remember the spark returns to the magneto via the engine casting its important that the mag mating faces are clean to give good spark.
if you have mag problems the first things to change are the plugs and the condenser.
yes magnetos can lose magnetism over time rotary mags not so much but tripper types especially if the shoe isnt closed.
moisture is the enemy any machine that is going to sit needs to be moisture protected.
points can be funny to set make sure they are set correctly
impulse drive mags can be hard to bench test by flicking them over. as they often need to rotate above certain speed to work.
if you have it off the machine you should feel a resistance to rotating the drive of the mag by hand this is the magnetic field weak magnets can cuase weak spark. which is hard to measure the exact magnetic strength.
i dont stuff around with them much i just get them sent away to be rebuilt.