Need another scale, Lyman 1200DPS?

[Black Snowman]

I'm considering getting one of these as a replacement for my Lee Safty Scale. Anyone have one yet? I'm seeing them for $273 shipped which is a lot cheaper than the other scale+thrower options out there.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lymanproducts/scales.htm

If I decided to save some money and just get a scale what would you recommend for accuracy and ease of use? I've used RCBS 502 and 505 with good results in the past. Are the digital scales enough quicker or easier to be worth the extra money?

 

[warrior23]

I just picked one up last week.Its on sale at natchez for 219.It takes 30min to warm up but after that it goes pretty well,I've found that pre filling the scale bowl saves time.And so far after dropping close too a 100 charges it was +-.1 grain with most falling right on,I was working with Varget powder at the time.I'm happy with it and I do my brass prep while waiting for it to warm up.

 

[mack]

Just got a 1200dps and I am impressed - it was easy to set up and to clean and change powder - you can just use the scale if you want - but the dispenser is real nice. Just turn it on a 1/2 hour before you want to use it - you can skip the warm up but it isn't as accurate if you do.


You should be able to find it for between 220 and 250 dollars.

 

[Black Snowman]

Man I don need to hear this! I was hoping to see "Avoid at all costs" "Save your money"

I don't absolutely NEED one, but the Safety Scale is really only good at checking my throwers and just not practical or safe for measuring each load.

Man, $220 is an awful long wat tward that Biathlon Basic I want, and I'd probably use it more, but I could really use a decent scale . . . ARG!

 

[dodgestdshift]

Thirty years ago I bought at Ohaus 10-10 for $16.00 new. They are now sold by RCBS and are great scales. You will pay a lot more now, but nowhere near $273. The 10-10 is a great scale and will do all that you need a scale for.

 

[Snorkel Bob]

Sorry guys this might be a stupid question but I dont reload or use anything associated with it.
But why should a dispensor need to warm up?

 

[Black Snowman]

The load cell that detects the weight works on resistance. The electronics have to come up to a stable temp before they become completely consistant because heat effects the restance of many of the electrical components and the differances in restance that the load cell produces are very slight.

 

[Snorkel Bob]

So do all dispensors work on this same principle?

 

[mack]

I can't answer for how all dispensers work -

There are the powder measures that work without a scale - that mechanically dispense a set volume of powder

There are also electronic powder tricklers that dispense a few grains at a time similair to the manual type tricklers

But the electronic dispensers that dispense a specific weight of powder are to my knowledge all connected - electronically at least - to an electronic scale - it is the scale that needs time to warm up to achieve optimum accuracy, (Black Snowman explained this better than I can). The dispenser is electronically tied into the scale and dispenses powder at a fast rate and then as it nears the last few grains at a trickle rate until the scale weight matches the programed grain weight you key punched into the dispenser.

The Lyman 1200DPS is a single piece that has the scale and dispenser in the same unit. It will allow you to dispense powder manually without using the scale - at a fast rate and/or at a slow trickle rate. Also you can skip the scale warm up time if you want to - they just don't guarantee that the accuracy will be within .1 of a grain if you do so - though it will be close anyway. I just turn it on before hand so that it is ready by the time I'm ready to dispense the powder. The Lyman dipenser part uses a hollow metal tube with a slot cut in it for the powder to fall into from the powder container - the interior of the tube has grooves - similair to rifling - the tube rotates and the powder rolls down the length of the tube and out to the powder pan on the scale - at first it rotates fast and the powder virtually runs out - then it slows to a trickle - until it hits the programed weight. I've used it with Bullseye, (small flakes) and IMR 4895, (large extruded) and it works great with both, no adjustments are needed as with powder measures.

I was impressed at how elegantly simple and functional the whole thing is - I hope it holds up - but the technology is not new - as electronic scales have been around for years now and the dispenser mechanism has a minimum of moving parts - essentially a motor with the dispenser tube attached which it rotates.

 

[Archie]

Do a web search on "Digital Scale"..

You'll find a number of places selling scales that will serve your purpose for less than 100 Yankee dollars.

They don't have the "dispenser" feature, but I don't use that anyway.

Look carefully, some don't have "grain" measurement. Grams are just as accurate, but you'll have to convert.

 

[mack]

I agree, if you aren't going to use the dispenser feature, then the Lyman 1200DPS is not what you want. Lyman states that you can speed the dispensing process by throwing a load from a scoop or powder measure into the scale pan to bring it up to weight faster, but in actual practice I don't think this would save more than 2 or 3 seconds. I like to weigh each and every powder charge - so the 1200DPS works for me - I don't have to adjust or set up different powder measures as I normally would have to do - as I load for rifle and pistol.

There are alot of nice electronic scales available for around 100 dollars or a little less - and even if you want to weigh each round - if you have powder measures already set up or like using them and have a good powder trickler - then you may only really need an electronic scale. However, I would not get a scale that did not read out in grains - save a buck or two and end up with a daily headache and the possibilty of a conversion error, especially when working up different loads.

 

[Black Snowman]

Sound advice Mack and I was thinking along the same lines. Is it worth $100 for the extra "nifty" factor? Because frankly, my time isn't worth much so the extra few seconds saved are probably not worth it. I do think the convinience of a digital scale would be worth the few extra bucks. Thanks for all the input guys. You've been a real help. I might still get the 1200 anyway just for bragging rights

 

[lunde]

It's $215.94 here: http://www.dnrsports.net/miva/merch...ct_Code=LYM7752400&Category_Code=reloadacclym

 

[Kamicosmos]

I want one of these scales after reading this thread, and I've been hunting for one. I know Natchez has it for $219.

Went to the Cabela's here, and they actually had two in stock, so Black Snowman and I were getting out the credit cards.

Luckily for us, Cabela's wants....


$299!!!

Noticing that alot of the websites are out of stock and/or prices are going up and up on these things.

Maybe that's because it got the Shooting Industry Best Accessory of 2003 Award?

So....maybe at tax return time...

 

[Black Snowman]

This is so painful! I do need a decent scale, but do I need it NOW? Is it worth the intrest I'll pay putting it on credit? Probably not. . . must resist!

 

[Jarvo71]

Wal Mart had one for 230, I have not seen another one there since though. This was in central Tx around the 2oth of September.

 

[Black Snowman]

Wally World around here doesn't have any reloading gear. Lots of paintball and a decent selection of knives though.