http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/UltThreadChecker.htm

In any case, Lee Valley’s new thread ID tool is once again out of stock, now with a 5/11/10 ETA. If that’s the one you want, it may be best to order now and just wait for it.

The major appeal of the cable-mounted thread checkers is the convenience of keeping all sizes in one place. You can cut the cable, but as you said, this should be avoided. OR, if you do cut the cables, simply come up with a way to reclose the cable, or replace it with one that you can open or close as needed.

I checked some reviews of the thread identifiers that are attached by cable. As suspected, seems like they are difficult to maneuver because of the cable (when trying to turn the male part). I anticipate needing to take the identifier to the workpiece (car), so I may not consider the cable-mounted versions.

I’m trying to come up with good reasoning to help you choose between a wall mounted thread checker and a cable strung one, but it ultimately comes down to intended use. A wall mounted checker may be a bit easier for identifying loose nuts and bolts. If you think that you will occasionally need to check the thread of tapped holds or embedded studs, a loose thread checker would be more useful.

It does look that the combined Thread Checker has fewer sizes, but the excluded sizes are likely the rarest or least common ones. Again, should you find yourself needing those missing sizes, you can always measure the diameter of the fastener (calipers would come in handy) and then count the number of threads per inch.

1) wall mount vs. cable
2) inch/metric combo, or buying the inch and metric separately? It looks like if I buy them separately I get more sizes. I’m not sure how common these additional sizes are, and if it’s worth the extra cost.

I have some Lowe’s and Home Depot gift cards; I’m going to check and see if they have the ones on the cable. I already have plenty of those gauge checking cards.