digital or manual powder scale?

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neotekz

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i have a cheap lee power scale that came with the kit and want to upgrade but i don't know if i should get a digital or manual scale. digital is easier to use but i rather have a precise scale. what do you guys prefer to use?
 
I use both.....

In fact I have 1 older "ohaus" scale, 2 "RCBS" 5-0-2 scales and a "J Mack" Precision 20 digital scale.

I could probably get by with one or the other, either the 5-0-2 or the JMack 20... But I always seem to 'check one with the other'...... I just gotta make sure it's exact! (thats the OCD coming out again!)

The Jmack does seem to have a more "exact" reading.... And it's about the same price as an RCBS 5-0-2.... If you can afford both, get both. If you can afford one, get the 5-0-2.

Cheers!
 
I had the opportunity to try out a $100 digital scale purchased off the internet against a laboratory analytical balance with mg precision, the kind of scale that costs a couple of grand. I immediately lost any and all confidence I might have had in low cost digital scales.

Many people use them and express faith in them. I will never use one.
 
I use both digital & manual. Always check my powder charge twice. Like I do with my carpentry work, measure twice, cut once. So their is no fu@k ups. Hopefully.
 
I use el-cheapo digital I picked up at Cabelas USA for $30 and it works for me.
As long as I get 0.03gr accuracy or better it's good enough (for me).
 
Couldn't use a beam scale to save me.

Digital was my way to go. I bought a $250 one from Lyman and some check weights. Hasn't led me astray yet.
 
Digital scales are excellent, just don't drop it from your reloading bench. Will not work the same that's for sure. Been there, done that before. Wasen't happy with my self when it did happen.
 
BattleRife said:
I had the opportunity to try out a $100 digital scale purchased off the internet against a laboratory analytical balance with mg precision, the kind of scale that costs a couple of grand. I immediately lost any and all confidence I might have had in low cost digital scales.

Many people use them and express faith in them. I will never use one.
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what kind of error were you getting from the $100 scale? what was off about it, the precision or accuracy? when you tested it was it off always by the same amount at least?

did you check a manual scale against the lab unit?
 
Another thing with digis is - you need to calibrate them and tare before checking your powder load to be precise.
 
I recently bought a "Digiweigh DW-10PP" on eBay and it was a good buy. The scale is made on the cheap but man it it sensitive. 154gr max load and a sensitivity of 0.02gr with and displays changes very quickly so powder trickling is easy. You can also get a 308gr max load scale but a decreased sensitivity to 0.03gr. (DW-20PP)

With shipping the scale cost me $120.
 
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I use both for sensitive loads. ;)

Digital could be way off in the presence of static, magnetic fields, drift... sometimes that's just a fluorescent lamp near the loading bench or clothes you wear. Must be leveled and calibrated every time. Much faster to work with if paired with powder dispenser.

I re-check first 10 loads from dispenser using RCBS 10-10... and every 10th load after.

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