Is there a best cartridge track force gauge?

I second dougdeacon's advice. A good, ditigal .01g scale can be purchased for approx $30 on ebay. I fabricated a platform for the stylus from an old credit card and used double-sided tape to attach it to the scale platform. It is a snap to use.

I think that Albert mentioned having experience with some type of digital tracking force gauge in someone else's system. They couldn't figure out why the system sounded so out of the ordinary until they verified the tracking force. The results obtained using the digital gauge were WAY out in left field, hence the sonic problems. I don't know the details of this specific case in terms of make / model, but it's always good to have some way to appr verify that you are in the ballpark before fine-tuning by ear. Sean
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There was a time when pickups tracked at 5 or 6 grams. Yes, really! In those days the VTF could be set by a sensitive finger, and a nickle coin, which weighs exactly 5 grams. Put the nickle on your finger, then substitute the pickup. True story.

I am tracking my Ortofon SPU presently at 4 grams. None of my gauges goes beyond 3.5. Yes, I do remember 5 and 6 grams as well as tonearm that were quite substantial.

I bought an .01 scale here and have pretty happy with it. The Shure just got to be a PITA, and I'm lazy. And cheap, no way was I going to spend a couple of hundred!

Then I fine tune by ear.