Just got a decent scale

[Scotvs Capitis]

Anyone have a ProScale LC-50? Its small, was in my price range ($44 shipped), and seems to work quite well. I have the 50g calibration weight but it was spot on when it arrived. I read a thread here about scales and this seems to be a decent name, though obviously not the best. For the money, it seems to be quite well made. .00 accuracy, small pocket size, and light. Doesn't shut off TOO quickly, which was one complaint on the other thread.

How long should I expect a lower end scale like this to last?

[bruce61813]

Scoot, I am not sure about that one. By the way, does it read .1 or .01 grams? I have one tha treads .1 gms and it is over two years old, I use rechargable AAA type batteries in it, and it seems to work fine.

Bruce

[Scotvs Capitis]

Scoot, I am not sure about that one. By the way, does it read .1 or .01 grams? I have one tha treads .1 gms and it is over two years old, I use rechargable AAA type batteries in it, and it seems to work fine.

Bruce

Yes, it reads to .01g, so far it seems pretty nice. I have tested on lots of  known weight items and it seems to be working quite nicely so far.

I wonder how long it will last? 

[bruce61813]

They are fairly decent, so 3 to 5 years at a minimum. dipping them in coffee doesn't help 
But do remeber that the last digit is + or - .005, and the last digit is a rounded number.

Bruce

[slokind]

I always suggest MY WEIGH's mx-50.  Coins re-weighed after several years still come out to the same hundredth of a gram.  Worth every penny.  I once got scales from a well known dealer, more expensive, lousy connections to battery, clunky, and defunct after 18 months.  My mx-50 after five years is only on its second battery.  Pat L.

[Akropolis]

Looks good! Thanks, Pat.
PeteB

[Cleisthenes]

Pat L.,

I am echoing Pete B., "Thank you!"  The My Weigh MX-50 looked so good that I've just purchased one.  It took only a little hunting until I found a vendor who'd ship it to Thailand.  Have you got any tips on callipers?

Jim

[bruce61813]

Pat L.,
I am echoing Pete B., "Thank you!"  The My Weigh MX-50 looked so good that I've just purchased one.  It took only a little hunting until I found a vendor who'd ship it to Thailand.  Have you got any tips on callipers?
Jim

  Any decent mechanical dial type will do, and they are one-Bay for $20 or less. You could go to digital, but why? .1 mm is not really needed, and you can learn to read the mechanical dial to very line levels if needed.

Bruce

[moonmoth]

I bought a digital/mechanical calliper, with both types of readout, and I thought it was wonderful for about two days.  But ancient coins are so irregular in diameter that you can get quite different readings every time you try.  I am back to using my wooden ruler.  Measurement to the nearest millimeter seems fine to me, and there is no chance of scratching the coin.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've always used a ruler. Given the obvious variations in flan size, I don't see that measurements to anything more than the neares millimeter are going to be meaningful, and you don't need anything complex for that.

[Cleisthenes]

I've always used a ruler. Given the obvious variations in flan size, I don't see that measurements to anything more than the neares millimeter are going to be meaningful, and you don't need anything complex for that.

Robert,

A ruler makes perfect sense.  For my purposes, measuring to the closest millimeter is fine.

Cheers,
Jim

[moonmoth]

I always suggest MY WEIGH's mx-50.  Coins re-weighed after several years still come out to the same hundredth of a gram.  Worth every penny.  I once got scales from a well known dealer, more expensive, lousy connections to battery, clunky, and defunct after 18 months.  My mx-50 after five years is only on its second battery.  Pat L.

My new mx-50 arrived this morning and seems very satisfactory, so far!  More consistent and more accurate than my previous electronic scale, which I only used for coins over 10 grams anyway, as it was a it unreliable in detail.  I have been using a "Lucky 11" plastic balance for under 10 grams, which as it happens is perfectly adequate within 1/10th of a gram and is also very cheap!  (It's a bit fiddly at times, though.)

Thanks for the recommendation.

[Scotvs Capitis]

Just an update for posterity. Its been six months and the ProScale LC-50 is doing just fine. It has remained calibrated and is still accurate, measuring known weight match bullets and powder accurately and precisely, giving me the same reading on the test items I used when I first got the scale. Its only been 6 months, but I've weighed just about every coin I have, and used it for weighing bullets for reloading and for historical analysis of rifle rounds from various countries. Its not been used as heavily as a lab scale would be used, but  its been used probably more than an average coin collector would use it.

Pleased, so far. Time will tell...