Why is it So

[asimov (John)]

I think perhaps the American government want to be looked apon as 'unique' - I would probably rather use the term 'behind the times'.

[GrahamL]

Reading round the net , its easy to overlook a little history in that the war of independence pre dates the french revolution .

The need for a new nation to adopt a standard of weights and measures is likely to follow simple trade of the time , which would be the British system, not to mention metric wasn't around just yet .

Why not change ?.. possibly both the UK and US just didn't need to , both became major players in world trade and industry and the rest of the world just had to follow along,

But time rolls along , personally I don't mind comng across some odd size shaft or casting that you can STLL buy bits for

[marki]

I don't have a problem with either system but metric is easier to use. The reason they do not change is that most people in the US are used to imperial measurements and see no need to change. It has been about forty years since Australia adopted metric systems yet it is still common to find people talking imperial measurements and you can still buy bolts, drills etc etc of both types. Another reason is that our major car makers (holden/ford) source engines from the US. The chinese synta EQ mounts are also a mixture of both systems no doubt due to the size of the US market. A good place to source all bolts both metric and imperial in Perth is West Coast Fasteners. They have a warehouse in Balcatta but there might be others around, you will just have to look.

Mark

[rat156]

Well, I find distances less than a mile confusing, I can convert miles to km in my head quite quickly, so no problem with them, but when the satnav was quoting feet until turning I was all at sea, I have no visual conception of what five hundred feet is.

Buying timer etc is easy, it's all in metric feet, or 300mm lengths, and usually in metric inches (25, 50, 75mm).

All bolts, nuts etc. should be in mm, 13mm is bigger than 12mm, but what's the next increment up from 1/2"? What's Whitworth? What's AF? I think I've almost got my head around BSP though?

People's heights should be in feet and inches, their weights in kg.

Cheers
Stuart

[M110 (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Jeffkop

Ah Andrew ... but not NEAR as enticing as "I think I will go down the pub fer a litre"

lol. yep, hooray for metric!