GemPro 250 Review...

[Deerhunter61]

Guys,

I've read that this scale is the most accurate, especially for the money! But...today I was seriously thinking about ordering it and while I was reading more about it I saw some reviews and started reading them and Wow! There were a lot of one star reviews which talked about it being inaccurate, not working from the outset and then slammed the customer service! Anyone on here have any such issues?

Thanks,

Mel

 

[jlow]

I’ve had mine for 5 years and so an early adaptor, long before any reviewer tested it. I have 30 years research experience and have used scales that cost many thousands of dollars and you can guess my experience using scales. What I can tell you is this is a solid scale that can reproducibly measure weights down to 0.02 grains day in and day out. Does this mean that no one has ever gotten a bad one? Absolutely not! Even the people who buy the most expensive and “best made” cars have run occasionally into lemons.

Does this scale allow you to weigh powder as fast as the best scale, yes and no. It does take more time to detect a small change in weight like a single kernel of varget if you drop the powder in and just wait for it to equilibrate. However, if you know how to use it, yes it can be just as fast. Here is how. If you tickle in a small volume of powder, you can place the spatula on the pan to momentarily increase its weight, once you take it off, it will immediately equilibrate to the correct weight. This is fast and the whole maneuver takes about 5 seconds. So can you get a better scale that works faster without having to do this? Yes of course if you want to pay 4-10x more money. Which is right for you is your choice.

As to the bad reviews, some of it I am sure is real but a lot of it I personally think belongs to people either did not know how to use it or who brought more expensive scales and wants to make themselves feel better. Not trash talking but telling it as it is.

 

[Twoboxer]

IMO, its better than many scales and does a fine job of weighing one-off items. It is the ONLY scale that guessed correctly at each and every one of my RCBS check weights.

It does not do well trickling (slow or no response). This forces you to lift the pan. let it zero, and weigh again to be sure. After a while it begins to need re-taring, then more frequently, then it (or rather mine) starts to give incorrect weights. Shutting it off, turning it on, recalibrating etc allows me to begin the cycle again.

I use it to control my 5-0-5 (and vice-versa) during rifle load workups.

 

[jlow]

Don't lift the pan - that is the slow method. Use a small spatula to add power and then once it is in, gently place the spatula on the pan to add significant weight, lift the spatula off and the balance will immediately give you the correct weight.

 

[scorpion168]

I used mine happily for less than a year. It started going berserk lately. Not sure why, but it have another one coming. It has spoiled me while loading for my 308.

 

[jlow]

Not aiming this at anyone but a general comment.

Any scale that can weight powder accurately down the 0.02 grain is a very delicate instrument. As such it is susceptible to a lot of things. Environmental factors such as slight wind, lack of calibration, balance not warmed up, balance not sitting absolutely flat, vibration for machinery nearby, static, voltage surge from power lines, etc all can produce symptoms that makes the balance seem out of whack.

Of course, this does not even include rough handling, dropping the scale, etc which will surely damage the scale or any fine precision instrument for that matter.

Not everyone who works with this type of delicate instrument has the background or skills to do so and this is another reason why when one reads the feedback pages, one has to take it with a large grain of salt.

 

[M36]

Got mine last week and seems to be working good. I turn off the ceiling fan when I use it and removed a fluorescent light. I do let it warm up for awhile before I use it. I use the small pan it came with to drop the charge, add with a trickler and remove kernels with the plastic tweezers. I try to stay consistent and have no complaints.