Digital Powder Scale

[pahoghunter]

Is there a reasonably priced Digital scale on the market?

[dtalley]

I got mine at Cabela's. I can't really remember but I think it was around $55.00. I like it a lot. But then again I only have a Lyman balance beam to compair it to.

[mooman76]

I got a Cabelas also about 3 years ago and it works great. Cost like $60.

[USARO4]

Midway has one on sale this month for $29.99, part number 713-372. It's regularly $62.99. I bought one last time they were on sale and have been very pleased with it. The instructions for calibrating are not real clear but once you get it figured out it works great.

[pahoghunter]

I ordered that scale from Midway yesterday, that scale has some great reviews.

[USARO4]

Pahoghunter, I think you will be pleased with it. I also use a RCBS 505 balance scale and when checking between the two the digital gives me the same measurement 90% of the time. When it does vary it is only .1 grain. It's really handy for weighing bullets. I would also recommend you buy a set of RCBS check weights for about $10 at Midway. They really give you peace of mind when you're zeroing your scales.

[Netherwolf]

... I would also recommend you buy a set of RCBS check weights for about $10 at Midway. They really give you peace of mind when you're zeroing your scales.


The $10 (ish) RCBS check weights don't appear in Midway's May sale flyer & a search of their website shows the cheapest RCBS check weights selling for $23.49. Does anyone have a catalog number for the $10 check weights?

Netherwolf

[USARO4]

Netherwolf, I bought mine when they were on sale at least 8 years ago. I did'nt realize they went up that much, sorry for the out of date info.

[broomhandle]

Hi All,

If your going to buy a electric scale try to buy one that has a tranformer.
The battery powered ones seem to give bad readings if the battery is weak.

My pal had a problem with a Franklin Arsenal scale with the original batterys(others here have mentioned problems also) It was measuring 2.5 grains OFF till we replaced the batterys. :(

Always check against a second scale or check weights.

Be safe,

broomhandle

[454PB]

I have a Pact scale, and a Lyman Digital Powder Dispenser. All piezo load cells are temperature and draft sensitive. Many (if not all) require a warm up time to stabilize. For the most part they are useful and accurate, but I recommend you ALWAYS have a balance beam scale as backup.

[1hole]

[454PB; .... All piezo load cells are temperature and draft sensitive. Many (if not all) require a warm up time to stabilize. For the most part they are useful and accurate, but I recommend you ALWAYS have a balance beam scale as backup.]


I surely agree with the last line of your thought 454. But it's amusing to me that I often see the caution to have a reliable beam scale on hand to keep watch on the "modern" digital scales!

In fact, as a 40 year reloader and retired electronic instrument tech, I am bemused by the current interest in expensive and tempermental (figurativly and litterally) digital scales. I mean, what can a (practically) priced digital do that a less expenive beam will not and without the quirks and uncertainty the digitals bring to to the bench?

Okay, I understand not liking the beam scales made prior to magnetic damping, they were indeed a pain to use, but they haven't been made for many years now. And I accept the digital dispenser systems value too. But a digital scale without the dispenser system, what ....?

[gregg]

[454PB; .... All piezo load cells are temperature and draft sensitive. Many (if not all) require a warm up time to stabilize. For the most part they are useful and accurate, but I recommend you ALWAYS have a balance beam scale as backup.]


I surely agree with the last line of your thought 454. But it's amusing to me that I often see the caution to have a reliable beam scale on hand to keep watch on the "modern" digital scales!

In fact, as a 40 year reloader and retired electronic instrument tech, I am bemused by the current interest in expensive and tempermental (figurativly and litterally) digital scales. I mean, what can a (practically) priced digital do that a less expenive beam will not and without the quirks and uncertainty the digitals bring to to the bench?

Okay, I understand not liking the beam scales made prior to magnetic damping, they were indeed a pain to use, but they haven't been made for many years now. And I accept the digital dispenser systems value too. But a digital scale without the dispenser system, what ....?

The need I feel of wanting one is for weighing bullets and brass .
I have a hang up on some of the 223 brass can swing wildly in weight
of same brand and year. Other than that I can live well with the beam scale .

[1hole]

OK gregg, I understand the convience of weighting something that exceeds the beam scales range of plus/minus 5 gr without moving the balance weights. Especially relivant for cases!

But, I shoot in small volume for best accuracy so I only need a couple dozen matched cases that last me a looong time. The tedious task is sufficently infrequent I can stand it.

The one digital I tried for trickling up powder charges turned me OFF! :o

[grumpy one]

I won't get into the question of whether good digital scales are available at sensible prices at present, but for the benefit of those who like mechanical scales I'll include a personal experience from 1970. One of my group's many, many activities was testing springs for load and rate. We used a big Toledo scale for a multitude of years, then without being asked the equipment guy produced a load cell and digital readout and hauled the Toledo balance scale away. Naturally I didn't believe the digital scale at first and had the guys remove the digital system and take it into the calibration room where we calibrated it with our own traceable force standard: an Avery Universal Testing Machine, calibrated twice a year by a registered calibration laboratory.

The outcome of the test on the load cell equipment was disappointing; it was supposed to be accurate to plus or minus one pound up to its limit of about 1,500 pounds, and actually varied by about 40 pounds according to the Avery UTM. However being a suspicious kind of guy, I went to the records and checked the latest calibration report for the UTM. Sure enough, the "errors" exactly matched the inaccuracy of our traceable force standard; the basic everyday use loadcell and readout was 40 times more accurate than our UTM. Yes, we continued to take it back from time to time and check it on the UTM to make sure it hadn't deteriorated in daily use, but it never did deteriorate.

I use a beam balance for checking loads, and I'll keep doing so until the reports I read in places like this board convince me that digital scales have become cheap, reliable and accurate. However I'm looking forward to that day. My Redding beam balance is slow and rather tricky to use (the tenths-of-a-grain sliding mass often moves by a couple of tenths due to getting pounded about during use, and I have to keep checking it. Bits of metal filings also find their way into all the wrong places pretty regularly).

[Lloyd Smale]

I bought a pact digital scale and dispensor years ago and very seldom use the dispensor but the scale is used every day and has been reliable to a tee for me. It stays plugged in and on all the time and has been running for probably 7 years or better now. I calibrate it about once a week and its allways been accurate when ive tested it against my beam scales. Id use the dispensor more too if id take the time to upgrade to the faster speeds they do now. Its just to dammed slow for anything but low volume rifle loading.

[USARO4]

I agree with Gregg, mine is used mainly for checking boolit weights. I reload for many differant calibers and hundreds of rounds at a session. Digitals are fast and accurate enough for that task. I do rely on a balance scale for powder charges and I use check weights to calibrate both scales.