Please recommend a scale

BradS · Jan 13, 2021

Who make good digital scales? Not interested in cheap (junk) but would rather not over spend either. Need one or two kilogram capacity with 0.1 gram accuracy (does that seem reasonable?)

Thanks in Advance.

removedacct1 · Jan 14, 2021

BradS said:
Who make good digital scales? Not interested in cheap (junk) but would rather not over spend either. Need one or two kilogram capacity with 0.1 gram accuracy (does that seem reasonable?)

Thanks in Advance.

Brad,
I have been using a AWS Series Digital Pocket Weight Scale 100g model for three years now, without any trouble. It cost $22 on Amazon. Is it cheap junk? All I can say is that mine has stayed calibrated and is accurate when checked against known weights. I think this is a fine tool, but people discover that they will not stand up to abuse, and so a single drop incident can ruin it. Its a fairly delicate instrument, but I don't tend to drop my tools, so...

Nitroplait · Jan 14, 2021

Only very expensive lab scales will give you 0.1g precision across a 1 to 2 kg range. Many consumer scales will resolve 0.1g on the display but it is NOT the same as being precise.
A nice scale I have used for many years, which is really made for speciality coffee; is a Hario V60 VST-2000. It goes up to 2000 gr, but has an honest graduated precision scale: 2-200g =0.1g 200-500g=0.5g and 500-2000g=1g.

AgX · Jan 14, 2021

If a manufactur states besides resolution:
-) the error
-) the necessary minimum load

you are on the good side.

mrosenlof · Jan 14, 2021

I use an Ohaus triple beam balance. Not digital as you asked, but this is supposed to be the analog forum

I have the one with the "scoop" pan, I think it's 500g max with .1g tic marks on the gram beam.

voceumana · Jan 14, 2021

Check out a good assortment of lab quality balances at: https://www.coleparmer.com/c/toploading-balances

Look for max load, resolution, min. load, and repeatability. Looks like there are some good options in the under $200 range.

For reference, I have an Ohaus triple beam balance, too. The forerunner of this model, I think: https://www.coleparmer.com/i/ohaus-...-deep-stainless-steel-pan-610g-x-0-1g/0100601

I bought it quite a while ago, and the price was half what it is today (or less). Today, I would go digital, but you might find a used mechanical balance at a good price.

Personally, I think the real advantage of a digital balance is the tare feature is easy to use--on the mechanical balance I have, it is a pain.

Deleted member 88956 · Jan 14, 2021

Any lab balance scale will do, weights if calibrated will cost most (if not found together with a balance scale). If you want digital, these days you pick one between $100-150 and it will give you all accuracy you would need. Go to $200-250 and you have likely covered all weighing needed to disprove black hole existence.

mshchem · Jan 14, 2021

BradS said:
Who make good digital scales? Not interested in cheap (junk) but would rather not over spend either. Need one or two kilogram capacity with 0.1 gram accuracy (does that seem reasonable?)

Thanks in Advance.

Here you go. These are abundant on Ebay. Electronic scales are all made in China, only the best industrial scales are made in Germany US etc. You will need a set of weights to get full capacity. These are fool proof because they are a mechanical BALANCE. I have a bunch of balances, the most reliable by far are mechanical in good working order MHOFWIW, I've used these at work and here at home for 40 years. And the Harvard Trip Balance has 5 lb capacity and .1 gram resolution.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ohaus-Harvard-Trip-2kg-5lb-Capacity-Double-Beam-Balance-Scale-/203238527912

mshchem · Jan 14, 2021

PS stay away from spring scales, torsion balances

AgX · Jan 14, 2021

mrosenlof said:
I use an Ohaus triple beam balance. Not digital as you asked, but this is supposed to be the analog forum

I use a plain-beam, all-mechanical scale with a resolution of 0.025g. Readout partially digital.
And I considered getting an used all-mechanical one with digital readout and even greater resolution. One of those with a cabinet. But such takes even more volume than my current one. And somewhere there should be a limit...

beemermark · Jan 14, 2021

You can buy a reloading beam scale https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Mechani...eywords=reloading+scale&qid=1610666185&sr=8-8 for less than $100. They measure in grains and mg and the one shown is accurate to +/- 0.1 grain (or 6.5 mg). I have an Ohaus digital scale https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...37de29ef4d18122cbf1849ef9cc90917&gclsrc=3p.ds and a number of the cheap Chinese digital scales. The cheap scales seem to be just as accurate as my other scales. They are all overkill if your just mixing darkroom chemicals.

As a previous poster stated, trying to get 0.1 gram resolution with a scale measuring 2000 grams is next to impossible, or extremely expensive. But 2, or maybe even 3, scales for different ranges. One of the reasons I have so many scales. And don't equate inexpensive with cheap (as in poor quality). Having more than one scale also allows a cross check.

grain elevator · Jan 14, 2021

I have a drug dealer scale off ebay that cost me 7 or 8 Euro. Of course these should be checked to calibration weights. For my purposes, checking against household items such as a chocolate bar and pills (for accurate tiny weight) seems accurate enough. And I never use it near zero load, I think for very small weights, it's likely more accurate if a bit of load is added.

BrianShaw · Jan 14, 2021

For checking calibration without a calibration weight, coins are a good option. They are of known weights and remarkably consistent. A US nickel, for instance, is 5 grams. There are calculators available online.

AgX · Jan 15, 2021

200g max , 0.01g resolution , 0.02g error , from a reputable german manufacturer costs about 110€ net

3000g max , 0.1g resolution , 0.3g error , from a reputable german manufacturer costs about 110€ net

btaylor · Jul 14, 2021

I was having a hard time finding a scale accurate enough for my morning espresso. I didn’t want to spend north of $100 to get an accurate measure of the 17 grams for the perfect pull. So I went on Amazon for a coffee scale and came up with the Timemore Black Mirror Basic Coffee Weighing Panel. 2 kg max, 0.1 g resolution. So I get my accurate coffee weight and a reasonably accurate lab scale for the darkroom.

AnselMortensen · Jul 17, 2021

E Major.

removed account4 · Jul 17, 2021

at the suggestion of David Goldfarb I bought something from http://balances.com
I can't remember the price I think it's a "TOYO" and didn't cost more than $30-40
It works great, and I have been using it for probably 14 years ?
for things that weigh a lot, I do 2 passes .. can't complain.

eddie · Jul 17, 2021

I bought an Ohaus triple beam scale, about 30 years ago, from a pot dealer who was about to start a forced relocation.

faberryman · Jul 17, 2021

BradS said:
Who make good digital scales? Not interested in cheap (junk) but would rather not over spend either. Need one or two kilogram capacity with 0.1 gram accuracy (does that seem reasonable?)

What will you be measuring that requires 0.1g accuracy? There is a long thread on scale accuracy here on Photrio. You might try to track it down. The upshot is that, for example, I have a $10 scale off eBay, and I will put some chemicals on, and the digital display will read 32.78g. The chances the .78 is correct are remote. If the display went out four places and read 32.7837g the .7837 wouldn’t be accurate either. Artificial precision.

btaylor · Jul 17, 2021

faberryman said:
What will you be measuring that requires 0.1g accuracy? There is a long thread on scale accuracy here on Photrio. You might try to track it down. The upshot is that, for example, I have a $10 scale off eBay, and I will put some chemicals on, and the digital display will read 32.78g. The chances the .78 is correct are remote. If the display went out four places and read 32.7837g the .7837 wouldn’t be accurate either. Artificial precision.

Yes! Which is why I brought up the Timemore scale.
That level of precision is what I need it to measure coffee. The cheap scales ($20 electronic on Amazon) may show the numbers on the display but are not accurate.

faberryman · Jul 18, 2021

btaylor said:
Yes! Which is why I brought up the Timemore scale.
That level of precision is what I need it to measure coffee. The cheap scales ($20 electronic on Amazon) may show the numbers on the display but are not accurate.

How were you able to verify that your scale is accurate to 0.1g? More importantly, how did you determine that 17g and not 16.9g or 17.1g was the perfect amount of coffee.

Chan Tran · Jul 18, 2021

Actually the Ohaus tripple beam seems to be a good choice for the accuracy and capacity requirements. Although in use it's slow and at times difficult. You can get a 1 to 2 kg scale but not with accuracy to 0.1g (resolution yes but not accuracy). with accuracy to 0.1g I think few would reach the 1kg.

cjbecker · Jul 18, 2021

I ended up getting a ohaus triple beam because of the suggestions here. It does not disappoint. I use a coffee filter as my container on the scale, easy to correct for.

Please recommend a scale

Deleted member 88956

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