Mag base and dial gauge holder

[Skierdude]

I bought one of these mag base gauge holders a few months back. It's a cheaper made in china product probably the same as you would buy from Banggood and similar.
I like the idea of being able to fix the mag base where needed and then move the dial gauge to the right place and lock it all down with one knob. Also I like the idea of fine adjustment to set the dial gauge or indicator just right.
Great idea, too bad it's next to useless.
The mag base works fine, although I doubt the 800Nm force quoted but it does hold well in most situations. The locking mechanism just doesn't hold tight enough and depending on the angles the arms can sag during a measuring session making the entire operation pointless. Finally the fine adjustment is spring loaded but rather weakly so it's impossible to set and repeat any position on the dial.
With that whinge over I'd like to know if the same style of gauge holder from Noga or Starrett or Mitutoyo really do work well. They are 3 times the price of this cheap thing so I want to know if they are worth the price.

Thanks guys.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

yes they do work, I believe Shars now has one that is comparable to the Noga for less money

 

[ttabbal]

I did the same thing. I bought a Noga with this style with the fine adjustment on the base. It works great. Far better than the cheap one. The cheap one will likely be holding a chip shield soon.

I don't have others to compare it to. Shars was mentioned above and I have had good luck with some of their other tooling. I have not tried their indicator holders though.

 

[mikey]

For the articulating arm style of indicator holder, Noga leads the field because they work. Their components are precisely made and hardened where appropriate. I own five Nogas and all work well. The magnets can be a bit weak, though, so you need to be sure it has good contact before you trust it. If you buy a Noga, I recommend the FAB-style with the fine adjuster at the base instead of at the indicator end. The one on the end causes too much movement at the indicator.

I have not used this style from Starrett or Mitutoyo.

 

[Tozguy]

My Nogas are great, very happy with the fine adjust on top.
I bought a budget priced one recently and it did not compare to a Noga. It did not lock the top arm and the fine adjust on the bottom was extremely hard to operate. So it was returned for a refund.
Keep an eye out for sales on a Noga. They are more expensive but offer great value.

 

[Liljoebrshooter]

I now own 3 of the Noga's. They are much better than the import ones I bought. Both of the import's fell apart.
I have 3 sizes of the Noga. The medium size is the one I use the most. All of mine have the fine adjust top and I haven't seen any issues with them.
Joe Hynes

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

Here is a video showing the testing of the Noga versus the Shars .

 

[Bob Korves]

The Chinese copies of the Noga can be improved by taking them apart, finding where the contact surfaces of the locking surfaces are poor, and then lapping them in to a better fit. For the amount of work required, it is better to just buy a Noga, FAB model which was well built at the factory...

 

[Skierdude]

Hey thank you all for the feedback. I see a new Noga base in my future. Now I just need to form a raiding party to go attack the retirement fund.

 

[devils4ever]

I'm looking at getting a Noga myself. I'm fed up with my old, cheap Chinese base and indicator. I'm ready to throw it against the wall, it's so frustrating to use.

So, for use on a mini lathe and mini mill, which size is recommended and what's the pros and cons of the fine adjustment on top vs bottom?

BTW, MSC has them on sale this month!