Machinery's Handbook, 29th

Please see my other reviews for machinery's handbook for more details. I recommend buying this book and the handbook companion and handbook guide for an all around reference containing the basics all the way to the last detail. Each book has a different amount of detail and example and ties into the next, but can be used independently. This is the highly detailed book. For a quick reference, please check out the handbook companion. I bought all three and use each one in different situations with different amounts of available time.

I swear by this book. Granted I haven't had many editions in my possession but everything I have to look up on the Internet for my job as a mechanical/process engineer is 98% in this book. It takes almost all textbooks I've had for my degree specific classes and compacts the information into 2800 chock filled pages. It will soon be filled with stickies and post its for critical info areas. Equations, stress, strain, deflection, material selection, grades, fasteners, gearing, cross section analysis, conversion tables, machining processes, it's all here. It has earned a permanent spot on my desk at work. I use it every chance I get. Shell out the extra bucks for this thicker page version as I've heard bad things about how bad the page bleed is from the original edition. Every mechanical, design, industrial or process engineer or machinist should have this book on hand!!

Let me get one thing out of the way first: This book is not the size of a normal hardcover textbook. It has handbook size (5" x 8") pages, and is very thick. While I do not find this a problem, it is worth mentioning. I really enjoy this book as a reference for all kinds of operations around the shop. Even if you are not a machinist or engineer, this book has extremely useful resources for most mechanics and machinery. Everything from fasteners, to joints, to machining techniques, to mechanical properties of materials are included in this handy text.

I bought this for the Mechanical Engineering Machine Design PE Exam. It's a solid reference with a ton of data in it. With it handy I feel very confident that I will not be lacking in the details that I might need to look up for the exam. I think its time to upsize this one to a fullsize book. It currently a small paperback size but as thick as two bibles (or 1.75 George R.R. Martin Clash of Kings books for you heathens) with very thin pages. No one is even pretending to slip this in their pocket. Just make it a full size hardback book already and it would be even more useful. So the 30th edition will be full size right!? If it was bigger it would be my backup to the MERM, as it is the pages are so thin and small I cant take notes in it or highlight or anything. This NEEDs to be full size.

A lot of reviews I saw before I bought this stated the pages are so thin that they are unreadable. I won't argue that may have been the case for the initial release. I didn't get a copy printed during the initial release. I think the pages look great. I saw a lot of people saying older editions were better quality, especially as far as the paper was concerned. To test that, I compared the copy I got (29th Edi.) with my father-in-law's copy (24th Edi.). I found a page in each that had the same information printed on it. I compared and asked my wife to compare. Neither of us could see a discernible difference between the two.

If you're a mechanical engineering student, machinist, toolmaker, designer, or in any other related field and you don't have a copy of this book, stop reading reviews right now and go buy one. This is easily the most useful reference book I've ever owned, or probably ever will own. Even though we live in the age of the internet, it's still really helpful to have a hard copy reference book at your desk. Having a source you know you can count on is invaluable.

If you're an older person, consider looking for a version of this handbook that has larger print. This book's cover is like 4" x 7" and 2.5" thick, as I recall from memory. My point is that the pages are tiny, and so is the print. It's got fascinating information in it that I would enjoy reading casually if it were easier for me to read. As such, the poor little book doesn't get much use.

I ordered this for our engineering department. Previously had a 24th ed.and figured it was time for an upgrade. For only a few bucks more I could get the large print version. Initially I was cautious of the "thin paper" comments, but I gambled that the company had resolve it. As with any book this size (and the need for thin, light paper), I can still see what's on the next page, but it is still very readable. While I don't need the large print, others that I work with were absolutely thrilled with it. And it's not like it takes up much more bookshelf space.

Was worried about other adverse comments on thin paper. However this "Improved Paper" version is great. I can see why they tried very thin paper:- there is such a HUGE content of information. All-in, the book is A4 size and some 2,800 pages 75mm thick. Immense piece of work.

This larger print is much better than the pocket size edition. There's a lot of information packed up and therefore, it's just easier to search and read

Very useful book all in one. Fastest delivery and lowest price on Amazon.

La verdad este libro se lo regale a alguien que lo estaba buscando hace mucho tiempo y le ha resultado muy util.

Libro del tutto inutile viste i caratteri microscopici, dovrebbero dare in dotazione una lente. Inutile come manuale da tenere in officina sia come libro da consultare in casi particolari, visto che ha tabelle talmente microscopiche da essere praticamente illeggibili, soldi buttati, pazienza, da oggi in poi i libri, a costo di pagarli di più li compero in libreria, almeno so cosa compro.