rap metric seems to be the way to go when refering to units of measure and illegal substances or to the diameter munitions.

click on the first one on the list it's pretty funny actually check them all out.
http://93xrt.com/program/detail/linsbin.html

[Mattk]

Interesting observation, T-Bird. Never noticed that.

[fsandys]

I use both I was taught metric at school but I've always been more comfortable with weights in imperial and certainly MILES per hour not this continental kilometers per hour!!!

[Mattk]

Whereabouts do you live. I was taught only metric and find imperial far too confusing, except for certain things like heights of people etc.

[FoxFour]

When I was studying to be an aircraft mechanic at 19, I was able to learn the Imperial system, using it all the time and being young you can remember the sizes quite fast. But I so love the metric system for measuring things plus it's easy to remember the sizes, even a public- schooled educated person like myself can remember the sizes- 1,2,56,6,19

[TransAm]

In the UK we are kind of in between metric and imperial. You buy petrol in litres, beer in pints. We use miles rather than KMs.

Metric has been taught in schools since the 1970s, and physics is taught in metres kilometres yet we use miles!

Builders/engineers sometimes use imperial to discuss rough estimates, almost guaranteed with a person over 50 years old, but the detail work will be done using milimetres measurement (metric).

I would prefer the complete metric system rather than the mix up we currently have in the UK.

Its easy to convert stuff anyway. There are roughly 2lb in 1 kg, roughly 1 yard = 1 metre, roughly 4 litres in a gallon, mph divided by 2 = metres/sec, etc.

[fsandys]

I'm glad you said roughly but as soon as you put a few together 1 yard becomes nowhere near 1 metre!! :s

[TransAm]

Originally Posted by fsandys I'm glad you said roughly but as soon as you put a few together 1 yard becomes nowhere near 1 metre!! :s

The litre / gallon one is the furthest out.

I earn my crust as an Estimator, maybe that is why I am so fond of my 'rule of thumb' calcs!

[coombsie66]

Originally Posted by TransAm In the UK we are kind of in between metric and imperial. You buy petrol in litres, beer in pints. We use miles rather than KMs. Metric has been taught in schools since the 1970s, and physics is taught in metres kilometres yet we use miles! Builders/engineers sometimes use imperial to discuss rough estimates, almost guaranteed with a person over 50 years old, but the detail work will be done using milimetres measurement (metric). I would prefer the complete metric system rather than the mix up we currently have in the UK. Its easy to convert stuff anyway. There are roughly 2lb in 1 kg, roughly 1 yard = 1 metre, roughly 4 litres in a gallon, mph divided by 2 = metres/sec, etc.

Yeah, i love the way we go about it, its hillarious, im always ordering a 3 metre length of 16 guage 1-1/2" pipe, or 2" box section. Mix and match everywhere you go! Especially in the engineering or building trade.

All i need is the 25.4mm per inch, that seems to get me by!

[Mattk]

Football field measurements are in yards and feet, but now that metric seems to be the way to go here, it's all really weird.