New Scale wanted...

[mikeinct]

Hey Guys..I'm looking for an upgrade to my 40 year old Lyman Balance...I found this electronic wonder on ebay...Any opinions or thoughts about using this scale ??? Mike in Ct
Cole-Parmer Symmetry Compact Portable Toploading Balance 300g x 0.01g 115V......... Those are Grams .01 1/100th of a gram

 

[1066]

I'm no expert on digital scales but it looks to me as if the very best that scale can do is .15 of a grain. I think you need to be looking for a something that will read .001g

 

[Bc'z]

Prices aren't bad

 

[mikeinct]

Yeah the price is good...But I think 1066 is correct...001 of gram resolution is needed..Mike

 

[mike06]

GemPro 250

 

[madmixerman]

AnD fx120i

 

[Evlshnngns]

The upgrade is an fx120, everything else is a maybe. Keep your old beam scale at the ready. That's my conclusion from reading here. Too many dead or wondering digitals scales out there for my taste. Let us know what you end up with.

 

[mikld]

I've tried 3 digital scales but now just use one of them when double checked by my RCBS or Lyman/Ohaus beam scales. I use it mainly for weighing bullets and if I'm loading a tried any true load where .2 won't matter much. Besides the "reported" problems with power, lighting and wandering, I found trickling up to be a real PIA. Two of my digital scales take much longer to trickle up a load than my beam scales and most of the time even when being very careful, the reading will jump .2 or .3 grains up. I have to either remove and reset the pan or tap the bench to vibrate the scale a bit for trying to up a charge by .2-.3 gr or so...

I have 5 beam scales (I can't pass up a deal!) and use two most often; an RCBS 5-10 and a Lyman/Ohaus D5. These have served me very well in the many years of weighting powder and bullets (20+ for the Lyman)...

 

[mikeinct]

I pulled the trigger on a 260.00 unit..The man at prime scales says I can return & upgrade if not happy...So I'll be test driving one of these electronic wonders soon enough...Mike in ct

 

[TAJ45]

I'm no expert on digital scales but it looks to me as if the very best that scale can do is .15 of a grain. I think you need to be looking for a something that will read .001g

That's right.
15.432 grains (gr) per gram (g)

 

[powderbrake]

Here's a drill - put a bullet on the E scale take a reading and write it down then come back an hour later and tell me it reads exactly the same and maybe you got a good scale.
Try the same exercise on a beam as well.
YRMV
J

Actually you have to expect it to read the weight, + or - the accuracy level of the scale each time you weigh it.

On my Fx120i , if I measure 30.00 grains, then 29.98, then 30.02, that's as good as it can measure, as it's accuracy is +or -.02 grains. So when I look at the readings my brain says, " OK 30 grains". I also know that 1 little piece of Varget weighs about .02 grains, and when I'm that close, I'm happy.

 

[swd]

FX120 is all you'll ever need or want. There are better scales just like there are better cars than a Ferrari...

 

[T-shooter]

I know several very good shooters that swear by thFX120 if I could afford one perhaps I would own one. Until then I'm old school.
As far as I know all the basic e scales run on the same technology
J

There are 2 basic types. A Strain Gauge which are the less expensive scales and Magnetic Force Restoration which are much more accurate and reliable. The FX scales are the magnetic force restoration type. Here is a test on the 2 types which are not the cheap scales you find on ebay and these are both by the same manufacturer.

 

[Mozella]

AnD fx120i

This is a sad truth. Unfortunately, the cost is too high for many folks to justify even if most of us can actually afford the scale. What I did, (many other reloaders do the same thing) is to hold my nose, close my eyes, and buy the FX120 in spite of the cost. It was a good decision and I really enjoy the improvement over my GemPro 120. But the price still stings a little bit. By the way, it's worth every penny. Sometimes you do what you gotta' do.

 

[Liven The Dream]

$325 or about Old Wilt Knot Scale there is a $10 coupon out there also

 

[Drolds72]

I just upgraded to a FX120 from a gempro 250. both are on the bench at opposite ends. the 2 scales consistently weigh within .02 grains of each other with 29.8 gr powder in an old rcbs pan- point being overall weight is several times the charge. The FX120 will register single kernel changes, while the gempro needs the pan reset after every trickle. The Gempro will noticably drift more often, and I usually re-tare it every 5 rounds and recalibrate every 50. The FX120 needs nothing except a windless environment.

 

[KenOath]

FX120i is one of the best investments in reloading I’ve made so far, even better withAdams Auto Trickler..

 

[swd]

I know several very good shooters that swear by thFX120 if I could afford one perhaps I would own one. Until then I'm old school.
As far as I know all the basic e scales run on the same technology
J

A Geo Metro and a Mercedes 550 run on the same technology too. It's up to the manufacturer how they use the technology. But, yes, better use of it does drive the price up.

 

[mikld]

One of my digital scales read in .01 (one hundredth of a grain). I was going crazy seeing that last digit dance around so I put a piece of tape over it. When working up a new to me load, I'll weigh every charge and try to keep it within .1 gr of my target weight, but .01? No way. I don't think there is much need (none) for .05 grain accuracy for any powder charges (do you know how small five one-hundredths of a grain is? Some individual grains of powder will weigh that much).

 

[powderbrake]

Are you saying you are for or against.04 accuracy?
J

I am for a scale with an accuracy of + or - .02 grains. The fx120i is a great scale.