I can echo what Dunster said. I have not found the need for it either. I am wondering if it is because we both quilt on Innova machines. Unlike Dunster, I have experimented with a wide variety of threads and have used different threads in top and bobbin. I have not seen the need to get any kind of tension gauge. I would much rather learn my machine inside and out then have to rely on a gadget to set my tension correctly. While I agree that the bobbin winder that came with the Innova is nice, I still prefer to use prewound magnaglide bobbins.