Scales in the UK

[mrtoml]

Does anyone know of a good place to buy scales for weighing chemistry in the UK (preferably London or Birmingham)?

I just bought a Myweigh pocketscale from an online retailer, but it was hopelessly crap and I sent it back. So I would preferably actually like to see the scale before I buy unless anyone here can actually recommend a scale that they know is OK.

I searched the forums and the most recommended was a Toyo pocket scale, but these are extremely hard to get here at the moment.

I need something like 100g-200g in 0.1g increments.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Leon]

I need something like 100g-200g in 0.1g increments.

silverprint sell the salter 1250 for £35, but you can get them from amazon for £10 cheaper. I use them and they are fine, but the tray is a bit small, other than that they're fine. Will cope with up to 250g at 0.1 increments so perfect for the job I'd say

 

[Andy K]

Try searching for 'laboratory balances' instead of scales.

 

[mrtoml]

silverprint sell the salter 1250 for £35, but you can get them from amazon for £10 cheaper. I use them and they are fine, but the tray is a bit small, other than that they're fine. Will cope with up to 250g at 0.1 increments so perfect for the job I'd say

Thanks for that. It looks like it is OK for me and it is cheaper than the one I just returned. Does it have a calibration system?

 

[johnnywalker]

I've had a My Weigh MX300 for two years and it is a great little scale. What was the matter with your's?

 

[mrtoml]

I've had a My Weigh MX300 for two years and it is a great little scale. What was the matter with your's?

The feet were not level so I kept getting an unstable error. The scale would never settle down and then it would give an error message. Calibration made no difference. This was a flipscale F2. I think I just got a dud.

 

[Peter Black]

Silverprint stock Salter electronic balances at £30 and £35. Look under Darkroom equipment > Chemical balances

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/

 

[Mick Fagan]

You may find that a quad beam balance is relatively cheap (especially secondhand) and extremely useful for photographic chemical weighing.

I have one which can weigh in 0.01gm increments up to 610gm or with an additional weight set, up to 2610gm.

I also have and use in my work, electronic scales which measure to two and three decimal places. They have varying capacity but they have one annoying feature, they require batteries, as such they have a time cut off feature.

I first used a tray balance system with one tray holding a set weight(s), slow and cumbersome but alright. Eventually I purchased a quad beam and this will be with me until I pass on. When I first acquired electronic scales for work, my immediate reaction was to use them for photographic chemistry, they weren't for me so I went back to my quad beam. It isn't as fast, but it isn't far behind either.

Mick.

 

[mrtoml]

Thanks. I will check the quadbeam balances out before I go to silverprint. I remember using these in school (a long time ago...)

 

[Justin Cormack]

Th Silverprint/Salter one doesnt have a calibration system - its *not* a lab model, its for diabetics I think. Works fine for me though so far.

 

[mrtoml]

I've been looking around on the web at scales today and I am tempted by this acculab scale (which comes with calibration weight etc.).

http://www.weighingscales.com/results2.asp?ID=298

It's a bit more expensive, but I think the calibration function might be worth the extra.

I cannot find much in the way of quad balances and there are none on ebay at the moment.