Do Americans find metric too difficult?

[Captain Caveman]

Around 1978, US domestic vehicles started using metric fasteners mixed with SAE. It was a PITA. Many mechanics had to buy metric tools. Myself, I didn't have to since I worked on Japanese motorcycles. To be honest, I prefer metric.

With people's weight, I can only go by stones and lbs. Height of someone in feet and inches. Kitchen unit widths in millimetres. Door widths 2', 2' 3", 2' 6" etc.. I can't do metric on those but the height is 1981mm (6' 6"). Brick length and height in millimetres, sand and cement in kilos. Set roof tiles out in imperial. I can only follow centigrade.

So I have a mishmash of both.

Wood screws are metric, so to self tap into thin steel, I drill a 3mm hole and use a 3.5mm screw. If it's thick steel, the half millimetre is too much, I need a closer sized hole to the screw width, so I use an 11/64ths drill bit (4.365mm) and a 4.5mm screw.

 

[there4eyeM]

It is a truly lazy mind that finds metric difficult.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I use English for cooking, and weight, and for feet under ten feet. Over that I can use yards or meters. Driving is mph.

UK roads are miles and yards. Speedometer in MPH and fuel consumption in MPG. The dial on the car also as Kilometres and car manuals state kilometres per litre for fuel consumption which is totally alien, so I have to convert to MPG.

Due to the push to metric, I've memorised various conversion figures, such as 25.4mm to the inch, a pint is 568ml. Beer in pubs is in pints.

If you work on the rail, tracks are in miles, chains, furlongs and yards. Horse racing is in miles and furlongs.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Or you could multiply 7 x 9 to obtain the common denominator and multiply 1 x 7 and 1 x 9 to obtain the numerators giving you 9/63 and 7/63--half of that is 8/63. Gee you are capable of doing third grade math--Now maybe you can bring yourself to do something useful. By the way, genius, 8/63 is not a number--it is a fraction of a number. Now answer my question--quick. What is the decimal equivalent of 8/63? Lets see if you're capable of 4th grade math.

25.4/63x8 = 3.2253968253968

 

[Captain Caveman]

Back when they were pounding it in the '70's we were taught both in school.
Working on my vehicle or toys requires tools for both standard and metric.
But my job as a carpenter, standard IS the standard. All lumber products even from Canada are on standard measures.
Works great because an 8ft sheet of anything will work with a 12, 16, 19 1/4 and 24 inch layout for truss members.
Fractions come quick and easy and are still easy to convert to decimal.

Trusses are 400mm and 600mm centres in the UK, an 8' by 4' plasterboard sheet is 2400mm X 1200mm, so they work with truss centres. But sheet timber is exactly the imperial size, so an 8x4 sheet of ply is 2440mm X 1220mm.

 

[Flash]

UK roads are miles and yards. Speedometer in MPH and fuel consumption in MPG. The dial on the car also as Kilometres and car manuals state kilometres per litre for fuel consumption which is totally alien, so I have to convert to MPG.

Are road signs in the UK in KMs?

 

[Likkmee]

I use both imperial and metric. Whatever I'm doing, if metric or imperial works better, I use that. When it comes to Quantity Surveying, I have to use metric because materials are sold in metric units.

Do you, or can you use metric?

Metric is quite similar to digital. .001/.01/1/10/100 etc. The entire world uses it.
Ironic that ALL chems-drugs are measured like this but the worlds largest consumer....like,ya know, forgets that shit, man

 

[Blues Man]

From a purely mathematical point of view, the Imperial measurement system is more difficult

 

[Captain Caveman]

Are road signs in the UK in KMs?

They're in miles. Plus, roadwork signs by law have to be in yards, so for example, "800 yards to Roadworks".

 

[Dogmaphobe]

I rather like metric.

I have something that measures 6 inches in Imperial, but it comes out to a whopping 15.24 centimeters in metric.

 

[Captain Caveman]

From a purely mathematical point of view, the Imperial measurement system is more difficult

Yes and know, depends on what you're doing. If I need to find the centre of an opening, if it hits 55 inches on a tape measure or 1,397mm, I would divide the inch measurement in half. If the gap measured 1,200mm, or 47 1/4 inches, I would divide the 1,200mm by two.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I rather like metric.

I have something that measures 6 inches in Imperial, but it comes out to a whopping 15.24 centimeters in metric.

Is that erect ?

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Is that erect ?

Oh, I was supposed to report on it as erect?

I didn't know.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Oh, I was supposed to report on it as erect?

I didn't know.

Well, if you came out of the cold with it being 6 inches, high five

 

[Unkotare]

75% of Americans have never been abroad and naturally are stuck in their seasoned ways of thinking .
.....

Illogical, and pretentious, conclusion.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I do math EVERYDAY at work. Fuck this doing it at home shit. What's wrong with you guys

 

[Unkotare]

Metric system is just a dumbed down system so everyone can use it....

Just like soccer!

 

[westwall]

I use both imperial and metric. Whatever I'm doing, if metric or imperial works better, I use that. When it comes to Quantity Surveying, I have to use metric because materials are sold in metric units.

Do you, or can you use metric?

Of course. In some applications it is better, more precise, but in others it is less precise.

I always use the best system for whatever job I am working on.

 

[westwall]

Metric is a far superior system.

In some areas. Not true in others.

 

[Likkmee]

Are road signs in the UK in KMs?

KIngs miles. Like UK gallons. Bloody dear we're soooo superior mate.

Can you make change?

Bruthey Jenner thought he could. Turns out he can still count to 21