Digital Scales... Prices and Quality... Recommendations?
- Thread starter Loarun
- Start date
Went into my local headshop (Secrets) and asked for a scale for around 20bucks. Guy gave a scale priced at 25 for 20. It works perfect and its got a lifetime warranty. The guy took it out and checked it out/calibrated it before he sold me it.
I prefer buying a scale in person so you can check it first.
I prefer buying a scale in person so you can check it first.
biojuggernaut
Snob
cops give felonies for scales.
max
Out to lunch
What are you trying to say with such an outrageous statement? You're on a forum where the topic is a substance that's mostly illegal. What's the point of a post that apparently has no purpose except to scare people. I'm not going to look for a state where possession of a scale is a felony, but I seriously doubt there is one. Although LEOs, depending on the local laws and what else they find, can label a scale as paraphernalia, possession of one in itself is not illegal. They have perfectly legit and legal uses. If this is an example of the type of posting you find enjoyable, I suggest you find a different forum for it. :/biojuggernaut said:
Good advice, but please don't give credence to his ridiculous felony claim.george said:
jeffp
psychonaut/retired
max said:Instead of eBay cheapies, how about $15 for top of the line scales, with a 30 yr. warranty?2Supra4U said:I'd recommend just goin on ebay and looking for a cheap digi that does .1 or .01 for 10-15 bucks.
When I say cheap, i mean a step up from those china iphone or whatever looking scale.
You can get a half decent one like i said for 10-15 bucks which sell for like 25+ in the store.
http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-triton-t2-120.aspx
Thanks Max, and for merging the thread into the original. I'm going with the t2-120 from Old Will Knott with a 50g calibration weight and i saved a few bucks from/by opting for priority shipping.
*Next challenge is finding what's appropriate weight for say a $60 or $100 of sour diesel, kush etc. etc....*
Nice not being in the dark about this - a little scale allows you to be a more informed consumer. Plus if you chip in with a friend it becomes very easy to divide up.
max
Out to lunch
The Triton calls for a 100g calibration weight. Are you able to calibrate with 50g?
I've had a My Weigh Durascale for years now, and I love it. It came with a 50g calibration weight, but I haven't had to use it. It seems to be self calibrating. Had a less expensive My Weigh model at some point, and that one did require the occasional zeroing out. I highly recommend a calibration weight for inexpensive scales (follow the calibration instructions), and Oldwillknotscales.com has 'em at a good price.
biojuggernaut
Snob
max said:
Sorry max didn't mean to offend. I dont live in a medicinal state and I feel that re-ins with the local enforcement should always be as most "hassel-free" as possible. Everyone here knows what we are doing I just thought that I should reiderate the point that if a scale IS found with one's stash the repercussions can be quite... depressing. Just thought I'd remind everyone with a quick word instead of preaching to the choir. Sorry for holding up the thread or whatever i did.
biojuggernaut
Snob
A friends landlord called the cops once due to the smell, the cops came in found a personal amount and a scale. He had to do the whole confidential informant gig, really sick shit. 
Mr.Fresh
Well-Known Member
biojuggernaut said:
I hear that is not the case if you have the batteries out. Its like owning all of the parts to make an illegal weapon... It would be speculation on the laws part for assuming that I would use the parts together, and they are not being paid to assume.
Not sure if this is true or not, just something I have heard worked before. Anyone else here of anything like this?
p.s. Don't be an smartass to cops. Most likely your doing something "wrong"
toxicc
E11001420
A scale without batteries is like a gun without bullets. If you killed someone and they find a gun without bullets you'll be in shit. Same thing if they caugh you selling and you have a scale without batteries. But if you only have a scale with nothing else suspicious you sure are ok.
max
Out to lunch
I wasn't personally offended, but we don't want that kind of inaccurate statement to appear here and go unchallenged. Scales are an item that, as has been said, MAY be labeled as paraphernalia, depending on what else is found. It would be the same for a syringe-depends on whether it's found in a kit, along with a spoon and lighter, or in the medicine cabinet, along with a good, legal reason for having it. Even without a legal reason, if you and your house are otherwise clean, it's highly unlikely you'd get busted for possession of a syringe. Or a scale.
Once the herb is found, the scale gets the thumb up for paraphernalia. With just a report of 'smell' and a scale, and no herb in evidence, the case would get thrown out in a flash, in the unlikely event it even got that far.
HiC
Well-Known Member
OldGuy said:
OldGuy, how's your scale holding up? I'm considering buying one of these but I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer.
1) Does the lid open all the way so it's flat like it shows here?
2) Is there an auto-off feature and does it shut off too quickly like some other models? I've had a real problem with this with the Jennings scale I've been using. It always shuts off while I'm in the middle of weighing my stuff.
3) Does it indeed recognize weights as low as .01g? My Jennings doesn't seem to go any lower than .03, even though it has a .01g resolution. There are a couple reviews on Amazon for the AMW-100 that mention a problem with this: here and here. In the comment for the second review, the guy says you basically can't expect .01 accuracy with a consumer-grade scale, even if it claims that resolution and that you need a $150+ milligram scale for genuine accuracy.
jeffp
psychonaut/retired
biojuggernaut said:A friends landlord called the cops once due to the smell, the cops came in found a personal amount and a scale. He had to do the whole confidential informant gig, really sick shit.
Last night the police knocked on a friend's door in my building because a neighbor complained about the smell. The cops said we have to respond to a complaint but we don't care what you do in your apartment - just light some incense and candles please. This is in NYC. I was very surprised to hear this and relieved.
max
Out to lunch
Hard to beat the My Weigh brand for the money. Last month I bought one of these for an Xmas gift. The MX 200 isn't a current model, but this seller has 'em with everything that comes with a new scale, including the warranty card for the 30 yr. guarantee, and they're the improved version 3 of this model. Scalemagazine.com has a rave review on this model at a $50 average price, and you can pick one up now for about $13, including shipping. Great deal. 
http://www.scalemagazine.com/
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=my+weigh+mx200
http://www.scalemagazine.com/
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=my+weigh+mx200
rabblerouser
Combustion Fucker
yeah, i've been happy with old will knott, i sprung for the palmscale 8 tho.
no complaints so far, except for the autoshutoff being a little too eager.
one random thing to keep an eye out for is what batteries the scale takes, those button cells can be pricey.
no complaints so far, except for the autoshutoff being a little too eager.
one random thing to keep an eye out for is what batteries the scale takes, those button cells can be pricey.
HiC said:
HiC,
My scale is holding up fine, but there's no reason it shouldn't. I handle it with care, I never overload it, and I always put it back in its original (now a bit tattered) box. But, I'm probably being a bit overprotective; the case appears to be sturdy, and I probably could safely store it in a desk drawer. I wouldn't have recommended it otherwise.
Yes, the lid lies flat just like in the photo.
I tested the auto off feature as follows: Turned scale on and pressed tare. Scale turned off after ~ 60 seconds of inactivity. Turned scale back on, placed a twig on the scale for a few seconds and removed the twig. Scale turned off ~ 60 seconds after removing the twig and no further activity. Turned scale back on, placed twig back on scale, removed twig after 55 seconds, scale returned to zero, replaced twig on scale. Scale turned off ~ 60 seconds after replacing twig and no further activity. So, if you're going to have more than ~ 60 seconds of continuous inactivity, lift and replace your sample cup periodically.
I did a crude test at the low end of the range that I think will answer your question. Placed a large twig on the scale, display read 0.07. Added a small twig, scale read 0.11. Removed large (70 mg) twig, scale read 0.00. Returned large (70 mg) twig, scale read 0.11. Removed small twig, scale read 0.07. So, yeah, the scale "knows" its limitations. I do not expect this scale to accurately measure that small a weight, nor do I need it to do so. I bought two of these and compared them. After calibration, they gave practically identical readings at several test points, using a stack of coins as crude/average variable test weight. I was happy with that.
Like anyone else, I want accuracy, and I believe I get it from this $15 scale, having a reasonable expectation for my application. As I have pointed out, a good portion of what you buy by the gram can be moisture content, so actual weight can change with time. For myself, I just can't justify the additional cost or hassle factor (vibration, air currents, etc.) of a more sensitive scale for my intended purpose.
Two additional considerations:
If you plan to weigh your samples to the nearest 1/10 of a gram (0.1), I suggest getting a scale that measures 1/100 of a gram (0.01), then round the measurement up/down yourself to the nearest 0.1 gram. That's the resulting resolution I expect from a scale in this price range (0.01 gram dumbed down by me to 0.05 gram resolution).
When I tell someone that my log vape uses ~ 30 mg (0.030 grams) per bowl, it's because I weighed the total contents of several bowls and divided the total weight by the number of bowls I put on the scale. That's how I get "accuracy without precision".
Hope that helps.
HiC
Well-Known Member
OldGuy said:Hope that helps.
That certainly did help, man. Thanks! I think that's all the info I need and I'm pretty sure I'll get one. Looks like they have one vendor at Amazon that sells them for under $15, shipping included. I'm going to try the same auto-off test you did with my Jennings HP-100X. I'm sure it's quicker than 60 seconds so anything close to that would be a definite improvement. Another annoying thing about the Jennings is that it doesn't sit evenly on a flat surface. I saw that mentioned in an Amazon review but disregarded it thinking their unit was just a fluke. Well, turns out mine has the same problem. Buyers beware.
biojuggernaut
Snob
What size batteries does everyone's take? Mine takes the cr2025
Puget
mollusk
I'm about to order the My Weigh PalmScale 8 Advance 300 from oldwillknottscales.com (20 hrs left for the sale price). It takes 2 AAA batteries.biojuggernaut said:
Edit: I can't recommend oldwillknotscales. They shipped my scale in a bubble envelope. The cardboard PalmScale box was busted apart (as in, the glued seam was totally burst open). It is a credit to the clam shell design that the scale works great.
I'm really tired of online retailers showing zero respect for the goods.
damienm420
Member
Can anyone give me some input on a decent .01 gram scale? Thanks