The UK has, arguably, one of the most eclectic and baffling set of standards for measurements. It is neither "old school" nor "new school" but somewhere half-way-house. Miles per gallon, but fill up in litres? Weight is in metric, but we geneally refer to our body weight in Stones and Pounds (or in my case - Tons!). Acres, as opposed to Hectares. I just don't understand why we can't go metric and be done with it.
If we fill up in litres, why don't the roads become metric? Speed limits and distance in km's? (It would make my speed look really fantastic! - 112.65 kmph!!

Did some DIY at the weekend, and did all my measurements quite naturally in mm/cm. Almost forgot that there was inches on the tape measure - and I'm an old fart brought up on feet and inches!

All those dinosaurs living in the past need to catch up with the real world.


Whats your thoughts? Metric or Imperial or Mixed(as is)? Chris

Ages ago (yes we old farts still remember that day) the UK changed over to metric money, mm were added to technical drawings along side inches (I was a draughtsman in those days) and it was planned that in ca. 5 years, inches would no longer be used What happened to all those advanced go ahead plans Something definatly happened and the UK fell asleep

Actually the UK is not as bad as the US - I guess they will never change over

METRIC rules - Imperial went out with steam locomotives  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

Well, I too am very much on the 'old fart' side of the track, therefore all my initial learning was in the old units.

I think I've pretty much gone metric these days, all diy is in metric, don't have a problem with metric weights and volumes and given values for these in old money I would convert to metric to understand them.

However there are probably two metric measures I haven't quite got into my system yet. Fuel consumption is still very much mpg and for travelling I would still quote miles rather than km's (yes that's strange given that I measure for diy in mm's). I guess its all down to familiarity and practice.

I certanily don't have any patriotic hang ups about going metric. Stornoway Grey GS ... What a fine motor ... but not any more ... ... psst look at my gallery!
Company cars ... a thing of the past - May 2013.

I prefer the TV system of measuring everything in jumbo jet, double decker buses and football pitch sizes, simple yet un-affective.


Everything in farming is now metric apart from the spanner sizes on my American made tractors, so I need two sets of spanners

I guess FL2's are metric apart from the speedo, trip computer and wheel diameter At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Yes FL2 wheel diameter - or tyre size that dominates it Americans again - they dominate the tyre production dictate the sizes to the Japanese/Chinese producers and the rest of the world has to follow, which F s up our metric system - even here in Scandinavia with OUR winter tyres we have to put up with Imperial sizes - Ban the Americans as well I say  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

You'd have to ban brits too I guess then.. seeing as we invented America.  09MY FL2 Td4 XS, Style Pack, Privacy Glass, Martinique Blue.. oh so very blue..

I have never understood why tyre sizes use a mixture of dimensions - the tread width in mm and the diameter of the wheel it fits in inches  He who dies with the most tools wins!

Toolking wrote:

I have never understood why tyre sizes use a mixture of dimensions - the tread width in mm and the diameter of the wheel it fits in inches

Don't even try to understand, just accept and move on ...

There are far more important things to worry about,

mpg,

does the bluetooth phone connect,

can you hear the 'click' from the gearlever when you slow down,

are the tyre Wranglers or Contis

how much for your first service,

do you get the transmission warning at start up,

do the auto wipers operate when the screen is dry,

do the auto lights go on when you drive under a bridge,

do all the brakes need replacing at 20k miles,

have you had a flat battery,

You own a Land Rover FL2, there are lots of questions to keep you awake at night.

Welcome to the club ....  Stornoway Grey GS ... What a fine motor ... but not any more ... ... psst look at my gallery!
Company cars ... a thing of the past - May 2013.

Frobius wrote:

You'd have to ban brits too I guess then.. seeing as we invented America.

YEh - But the Vikings got there first
and its full of them now and many other nationalities to boot
so were are the brits now - STILL pondering weather to go over to the metric system or not
It is time to kill of the Imperial system for good Long live metric  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

AndyC wrote:

Ages ago (yes we old farts still remember that day) the UK changed over to metric money,

Ahh, those were the days. Pounds, Shillings and Pence. Used to buy a bag of Pear Drops, and Bon Bons for less than Trupence ha'penney from the local Tuck Shop ....

I was one of the very first people to use the "new money" 1 week before the rest of the country changed to it. I was on a school cruise on the SS Uganda on an "Educational" cruise in the Med (I was 12 years old). The 2 week cruise started one week before the metric changeover, so the ship was allowed to have the metric money in use beforehand. Met my first girlfriend on the cruise. No shag tho....

I can even remember when Woolworths was a decent store! Woollies - R.I.P Chris

ttc546 wrote:

I was 12 years old - Met my first girlfriend on the cruise. No shag tho....

We didnt do that at 12 years old in those days - we at least waited til we were 13  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

One thing you will find impossible to change, the British pint we'd lose 68ml converting to the half litre

Also who would want to join the 1.61km high club doesnt exactly trip off the tongue  

christian138 wrote:

One thing you will find impossible to change, the British pint we'd lose 68ml converting to the half litre

Also who would want to join the 1.61km high club doesnt exactly trip off the tongue

That is typical old fashoined English Imperial remarks christian .
The Pint becomes a Litre when you order your beer, so you get MORE in your glass not less
and
The 1 mile high club becomes the 2km high club - where is your sence of adventure  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

ttc 546, her indoors was on that SS Uganda trip so pleased to see no hankey pankey went on. My school was much lower market, a trip to the 3 Counties Show was as exotic has we could manage. still pining for my 3dr, no removeable hardtop, no drop glass tailgate, no roof rack, no pockets everywhere to stow all that man kit

upnaway wrote:

ttc 546, her indoors was on that SS Uganda trip so pleased to see no hankey pankey went on. My school was much lower market, a trip to the 3 Counties Show was as exotic has we could manage.

That must have been the Chase then