Mystery Bolts
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 859
From: B.C.
Being from there, I can tell you it's a bizzare mix of metric and imperial. People are weighed in pounds or stone (1 stone = 14 Lbs). if you take your dog to the vet it'll be weighed in Kg. Foodstuffs are pints, grammes, UK gallon (20% more than the US gallon). Cars mostly come with speedometers in MPH but motorcycles are often in KPH. Most people are familiar with inches or CM and both are used depending on what you're measuring.
Personally I MUCH prefer metric as it's so simple to use (everything is tens instead of 12s). The U.S. Weights and Measures standard has officially been metric since the mid seventies.
Personally I MUCH prefer metric as it's so simple to use (everything is tens instead of 12s). The U.S. Weights and Measures standard has officially been metric since the mid seventies.
24384 MM or 80 hmmm, which seems simpler to you.
Every time I hear it is simpler, I ask do you need simpler than basic math?
What size is your TV? Or home? Do you check air or oil pressure in psi?
Do you check engine temperature in Celsius?
When Canada first switched to the metric system the amount of gas you put in a vehicle was measured in dollars be because no one could relate to litres.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
he has a valid point, going from millimeters, to centimeters, to meters, to kilometers is a natural progression. whereas with inches, feet, yards, miles is jumbled all over the place.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 4,798
Likes: 5,889
From: Knoxville
that's just a disingenuous comparison. no one would ever say, 24384 mm, they would say, 24.4 meters.
he has a valid point, going from millimeters, to centimeters, to meters, to kilometers is a natural progression. whereas with inches, feet, yards, miles is jumbled all over the place.
he has a valid point, going from millimeters, to centimeters, to meters, to kilometers is a natural progression. whereas with inches, feet, yards, miles is jumbled all over the place.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,641
Likes: 2,917
From: Mostly Florida, some Michigan
The imperial system (US) is idiotic, it is based on nothing. Water freezes at 32° and boils at 212°. What sense does that make? 12 inches in a foot, 5280 feet in a mile, 3 feet in a yard. Ounces, cups, gallons, teaspoons, tablespoons...
The metric system is based on multiples of 10. Water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°. 10 mm in a cm, 100 cm in a meter, 1000 meters in a kilometer...
If you think about it logically, not based on what you're used to, it makes more sense and is easier to use.
The metric system is based on multiples of 10. Water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°. 10 mm in a cm, 100 cm in a meter, 1000 meters in a kilometer...
If you think about it logically, not based on what you're used to, it makes more sense and is easier to use.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,399
Likes: 8,509
From: Spartan Country, Michigan
I remember when I was a mechanic back in the 70's when GM started going to metric. We had to now buy metric wrenches and sockets. The only nice thing was GM had all metric fasteners in blue. At least we could look and see right off the bat!
I would prefer to stay with the current system of inches, pounds, temps rather to adapt to other countries with their metric system. Leave things be....it has worked for hundreds of years...why change? Other than to appease the rest of the world.
Oh yea....sorry....forgot....we are bending over for the rest of the world....
I would prefer to stay with the current system of inches, pounds, temps rather to adapt to other countries with their metric system. Leave things be....it has worked for hundreds of years...why change? Other than to appease the rest of the world.
Oh yea....sorry....forgot....we are bending over for the rest of the world....
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 859
From: B.C.
The imperial system (US) is idiotic, it is based on nothing. Water freezes at 32° and boils at 212°. What sense does that make? 12 inches in a foot, 5280 feet in a mile, 3 feet in a yard. Ounces, cups, gallons, teaspoons, tablespoons...
The metric system is based on multiples of 10. Water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°. 10 mm in a cm, 100 cm in a meter, 1000 meters in a kilometer...
If you think about it logically, not based on what you're used to, it makes more sense and is easier to use.
The metric system is based on multiples of 10. Water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°. 10 mm in a cm, 100 cm in a meter, 1000 meters in a kilometer...
If you think about it logically, not based on what you're used to, it makes more sense and is easier to use.
But if you prefer metric, go metric. But no switchin back for comparison purposes, and soon you will be frustrated with it. As I stated earlier you should now measure the size of your TV in centimetres, the living space in your house in sq meters. When you go to a tire shop to buy tires you should measure the rim diameter in cm and the width in mm because it makes more sense to you.
Metric system is not superior, it is just different.
Harleys that were originally sold in USA and brought into Canada have to have the Speedometer read in KM. Most buy some stickers made to place on a speedo and put them on to comply. Then later they fall off. Some actually had to change the speedo to comply.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,166
Likes: 11,261
From: San Diego, CA
Most people will prefer what they know best, which will more times than not be the "system" they grew up with.....
I naturally "think" in inches, feet, pounds, gallons, and MPH..... Those are what I know best, grew up with, and the measures I use...
I can use the others, but they will forever be "conversions" to me...
For example, if you give me a distance in meters, it really means little to me, until I convert it to feet (or yards)... then my mind can picture it and put a value to it...
I don't consider my way right or wrong, inferior or superior, it's just what I know best and how I think....
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,347
Likes: 820
From: Moneta, Virginia
The founding fathers had a vision of a new nation with its own system of weights and measures:
We are free men! And we will be free to measure liquids in litres and millilitres... but not all liquids, only soda, wine and alcohol. For milk and paint we will use gallons, pints and quarts, god-willing.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainm...rs/ar-AA1j6O5J
We are free men! And we will be free to measure liquids in litres and millilitres... but not all liquids, only soda, wine and alcohol. For milk and paint we will use gallons, pints and quarts, god-willing.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainm...rs/ar-AA1j6O5J