Lee Safety Powder Scale....Garbage or Good ??

blueflash

blueflash

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I am ording a complete reloading kit in the next day or two, and I am just doing a little bit of research on a couple more things before I place my order. I am ordering from factory sales, a complete Lee reloading kit, including a classic cast turret press, and everything I need to reload 9mm and 30/06.

Here is my question. Should I order the Lee safety powder scale ? I don't want to spend a fortune here on my first attempt at reloading, so I was going to just order everything in a one, single order from factory sales, including the lee safety powder scale. However, I have read numerous postings on here that some people find this scale to be a unreliable toy, and not worth buying. I am on a tight budget, and would like to buy a affordable scale, but its pointless if I buy this scale and I need to replace it right away.

I don't know if I should just order everything I need for reloading, except the scale, and then try to find a good deal on a RCBS 5-0-5 or a 5-0-2 scale because I have noticed that they seem quite popular and recommended. If I was to buy a RCBS scale used on EE, is there any chance that I could be getting a problematic scale because its used, or are the RCBS scales pretty much unbreakable, so a used one is fine to buy.

What would you guys recommend ?

1. Buy the Lee safety scale because it does the job and its cheap ?(about $30)
2. Get a used RCBS 5-0-2 or 5-0-5 scale? (about $50)
3. Get a new RCBS RC-130 ($55 new)
4. Get a new RCBS 5-0-2 ($90 new)
5. ????suggestions????

Also, is the 5-0-2 just as good as the 5-0-5 scale, and do they both come with any check wieghts, or do I have to spend another $60 ontop of the scale to get the check weights? Oh brother !

If I buy a RCBS product, I might just get it from lebarons (or lemorons if you prefer) in Missisauga. Are these good prices on the RCBS scales w w w.lebaron.ca/fall%202010%20pages/rcbs_chargemaster.pdf

I already plan on going there to get a tumbler, so if I need to, I will spend the extra money over the Lee safety scale, and buy a RCBS scale, if necessary, while I'm there.
 
The Lee scales does work, it may not be the nicest but it does.

If you're buying a Lee kit that includes one try it. If you are buying things seperately go for an RCBS 505.
 
I am not buying the Lee kit. I am buying the Classic Cast Turret Press, seperately, then I'm buying all of the other stuff that is needed. I'm basically making my own kit up because the Cast Turret Press does'nt come in a kit. To buy the Lee safety scale seperately, its around $25, but to get a RCBS scale, I'm looking at about $90 for the RCBS 5-0-2 scale, but I just want to make sure that I need to spend the extra money for the RCBS scale. If I can get by the the Lee scale, then that would be good, but if its useless, then I will spend the extra money now, and get it over with, instead of having to buy 1 scale and another 1 a few weeks later.

Is the RCBS 5-0-2 scale as good as the 5-0-5 scale ?
 
I have a Lee safety powder scale but only used it once or twice I seem to use my digital scale more

h ttp://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/frankford-arsenal/catalog.asp?product=ds-750-digital-reloading-scale
 
Ive heard that unless you spend several hundred dollars, then its best not to buy a digital scale, so I'm going to stick with a beam scale.
 
Mine was very accurate - checked with Lyman check weights - but incredibly slow and fiddly. It's undamped, and takes a while to settle, and adjustment is a bastard. I upgraded to a 505 as soon as I could.

I do like Lee stuff, and think it offers good value - I still use most of the basic kit - but wouldn't recommend the scale.
 
I think that I am going to just spend the extra money and get a RCBS 5-0-2 scale. Apparantly its just as good as the 5-0-5 model, but it has 2 poises, instead of 3, therefore making the 5-0-2 a little more user friendly.

I really want to save myself money and get the Lee scale, but I have a feeling that in this case, its best to get the RCBS scale and spend the extra $75 or so.

Anyone recommend a good set of cheap check wieghts, or do I need to spend $60 on the RCBS wieghts also ?
 
I'd rather buy a digital scale then spend $90 for the manual one. The Lee scale works fine. How many times will you measure? I guess the only time is when you want to double check the Lee powder thrower?
 
My Lee scale works fine and is consistent to +- .1 grain. The damping problem can be mitigated with a powder trickler and by using a stylus to adjust the slide without bumping the beam.
 
BBB said:
Mine was very accurate - checked with Lyman check weights - but incredibly slow and fiddly. It's undamped, and takes a while to settle, and adjustment is a bastard. I upgraded to a 505 as soon as I could.

I do like Lee stuff, and think it offers good value - I still use most of the basic kit - but wouldn't recommend the scale.
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The swing doesn't have to become still in order to know if it is balanced. If the + and - swings are equal then it's balanced.
 
Yes, just to double check what is being loaded. I geuss I could just get the lee scale for now because it is really cheapand if it sucks really bad then I will upgrade. Its not like I will be out alot since the safety scale is really cheap
 
I used a Lee scale for many years. It is not easy to set but it is precise.
One day, I got an RCBS 5-0-5 and have used it ever since. I have run sensitivity tests along with the Lee and the Lee was as precise even if not the easiest to set.
Then one day I gave the Lee to a friend who needed one.
He still has it... and a RCBS 5-0-5.
PP. :)
 
I have used both the Lee (a couple of yrs, ordered it for my son-in-law's reloading set-up) and the RCBS 505 (21 years).

They are both equally accurate and they give similar readings. Since I was used to the 505, the Lee took some getting used to.

However, if I had the Lee first, I would not have found the need for the more expensive RCBS 505.
 
easyrider604 said:
I have used both the Lee (a couple of yrs, ordered it for my son-in-law's reloading set-up) and the RCBS 505 (21 years).

They are both equally accurate and they give similar readings. Since I was used to the 505, the Lee took some getting used to.

However, if I had the Lee first, I would not have found the need for the more expensive RCBS 505.
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Thanks for the input, its nice to know that I will be okay with the Lee safety scale. I would rather save the $100 that I would need to spend on a RCBS scale, and invest it into components to reload to get started or for other tools necessary.

Do you guys double check the Lee safety scale with weights, to be sure that its okay ? Or do I not need to bother getting check weights right now ?
 
blueflash said:
Do you guys double check the Lee safety scale with weights, to be sure that its okay ? Or do I not need to bother getting check weights right now ?
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Truth is I never bothered checking the accuracy of my scales. However, a few months ago, I did weigh a few 125 grain .38/.357 Rainier Plated HPs on my RCBS 505, and they were very close to exactly 125 grains, like within a few tenths of a grain ...amazing.
 
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My lee scale was garbage. Everything else is great but I could not stand the scale. It took forever to stop moving and was hard to set. I bought the RCBS 5-0-5 and am very pleased with it. Easy and quick to use. I'd go with RCBS. Ymmv.
 
I found the 10ths of grains difficult to read properly on the Lee. Also the Lee scale only weighs up to 109.9 grains, so weighing bullets any bigger is not an option.
 
I was today in mans cave reloading few as weather is getting springy in Alberta.
Used Chargemaster combo new to me this year, WOW, but RCBS 505 that's what I trust more than Lee plastic unit.
I had to shave some material off suspension bar on Lee and now is working better.
It was taking forever to balance now not so long. Also I had this plastic scale on plastic table and my impression was that there was to much static electricity interfering with balancing. Now is on wooden table.
One more thing Lee is so light that if you are around forced air heat register when is blowing it might affect your scale big time.

Andrew
 
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