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Posted: 8/7/2015 9:52:28 PM EDT
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What's a good electronic reloading scale? Looking for something $200.00 or less.
Right now I have the little Lyman one. It's OK, but far from perfect. Looking to upgrade. Thanks for any advice! 
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http://www.amazon.com/My-Weigh-GemPro-250-50gX0-001g/dp/B004C3I3AA/ref=sr_1_1/185-1011815-1366722?ie=UTF8&qid=1437883857&sr=8-1&keywords=gempro+250+digital+scale Can't say from personal use (yet) but this one seems to be highly recommended. |
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I have a RCBS Chargemaster too and have no complaints. I'm not sure what the cost is but you can buy the scale separately. As a stand alone scale I don't know how it compares to other stand alone scales price wise vs accuracy vs customer support but I use mine as a scale only more often than I use the dispenser and I can recommend it.
The RCBS Rangemaster 2000 states the same accuracy as the 1500 and costs around $50 less. So if you don't ever plan on adding on the dispenser this may be a better way to go. (Saw the 2000 for $116) I don't want to say where because dryflash3 may get excited. Motor |
| Have been using a gempro 250 for six months. Love the accuracy. Throw away that cheap pocket scale. JUNK. I had the RCBS pocket scale that came with my press kit. They should ban those things before someone get killed. One thing about the gempro though. Its so sensitive that it will shift from a mouse fart from the other room. |
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http://www.amazon.com/My-Weigh-GemPro-250-50gX0-001g/dp/B004C3I3AA/ref=sr_1_1/185-1011815-1366722?ie=UTF8&qid=1437883857&sr=8-1&keywords=gempro+250+digital+scale Can't say from personal use (yet) but this one seems to be highly recommended. I have this one and it's great. The pan is a bit small but I just used the one from my Dillon scale. Measures up to .05 increments. To give you an idea a big extruded piece (or two small pieces) of H4350 measures .05 grain on the Gem 250. Pro tip, no moving air in your reloading room while using this scale. Edit: weighing against a beam scale is good advice. As good as the gem 250 is all electronic scales can shift. |
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What's a good electronic reloading scale? Looking for something $200.00 or less. . . . Thanks for any advice! http://i.imgur.com/IFkYtdC.jpg After 7 scales I can honestly say that the best scale for under $200 is not an electronic scale. A quality beam scale from any of the majors (mine is an RCBS 5-0-5) will be less than $100 and prove best.in use . . . if "best" means won't flutter, won't lose zero, can be calibrated with check weights close to the GRAIN weights we actually use. and will weigh the same object the same weight each time. Digital scales under ~$600 all use a strain gauge sensor and while some are better than others, they all are subject to the same issues. My Pact dispenser/scale was worthless. My RCBS Chargemaster looked really good until I compared (twice) how accurate 50 of its throws were to my Hornady PM. Yes, the Chargemaster made setting the charge weight much easier, but the throw were less consistent and the variation was wider than my old standard PM. Of the scales under $200, my GemPro 250 was the best but at the end of the day exhibited the same issues as the other strain gauge scales, even when it was operated off a lab-grade power supply. It also doesn't trickle well (probably a result of programming to hold zero better) - you will often have to lift the pan and reset it to get a new weighing. So if you are stuck on digital, I guess I'd flinch and recommend the GemPro . . . unless you are willing to spend the money for a magnetic force restoration scale. If you are willing, there are several good brands (eg Sartorius) but the A&D FX120i is the least expensive mag force balance I've found; at http://cambridgeenviro.com/ it is $610 Canadian. Doesn't flutter, doesn't lose zero . . . etc. |
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Which ever scale you get compare it to your beam scale regularly. Vince I would recommend a set of check weights instead. They take up less room on the bench than a beam scale that only gets used to check the digital scale. Think I got mine from Brownells for about $40 - came with 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 20 grain check weights. |
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After 7 scales I can honestly say that the best scale for under $200 is not an electronic scale. A quality beam scale from any of the majors (mine is an RCBS 5-0-5) will be less than $100 and prove best.in use . . . if "best" means won't flutter, won't lose zero, can be calibrated with check weights close to the GRAIN weights we actually use. and will weigh the same object the same weight each time. Digital scales under ~$600 all use a strain gauge sensor and while some are better than others, they all are subject to the same issues. My Pact dispenser/scale was worthless. My RCBS Chargemaster looked really good until I compared (twice) how accurate 50 of its throws were to my Hornady PM. Yes, the Chargemaster made setting the charge weight much easier, but the throw were less consistent and the variation was wider than my old standard PM. Of the scales under $200, my GemPro 250 was the best but at the end of the day exhibited the same issues as the other strain gauge scales, even when it was operated off a lab-grade power supply. It also doesn't trickle well (probably a result of programming to hold zero better) - you will often have to lift the pan and reset it to get a new weighing. So if you are stuck on digital, I guess I'd flinch and recommend the GemPro . . . unless you are willing to spend the money for a magnetic force restoration scale. If you are willing, there are several good brands (eg Sartorius) but the A&D FX120i is the least expensive mag force balance I've found; at http://cambridgeenviro.com/ it is $610 Canadian. Doesn't flutter, doesn't lose zero . . . etc. Quoted:
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What's a good electronic reloading scale? Looking for something $200.00 or less. . . . Thanks for any advice! http://i.imgur.com/IFkYtdC.jpg After 7 scales I can honestly say that the best scale for under $200 is not an electronic scale. A quality beam scale from any of the majors (mine is an RCBS 5-0-5) will be less than $100 and prove best.in use . . . if "best" means won't flutter, won't lose zero, can be calibrated with check weights close to the GRAIN weights we actually use. and will weigh the same object the same weight each time. Digital scales under ~$600 all use a strain gauge sensor and while some are better than others, they all are subject to the same issues. My Pact dispenser/scale was worthless. My RCBS Chargemaster looked really good until I compared (twice) how accurate 50 of its throws were to my Hornady PM. Yes, the Chargemaster made setting the charge weight much easier, but the throw were less consistent and the variation was wider than my old standard PM. Of the scales under $200, my GemPro 250 was the best but at the end of the day exhibited the same issues as the other strain gauge scales, even when it was operated off a lab-grade power supply. It also doesn't trickle well (probably a result of programming to hold zero better) - you will often have to lift the pan and reset it to get a new weighing. So if you are stuck on digital, I guess I'd flinch and recommend the GemPro . . . unless you are willing to spend the money for a magnetic force restoration scale. If you are willing, there are several good brands (eg Sartorius) but the A&D FX120i is the least expensive mag force balance I've found; at http://cambridgeenviro.com/ it is $610 Canadian. Doesn't flutter, doesn't lose zero . . . etc. Strain gauges are great for great for measuring thousands of pounds. When used to measure small weights, under 50 pounds they act more like a temperature sensor or RF interference detector. If it actually matters to you whether the charge is 25.5 or 25.6 grains, a beam scale is the way to go. With a $200 or less budget, if speed, convenience and ease of use are more important than accuracy and you can tolerate a spread of +/- 0.5 grains, then a digital is ok, if you use a check weight and compare the measurements to a balance scale frequently. |
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I would recommend a set of check weights instead. They take up less room on the bench than a beam scale that only gets used to check the digital scale. Think I got mine from Brownells for about $40 - came with 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 20 grain check weights. Quoted:
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Which ever scale you get compare it to your beam scale regularly. Vince I would recommend a set of check weights instead. They take up less room on the bench than a beam scale that only gets used to check the digital scale. Think I got mine from Brownells for about $40 - came with 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 20 grain check weights. Nope. The way digital scales work is not at all the way balances work, so check weights aren't the answer. It's due to the analog to digital conversion within the scale, and the little stress gauge inside the scale can become biased with similar weights over time. Comparing to a balance (a beam scale is a balance) is the ONLY way to verify actual weights. This is not to say that check weights don't have their place, but they are not a substitute for verifying the accuracy of your digital scale. I recommend using both - after letting the digital scale warm up and stabilize, weigh the check weights one at a time on the beam scale, then on the digital scale. You shouldn't have any repeatable error* for the entire check weight set. *Repeatable error is where a check weight is consistently off from the beam scale weight in several weighings. If you get a different number, even by 1/10 grain, remove the weight from the digital scale, let the digital stabilize at zero, and retry. |
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Nope. The way digital scales work is not at all the way balances work, so check weights aren't the answer. It's due to the analog to digital conversion within the scale, and the little stress gauge inside the scale can become biased with similar weights over time. Comparing to a balance (a beam scale is a balance) is the ONLY way to verify actual weights. This is not to say that check weights don't have their place, but they are not a substitute for verifying the accuracy of your digital scale. I recommend using both - after letting the digital scale warm up and stabilize, weigh the check weights one at a time on the beam scale, then on the digital scale. You shouldn't have any repeatable error* for the entire check weight set. *Repeatable error is where a check weight is consistently off from the beam scale weight in several weighings. If you get a different number, even by 1/10 grain, remove the weight from the digital scale, let the digital stabilize at zero, and retry. Quoted:
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Which ever scale you get compare it to your beam scale regularly. Vince I would recommend a set of check weights instead. They take up less room on the bench than a beam scale that only gets used to check the digital scale. Think I got mine from Brownells for about $40 - came with 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 20 grain check weights. Nope. The way digital scales work is not at all the way balances work, so check weights aren't the answer. It's due to the analog to digital conversion within the scale, and the little stress gauge inside the scale can become biased with similar weights over time. Comparing to a balance (a beam scale is a balance) is the ONLY way to verify actual weights. This is not to say that check weights don't have their place, but they are not a substitute for verifying the accuracy of your digital scale. I recommend using both - after letting the digital scale warm up and stabilize, weigh the check weights one at a time on the beam scale, then on the digital scale. You shouldn't have any repeatable error* for the entire check weight set. *Repeatable error is where a check weight is consistently off from the beam scale weight in several weighings. If you get a different number, even by 1/10 grain, remove the weight from the digital scale, let the digital stabilize at zero, and retry. I don't follow you. Suppose that once upon a time, I verified (via beam or some other suitably accurate / trusted / calibrated scale) that my check weights indeed have the mass they are labeled with. Suppose I put a 20 gr check weight on the digital scale, and it reads 20.004 gr. Four 1 gr check weights later, it reads 23.982 gr. The check weights get put away, and I then trickle powder onto the scale until it reads within a few hundredths of 24 gr. Should I not trust that charge? Why would I ever again need a beam scale on the bench? |
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I'm not talking about differences of a few thousandths of a grain, but near-tenths of a grain. Since a single flake of powder could weigh several thousandths of a grain, the weights in your scenario are perfectly fine. I'm saying that if you put your 20 gr check weight on the digital and it reads 20.09gr, but it balances out perfectly with your beam scale at 20.00gr, then reweigh it on your digital - if it stays 20.09, your digital scale is no longer as accurate as you have been depending on.
I say to reweigh those check weights on the beam scale because any calibration weight needs to be verified. It can collect dust or grime or fingerprint grease enough to pick up a measurable amount of mass over time. This is why calibration weights are typically kept in a closed container, in a controlled environment, and handled only with clean tongs or other tools. They can lose mass too, but usually only from overzealous cleaning. Still, it can happen. Finally, unless you spent a LOT of money, your digital scale's indication in the 1/1000th grain range is worth zilch. Just because a scale shows a number doesn't mean the number means anything. Any digit past the first tenth is only worthwhile in evaluating how close to the next higher or lower tenth the scale is reading. Any digital scale that can realistically and validly measure in the 1/1000gr range will be expensive and have a dust and breeze shield on it - that sort of scale is in the realm of analytical lab equipment (1/1000gr is about 1/10,000 gram). |
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If you do some research, you will probably find that the Gempro250 is pretty popular with reloaders at a decent price. I have one and it's been great. http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-gempro-250.html +1 for the GemPro But mine was/is a bit finicky. I have to turn it on for an hour or two before I load, I installed a choke on the DC power cable and you have to keep away your cell phone and watch those breezes and....... ;) I throw with my RCBS 1500 which is like +/- .1gn and check with the GemPro which is +/- .002gn |
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Digital scales under ~$600 all use a strain gauge sensor and while some are better than others, they all are subject to the same issues. Very true, there is minimal difference between a $200 scale and one near $600, they all use the same strain gauge which drifts over time. Best bet is a beam brand name scale for precision loading. Vince |
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Sounds like I need to drop $600 or more to get a proper MFR scale. 
I don't know; maybe, maybe not. I noted earlier in this thread that I have the Gempro 250 and like it a lot. What I didn't mention in that note (because you were hoping for a lesser expensive scale) is that I also have the A&D fx-120i scale (a mag force type scale). My history; I started out with an RCBS (Ohaus) 5-0-5 that really worked fine for many years when I was loading just .357. Recently (about a year or so ago), I got "serious" and wanted a scale that would have a tighter range of accuracy, so I bought the Gempro 250 (.02gr accuracy as opposed to the .1gr accuracy of the 5-0-5... essentially "50 times more accurate" in favor of the Gempro). Then I started reading about some of the problems that people would report about using digitals, and I (too quickly) took those comments to heart, so I though I "needed" a super duper scale, and that's when I bought the A&D fx-120i. So, cut to the finish... I have balance weights for both of my digitals (the Gempro comes with it's own, but you have to buy the one you need for the A&D separately). When I first got the A&D, I routinely compared it to the Gempro to see how close they would read to each other (both scales measure to the same resolution; .02gr). I got tired of it because in all the times I did that, I would never get more than just one tick difference between the two (i.e., one might read 4.34gr and the other would read 4.32... a 1/50th of a grain difference). Due to the accuracy of the scales, even that difference could be attributed to an air current or some such deviance in the environment, so at some point, I came to trust either of those scales as much as the other. Now, I tend to use the Gempro more often mainly because it takes up such a small footprint on my bench (the A&D is hugely larger than the Gempro). So spend all the money you want, because I sure did, but it do it mainly because you want to do it since you really don't "need" to do it. It doesn't matter what digital you start with, Gempro or A&D or whatever, it helps to understand a few things about using them. 1. Let them warm up for an hour or so (at least). The temperature change caused by going from full off to "all electronics on) can itself cause some variations. They can all do that. 2. Use your calibration weight to Zero the scale before you start using it (takes just a few seconds that are well worth it for peace of mind even if it didn't need recalibrating). 3. NO moving air in the room at all. No A/C vents blowing, no fans, nothing. Sorry, you might be warm, but these scales are accurate and will read the weight of moving air to throw you off. 4. NO batteries, no way, no how. Use only the supplied 120v power supply, and it never hurts to use a ferrite choke on the incoming power cord although I can't really say that it helps any. Shouldn't hurt, though. 5. Reset to Zero before you weigh a charge. Yes, every time, no matter the scale, and even if the display correctly reads "0.00". This is not the calibration that you did with the weight. It's just a single button push that resets the beginning read-point to Zero. No, you shouldn't really have to do this, but it takes no time to click a single button, and it's good peace of mind so that you know where you started from. If you follow those simple procedures with the "cheap" Gempro 250, it is extremely unlikely that you will be off a charge by more than anyone would be able to even see a change in a beam scale. So spend the money if you want. I did, and I'm glad I did because, well, I like "nice stuff". But if you're on a budget and want just a "really good" scale that is more accurate than any beam scale, and that's affordable, then I'm pretty sure you'd be happy with the Gempro 250. |
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Thought I'd add one thing to one point of Deltahawk's advice
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. . . 3. NO moving air in the room at all. No A/C vents blowing, no fans, nothing. Sorry, you might be warm, but these scales are accurate and will read the weight of moving air to throw you off. . . . Quoted:
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Sounds like I need to drop $600 or more to get a proper MFR scale.
3. NO moving air in the room at all. No A/C vents blowing, no fans, nothing. Sorry, you might be warm, but these scales are accurate and will read the weight of moving air to throw you off. . . . To help my aging eyes, I used to run my scales etc with a pole light providing task lighting from behind me, and over my shoulder. Turns out the warmth of that incandescent light caused air currents to rise. Those currents caused the scales to flutter, especially when interrupted by my hand movements operating the scales. Since then, I operate my scales inside an Open Storage Cube. The cube protects the scale from all but the front side, and stops other air currents in the room (like HVAC) from affecting the readings. A cardboard box can work too lol. Just another option. |
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