VTF gauge

Just so you guys know, VTF is a range. Within this range VTF is set by ear. VTF is not set by grams. VTF is set by listening. Setting by tracking force somewhere within the range is Step One. Step Two is listening to find if more or less is better. Step Three is checking to make sure your listening didn't put you outside the range. So there is no point in being super precise, no advantage in having lab quality or whatever. You could use the $20 Shure and be just fine. 

Wake up, Rip Van Winkle. Shure SFG costs about $40 these days. And they may claim to be made of aluminum because perhaps parts of it are made of aluminum, but the seesaw is weakly attracted to most low output moving magnet cartridges in my experience. This suggests that the seesaw has some low level ferrous content.Further, a problem with the SFG is not so much its accuracy as it is setting the sliding weight on the seesaw to the proper value on the printed scale. If you can set yours exactly so as to arrive at the proper counter force, more power to you. On mine, that drives me crazy. Why put up with that, when for similar dollars you can have a nice digital scale that is highly accurate?

How about the Clearaudio Weight Watcher touch? I have been using this to check VTF for over 10 years. My first VTF gauge was the seesaw type and it was okay, but I really like the Clearaudio. It has made cartridge setup easier.