The GemPro or the A&D FX$$..again

[Tesoro]

Just a heads up on precision scales. Seems like on the boards there are always 2 options recommended: the GemPro or the A&D lab scale. And the Santorious $$$ for some unknown reason to me.

But you dont see many asking what do the guys use who buy $10,000 per carat gem stones in the markets! There are actually scales made that are super reliable that dont need to be in a lab environment to repeatedly measure to the .02 or .03 grain (which is more or what than you need). It is all about the circuit boards. There isnt such a thing as a precise reloading electric scale made for our tiny market.

I used to be in the gem biz for a bit and used the Tanita 1210 $200 ' diamond scale'. Lets see, I bought it back in 2005 and I am still using it today now as my primary loading scale! 16-17 years later without ever a blip, float or hiccup !!! 8 years used nealry daily, 4 yrs total storage and 5 yrs weighing powder. Its a professional japanese made scale that people in the industry use all around the world. Mine is the old battery only model so it turns off every 10 min which is a giant pita for loading. I am going to drop $190 on the newer 1210N model which has battery and also 12v with ability to shut off the auto off mode. I will still use batteries to eliminate the cord if it will let me when using batteries.

I use the Lyman plastic universal funnel pan with it (trimmed off the ears).

The 1210n is accurate to .03 grain, it is fast and not sensitive to air currents, as the circuity is designed to be used outdoors or in offices etc for on the road buyers. My 1210 is accurate to .05 grain, as it is the old model. But still plenty good as you can read the threshold and load light or heavy on the cusp to get to .025 accuracy midway. Not that this is necessary.

Oh, and unlike the original Gempro, you can actually read the LCD screen clearly at a 45 deg angle!

I used to have a set of test weights and played with the Tanita and it was fast as heck and never off.

Just a fyi for anyone wanting to up trickle to precision for $200!!! ps: lots of chicom fakes out there like mituoyo calipers etc. Miniscale.us sells the real thing if interested.

 

[jelenko]

Is the Gempro used in the precious gems industry at all?

 

[Tesoro]

Is the Gempro used in the precious gems industry at all?

Never saw one but that was some years back now. Maybe MyWeigh brand didnt exist. I dont think it has much use in the industry as it has reputation for alot of malfunctions on the gem industry boards. I bought one the other day to check out of curiosity and it had a paper where already been returned for warranty after 4 yrs old. And it malfunctioned so I returned it! But I would have sold it anyhow because the screen was illegible unless you looked down on it. Plus it was too slow to lock in the weight.

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I use a Gempro 250, which is the original one. In fact there's a review here somewhere I read when I bought it about 10+ years ago when it first came out.

The newer ones can handle more weight, and if you wanted to weigh 1 lb. of powder that might come in handy. That could make it handy to store 1 lb. containers from a used 8 lber, as an example.

For BR it seems that one of the units that drop like the ChargeMaster or ChargeMaster light might be more useful than a more precise scale. The reason I say that is that there's one thing that annoys me on my Gempro and that's the fact that there are 3 decimals, and often even after it is warmed up for some time, it will flicker between the 3rd digit. I just don't really need to know as it just seems to distract me while I'm weighing loads. I use one of those crappy RCBS tricklers with the Gempro, but I hate it. The Franklin Armory unit looks good, but it's Chinesium which is a deal breaker for me. The Gempro 250 can do what I need for the time being. I have 2 different single stage presses.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I've talked about my GemPro 250 before:

GemPro 250 and a stable zero

I have had my Gempro now for a while and it gives better readings than my RCBS 750. But the zero wanders a little just like my RCBS scale. What I do to mitigate it is ever 5 rounds (1 line of my 50 round block) I re-zero both the RCBS scale and the Gempro and go again. But I started noticing...

forum.accurateshooter.com

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I've talked about my GemPro 250 before:

GemPro 250 and a stable zero

I have had my Gempro now for a while and it gives better readings than my RCBS 750. But the zero wanders a little just like my RCBS scale. What I do to mitigate it is ever 5 rounds (1 line of my 50 round block) I re-zero both the RCBS scale and the Gempro and go again. But I started noticing...

forum.accurateshooter.com

I noticed mine would wander before it was warmed up for about 15 minutes, so I used to leave it plugged in for about 30 minutes. They sure were a great deal when they first came out, I got mine on sale from them for about $150 for the kit. More than paid for itself. The analog/digital debate will continue for however long grains are being measured.

 

[Tesoro]

I was curious as to why the GemPro appears to come up everywhere on shooting forums searches. WHY? Why would so many shooters think this is the LE Wilson of the mini scales when name brand commercial scales were available for the same price? Sounds like a text book case of successful target marketing to a niche market!

So I did a little research: The company that 'makes' GemPro was founded in 1997. It is primarily a tobacco/smoking paraphernalia importer/wholesaler based out of Phoenix. So it makes sense that it would pick up a line of scales out of China to complement smoke and head shop supplies. Pic of the corp hq at 3401A attached. BBK Tobacco and Foods dba as HBI Corp. 40 employees 18M in revenue.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I was curious as to why the GemPro appears to come up everywhere on shooting forums searches. WHY? Why would so many shooters think this is the LE Wilson of the mini scales when name brand commercial scales were available for the same price? Sounds like a text book case of successful target marketing to a niche market!

So I did a little research: The company that 'makes' GemPro was founded in 1997. It is primarily a tobacco/smoking paraphernalia importer/wholesaler based out of Phoenix. So it makes sense that it would pick up a line of scales out of China to complement smoke and head shop supplies. Pic of the corp hq at 3401A attached. BBK Tobacco and Foods dba as HBI Corp. 40 employees 18M in revenue.

View attachment 1345311

Don’t see what difference that makes...

Nobody is saying the gp250 is the best scale out there but back when you could get them for $150 they were pretty much impossible to beat “at that price point”. You had to spend a ton more money to get a better scale. And that still holds true if you ask me because my unit has worked flawlessly.

Some people don’t know their head from their rear when it comes to setting things up and doing it right so I can only take some claims with a grain of salt. If I plan on starting some testing I turn the gp250 on the night before I want to load rounds and I’ll leave it on for days, maybe even weeks if I’m doing a lot of testing. If I shoot on a weekend and want to shoot the next weekend, I leave it on all week. Not like it’s running up my electricity bill so no reason to turn it off. It’s also set up with an expensive ‘Grade A’ machinist’s granite surface plate on an extremely robust bench and it never gets moved around. Always stays at prefect level. No air currents in the room and the circuit it’s connected to has no other loads on it. Set your stuff up carefully and properly and take care of it so it takes care of you. That’s how I see it. These guys bouncing scales in and out of closets and taking them to the range is just plain foolish and asking for trouble

 

[Tesoro]

My point exactly. There were scales avail at same price as g250, that didnt need overnight warming with laser leveled granite tops, which measured as accurately and faster sans the drift. They were designed to be portable. But you needed to be in gem biz to know and not a reloader, following cue from others on these forums.

 

[jelenko]

I was curious as to why the GemPro appears to come up everywhere on shooting forums searches. WHY? Why would so many shooters think this is the LE Wilson of the mini scales when name brand commercial scales were available for the same price? Sounds like a text book case of successful target marketing to a niche market!

So I did a little research: The company that 'makes' GemPro was founded in 1997. It is primarily a tobacco/smoking paraphernalia importer/wholesaler based out of Phoenix. So it makes sense that it would pick up a line of scales out of China to complement smoke and head shop supplies. Pic of the corp hq at 3401A attached. BBK Tobacco and Foods dba as HBI Corp. 40 employees 18M in revenue.

View attachment 1345311

Their literature talks about weighing gems - nothing about tobacco.
Their website shows a bunch of different weighing products.
At the bottom of their home page, it does say the name My Weigh is owned by BBK Tobacco.
Net: Seems like My Weigh is more than a sideline product for BBK.

 

[D-4297]

I've had my Gem Pro 250 for close to five years now , and not a second problem with it . Set it up as described above , and leave mine plugged in 24 / 7 - 365 , unless I'm going out of town for a few days . Then ; I plug it in and wait over-night before using it again . As has been said ; If it's set up correctly , according to instructions , and handled correctly , when necessary , it does just fine .

I do re-tare every five to ten loads , to keep my OCD happy .

 

[Tesoro]

Their literature talks about weighing gems - nothing about tobacco.
Their website shows a bunch of different weighing products.
At the bottom of their home page, it does say the name My Weigh is owned by BBK Tobacco.
Net: Seems like My Weigh is more than a sideline product for BBK.

Of course, because in all states weighing gems is legal, but weighing drugs is illegal in many, if you are not a pharmacist!! BBk 'Tobacco' is a head shop wholesaler with hot item being organic rolling papers for joints. If you have ever been in a head shop you would know they always have a supply of gram scales for sale!. Thus the complimentary sideline selling scales! Every dime bag of meth sold in anytown, USA has to be first weighed with a precision scale!
Here is a pic of John Kesselman founder and CEO of BBK Tobacco, Myweigh etc DBA as HBI Corp. If this pic dosen't drive it home! I doubt he trades in gems or reloads!!

 

[jelenko]

Hmm. On principle, I'm going to have to replace my Gempro 500.

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

Hmm. On principle, I'm going to have to replace my Gempro 500.

I respect that, but I'm gonna keep my 250 until it quits working, and even then I will probably try to take it apart and fix it. Mine is so accurate you can see it change if I breath towards it whem measuring powder, so I always try to put the cover down. Even then it can still teeter totter on the 3rd decimal which kinda annoys me, but accuracy with my GemPro. Music can do the same!

I also try not to patronize those with different beliefs, but have learned that is almost impossible when living in California.

I worked for an employer that was adamant about drug testing, yet were fined $570M last year for illegal fentanyl distribution...that company is Johnson and Johnson. I wouldn't be surprised if GemPros are measuring fentanyl given the above pic...