Cheap Harbor Freight Mag Base

[rake60]

I received a couple Harbor Freight gift cards for Christmas and finally
had a chance to get to a retail store today.
The only thing I really needed was another Mag Base.
They had them there for $14.99 so I figured it was worth a try.

How well can a $15 mag base hold?
It impressed ME!

That is my 20 pound hammer.
I think it will hold just fine on the mill.
Now I wish I had bought two.
Harbor Freight has that base online for $9.99 + shipping.

Rick

 

[ozzie46]

I have 2 of them and they are pretty good. Plan on getting another soon.
I have had pretty good luck with HF. Bought my 3 in rotary table there that I did my flywheel on for the beam engine.

Ron

 

[shred]

I've got a couple of the HF units and they grab like mad and work pretty well, but after trying a friends' Noga with the one-knob-to-rule-them-all adjustment, I've been considering getting one like that as well. Has anybody tried the cheap one-knob variants from CDCO and others? I don't use mag based indicators all that much, so I'm reluctant to drop the coin on a Noga unless I have to.

 

[Davyboy]

Hi Rick, I've got 4 of those bases, they do the trick for me. Typical rough edges on corners, etc. Typical cheap plastic knobbers too. Two of mine had the clamps broken where indicator stem goes in. Drill two holes at 90* in round stock doesn't leave alot of material. Returned to store with no problem (receipt in hand) . There's a lesson here: INSPECT all goods either in store or when you get to the car, BEFORE you make the 100 mile round trip to return a ten dollar item. :wall:

Shred, I saw CDCO products firsthand. (This was 2 years ago) The large NOGA style base with fine adjust was a NO-GO for me. The fine adjust on 3 units rattled loosely and never would hold solid. My opinion is don't do it. However, I did buy two of those mini NOGA style bases. There's no fine adjust to rattle and the smaller size is handy on my 7x10 HF lathe. I would buy another small one if I had the extra(?) coin.

DB

 

[shred]

Shred, I saw CDCO products firsthand. (This was 2 years ago) The large NOGA style base with fine adjust was a NO-GO for me. The fine adjust on 3 units rattled loosely and never would hold solid. My opinion is don't do it. However, I did buy two of those mini NOGA style bases. There's no fine adjust to rattle and the smaller size is handy on my 7x10 HF lathe. I would buy another small one if I had the extra(?) coin.

Thanks. My problem is HF is on my way home from work.. I'll think about a mini next time I'm ordering from CDCO or wherever.

Another thing about the HF bases is the vertical stem is threaded into the base, so the arm parts can be unscrewed and the base can be used for whatever else you might want to mag-attach to things (IIRC it's a metric thread). You might want to locktite it or crank on the locknut otherwise though-- it can be irritating when it comes loose when you're fiddling with it.

 

[Holescreek]

If you use them alot, the Noga and Mitutoyo bases are winners hands down. If you only need to use a mag base occasionally the HFs and Encos are fine. My experience with the low end bases is that the knobs fall off first then the internal magnets loose position and strength goes with them. That's not to say that the knobs don't break on the others, but they are worth repairing. -Mike

 

[Kermit]

The magnets are delicate "pressed powder" types because they are cheap to make.

They do not like to be slammed into anything because high G shocks hurt and fracture them, and the way they are built(cheap ones that don't turn off) that is exactly what happens to them.

If you can come up with anyway to keep the base from jumping down HARD onto the metal surface as you approach that last inch or two, the magnets will last for many many years.

Nothing can be done for the knobs though,
Kermit ;D

 

[TinkerJohn]

If you’re looking for an alternative to the HF and want the single adjustment, you might take a look at this from Little Machine Shop.

I got one a few months ago and think it’s one heck of a bargain. Link:

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3385&category=

---TinkerJohn---

 

[itowbig]

ive got one of those hf ones and its been droped a couple times still works.
i dont use it that much but it works

 

[rake60]

The bases I use at work are all Mitutoyo 7010S models.
Right now they are running about $124.00 I even have a retired
7010S in my home shop. It's 20 years old all beat up and not very
pretty but it still does work.

I'm sure the new HF base wouldn't last near that long in a job shop
environment. At home my tools are less abused.

Rick

 

[Holescreek]

At home my tools are less abused

Rick, Most of my home shop mag bases are ones I pulled out of the scrap dumpster at work, and are the same Mitutoyos. They (the maintenance dept.) pitch them when the plastic levers break from dropping them inside machines. I machine new levers out of solid PVC block (also found in the scrap pile) and put them to work. I guess it's another case of location, location, location.

I have never held a HF mag base. The last mag base I bought was an Enco base & (junk)indicator set for under $20 back in 1990 or so. I got what I paid for and abused it on the job. :-[ -Mike