Don’t buy this scale.

[Japle]

Frankford Arsenal sells a Chinese-made digital scale for under $30. Here’s the Amazon listing.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BDOHNA...e=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B002BDOHNA

The scale is accurate and the AAA batteries last for months. The problem is, it loses zero. If you’re weighing individual charges, you may find that it will, whenever it gets the urge, start using some random weight as its zero.

I normally load pistol ammo and throw 10 charges into the pan, weigh them and if the result is 10 times what I want, I know my powder measure is set correctly.

Recently, I was weighing 4 gr charges and found that the scale would zero itself at about 2-3 gr between charges. Sometimes.
I’d throw a charge into the pan and get a reading of, say, 4.1 gr. The next charge might read 2 gr or zero or something else. Rebooting the scale would get me back to the correct zero, but it never lasted more than a charge or two before going out.

This is very frustrating. I’m looking for another scale.

 

[Hondo 60]

I guess there's a reason it's ultra cheap.

But I've had issues with even the $100 electronic models.
I know, I know a 5-0-5 won't have that happen.
But I also know that I can weigh 10 charges in the time a 5-0-5 can weigh one.

What I usually do is, after repriming, weigh the case & then hit "TARE", fill with powder & weigh again.
That gives me the weight of the powder only and eliminates the drift.

 

[LiveLife]

I used the older FA 750 gr scale (no longer carried by MidwayUSA) the past 16 years with very good results (Cabela's scale looks the same).


Keep in mind that digital scales are temperature sensitive and mine came with 15 º C – 35 º C (59 º F - 95 º F) temperature range specification. Some reloaders who kept their digital scales in the garage that exceeded this temperature range reported problems.

I keep my FA digital scale indoors and verify with check weights and a beam scale (Ohaus 10-10) for my peace of mind. I use it for faster verification of weights but usually will depend on the beam scale for more precision weight verifications.

I have not used the new FA DS-750 scale but sounds like it needs to be returned. BTW, MidwayUSA has it on sale for $19.99 and found their customer service to be very good.

 

[rikman]

Japle,

That was my first scale and I guess you get what you pay for? I got rid of it and bought a Dillon D-Terminator. High quality and accuracy. I bought it from Powder Valley at 5% discount.

Rikman

 

[buck460XVR]

I've used that same scale for almost a year now and find it to be as accurate and dependable as my RCBS model 505. Altho it is not my primary scale, it works well to recheck and verify powder weights. For less than $20, I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[[email protected]]

I have both of the scales shown in the pictures above. I have always had trouble out of the black one and I never could trust it. The new 750 seems to be a good scale and it agrees with my rcbs scale most of the time. I have noticed that if it starts to vary or becomes inconsistant i can replace th batteries and it is back online. You may replace the batteries in it and give it one more chance. The batteries that come with it are junk.

 

[mtrmn]

I can never bring myself to fully trust any electronic scale. Must be the underlying survivalist tendencies-"what if you couldn't get batteries".

That said, I've NEVER had any issue with my old (30 yrs reloading) RCBS 1010.
I just have to make certain there are no drafts or errant breezes when I use it. Turn the ceiling fan off.

I know several people with electronic scales, but they all have been guilty of checking them against an old balance beam from time to time. I also know the electronics are faster, more convenient and "just as accurate", but I've never regretted my old scale and I recommend every reloader have one in addition to his newfangled contraption.

 

[Clark]

My brother bought a bunch of Chinese tools from a roadside truck sale.

The grinder ran for 20 minutes and died.
All the tools soon failed but the sledge hammer.
He told me that there was nothing the Chinese could do to make a hammer cheap.
I asked if he had hit anything with it. A piece of the face might break off.
He picked the hammer, hit his vise with it, and a piece of the hammer face broke off.

 

[psyshack]

I have this scale and like it for what it is. Mine does not loose "0" and it always checks out with my Lee scale and my RCBS check weights. It also does not drift. It has been very stable and easy on battery's. It is sensitive to large temp changes and air movement.

Lets say I've been at work all day and come home and want to do some reloading. The set back hvac stat has either let the house cool down or heat up through the course of the day. Couple that with the fact that I have three computers in my office/reloading room that are very overclocked two of which are water cooled running Folding@Home 24/7. So until the temp stabilizes the scale can be a tad weird. No digital scale likes air movement much less radical temp swings.

And let me tell you this old school 3.9 ghz monster can belt out some heat and move some air with the cpu and both video cards at %100 load for months on end.



Environment does play into how a digi scale will preform. And that right there is a environmental game changer

 

[ranger335v]

"Don’t buy this scale." --- Good advice but has no meaning for me. I was once a precision electronic instrument repair and calibration tech in the space program; there ain't gonna be no quirky electronic scale of any kind on my loading bench!

BDS - hang onto that scale, you got a rare good one!

My 46 year old Lyman version of the 1010 is still as accurate as the day I bought it but it's really no better than any other good grade beam scale. It stops in a couple of seconds so I really don't see how a digital powder scale could be any "faster" in actual use, especially when there is no need for a "warm up", no recurring need to check zero and calibration, no concern about drifting power line voltage, etc. And any beam scale follows a powder trickler MUCH better than any digital scale I've ever seen!

 

[clutch]

I've been tempted at times to get a digital scale but too much of this stuff is made in china to price it at levels that are affordable and you get what you pay for which is in this case cheap price and cheap engineering. That is fine with an mp3 player but with something that can blow you up as a failure mode, count me out!

My Lyman 505 took a fall and after looking at a new plastic one, I repaired my scale myself. I did buy check weights and do a check measure nearest to what my powder charge will be to check sanity. I should have bought the weights before I dropped it since even my mechanical scale relied on my faith in its calibration.

With these digital scales, a set of check weights and running the full spectrum of weight stacks you can build to check linearity would seem a must.

I like gadgets but I don't see this gadget on my bench anytime soon.

Clutch

 

[SilentVectorX]

Off topic: Psyshack, in that first picture, what are those glowing knobs on the front? That case looks absolutely great!

On topic: Anyway, I have a cheap digital scale right now that I calibrate every startup, and check weight between each measurement. For pistol charges I measure 10 to get an average and for rifle, usually 4. I can't wait to get rid of the cheap scale and get a GemPro 250.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I think they are indicators to show his processor running at maximum.

 

[psyshack]

Off Topic: That is fan control panel. All fans where at %100 during a stability test just over 4 ghz. It didn't pass.

On Topic: I just brought the puter into play to show how challenging my reloading environment is. And I like it. Man caves rock how ever you set yours up.

Just be aware of your surroundings and the possible challenges that may come up. And always check your scales with check weights. I had a buddy not long ago that was very upset. He had purchased a 1010 and Range master(?) digi scale To replace his cheap digi and Layman scales. Turns out the ceiling fan was in winter/heating rotation during the winter thus pushing air flow back down the wall his bench was on causing him problems. Reversed the fan,,,, no issues.

Cheap scales, high dollar scales know your environment and always have check weights ready to use.

 

[x_wrench]

i have one of the older fa 750 models also. i like it, but it has it's quirks also. personally, i think ALL digital equipment is that way. great as a time saver, but if you want accuracy, you need analog. [oh boy, i just know that will start a war!] that is my opinion, from my experience. maybe the ultra high end stuff is better, but i have watched others use expensive meters of several mfg. and types, and on every single one of them the numbers flip back and fourth. they never steady and settle on any one reading. so basicly, i use them strictly as a time saver, and check the zero and accuracy every 20 cases (or bullets) or so. which is primarilly all i use it for. powder always gets weighed in a beam scale.

 

[simon_rook]

Off Topic: That computer makes my pants fit funny, even if it is a PC

 

[GaryL]

I picked up the cheapo Hornady digital scale. Seems to work OK. But I only use it as a quick measuring tool for setting up the initial powder throw on the press, or weighing bullets, that sort of thing. After the initial powder setup on the press, I switch to a beam to fine tune and verify my throws. I get the best of both worlds, without being out a lot of $ for a really good digital scale.

 

[BossHogg]

Not a bad scale for $20, yes it tends to drift after awhile, but seems to be accurate at first. It's good for making cut up paperclips in different sizes for check weights. As for reloading I go to a balance beam scale as that one does start to drift.

 

[Seedtick]

I picked up the cheapo Hornady digital scale. Seems to work OK. But I only use it as a quick measuring tool for setting up the initial powder throw on the press, or weighing bullets, that sort of thing. After the initial powder setup on the press, I switch to a beam to fine tune and verify my throws. I get the best of both worlds, without being out a lot of $ for a really good digital scale.

+1 Me too.

I would like to add a RCBS ChargeMaster to my bench one of these days. I just can't justify the expense for now.

Seedtick

 

[simon_rook]

I was drooling over that at sportsmans yesterday

 

[TheCracker]

I've used one for almost 2 years and it's worked flawlessly for me!

In fact midway has them on sale for 19.99 and im about to buy a spare!

 

[simon_rook]

We must be talking about different set ups. The one I was undressing with my eyes was 300.00

 

[jhansman]

Yep, I had the FA digital for about a week, and then it went back to Midway. Been using an RCBS 5-0-5 ever since, which never seems to lose zero

 

[Iron Sight]

My Frankford Arsenal digital works good for me.

 

[morrow]

I have that scale, works great!