What scale?
- Thread starter Sumpter Steve
- Start date
Re: What scale?
I'm in the market for a new electronic scale as my PACT BBK is drifting badly.
After researching all the popular reloading scales, I've decided that I'm not happy with any of them. The quality seems suspect, the accuracy leaves something to be desired, and all of them are just rebranded Asian scales, so you're paying the middle man.
I've worked and trained in laboratories most of my life, so I've had plenty of exposure to high-qualiy balances. That said, I think I'm going to buy a real precision balance for reloading rather than letting RCBS or PACT tell me what I need.
For example;
1500 grain capacity
0.05 grain resolution
Lifetime warranty
$150
http://balance.balances.com/scales/10
1500 grain capacity
0.05 grain resolution
Ten year warranty
$200
http://www.americanweigh.com/product_info.php?cPath=65&products_id=486
1850 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
Two year warranty
$290
http://balance.balances.com/scales/1800
1850 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
Two year warranty
American Made
$235
http://balance.balances.com/scales/906
925 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
One year warranty
$240
http://www.americanweigh.com/product_info.php?cPath=99&products_id=1354
3000 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
One year warranty
$370
http://www.americanweigh.com/product_inf...a74ec07556b5c1a
787 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
Swiss made
Two year warranty
$637
http://balance.balances.com/scales/251
I'm in the market for a new electronic scale as my PACT BBK is drifting badly.
After researching all the popular reloading scales, I've decided that I'm not happy with any of them. The quality seems suspect, the accuracy leaves something to be desired, and all of them are just rebranded Asian scales, so you're paying the middle man.
I've worked and trained in laboratories most of my life, so I've had plenty of exposure to high-qualiy balances. That said, I think I'm going to buy a real precision balance for reloading rather than letting RCBS or PACT tell me what I need.
For example;
1500 grain capacity
0.05 grain resolution
Lifetime warranty
$150
http://balance.balances.com/scales/10
1500 grain capacity
0.05 grain resolution
Ten year warranty
$200
http://www.americanweigh.com/product_info.php?cPath=65&products_id=486
1850 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
Two year warranty
$290
http://balance.balances.com/scales/1800
1850 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
Two year warranty
American Made
$235
http://balance.balances.com/scales/906
925 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
One year warranty
$240
http://www.americanweigh.com/product_info.php?cPath=99&products_id=1354
3000 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
One year warranty
$370
http://www.americanweigh.com/product_inf...a74ec07556b5c1a
787 grain capacity
0.02 grain resolution
Swiss made
Two year warranty
$637
http://balance.balances.com/scales/251
Re: What scale?
Glock24,
If the BBK is drifting you may have dirty power, All electronic scales
drift on my house power. I have RCBS’s rebranded BBK. I Took it off
House power and put a fresh battery in it. I have a little Ohaus Carat
Series that is a 1 milligram (.001) scale and the BBK simply rounds off
at a half 10th. In other words they both jive with each other.
Wow, all of that to say, I use an electronic scales as a final check to
my beam scale and then I cut it off. I like the 10-5 and 10-10 scales.
Glock24,
If the BBK is drifting you may have dirty power, All electronic scales
drift on my house power. I have RCBS’s rebranded BBK. I Took it off
House power and put a fresh battery in it. I have a little Ohaus Carat
Series that is a 1 milligram (.001) scale and the BBK simply rounds off
at a half 10th. In other words they both jive with each other.
Wow, all of that to say, I use an electronic scales as a final check to
my beam scale and then I cut it off. I like the 10-5 and 10-10 scales.
Re: What scale?
Any digital anything is GREAT...so long as it works great.
When it quits being great, it ain't so great.
Gravity is dependable. Electronics are not...get a beam scale and it will still be working gteat 50 years from now.
Any digital anything is GREAT...so long as it works great.
When it quits being great, it ain't so great.
Gravity is dependable. Electronics are not...get a beam scale and it will still be working gteat 50 years from now.
Re: What scale?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TaterInTheSouth</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Glock24,
If the BBK is drifting you may have dirty power, All electronic scales
drift on my house power. I have RCBS’s rebranded BBK. I Took it off
House power and put a fresh battery in it. I have a little Ohaus Carat
Series that is a 1 milligram (.001) scale and the BBK simply rounds off
at a half 10th. In other words they both jive with each other.
Wow, all of that to say, I use an electronic scales as a final check to
my beam scale and then I cut it off. I like the 10-5 and 10-10 scales. </div></div>
I'll give it a try, although I used to run it on batteries and I hated replacing them all the time. A weak battery causes a lot of drift also. Maybe I need some sort of power filter on my wall outlet.
Balance scales seem way too slow. Or am I doing something wrong?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TaterInTheSouth</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Glock24,
If the BBK is drifting you may have dirty power, All electronic scales
drift on my house power. I have RCBS’s rebranded BBK. I Took it off
House power and put a fresh battery in it. I have a little Ohaus Carat
Series that is a 1 milligram (.001) scale and the BBK simply rounds off
at a half 10th. In other words they both jive with each other.
Wow, all of that to say, I use an electronic scales as a final check to
my beam scale and then I cut it off. I like the 10-5 and 10-10 scales. </div></div>
I'll give it a try, although I used to run it on batteries and I hated replacing them all the time. A weak battery causes a lot of drift also. Maybe I need some sort of power filter on my wall outlet.
Balance scales seem way too slow. Or am I doing something wrong?
Re: What scale?
"Balance scales seem way too slow. Or am I doing something wrong?"
What do you mean "slow"? I put the pan on and every magnetically damped scale I've ever used stops in a couple of swings and that takes a couple of seconds. A digital always has some number showing but at least a few of them take a second or two to settle. That doesn't seem a major difference to me.
Part of why I prefer a beam is they follow a trickler in "real time". They have no time lag that some digitals have and causes the user to over-trickle and then have to remove a few kernels; eating time, if that matters.
Digital scales need warm up time. Zero/tare time. Calibrate time. Time to re-zero as they warm up more and again as line voltage changes or other magnetic fields affect them. That seems a lot of time fiddling around and checking to save a second or so of time per individual charge! My beam is always ready to use and couln't care less what the temp or power line voltage in my loading room is!
But, if anyone can't stand it they should get their very own digital gadget and enjoy the benefits of "New! Modern! Fast!", etc. Not me, I want total reliability.
"Balance scales seem way too slow. Or am I doing something wrong?"
What do you mean "slow"? I put the pan on and every magnetically damped scale I've ever used stops in a couple of swings and that takes a couple of seconds. A digital always has some number showing but at least a few of them take a second or two to settle. That doesn't seem a major difference to me.
Part of why I prefer a beam is they follow a trickler in "real time". They have no time lag that some digitals have and causes the user to over-trickle and then have to remove a few kernels; eating time, if that matters.
Digital scales need warm up time. Zero/tare time. Calibrate time. Time to re-zero as they warm up more and again as line voltage changes or other magnetic fields affect them. That seems a lot of time fiddling around and checking to save a second or so of time per individual charge! My beam is always ready to use and couln't care less what the temp or power line voltage in my loading room is!
But, if anyone can't stand it they should get their very own digital gadget and enjoy the benefits of "New! Modern! Fast!", etc. Not me, I want total reliability.
Re: What scale?
Why not get a digital and a balance scale as well? In case the digital go belly up. I have both and always use the Chargemaster.
Eddie
Why not get a digital and a balance scale as well? In case the digital go belly up. I have both and always use the Chargemaster.
Eddie
Re: What scale?
Glock24 the Prometheus series of scales are balance beam, I can charge a case to 1 kernel of powder every 20-25 seconds, the gen 2 will do 1/3 kernel every 14 seconds, I have gone from using a 10-10 with Redding trickler, to a Chargemaster to a gen 1 Prometheus, had I not gotten the Prometeus I would have sent my 1010 to Scott Parker for a tune job, and bought a Redding BR powder throw, and use a USB camera to see the needle, in a world of electronics old school mechanical is supreme is this case
Glock24 the Prometheus series of scales are balance beam, I can charge a case to 1 kernel of powder every 20-25 seconds, the gen 2 will do 1/3 kernel every 14 seconds, I have gone from using a 10-10 with Redding trickler, to a Chargemaster to a gen 1 Prometheus, had I not gotten the Prometeus I would have sent my 1010 to Scott Parker for a tune job, and bought a Redding BR powder throw, and use a USB camera to see the needle, in a world of electronics old school mechanical is supreme is this case
Re: What scale?
Also looking for a new scale my 502 is doing weird stuff. Today I was weighing charges got them right on then I would dump into case then back into pan and the scale would show it was too heavy. Yes case was empty, the reason I did this at first cause I missed my funnel and a few grains spilled out, I went to reweigh it and it had gained weight. So I did this several times with the same results. Not sure whats up with it, but I'm not very confident in it.. thinking this is why my ES were so high last week.
Also looking for a new scale my 502 is doing weird stuff. Today I was weighing charges got them right on then I would dump into case then back into pan and the scale would show it was too heavy. Yes case was empty, the reason I did this at first cause I missed my funnel and a few grains spilled out, I went to reweigh it and it had gained weight. So I did this several times with the same results. Not sure whats up with it, but I'm not very confident in it.. thinking this is why my ES were so high last week.
Re: What scale?
Glock24, I have the same thinking as you about balances. I have been spoiled with high end balances. Rather than purchase a cheap electronic balance, I bought an RCBS 10-10 balance beam. I use the good balances at work to make check weights the same mass as my desired charge. I have found that adjusting the beam introduces a lot of error. Good balances simply are not cheap.
Glock24, I have the same thinking as you about balances. I have been spoiled with high end balances. Rather than purchase a cheap electronic balance, I bought an RCBS 10-10 balance beam. I use the good balances at work to make check weights the same mass as my desired charge. I have found that adjusting the beam introduces a lot of error. Good balances simply are not cheap.
Re: What scale?
Another vote for the RCBS 10-10 scale. I picked mine up on Ebay for $60. I have been very pleased with it.
Another vote for the RCBS 10-10 scale. I picked mine up on Ebay for $60. I have been very pleased with it.
Similar threads
