Lee Safety Magnetic Scale?

[ClarkS]

Anyone got any experience with Lee's Safety Magnetic Scale? It's cheap enough but a consistent & accurate scale is pretty important! Grandson-in-law's on a tight budget. Thanx for any opinions.

[lead-1]

I used a LEE magnetic safety scale for at least six or seven years without a single problem.
If kept clean and not physically abused a LEE scale will provide many years of good service, I still have mine and the only reason I switched is that one of my boys turned the zero wheel and I didn't catch it until after I bought a second scale.

[dromia]

I used a LEE magnetic safety scale for at least six or seven years without a single problem.
If kept clean and not physically abused a LEE scale will provide many years of good service, I still have mine and the only reason I switched is that one of my boys turned the zero wheel and I didn't catch it until after I bought a second scale.


What make was your second scale?

[lead-1]

It is a Lyman D7 that will weigh up to 505 grains.

on post #377 of this thread you can see both scales, the LEE and the Lyman.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=12392&page=19

[kyle623]

i got a lee kit with the lee scale and used it for about a year till i found an rcbs 750 ranger. i still have the lee and would'nt think twice about going back to it if my rcbs quit working. if he wants a cheap digital scale you can get them on the jewelry channel fro time to time very cheap. my wife watches it and she bought one.

[mdi]

I like the locking feature of the Lee scale. I have bumped the poise on my Lyman/Ohaus scale when I returned the pan to it' hanger, and that changed the weight by .03 gr. heavier. I had to dump 30 .44 mag. charged cases because I didn't know when the misweight started. The Lee scale won't change settings when the poise is locked.

[jcwit]

They are somewhat of a pain in the butt because of how light weight they are but other than that they do what they are designed to do and do it accuracty.

Tip--Take a couple of rubber bands and fasten it to a chunk of 2 x 4.

[P.K.]

They are somewhat of a pain in the butt because of how light weight they are but other than that they do what they are designed to do and do it accuracty.

Tip--Take a couple of rubber bands and fasten it to a chunk of 2 x 4.

That's the ticket! The only reason I don't like the Lee scale is the pan. I hate the hanger attached to the pan but it's still a good scale.

[jcwit]

Oh Ya, take a pocket knife and cut a groove for the rubber band so it doesn't rock & roll.

[ClarkS]

Wow! Thank you all so much! I posted this Q on 4 forums late last night & am overwhelmed w/response today! But then I've found there's a corelation between a helpful, cooperative attitude toward life & those who participate in our sport. Thanx again to all!

& to mdi's caution-- yup, the Lyman I've used since '68 does that to me as well. If I ever notice the next charge I weigh is over or under, I always recheck scale before adj'ing measure! Like everthing else, there are quirks to deal with. Thanx again to all!

[JDFuchs]

It was always consistent & accurate for me but took a good long while to set. Once I got a
RCBS Model 1010 Magnetic Powder Scale at a garage sale, my reloading life became fast and easy. If it should ever break which I dont think it will unless it gets run over, ill replace it with another RCBS.

[markinalpine]

I still use mine to double check my digital scale when I feel the need to be extra careful, such as when reloading small pistol cases.
Mark :coffeecom
Welcome to the Board

[mooman76]

It is kind of a pita to use. Mostly just slow but seems accurate enough it that's what you need. I also use it as a backup or to check my electronic scale only.

[MT Gianni]

It had been accurate with check weights in all ranges. The disadvantage is it only goed to 100 gr so no weighing boolits. It is slow but when set can verify thrown charges OK especially if you are only verifing every 10th charge.

[Ed Barrett]

I have used a Lee scale for several years (8). I have an electric scale but I only use it for cases and bullets. I have a heat pump and when the blower kicks on the electronic scale jumps about .4 grains. I would buy another Lee if anything happened to this one.

[mooman76]

If you post in the WTB section you could probably pick up a Lee for next to nothing.

[1hole]

I have three magnetic beam scales, one's a Lee. Balanced against the very much higher cost for anything "better", the Lee scale is a very good product. The Lee "Safety Scale" has three liablities, none of which makes any difference for accuracy or consistancy measuring powder.

1. It's made of (tuff) plastic and a bit light so it's easy to touch and move aournd. But it's also easy to put it back!

2. The beam works great,...sorta. I really don't think the tenths reading scale is very easy to see so it can be a little difficult to use but, used correctly, it's dead on accurate.

3. The 100 grain weight limit precludes weighing a lot of bullets but that really doesn't have much practical value anyway.

[mold maker]

Most air currents that disturb electronic scales can be eliminated with a plexiglass surround with only the front open for access. If that's impractical, make a diffuser to deflect the air source away from your bench.

[Recluse]

It had been accurate with check weights in all ranges. The disadvantage is it only goed to 100 gr so no weighing boolits. It is slow but when set can verify thrown charges OK especially if you are only verifing every 10th charge.

I still have my original Lee Safety Scale--it is green in color. No kidding. I'll have to post a picture of it here later today. I did the following things to make it easier to use:

1. I turned the base over and filled it with lead, then took a sheet of the polyurethane tool-box drawer liner and glued it to the base. I then took an xacto knife and trimmed the excess off.

This keeps the scale heavy and stationery.

2. I do not like the powder-weighing pan, so I took it and polished the beegees out of it with Mother's Aluminum Polish. It looks like chrome now, but even more important, it feels like chrome--so the powder doesn't hang or stick on it.

3. I got one of those plastic magnifying glasses from Walmart or Walgreens or some China-goods importer store. I have it near the scale so I can read the vernier scale (tenths of a grain) easier.

The Lee hasn't been my primary scale in years, or maybe even decades. I use an RCBS beam scale for my primary scale.

But, for ALL NEW LOAD DEVELOPMENT, every charge during the development gets its weight confirmed and backed upon the Lee Safety Scale.

It's accuracy continues to amaze me.

:coffee:

[ClarkS]

Many thanks again to all who responded! It's all good info, the opinions, the tips.

[geargnasher]

I absolutely swear by my RCBS 505 scale, been using it since the beginning. I've purchased several electronic scales, don't own any anymore. Got a Lee scale with my turret press kit (needed some duplicate accessories and the kit was cheaper than press and accessories alone) and I only tried to use it once. I spent 15-20 minutes trying to read the white mark against the vernier marks, finally threw a charge and checked it with the RCBS and got what I "THINK" was about the correct setting. I don't know if this scale is defective or not, but I would consider it completely unusable and wouldn't attempt reloading if it was the only one available to me. so far the only Lee tool other than their sorry excuse for a chamfer tool that I would consider complete junk. Their moulds can be made to work. The rest of their lineup that I've tried I would qualify as excellent bargain and they have some innovative stuff no one else offers. But my particular Lee "safety scale" is garbage.

Gear

[P.K.]

But, for ALL NEW LOAD DEVELOPMENT, every charge during the development gets its weight confirmed and backed upon the Lee Safety Scale.

It's accuracy continues to amaze me.

:coffee:

Excellent post, couldn't agree more. I have an OHAUS 505 which as far as I'm concerned is an RCBS scale or the other way around. Before everyone dogpiles me it is. Unless I miss a cue both are the same in design and function. Just the color is off.

The Lee Saftey Scale or LSS from here on, and I am not a rep just a loader, is the ticket. It's set to 100 gr for a reason, to measure powder, not everything else. The whole reason behind it was for everything else in known weights against the Lee data in their book. Aside from that I cook loads on that scale and trust it, because it's beat every digital scale I have (3) for accuracy. I load only in my garage, temps below 30 degrees even with the secondary heater out there, toss the digital scales off by as much as a grain. The LSS is spot on from the moment you set it to the time you zero it out. Many MECANICAL scales will function the same BUT if you are on a budjet and want an accurate scale with a true read anytime anywhere a LSS is a good call.

The grain scale on the .10 threw me when I first played with it but it's a learning thing with me and I'm sure the gurus here have no problem with it. I just couldn't get past the idea that the gr wgt I was looking for was showing up on three windows on the scale. I was screwing up by the numbers and hell I'm terrible with em. :p

I got it figger'ed out and no worries wit the scale or the measure, though I am going to look for another for differing powders for rifle loads. ;)

[deerslayer]

I have an ohaus and a lee scale and I check every load setup on both and samples throughout the process on one or the other they both work fine for powder and for a beginner I think the lee is more fool proof or newbie proof if it is zeroed properly.

[deerslayer]

Oh and i left out that in all my checks I have not seen more than .01 grn difference between the two so the lee is very accurate in fact if you look at the design it almost has to be accurate as stated above. The reason I use two scales is to check me that i have set the scale to the proper weight not because of accuracy issues with the scales.

[ClarkS]

Well, a quick update from my end: I won an auction on evilbay for a "vintage Lyman" scale for only $25. I've never seen one exactly like it, but other than the cast-in Lyman logo on the base, it's just like the one I've used since '68, gray paint & all. 'Twas weird because all the other scales were getting bid up to $50-60, & my bid was the only one on this one, despite it running for a week. Now I'm worried everyone but me knows this is the worst scale ever created! But it'll probly be fine. Thanx again for all the input.