PH2040 Fine Adjust Magnetic Base 7.28" x 8"-180 Lbs Hold

This is everything you want in an affordable indicator stand. Premium machine shop manufacturer, sturdy construction and very basic/simple functionality. The fine adjustment feature is really handy. The important part is that the hardware is very good, and you aren’t going to get bad readings from flimsy posts or loose knobs. You can pay a lot more for a Noga base with more articulation but if you only need it every once in a while you can still get this in just about any position you need with a few extra seconds of work. I got this because I bought a nice old Mitutoyo indicator that was in good shape but cheap. I had no use for a fancy base but getting a $15 junk base defeats the purpose of a good quality indicator. A good base might even be more important than a good indicator in my opinion. Get something nice that you’ll actually enjoy using but won’t break the bank.

This is the best straight arm magnet base I have ever used. I have owned a lot of mag bases over the years and Noga never disappoints. The fine adjustment in the base doesn’t add any instability into measurements . The arm clamping system holds like no other. I recommend this to anyone who works on or with machine tools.

Very solid mag base for the price. The fine adjustment on the base is a big improvement over my previous mag base with the adjustment on the dial arm. The main thing I noticed right away was the much finer threading on both the large and small clamping knobs. The knobs on my previous generic mag base were so coarsely threaded that you went from very loose to complete lock with nothing in between. The adjustments on this base are very smooth and linear by contrast. You can easily tighten them to the point where the joint won't move on its own but you can still tweak the positioning. Once you get the dial indicator exactly where you want it a gentle added twist on each knob locks everything in place. I'm sure the $100 - $200 Noga and Starrett bases are better for constant daily use, but for use in my home shop this will be the only base I ever need. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

This is my second Noga holder, the first being a fully articulated model. Both are used to hold indicators using the magnetic base attached to a machine, and as a holder on a surface plate. In that role the only complaint is as supplied the base is not true. With the arm extended and loaded with a tenths indicator both had a few thou of wobble. I corrected them by using a cast iron lap and fine abrasive. This model was more robust than I expected. The holder uses heavier components and has a nice feel. It is easy to use and the base adjustment behaved very similarly to the end-of-arm adjuster on my articulated model. Both are 'touchy' with a tenths indicator and hard to zero, but when you consider the geometry this is what I would expect. I like these holders and I'll get more as needed. Nice price. Recommended.

I've worked with indicator holders for over 30 years and have tried every version, and I'm a Mitutoyo guy. In retirement, you need to watch expenses but don't want to compromise quality. I needed to add to my inventory for a project and chose this version. Typically I would have gotten a fully articulated base and at some point, I may, but it was over 2x in price for what I need right now. I may regret not going there, but that's outside of this review. For about 1/3 the price of a Mit you get a very good stand and in some aspects more massive to what's 3x the price. All the functions and holding ability is there, they just use a unique clamping method at the tree. Mass in a stand is good for stability. I've used someone else's $20 base in this version and they are poor compared to my Starrett. The fine adjust at the base is new to me so I need more time with it, I really don't care for it at the indicator as one of the Mit base I have now does. Bottom line, good product and recommended. Not a paid review.

The magnetic base arrived on time, was well packaged, and complete. It is strong, simple to use, and priced right. Have used it for wheel bearing adjustments and most places that require a dial gauge to measure precise areas. Thank you very much!

Nice sturdy, hefty stand that does it's job perfectly, the magnet is sturdy and lever is smooth for On/Off positions and the fine adjustment is an added bonus, Had to modify connector tip with washers to work with a 1" travel Starret indicator but it's now secure and works great (I.E. doesn't come off of the arm and stays in place great)

Magnet is quite strong, steel arms are very sturdy. I dare say it's comparable to the Starrett mag base of similar design I use at the shop to check pump shaft runout. Mostly I slap it on my AXA base on my lathe to indicate stuff. Works great.