Recommend a non-electronic scale?

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raindog

raindog

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I have an RCBS RangeMaster electronic scale, but I'd like to get a non-electronic as a backup.

Unfortunately, the reviews I've read of the RCBS balance scale were awful. I've read that a lot about RCBS lately - that their quality has gone down since they moved production to China.

The Lee scale doesn't get much better reviews.

The Dillon Eliminator gets good reviews.

Anyone have an opinion to offer?
 
What have you heard bad about the RCBS 505 Scale? I love mine and think it's one of the best out there. I calibrated it to some others and it was spot on with the rest.

The Dillon is good choice for practically the same costs as the RCBS. Lyman's isn't too bad. Some would say the Lee gets the job done too. I guess it's just personal preference.

Redding is another good option to consider.
 
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Hmm. I bought an older RCBS 505 two years ago when I started reloading. Could not get it to perform consistently, so I called RCBS. They said send it in. I did. Two weeks later I got a brand-new 505 in return.

Since then it has served me very well, no complaints at all. Easy to use and as far as I can tell, quite accurate and consistent. Don't know if this unit was made in China - but seems it would not be difficult to ensure quality in a product like this scale while still lowering production costs. Only a few precision elements that make it work properly (beam, pivots, poises). The rest is very basic quality printing, painting, metal bending, and assembly.

Would be very troubling to hear RCBS quality had declined, considering their long-standing reputation and the perfect customer service they provided to me (I ended up paying $15 for a brand-new scale that retailed around $80 at the time).
 
Don't know about the current RCBS stuff but I too have an older 505 thats awesome. OHAUS made the scale that RCBS put their name on and they pretty much owned the manual scale market for many years.
I have a very good electronic by MyWeigh thats quite trust worthy as well. I notice most of the gold assayers use the same one and I don't think I paid more than 150.00 several years ago.
I still use the 505 quite a bit and trust it exclusively. Reloaded many very consistent rounds over the years between the two. Electronics are nice for sorting brass or bullets but I still use the 505 for weighing powder.
FWIW I played with a Lee Safety scale for a few years and it did work consistently but the RCBS was my favorite.
 
I read reviews on Midway for the RCBS scale, their tumbler, and their chronograph, and was not impressed by what people had to say. Reviews on the Rock Crusher were more mixed - some good, some bad.

I've heard people say that their quality of yore was great but now they've gone overseas. The only RCBS product I own is their hand primer and I have no complaints.
 
scales.jpg all of these read the same, ,I don't have an RCBS yet ,but I'd bet it would work as good as one of my other 5 scales , most of the time I use a Lyman DPS 1200
 
I have the lee scale and though I'm just starting out with it I have no problems or complaints. Especially not with the price.
 
rd, 1/21/13

I bought a Dillon balance beam scale made by Ohaus about eight years ago. It's always worked well and I recently checked the readings with a bunch of check-weights- it's still spot-on for all weights tested. Simple to use, no batteries to run dry. I still like and use non-electronic measuring devices (ie- calipers, micrometers, etc.). Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow
 
Oldandslow, How dare you mention check weights! Using a known standard to verify your measurement equipments accuracy. Funny we get this far into the thread before its mentioned. Kudos to you fine sir. I do use electronic measurement for most part now that eyes are tiring and can't quite verify the reading of that thirsting number right of the decimal place. For all of you freaks Google "international weight standard rising or changing" or something similar. Seems that all the official kilogram standards that are strategically placed around the world for the.scientific community to use as reference to keep their equipment calibrated so that 1.0000000 kilograms or 0.000001 milligrams is the same for the same of scientific research have all been gaining weight at different rates. This could have huge implications on research and verification of results from lab to lab. The contaminants/pollution that is monitored closely where reference standards are stored has still allowed contaminants to cause them to gain weight. Scientists are now trying to come up with a worldwide accepted way to clean their reference weights and bring all back to consistency. I really need to start sleeping instead of reading stuff that most people really don't care about. Moral of story is keep your check weights clean and still don't believe 10 grains on your scale is the same 10 grains on the manufacturers scales unless yours go in for regular calibration. I drive my primary scale to Atlanta once every two years.
 
When I got into reloading I purchased an electronic scale (Hornady GS-1500) and an older beam scale to check against the electronic one. The Hornady works great. I bought my beam scale on ebay. It's an old-old Pacific that's in great shape and accurate. I load 9's & 38 special.
 
That little Lee in the picture above is what I use.

It's touchy and has to be whatched closely but allows very repeatable accuracy if treated properly, just like the others that look like it. No ceiling fans, don't breath on the scale, once you get it zeroed don't move it to another area on your bench and watch to make sure the opposite end from the powder tray stays in the center of the open area.

Most of the reviews I read on the Lee seemed to be from people used to the simplicity of a digital scale which will not meet the accuracy of a beam type scale unless you spend the big bucks.
 
RCBS 10-10 for 30 Yrs now and it's been a great scale. I think if I going to get a new one, I'd look at Dillon.
 
I have 3 scales, a Redding, a RCBS 10-10 and a Lyman/Ohaus M5. They all work very well, but I like the Lyman best.
 
I have The Dillon Eliminator. Bought new about five years ago. works for me no complaints. It is the only one I have used so I have nothing to compare it to.
 
Balance-beam scales are so basic that they almost have to work. Poor workmanship or crappy materials would be the only thing that could make them bad.
 
The older Hornady/Pacific beam scale is still one of the best.

The newest Hornady does not look as nice

One poise (10 grains), 2 counter poises (1 grain x 10 and 0.1 grain x 10), magnetic damping.
 
why would anyone not use a check weight? I have scales to measure scales haha
 
RCBS, Hornady and others have their balance beam scale made by Ohaus, a top maker of that equipment. I have the RCBS 5-10 and have had it for over 30 years with no issues. I would recommend their scales
 
I used a Lee scale for years. I used RCBS checkweights and it was always spot on. I recently switched to a Redding Model 2 scale just because it is easier to see. There isn't any difference in accuracy between the two.
 
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