Matt, Standard R8 collets dirct in the nose work OK.

This is what I use 90% of the time and I'm not renown for hanging about piddling with a few thou.

They will hold plain shank and theaded shank.

Where the ER's score is the fact a collet has a closing range of 1mm and a lot of modern solid carbide cutter have a shank diameter equal to the working diameter so a 5mm cutter will have a 5mm shank.

Ok in an R8 if you have a 5mm collets which are easily available but something like a Clarkson or Posilock are limited to factory made collets in fixed sizes like 6mm, then 10m then 12mm etc.

Hi Matt,

I'm not giving here any recommendation but can say the following with some experience. I have used Posilok and ER collets and can vouch for the holding qualities of the latter. A bonus is that not only can they be also be used for work holding but they are not dedicated sizes as are Posilok collets. It is often forgotten, especially by amateurs that ER collets were originally designed specifically for milling cutter holding and it is the ability to comletely collapse along the whole length of the collet on to the shank that gives them such holding powere whereas normal collets close on a relatively small area due to the cone effect i'e. it is only the end of the collet that actually locks onto the shank when closed..

Regards

Terry