Elect. Scale

[orerancher]

Wanna get an Electronic Scale..
Anyone got an opinion, advice, warning???

Thanks

[mr surveyor]

I used a PACT for several years and felt like I should just buy one and return the PACT to my friend. I bought the RCBS RangeMaster 750 that turned out to be a near exact clone to the old PACT I'd been using. The 750 has been perfect for my use, and it gets used. I throw charges with a LEE dipper onto the scale, then using the same dipper I'll trickle up to the charge weight desired. I do this for every load, and it ain't that big of a deal in time for me.


jd

[daboone]

It's not just a scale but the Lyman Gen 6 has been serving me very accurately and conveniently well for about 4 years. I was not excited about it when it was given to me for my birthday. I knew e!electronics were just a fad, unreliable joke. Ok old jerk can learn new tricks.

I rarely use it as a dispenser, mostly as a scale. But when I do it work as fast as my can operate my SS press. I'm not trading in my 505 scale and I'm glad I have a set of Lyman check weights. Still a certain level of mistrust as mentioned that is rapidly fading.

I use it a mostly to check cast bullet weights or verifying mechanical powder measures.

[Macd]

I use an RCBS 750 for all my reloading. I have had it for several years and never been disappointed. My procedure is:
1. Place on a level surface and plug into a receptacle that has no "noisy" devices such as a motor running on the same circuit.
2. Turn it on and let it settle for about 5 minutes.
3. Calibrate every session giving time for each calibration step to be completed.
4. Gently place pan on scale, wait a few seconds, then zero.
5. Throw just under charge weight and then trickle up slowly giving scale time to adjust and stop just as it displays desired weight. (I actually throw from the powder measure into a 30-06 case and then pour into the pan. When I use an auto-measure on the turret press I only weigh every 10-15teenth charge or for plinking rounds for the rifles.
6. Never leave any weight including the pan on the scale when storing it.

I don't think I could ever go back to a balance scale.

[GasGuzzler]

Both of my small electric scales and my RCBS and Ohaus beams are within 0.1 grain so I use the electric ones.

[JohnnyEnfield]

I have the small Lyman electric scale that is $25 - $30. It wanders a lot. I use it for double checking my Lee safety scale and also for weighing bullets, etc. It is good for the heavier stuff. I follow the directions to a 'T' but it always wanders say 3 - 5 tenths of a grain no matter what I do. For powder I have to keep hitting 'Tare' over and over because it wanders. So I would not recommend it for measuring powder.

[mikld]

I've had three digital scales. The first was a Jennings and it often wandered, was difficult to "trickle up" on and eventually the "tare" had to be reset every time the pan was remove. After a few months of use, I could not calibrate it anymore and couldn't find a repair/warranty service. I also have a Frankfort Arsenal (Mod no.?) that works fairly well, but I have to check tare often and trying to trickle up a load takes a fairly long time, and the readout often jumps .2-.3 gr when trying to tweek a load. I got a little Gem scale (Mod. no.?) and it seems consistent, but also needed to be checked for zero and tare often. The pan is tiny and I can only use it for handgun loads and no other pan will work on it. It's graduated in .01 gr so trickling up isn't too much hassle. I check the scale against my RCBS 5-10 or my Lyman/Ohaus D5. and mostly use it for when I'm weighing many loads during a session...

I haven't tried a dispenser/scale combo, but I've heard more good than bad about them..

[Macd]

A clean power supply is essential for most electronic scales. The best ones condition the power themselves. The cheaper ones are susceptible to power voltage and frequency variations. Running from quality 9 volt alkaline batteries (if your scale is equipped) can often help as they hold their voltage as their charge level drops. Florescent lights can be a real problem. If you ever measured your average household current you would be surprised how much it varies from moment to moment.

[mr surveyor]

even though I do have the ac/dc converter for my RCBS 750 scale, I do not use it. I have no problem with replacing a fairly cheap 9 volt battery when it needs replacing. Plugging into ac supply (my opinion) can pick up electrical spikes and/or interference from other "utilities" using the same circuit. I still have old style fluorescent lights over my reloading area, but since I'm not plugged into the same ac current I've never seemed to have any issues. Only issue I've noticed is placing the scale in the "line of site" of the a/c duct .... which I don't do. The electronic scales I've used have needed a few minutes of being prepped and "on" for a few short minutes before the short time to calibrate, but they have been spot on.

I will say that I've never used or depended on a budget rate/cheap electronic scale and tried to stay with in the mid price range of what's available. No doubt that there's much better quality instruments available for 5 to 10 times the price, but mine seem to meet the immediate needs.


jd

[GasGuzzler]

My small ones must work OK because they're battery operated.