Sad news from Hornady!!!

[jcwit]

Progress may or may not be a terrible thing, however I can choose whether to accept it or not.

This is true, the Amish are a good example.

[Stroker Ace]

If I had the money, I'd have both, but it would seem that beam scales have been used for a long time, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Folks have been reloading with beam scales for years.

It would seem that problems with manual scales could be more easily addressed by the user as opposed to problems with digital ones.

It really sucks that Hornady would not honor a warranty, regardless of it they happened to sell it anymore or not. It doesn't make for good customer relations. I wonder if it has to do with their purchase of Pacific... Does your manual scale have, "Pacific," on it anywhere?

[montana_charlie]

I have a small, low-cost, jewlers scale that I use for weighing bullets. It is much handier than using my 10-10.
When weighing bullets, I only need to know that they all weigh the same .... not exactly how much they weigh.
However, when I find myself doubting the weight of a powder charge from the 10-10, I plop that panful on the difital scale for a 'second opinion'. So far, it has always read extremely close to what I thought it should.

And, like I said, it's a cheapie ...

What digitals scales are handicapped at doing is reacting to weight change.

When you put a load on the plate, let it stabilize, and take your reading, that's what they are good at.
When you try to trickle a charge up to a desired weight, they don't track that increase very well.

CM

[blaser.306]

Thanks for all the replies! After some carefull Lookin at the knife edges on the beam, with a 5x magnifier. I saw what appeared to be ( ahem ) mechanical damage??? With a few juditious strokes with a fine round ceramic stone and the help ( loan ) of a set of scale check weights from Dieguy59. I am back in buissiness again , All balances out and weighs true to the 210.5 that is supplied with the scale set . I guess there is no immediate need for a new scale, however I think I will keep my eyes open for a NIB Hornady balance to be squirreled away for future consideration.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Thats what I like to hear repaired and good to go again , and I like all my balance beams and no electronics for scales and calipers here either

[1bluehorse]

Same boat here Blaser, my Pacific model M that I purchased in a "kit" in 1976 started doing strange things also. Same answer from Hornady, "tough sh!+". So from now on Hornady can go fish (thats the politest thing I could think of) ....I have a Lyman beam scale that works just fine and a couple RCBS electronic ones, but the Pacific kinda has sentimental value being the "first" I ever bought. Plus I still have all the other Pacific equipment (except the 38 dies) from that "kit". Yeah, I could find another one but it wouldn't be the same...

[WildmanJack]

I gave my old RCBS balance scale to a buddy two weeks ago. Three days later my RCBS Chargemaster craps out on me!!! It's two months out of warantee, so need to ship it back with a check for $45.00 for a new scale. Now I'm A;;; sorry I gave the balance scale away, and B::: Sure hope that the Chargemaster isn't a ***.... Up till now I have really loved the Chargemaster as it drops and weighs a load just as I finish loading a round. I have a PACT scale but don't particularly care of it. Way to sensitive to air currents.

Jack

[Muddydogs]

I have had one of the first RCBS digital scales for what 15 or 20 years. Every time I check it with check weights its right on the money and never gives me a problem. If I had to use a balance beam I would go crazy, started with my Dad's balance beam 30 years ago but when I put my own reloading gear together a digital was the first thing I got. My scale runs off wall power with a 9 volt backup and I have to say I am not worried about not having power to run the scale, I have enough 9 volts to get buy for a while just from the smoke alarm stash and if life is that bad but I still want to reload then I am sure the scale load will be nothing for the generator. Plus theres an old balance beam around here somewhere that someone gave me years ago.

For years I used the dial calipers but bought my first pair of digitals a couple months ago and have to say that digital calipers are very nice to use and fast. I now own 2 pair of digital calipers but the old dial ones still have a place on the bench. When the grandkids are old enough to learn about reloading I will defiantly hide the digital calipers so they can learn how to read a dial and maybe learn a little something about math and numbers. Maybe I can teach them how to read a analog clock while I'm at it.

[Norbrat]

When the grandkids are old enough to learn about reloading I will defiantly hide the digital calipers so they can learn how to read a dial and maybe learn a little something about math and numbers. Maybe I can teach them how to read a analog clock while I'm at it.

While you are at it, teach them how to read a Vernier scale and how to use a slide rule.

[jcwit]

Don't forget to throw away your remotes.

It was so much better walking up to the tv to change channels.

Yup, progress sure sucks.

[HangFireW8]

Thanks for all the replies! After some carefull Lookin at the knife edges on the beam, with a 5x magnifier. I saw what appeared to be ( ahem ) mechanical damage??? With a few juditious strokes with a fine round ceramic stone and the help ( loan ) of a set of scale check weights from Dieguy59. I am back in buissiness again , All balances out and weighs true to the 210.5 that is supplied with the scale set . I guess there is no immediate need for a new scale, however I think I will keep my eyes open for a NIB Hornady balance to be squirreled away for future consideration.

Glad it worked out for you. It's a shame the Model M is not supported anymore, it was my first scale, first one I owned, anyway. I had the same issue just a few years ago, it was still supported at that time, so I let them fix it. I learned two things- they sent it to the OEM to fix it, and one should never leave a beam mounted.

The reason is that sooner or later you drop something on the scale and it hammers the beam and peens flat spots onto the knife edges. Then you get the odd behavior you described- doesn't respond, then settles high or low, doesn't respond, then settles low or high, just drives you nuts.

Since then I built a small red oak box with clear top, and put it on my bench. Since it is already there, there is always room to put the scale away in it. Sometimes when I am in a hurry I just set the beam in there. The box is not a thing of beauty, but it serves a real purpose.

When your scale does this, you can stone it and fix it and verify it. When your electric does this, you throw it away.

HF

[skeet1]

blaser.306,
Good to hear you got your scale going again. My old Pacific Model M is the first scale I've owned I once got a used RCBS 505 at a flea market but didn't like it compared to my old Pacific. Not that the RCBS had any thing wrong with it, but once you get used to something it's hard to change. I bought that old scale in Minneapolis at a gas station that also sold reloading equipment on the side around 1971 and it is still going strong. I sold the RCBS.

Ken

[buck1]

I feel your pain. When a company does not stand behind something with their name on it , I go else where from now on. I will never again buy a new weaver scope for that same reason.

[jcwit]

I feel your pain. When a company does not stand behind something with their name on it , I go else where from now on. I will never again buy a new weaver scope for that same reason.

I understand the above statement and pretty much agree with it, However folks need to realize that the warranty etc. are factored into the initial price of the item. Free service and forever warranty are not free.