Ames Announced the Model 8 Portable Hardness Tester in 1975
Ames introduced the model 8 hardness tester in February of 1975. This portable hardness tester has the capacity for either rounds or flats up to 8 inches to determine the hardness of metals and alloys in various Rockwell scales.
See the Model 8 Hardness Tester in Action!
The model 8 Ames portable Hardness Tester saves time and money by its ability to be taken to the workpiece being tested rather than having to cut pieces off to be taken to the laboratory for testing. The measuring head is independent of the measuring clamp or machine tool holder of your own design.
The model 8 Ames Portable Hardness Tester is accurate, light to carry, and easy to use. This tester meets the needs of both large and small plants. Use model 8 to test standard Rockwell scales, this tester is convienently is supplied with a carrying case.
With a frame depth of 4 inches, this tester reads Rockwell A, B, C, and other scales. The measuring head may be removed and mounted on a tool holder. This tester weighs 8.25 pounds.

5 Benefits of using Ames Portable Rockwell Hardness Testers
Do you wonder if Ames portable hardness testers are the best option for you to use when testing the hardness of metal? Here are 5 reasons to choose Ames when you choose your hardness tester.
- Ames provides you with repeatable accuracy. Repetative tests on the material will give you in the same reading. You may not find this benefit generally available on competing hardness testers. You will experience no loss of accuracy when you transfer your readings into Rockwell scales. This is because all readings are made directly into Rockwell scales. Ames tester accuracy may be compared to the accuracy of bench-type testers when you perform tests in the smae enviornment.
- Ames hardness testers are simple for you to operate. Even unskilled users can learn to make accurate tests after a very limited period of practice. This means you do not need highly qualified inspectors to make hardness tests. This allows you to perform hardness testes more frequently, and provide your customers with maintenance and closer tolerances for their products.
- Portable testers can be taken anywhere. With hardness testers that are not confiened to the labratory you can perform hardness tests on material at the assembly line, in the receiving yard, or on material still assembled in the machine. You will avoid delays in production. You can also perform hardness tests in scenerios that are not accessable for use with bench style hardness testers.
- Test in Rockwell A, B, and C. Ames portable hardness testers allow you to test directly in regular Rockwell A, B and C scales, or in Rockwell Superficial N and T scales. You can simply change the penetrator and the major load and your tests can be made in Rockwell D, E, F, G, H, K, L, M, P, R, S and V scales. You can refer to the following conversion chart for Rockwell Hardness. Ames’ extensive line of portable hardness testers allows you to test material in a size range of 1mm to 1 meter in diameter.

Ames Precision Model ST allows you to Check the Hardness of Tubing in Rockwell Scales
In May of 1977, Ames announced the release of the Ames Model ST portable Hardness Tester. This superficial tester is specifically designed for testing small diameter or thin wall tubing. The small anvil will fit into the inner wall of tubing as small as 3/16″ and is effective in checking larger sizes as well. The tube hardness tester reads in the 15-T scale and comes in a high-impact case just like our other portable hardness testers.

The Ames model ST tubing tester uses a special cylindrical anvil to test soft tubular materials such as copper. This tester is recommended for small diameter tubing with thin walls. The maximum load for the model ST is 15 KG, anything greater will damage this tester.
Before you begin a hardness test using your model ST, be sure that the 1/16 ball penetrator is snuggly screwed into the end of the tester spindle shaft. The 1/18″ pin perpendicular to the spindle is the anvil.
How to use your Model ST Tube tester:
Step 1: Rotate the bezel (outer ring of the dial indicator) and position the face of the dial so that the dot on the face is directly below the indicator’s pointer hand.
Step 2: Position your part over the 1/8″ anvil and slowly rotate the handwheel until the penetrator makes contact with the part and moves the pointer hand on the dial indicator to the line marked set. Stop at this point. You have reached the minor load point (3 kg).
Step 3: Rotate the numbered aluminum barrel dial, so that the 1/16 inch pin rests on top of the lucite magnifier.
Step 4: Rotate the handwheel until the pointer hand on the dial indicator reaches the major load of 15 kg (do not over or undershoot the target). Immediately after reaching the major load, rotate the handwheel back to the “set” (minor load) position.
Step 5: To read the Rockwell hardness, find the fine line on the magnifier. The scale below the magnifier on the aluminum barrel is graded in units of 10. The short hash marks are in units of two.
How to tell if your Tester is a Genuine Ames Hardness Tester
Ames began making Ames Portable Rockwell Hardness Testers in 1947. In 1975 Ames was acquired by Electro Arc. The Ames line of portable hardness testers has been made in Michigan since.
In 1997 it came to the attention of the Electro Arc company that each of it’s testers had been purchased by a company in China and duplicated. Now Chinese copies of Ames Portable Hardness testers are available online, bearing a striking resembelance to the handcrafted testers we manufacture everyday. Each of our testers are built one at a time following the ASTM E110 standard for the Rockwell scale. Each genuine Ames Hardness tester is individually calibrated to the Rockwell scales and bears a signed certificate with each tester.
How can you tell if your Ames Portable Hardness Tester is genuine?
- It bears the Ames symbol within the dial indicator
- You bought it directly from Amesportablehardnesstesters.com
- Call us with the model number located on the front of your tester – we keep records of every tester we sell
- Check the documentation included with your tester
How important is metal hardness testing? Consider the information provided by hardness testing and its significance in structural (i.e. bridges), aerospace, automotive, quality control, failure analysis and many other forms of manufacturing and industry. Determining material properties provides valuable insight to the durability, strength, flexibility and capabilities of a variety of component types from raw materials to finished goods.
Hardness testing is used extensively to characterize materials and to determine if they are suitable for their intended use. Why then would you buy a Chinese copy of a hardness tester?
- When quality is critical, should you trust a counterfeit hardness tester?
- Can it be calibrated?
- Will it hold up?
- Can it be serviced?
- Does it really meet the ASTM standard?
Ames Hardness Testers can be repaired and calibrated at our facility in Dexter Michigan. We also service Dell models. We do not offer service for any other brands. When considering a purchase of a Rockwell Hardness Tester to insure quality, you should consider its quality, repeat-ability and reliability.