Accurate Digital scale for less than $100??

Ebbsnflows · March 6, 2012, 09:25 PM

Can anyone offer suggestions for a reliable (accurate) digi-scale for less than $100?

sserdlihc · March 6, 2012, 09:37 PM

I have used an RCBS Partner scale for 10 years or so. It is made by PACT. Great customer service by PACT and RCBS if issues occur. I believe my wife bought it for $90.

deepcore · March 6, 2012, 11:43 PM

Brian Enos sells one:

http://brianenos.com/store/be.scale_be.html

$74.95 according to the site.

Comes with 20 year warranty.

$35 more gets you their higher end model with the lifetime warranty.

Misssissippi Dave · March 7, 2012, 12:08 AM

Brian Enos sells one:

http://brianenos.com/store/be.scale_be.html

$74.95 according to the site.

Comes with 20 year warranty.

Mine works well.

higgite · March 7, 2012, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Brian Enos sells one:

http://brianenos.com/store/be.scale_be.html

$74.95 according to the site.

Comes with 20 year warranty.

Oldwillknottscales.com has one just like it for for $46.90. But you don't get a free RCBS powder pan/funnel.

excelerater · March 7, 2012, 10:52 AM

got a link please HIGGITE

Ebbsnflows · March 7, 2012, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Oldwillknottscales.com has one just like it for for $46.90. But you don't get a free RCBS powder pan/funnel

Thanks for the heads up....think I may give this one a whirl unless anyone has a valid argument against it (other than "It's inexpensive so it must be crap")

Another consideration is the HRN Lock-n-Load Bench scale 1500gr for $90. I'm considering that one as well simply due to the 110/220 volt power.

FrankenMauser · March 7, 2012, 04:20 PM

Stay away from digital scales that aren't sold as reloading scales, especially if you ever plan to trickle powder onto them.

Some electronic scales (particularly cheap ones) do not show accurate weights for trickled powder charges, because the small increases in weight are smaller than the resolution of the scale, and do not trigger the scale's increment threshold.

English translation: You can keep trickling powder, but the scale shows the same weight, or hardly any increase.

In my latest experimentation with a Cabela's scale (labeled for reloading

), I was able to trickle 37 grains of powder into the scale pan, with the scale only reading 17 gr. ...and it was properly zeroed; and is a scale that is known to be accurate (when used within its limitations).

There are three solutions to this problem, if you're cheap, and buy a digital scale that can't handle trickling:
1. Only use it for fixed weights. I.e. checking the charges from a powder measure, or weight sorting bullets.
2. Dump larger quantities of powder (multiple grains at a time), to ensure the threshold is met, so the scale increments.
3. Tap the scale pan with something, to get it to register a change in weight. Then, trickle quickly.

My advice for digital scales:
Spend more than $100, find reviews from other reloaders (showing that it can be trusted to do what you need), or only buy a scale that is specifically labeled as a reloading scale (except Cabela's products).

Gdawgs · March 7, 2012, 09:44 PM

You want to check the resolution of the scale, meaning the smallest increment the scale is capable of accurately reading. You want one with a resolution of at least. .1 grain. The cheaper ones will typically only go down to .2 grain. As an example, say you are trying to measure out 5.5 grains of powder. A scale with a .2 grain resolution will only give you readings of 5.2, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8, etc. A scale with .1 grain resolution will give readings of 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, etc. So with the .1 grain, you have a much better idea of where you are at. Thats the difference between the $75 dollar Brian Enos scale and the $47 Oldwillknot scale.

Spend more and you can get even better resolution, .05 grain and even .02 grain. With .05 grain resolution, then you would get readings of 5.40, 5.45, 5.50, 5.55, etc. However, usually as the resolution gets better, you may lose maximum capacity(the maximum amount of weight you can put on the scale)

That Hornady scale looks decent and has .1 grain resolution. This one from old will knot has a .05 grain resolution, but only has a capacity of a little over 300 grains, where as the Hornady can go up to 1500. But then again, 300 grains would be fine for measuring powder, but not if you were measuring larger bullets.

http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/je...le-jsvg20.html

Both the Hornady and the Brian Enos look good.

higgite · March 8, 2012, 02:45 AM

Quote:

got a link please HIGGITE

The one like the Brian Enos scale is actually cheaper than I posted. I posted the price ($46.90) for the 200 gram capacity scale. The price for the 100 gram capacity like Enos' is $43.90.

http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/je...le-js100x.html

I'm not recommending that scale one way or the other, just saying there it is cheaper than Enos' price if you want it. Personally, I have a Gempro 250 that I bought from oldwillknott. Very accurate scale, but you pay for it. Like they say, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

March 6, 2012, 09:25 PM	#1
Ebbsnflows Member Join Date: February 3, 2012 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 18	Accurate Digital scale for less than $100?? Can anyone offer suggestions for a reliable (accurate) digi-scale for less than $100?

March 6, 2012, 09:37 PM	#2
sserdlihc Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2008 Location: S.C. Posts: 1,390	I have used an RCBS Partner scale for 10 years or so. It is made by PACT. Great customer service by PACT and RCBS if issues occur. I believe my wife bought it for $90. __________________ Familiarity breeds contempt, while rarity wins admiration. Aupleius If someone doesn't like you, that's their problem! Milton Childress

March 7, 2012, 04:20 PM	#8
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2008 Location: 1B ID Posts: 5,392	Stay away from digital scales that aren't sold as reloading scales, especially if you ever plan to trickle powder onto them. Some electronic scales (particularly cheap ones) do not show accurate weights for trickled powder charges, because the small increases in weight are smaller than the resolution of the scale, and do not trigger the scale's increment threshold. English translation: You can keep trickling powder, but the scale shows the same weight, or hardly any increase. In my latest experimentation with a Cabela's scale (labeled for reloading ), I was able to trickle 37 grains of powder into the scale pan, with the scale only reading 17 gr. ...and it was properly zeroed; and is a scale that is known to be accurate (when used within its limitations). There are three solutions to this problem, if you're cheap, and buy a digital scale that can't handle trickling: 1. Only use it for fixed weights. I.e. checking the charges from a powder measure, or weight sorting bullets. 2. Dump larger quantities of powder (multiple grains at a time), to ensure the threshold is met, so the scale increments. 3. Tap the scale pan with something, to get it to register a change in weight. Then, trickle quickly. My advice for digital scales: Spend more than $100, find reviews from other reloaders (showing that it can be trusted to do what you need), or only buy a scale that is specifically labeled as a reloading scale (except Cabela's products). __________________ "Such is the strange way that man works -- first he virtually destroys a species and then does everything in his power to restore it."

March 6, 2012, 11:43 PM	#3
deepcore Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2010 Posts: 364	Brian Enos sells one: http://brianenos.com/store/be.scale_be.html $74.95 according to the site. Comes with 20 year warranty. $35 more gets you their higher end model with the lifetime warranty.

March 7, 2012, 12:08 AM	#4
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,097	Brian Enos sells one: http://brianenos.com/store/be.scale_be.html $74.95 according to the site. Comes with 20 year warranty. Mine works well.

March 7, 2012, 10:52 AM	#6
excelerater Junior member Join Date: June 27, 2011 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 694	got a link please HIGGITE

March 7, 2012, 09:44 PM	#9
Gdawgs Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2009 Location: Hutchinson, MN Posts: 453	You want to check the resolution of the scale, meaning the smallest increment the scale is capable of accurately reading. You want one with a resolution of at least. .1 grain. The cheaper ones will typically only go down to .2 grain. As an example, say you are trying to measure out 5.5 grains of powder. A scale with a .2 grain resolution will only give you readings of 5.2, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8, etc. A scale with .1 grain resolution will give readings of 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, etc. So with the .1 grain, you have a much better idea of where you are at. Thats the difference between the $75 dollar Brian Enos scale and the $47 Oldwillknot scale. Spend more and you can get even better resolution, .05 grain and even .02 grain. With .05 grain resolution, then you would get readings of 5.40, 5.45, 5.50, 5.55, etc. However, usually as the resolution gets better, you may lose maximum capacity(the maximum amount of weight you can put on the scale) That Hornady scale looks decent and has .1 grain resolution. This one from old will knot has a .05 grain resolution, but only has a capacity of a little over 300 grains, where as the Hornady can go up to 1500. But then again, 300 grains would be fine for measuring powder, but not if you were measuring larger bullets. http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/je...le-jsvg20.html Both the Hornady and the Brian Enos look good.