# Underwhelmed By Noga Base?



## jmcghee (Aug 3, 2016)

I treated myself to a Noga after wanting one for a long time, thinking its the be all end all of mag bases. The arm is as advertised, but the mag base itself seems surprisingly weak... like can't hold its own weight to the column of my mill weak. I actually tinkered with it and a $10 Chinese base I already had(rated at ~50lbs vs the Noga's 175 rating) and they seem more or less equal in holding power. Has anyone else experienced this?  I'm thinking I may have gotten a bad one, but maybe that's just how they are?


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## Reeltor (Aug 3, 2016)

I have a Noga and think the mag base holds better than other bases that I have.  I'd contact Noga for a replacement


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## Ed ke6bnl (Aug 3, 2016)

I also found the base just satisfactory,  I purchased it used, but the works great and I like the fine adj. At base


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## FOMOGO (Aug 3, 2016)

I love the articulating arm and fine adjustment on mine, but I would agree that the base is just adequate. Mike


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## Sandia (Aug 3, 2016)

I have 3 of the Noga arms, 2 have magnet bases and 1 has a stem for use in the mill. My large Noga the magnet is fairly strong but will not hold on the base of my  mill on the vertical part, the small one is even weaker yet. Love the arms but the magnets are just about as weak as any I have ever seen. My old Chinese stuff is a lot stronger.


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## JR49 (Aug 3, 2016)

I don't know why, but my 2 Noga mag bases hold very strong to any steel parts.  The mill table, or almost any part of my old Logan lathe, and when not being used, I store them magnetically attached to the side of a metal file cabinet, and they hold solidly.  However, they WILL NOT hold to the cast iron base of my mill.  This has bugged me for a long time! I have no idea why, but I'm hoping someone will chime in with an answer.  JR49


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## chips&more (Aug 3, 2016)

I have several Noga’s that I found in my travels. Never paid retail, if I had, I would have been disappointed. I think they are getting too much hype for what they are. Same with the Starrett snake like indicator arm. That thing does not hold the indicator well enough to do anything. Can’t use it, doesn’t want to hold/lock position solidly, but it sure looks cool.


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## Bob Korves (Aug 4, 2016)

chips&more said:


> I have several Noga’s that I found in my travels. Never paid retail, if I had, I would have been disappointed. I think they are getting too much hype for what they are. Same with the Starrett snake like indicator arm. That thing does not hold the indicator well enough to do anything. Can’t use it, doesn’t want to hold/lock position solidly, but it sure looks cool.


I have not seen a snake base that is worth a damn.  They do not hold rigidly, and they break when you try to tighten them enough to work.  Then you have pieces all over the floor.  I have two Noga bases and one with a straight 8mm/ 5/16" shank to go in a collet.  They all work just dandy, stronger magnets than anything else I have had, except for a large and heavy Mitutoyo magnetic base that is stronger than anything I have seen.  The part number is 7010S.  The rods on it are also extra strong and beefy.  Seems like I never have a job for it, though, the Nogas are easier and faster to use and more enjoyable as well...


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## kd4gij (Aug 4, 2016)

The problem with mag base sticking to most mill base it the paint is just to thick.


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## jmcghee (Aug 4, 2016)

I've tried it on a bunch of surfaces, painted cast, bare cast, steel etc. and it's just plain ho hum. I would've thought that for better than triple the "rating" (whatever that actually means) it'd be noticeably stronger, but apparently I'm not the only one who's seen this.  Like I said, the arm is the bees knees... I wish I would've just gotten it and stuck it on an old base. Oh well


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## woodchucker (Aug 4, 2016)

I have the same issue. I am very unimpressed with it. Its funny but I was playing with it the other day. I put some angle iron used in electrical work on a shelf, and tried attaching it. The Noga fell off, the others held. The noga holds well on hot rolled angle, but for 174 lbs, of hold, it should hold better than my lightweight units, and it doesn't.

My arm is just so, so. it is very stiff and doesn't release well.
Unimpressed.


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## royesses (Aug 7, 2016)

I have the same problem with the small Noga mag base. It is a weakling. The regular size Noga has an adequate mag base, but not super strong. I do store them with metal across the magnet faces.


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## CraigB1960 (Aug 7, 2016)

Strange..my 2 Noga magnetic bases cannot be pried off the surfaces I've used them on.   Much stronger than the other magnetic bases I have.


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## kd4gij (Aug 23, 2016)

I wonder if there are counterfeit noga's out there. Like mitutoyo.


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## 4GSR (Aug 25, 2016)

kd4gij said:


> I wonder if there are counterfeit noga's out there. Like mitutoyo.


Yep! They are all over eBay for under $30 with a cheap indicator included. Been tempted to buy one, but I have way too many dial indicators and Starrett Magnetic bases in my tool collection that I don't need anymore! Ken


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## booker (Aug 28, 2016)

I, like most of you have a very weak base. I've always hated it and thought about replacing it for just that reason. In the catalog it shows 2 different holding power ratings and thought that I would get the one with the stronger hold. I how see that the 175 lb hold is insufficient and I will now save my money and get something else. I bought mine from what I would think to be a reputable tool company "Travers Tools." Thanks for the post.


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## Reeltor (Aug 28, 2016)

Has anyone who has a weak mag base sent Noga an email explaining your disappointment?
Be polite and professional, you won't know their response until you tell them you have a problem/issue.

Mike


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## brino (Aug 28, 2016)

Many so called "permanent magnets" are adversely affected by shock.
Perhaps some of these used ones have been dropped by a previous owner, and sold off because they do not hold.

-brino

EDIT: this thread made me go check mine......my Noga base is stronger than my cheap Chinese brand, but I have never had a problem with either.


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## woodchucker (Aug 31, 2016)

brino, got mine from Enco, and it was brand new.  I picked up the stronger unit, and the fine adjustment is built into the base, otherwise I would replace it with the chinese base I have that is stronger.


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## AlbertNakaji (Sep 3, 2016)

If anyone has a medium size Noga that they'd like to sell, I'd be interested.  Please send me a PM.  Just about anything should be better than my present Chinese holder.


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## EmilioG (Dec 17, 2016)

Just received my new Noga FAT/FAB mag base and the magnet is very strong., even on painted metal.
Well made, and it's not even the strongest mag nm rating that they have.  Stays in place, solid. No problems.
For the Chinese to counterfeit a base of this quality, why not just produce their own brand?  I haven't seen any fakes
but who knows.  I only purchase from reputable dealers anyway.  Ebay can be a gamble.This is my 3rd Noga and no issues with holding power.


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## EmilioG (Dec 17, 2016)

If I were to splurge on a new mag base, I'd go with the Swiss Interapid large mag base.  Very $$$$$$$.


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## Ed ke6bnl (Dec 17, 2016)

woochucker said:


> I have the same issue. I am very unimpressed with it. Its funny but I was playing with it the other day. I put some angle iron used in electrical work on a shelf, and tried attaching it. The Noga fell off, the others held. The noga holds well on hot rolled angle, but for 174 lbs, of hold, it should hold better than my lightweight units, and it doesn't.
> 
> My arm is just so, so. it is very stiff and doesn't release well.
> Unimpressed.


The mechanism seems great the holding power is not quite as much as I would have expected from 175 lb. holding power, it has done well for me, my other cheaper hydraulic one works as a 6 out of 9 for the Noga BUT when it sits for a week I find it limp on the shelf and had to add hydraulic fluid to the unit to recharge it. the Noga sits proud all the time


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## 4GSR (Dec 17, 2016)

Here's mine... it is big, heavy, bulky, but it does have a very strong magnetic.
I'm jealous!!!


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## MozamPete (Dec 18, 2016)

I resently brought two Nogas - an NF61003 (small)  and a DG61003 (large).
The small one I can just pull off bare metal, takes a fair bit of effort, so more than strong enough for normal use. It is however nowhere near as strong when connected to the mill column - don't know if is the paint or the metal used.
The large one show the same effect - might as well be welded to bare metal, no way I can pull it off, but could pull it off the mill column with a fair bit of effort.

Both are much stronger than the similar sized Chinese ones I have.


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## Bob Korves (Dec 18, 2016)

Cast iron does not hold magnets as well as steel does.


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## booker (Dec 23, 2016)

Thanks Bob... I never thought about the cast iron. In both cases where I noted weak magnets it happened to be cast iron.


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## MozamPete (Dec 24, 2016)

I think it is even down to the type of cast iron. My mill table is cast and it hold very well, but the cast column not so well. Unless my table is actually cast steel, but I don't think so.


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## bss1 (Dec 24, 2016)

A lot of mill columns have a thick coat of body filler to smooth out the rough casting underneath. I wonder if that could contribute to the reports of weak magnetic attraction?


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## Rockytime (Apr 23, 2017)

Perhaps I should not admit this but both my standard and mini knock offs hold like gangbusters. I seldom use the standard size since selling my full size machinery. I have a 7" MaxiMat lathe, mini-mill and a Sherline lathe and mill. The mini holder is my work horse. I shall get another from Shars.


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## Tozguy (Apr 24, 2017)

Both of my medium sized FAT Nogas hold well on vertical surfaces but I have to be selective about where it goes on painted cast iron. If there is just paint then fine but where there is also a layer of Bondo it does not hold enough.

Storing the bases on a steel surface with the base ON is supposed to preserve the magnets better.


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## pstemari (Apr 27, 2017)

Oh? I would have thought that Noga at least would be using neodymium magnets. Alnico and ferrite magnets do benefit from a "keeper".

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## Greebles (Apr 27, 2017)

I have a Noga w/ base and it holds very well and takes some effort to pry it loose when activate. Perhaps you have a defective base?

-Denzil


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## ch2co (Apr 27, 2017)

My mid sized Noga base holds better than any of my others from across the Pacific. Here's a list of what Noga says their bases are supposed 
to do.  One N (newton) is about .25 pounds of force. So my M8 base should require about 200 pounds of force to pull it off. That force would
be applied in a direction just opposite of the base, no pulling to side.
.


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## ch2co (Apr 27, 2017)

Sorry the model number would be DG0036. (The M8 is the thread size)


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