What are you using that you are happy with ?

Dial head, magnet, adjustability, etc.

i have used Starrett items almost exclusively during my 45 year working career as a machinist. they are pricey however.
Mititoyo makes good items as well.
just my personal experience. your mileage will vary.
others will have their own preferences, which will be a good comparison to mine, and help you make a good buying decision.

I have a Starrett mechanical and a Fowler digital gauge and I like them both . The Fowler I have came with a magnetic base and flex mount and I think it was only around $140.
I like the Starrett for setting up rear ends and the Fowler is great for engine work,checking cams piston height etc...

Gus

Sterrett has seriously gone downhill. My last new bore gage I bought from them went back twice before it was usable. I have many examples. One indicator (0.0001” resolution) totally unusable right out of the box. There are only a few Starrett products I would buy anymore. I use mostly mitutoyo now but there are other good ones out there.

Lots of choices out there, try some and decide what you like working with
I have several different ones now after discovering that I needed several different sizes types and brands and holders along with extensions to match to make them better to use depending on what I'm measuring
I use two different ones when degreeing cams, one for verifying TDC on #6 piston and the other on the lifters for #1 piston to degree the intake and exhaust lobes when locating the intake lobe timing to TDC
If the cam card calls for a 108 LSA and to install the intake lobe at max lift at 104 ATDC I will check the exhaust lobe after getting the intake lobe at 104 degrees after top dead center to make sure the exhaust lobe is at 112 degrees BTDC when closing to ensure the cam was ground on a 108 LSA.
I've had more than one cam ground wrong on the LSA, way better to make sure than wishing you had before finding out the hard way it was ground wrong
The first wrong one was the first solid roller cam I put in a 392 Hemi motor in V drive flat bottom ski boat, the cam was ground on a 114 lobe separation angle and was suppose to be ground on a 110 LSA, it was horrible running in the boat under power, wouldn't rev past 3300 RPM at WOT in the water I had use the cam card and found that it was checking 5 degrees off on both the opening and closing at the lobes. It was very frustrating as it was the first motor I built for some one else than me or helping a friend.
I had my wife take it back to them 3 times before finding out about what the LSA was and how to check them, that locked in that it was ground wrong
They had installed the alignment pin(or keyway, CRS now ) in the wrong place and wouldn't replace that cam due to it being a custom ground steel billet core that they didn't stock or want to stock, they did give me a set of offset bushing for the cam and some offset keyways for both the crank and cam gear keyways
It was a Sig Erson cam and they wouldn't fix it or replace it, I never bought another cam from them and told every one I could to not use them
Very poor customer service from them

I know that generally you get what you pay for. The $35 Summit one did not get the greatest reviews.

For dial bore gauge i like the mitotoyo i have. As for dial indicaters, i mostly need them for dialing in cams, checking cam lift, so lower cost units work for me, as long as they repeat.

Best magnetic indicator base I've used is Noga. The rest all move when tightened. Even the snakes. Fowler makes decent budget indicators. Your probably looking for .001 graduations. Dang near any will do for cam work. Just make sure it has 1" travel or more

This is the fowler I have and I added the digital head

Toolmaker for 37 years. I have 4 mechanical Starretts that I bought over 40 years ago and a Fowler digital that is newer. The Fowler looks exactly like the one fourgearsavoy shows above. I have not bought anything like this in decades so I can't comment on Starrett's current quality.

I have a Central mic set and a variety of gages, mics, indicators, calipers, etc., most of which are older US or Swiss stuff with a couple of Japan built tools. I always have my eyes open for mint, older, quality, US or Swiss made measuring tools.

Newer stuff is suspect for me. Even the US built tools to some degree.

Thanks much Gents !
Right now I need to do cam checking and bellhousing dial-in. Rear end stuff I will leave to those more qualified.

Even with aluminum heads I need a good magnetic base to stick to the block. On the bellhousing stuff, I like the look
of a solid homemade bracket to bolt to the crank.

Moat of the better magnetic bases will hold on to an iron or steel flywheel to help dial in the bell housing centers

my career started in 1973, so the Starrett items i own were purchased a very long time ago.
i have also heard, and SEEN, the Starrett quality go downhill in the last few years, so i should have mentioned that.
i am sorry i did not.

Lots of good deals on name brand tools on Facebook marketplace.

I like Noga mag bases the best. I have a Starrett flex post and never use it after getting the Noga. I prefer the fine adjustment on the base.

Don't own one. Have seen them and like what I see. ebay in the Fowler brand for $58. I'll have one.

Noga is the only magnetic base to use. For the dial indicator any brand would probably work. I've always used Starrett and don't look at the other stuff.

I have been machining for the last 30 years, I've found Mitutoyo to be the most consistent as far as quality has gone. I have found the Starret stuff to be a bit hit and miss, depending on what it was.

Noga definitely makes good bases.........