Lee Safety Powder Scales. AARRGH!

[Pond, James Pond]

Am I the only one who wants to see how far i can throw them?

I've had 80% of my reloading gear for about 3 weeks now. I'm still waiting for the auto disk powder measure and the actual press.

In the meantime, I have built a small reloading bench, loading trays and I have organised all my bits and bobs.

One thing that still defies my authoritah are the ****ing scales!!!

I have been trying to "zero" them ever since they arrived. I move the adjustment scale a billionth of a turn this way and that, and it still ends up off the zero line.

It takes so long to truly settle that I just tweek it as I see fit, then close the garage and come back another time.

When I come back: well, what a surprise. It is not on the zero...
AAARRRGH!!!

[rebs]

This is what I use
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/175...grain-capacity

I also have a Lyman beam scale and have checked the digital against it many times, this digital scale is right on the money as is the Lyman. It's all I use now.

[Axelwik]

I've long since retired my Lee scale... too jumpy, and like you described very hard to zero.

I found an RCBS scale on ebay for less than $30. Far, far better scale. Very easy to use.

[David Bachelder]

RCBS 505. Toss the Lee, it aint worth the trouble.

[bossman]

Yup, first thing I upgraded with my kit. Got a nice readable balance beam and never looked back. I did use the Lee scale but it was hard on my eyes and is so light it moves everytime I tryed to change anything.

Any of the top name reloading companys have nice balance beam scale, get the one that is easy on the eyes. Go to midway and read the reviews and check out for ease of adjustment. Also check out some scale check weights so you know for sure if it's in proper adjustment.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/212...ight-check-set

[Vance]

I put my Lee Safety Powder Scale back in the box and that is where it has been for the last three years. It is so bad that I won't even sell it on ebay. I wouldn't even give it to anybody. The thing was hard to zero, hard to read, took forever to stop moving, and I could not get consistant readings from it. The check weight I have came with an electronic scale I bought. The Lee would give me a different weight for that check weight each time I weighed it.

I found I don't care for the electronic scale either. I bought an RCBS 5-0-5 scale and have not regretted it. It may have cost twice what the other two scales cost combined, but it was worth it.

[Pond, James Pond]

The redeeming fact o the situation is that I have also order a pro autodisk measure. I spoke to the guy selling them today to ask his advice. He confessed he never used one...

Anyway, he was as helpful today as ever and took 15 minutes out of his day to talk me through it. He confirmed that, in essence, provided you don't move it about all the time you shouldn't need to re-zero it again. And, once you're sure it is zero'ed you can measure out your charge, find the associated auto disk compartment and load on volume from then on.

So, for now, I will persevere with the stupid little ****, and see how I get on. Press and measure ETA? 10 days!

[jimkim]

I hope you're prepared to find out that the discs don't usually drop the same charge that's on the charts. They are usually too light.

[marklyftogt]

Get a RCBS 1500 chargemaster combo. You will never look back.

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...3&src=exrbSrch

I tried the Lee powder measures and all the auto disk stuff but the inaccuracy scares me. Seemed like they were always a little higher or lower than i wanted.

I like the Lee classic turret press i have but not the on-press powder and primer handling. I use a Lee ergo hand primer as well.

The Frankford DS-750 is my double check scale and I use it to load when I am just doing a few.

[Mike-Mat]

I have a Lyman scale that's 30 years old. Is it accurate? I don't know, I've never checked it against any thing. I'm guessing it's close enough. I keep using it, because it repeatable. If I think I'm loading 24.5 grains and I'm really loading 24.6 grains, it doesn't matter. As long as it's consistent. I never load to the top of the range anyway. So I don't run the risk of over loading a charge.

A scale needs to measure something with repeatable results. If your scale wont do that, I'd get rid of it.

Mike

[grisbald]

I bought a Lee combo kit last year to start my reloading. The scale is the first thing I replaced. It weighs fine (I have checked it with both my digital scales), but the problem I always had was the beam sitting on that groove. Sometimes I couldn't feel if it was in there or not. It would be a much better scale if it was attached to the base.

[bossman]

My Lee pro auto disk is very constant with the drops once I understood what each disk drops. I always go one disk up from what Lee recommends with their chart. One of my very favorite upgrades. Just don't know how I got along without one, really speeds up the old single stage reloading.

Did you ever make a decision on your powder?

[S_Constitutionist]

I use the same scale mentioned above: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/175...grain-capacity

Cheap, but I have checked it against some very expensive beam scales at work and it has never let me down. Reviews of it are pretty much excellent across the board.

No zero drift and completely repeatable. Not a top end scale by any means, but I allow it to calibrate for a few minutes before each use and it works great for my purposes.

[TheNatureBoy]

Its terrible and I hate it. Its in a locker in my garage I think. Piece of junk.

[Don P]

I have been using the Lee beam scale since 2006 and no issue to date with it. Simple to use, I will admit the slightest breeze will get the beam moving and it matches the Frankford Arsenal digital I just purchased grain for grain and 1/10 grain for grain. Only purchased the digital because its easier to verify weights from the Auto disk. Keep the lee beam level and out of the wind/breeze and they work fine. Just more of the typical "lets bash lee equipment as junk".
Like I stated before anyone who cannot use the Lee beam scale or any other beam scale should give serious thought as to whether or not they should be reloading in the first place.

[markr]

Yeah, the OP mentioned using the scale in the garage. Not a good place to be using ANY beam scale. Any wind or draft will throw it off.

Also, the scale is so sensitive that variations at the pointer = Miniscule differences in weight. I always thought that if Lee put weight tic marks at the pointer like other brands, a lot of peoples fears would be alleviated. Half these people are losing sleep over .10 of a grain!

[wncchester]

Mike-Matt: " If I think I'm loading 24.5 grains and I'm really loading 24.6 grains, it doesn't matter."

You sir, have your head up high where the light is good and the air is fresh.

[eldorendo]

Use the Adjustable Charge Bar with the Pro Auto Disc.

[Mike-Mat]

@wncchester: What does that mean?

[dacaur]

The lee scale can be frustrating to use, but its not junk. It is definitely sensitive enough that if you are trying to use it in the same room as a fan/ac/open window etc you will want to pull your hair out, but thats not the scales fault.

As for the OP saying "It takes so long to truly settle that I just tweek it as I see fit, then close the garage and come back another time." That makes it seem like maybe he is trying to use it with the garage door open? Thats just silly, dont do that and you wont have a problem.
The lee scale is magnetically damped, so it should settle very quickly, If not your either have some sort of airflow keeping it from settling, or your scale is defective (unlikely). If you are sure there is no airflow on the scale (that= closed room, no fans or hvac blowing air around) then give lee a call. Mine ALWAYS settles within about 5 seconds, unless i breath on it and get it going again...

I also use a digital scale for ease and speed, but I would trust the lee beam scale over my digital if it came to it and did use it for month before I came up with the extra $$ for my digital. I still always compare the digital to the beam and if they dont agree, its always the fault of the digital, either needs to be calibrated or its too cold...

I think 99% of the hate for the lee scale simply comes from not understanding how it works and/or how sensitive it is.

[Beagle333]

I like my safety scale. I set it with my check weights, and I do use the Lee scoop too, and I can almost exactly scoop the load by now (within maybe 10 flakes - unique) and so I have a double check of it. But I'm only loading 30-50 at a sitting. (And as mentioned - no air currents can be near, and it helps to make sure the end of the beam stays centered between the magnets)

[Jimro]

The Lee Safety Scale worked fine for me until I wanted to weigh 308 caliber bullets. Now I use an Ohaus 505 that I picked up used and it lets me weigh bullets. The Ohaus is easier to use, but the Lee was never inaccurate.

Jimro

[Vance]

My reloading is done in the basement. No fans, no ac, no open wndows or doors. The Lee scale is magnetically damped? In a pigs eye it is. The thing would take forever to stop moving and it would not wiegh the same check weight consistantly. This was brand new out of the box it was doing that. It is crap no matter how many times I read the info sheet included with it.

Lee does make a few good items. The Safety Scale is not one of them.

[wncchester]

"wncchester: What does that mean?"

It means you are correct about relitive accuracy from a reloading scale; moderate 'accuracy' with absolute repeatability is all we need.

Ever buy a new car that was perfect in every way, from day one? If anything fails to work correctly out of the box it seems perhaps the owner would do well to contact the maker. Ain't no company ever made anything that works every time but most will fix it if allowed to, and that includes Lee. And RCBS. And Hornady. And ....

[markr]

I the lee scale is dampened by a flexible plastic tab stuck to the bottom of the scale, the beam hits it until it settles down.