Scale Buyers Guide by OneDigitalScales.com  

Buying an affordable scale or balance for your specific weighing application can sometimes be a confusing one. There are thousands of types of weighing scales ranging from crane scales, animal scales, floor scales, bench scales, balances, counting scales, medical scales, as well as components like load cells and indicators. Where do I start to look for the right one?
How do I find a scale that will fit my budget but won't be a cheap scale I'll just have to replace in a few months?  What is the difference from one scale to the next scale? Why does one scale cost hundreds of dollars more than a similar looking scale?
Can we receive a discount if we purchase more than one scale (yes)? Can we ship on our company UPS and Fedex account (most times, yes)?
 
Below are some general answers that our One Digital Scales customers ask us and some useful information about that particular type of scale or application. And remember, you can always call or email us if you need more info. Enjoy and thanks for shopping with us! 

What is the maximum capacity and accuracy that you will be weighing with your scale or balance?
When weighing anything you want to ask what the max capacity you'll need in a scale.  The second question you'll need to ask is what is the accuracy or precision needed in your scale. So when you see a scale on the One Digital Scales website that says "10,000lb x 10lbs" what does this mean exactly? The 10,000lbs is the maximum capacity that the scale will weigh. The 10lbs is the increments or accuracy that the scale will show on the digital indicator. For example, if you weigh something the least amount the scale will show is 10lbs, then 20lb, then 30lb, etc. all the way up till the maximum weight of 10,000lbs.

What is the enviornment that the scale will be used?
Will the scale be used indoors or outdoors?  Will the scale be used in a washdown or wet enviornment (you can type in "washdown" in the search box and it will show you some options)? Will you need a floor scale or a bench scale or does your weighing application call for a hanging scale like a crane scale? If your weighing application calls for high precision weighing for compounds, liquids, or powders then you will probably need a balance of some sort.

Now let's talk about some of the most common scale types that will most likely work for your application...

ANIMAL SCALES
We've got all types of low priced animal scales that will weigh any type of animal you can throw at us!  When you are weighing animals or people with animal scales you have to understand you will need a scale that utilizes a "live weigh" load cell. The live weigh load cell monitors the high speed averaging of an animal or person as they move on the scale base and then takes that average and displays the weight on the digital indicator.  This type of scale is perfect for weighing pigs, llamas, goats, dogs, cats, birds, horses, and other type of livestock or animal.  The animal scale could really double as a medical scale that could weigh patients as well.
So what are some affordable quality scales that will weigh my animals accurately and easily? If you have an small animal you would like to weigh, then you could go with a small, medium, or large base scale.  Again, what is the maximum capacity that you will need to weigh?  Sometimes, when weighing animals, the base size becomes very important.  You have to ask yourself what the temperament of your animals is and will they stand relatively still on the animal scale base long enough to get an accurate weigh?  Our 1,000lb animal scale has a large base but also utilizes a "hold" feature on the digital scale indicator.  This hold features allows you to capture the animal's weight at a particular time.  When the animal is on the scale base, press "hold" to capture the weight and then lead the animal off the scale.  If you need to record that animal's weight, you can simply look at the digital indicator and it will show the weight. Our 3,000lb, 2,000lb, 500lb, and 550lb animal scales also utilize this type of indicator as well. Another very popular affordable animal scales option is our 700lb animal scale which features an industry leading two year warranty at a very affordable price.
If you are weighing very small animals like a bunny, gerbil, hamster, bird, cat, small dog, or other animal you would probably choose a smaller scale. The MS20 animal baby scale comes in plastic or stainless steel. This scale allows you to weigh either small animals or even babies. If you are weighing on a farm or livestock auction or using a squeeze chute you will need something larger.  Your scale could be weighing horses, alpacas, pigs, or another large animal which would require a higher capacity and larger base. You could choose a 1,000lb vet deck, a 2,500lb scale with a huge 40" x 80" base which is perfect for weighing horses, or a pair of weigh beams which could fit below a custom fabricated base or most likely a squeeze chute for weighing cattle.
We also have some options if you are a commercial or recreational fisherman.  You can weigh your catch with a hanging crane scale or if you are specifically doing IGFA tournament fishing you will need the Scalemaster scale.  The Scalemaster is one of the few IGFA tournament approved scales used to weigh your world record marlin or shark.
The nice part about most of these flat base animal scales is that they can double as a floor scale or a shipping scale depending on your application.

HANGING CRANE SCALES or Dynomometers
If I'm weighing something that need to be hanging, how do I decide which overhead hanging scale to go with?
One Digital Scales carries hanging scales of all sizes, shapes and capacities.  The capacities of crane scales range from 250lb up to 300,000lbs or more.  The nice part about our crane scales is they are all assembled, calibrated with official test weights, and tested before they are shipped to you. They are ready to weigh right out of the box.
You need to decide what is the maximum capacity that will be weighed on this crane scale.  For an all purpose lower capacity crane scale you could go with the NC-1 crane scale.  The NTEP approved (legal for trade) NC-1 crane scale has 3 different capacities (250lb, 500lb, or 1,000lb) and includes a wireless remote control. The NC-1 is weather resistant which means it's encased and can withstand some of the elements but should not be submerged or it will damage the load cell.
The hanging crane scale is another great options which features different crane scale capacities from 250lbs all the way up to 20,000lbs.  The hanging crane scale can also be totally customized by adding more load cell cable or switching indicators.
If you need a very heavy duty crane scale with a solid case to protect it from damage or a rough enviornment, then you could go with a CAS II crane scale or CAS III crane scale or a Scalehawk crane scale.  The Scalehawk crane scale's weight capacities range from the low capacity (500lb to 3,000lb capacity crane scale), medium capacity (4,000lb to 10,000lb capacity crane scale), and the high capacity (20,000lb to 300,000lb capacity crane scale). The Scalehawk weighing scale can also be converted a wireless crane scale as well which includes a remote indicator to view the weight.  For obvious safety reasons, when you are weighing loads of over 20,000lbs most operators do not like to stand directly below what they are weighing and opt to go with a wireless digital indicator to read the how much a load weighs.
Do you need a scale that will show you how much stress or tension there is on a line before it breaks?
We have peak hold or stress testing crane scales that will show you the last weight that registers on the digital indicator before it breaks.  For example, if you are line testing and are pulling the line until it breaks you will want to know what the line capacity is.
Basically, you break the line and then go back to the scale indicator and it will show the last weight that registers at the moment that line breaks. This uses a peak hold indicator.  
We have very affordable crane scales that will fit just about any application for any budget.


WEIGHING BALANCES OR SCALES
The variety of models, sizes, and capacities of balances you could purchase could be overwhelming. What are you weighing? What enviornment are you using this balance in?  Some higher precision balances have windshields (plastic or glass) to protect from any wind draft. For example, you may be using a high precision balance to weigh very fine powders in a lab room and there could be a door right next to the table you are working.  If someone opens that door, there could be a breeze which could affect the weigh if not for the windshield. One Digital Scales has a variety of options.
After you identify what you are weighing and where the balance will be used, you will try to determine what's the maximum capacity the balance should be.  Maybe more important in precision weighing is the accuracy needed for the balance. Do you need the balance to be accurate to 1g, .1g, .01g, .001g or accurate to the tenth of a milligram?  Our One Digital Scales.com balances state the maximum capacity and accuracy of the balance.

Quick Balance Guide
1g - accurate to 1 gram (least accurate) - choose MRB, MP Series, Scout Pro balances
.1g - accurate to a tenth of a gram - choose HRB series, VB302A, MRB, MP Series, Scout Pro, CT Series, HCB Highland, Everest Series
.01g - accurate to a hundredth of a gram - choose HRB series, VB302A, HCB Highland, Scout Pro, PGW, CG Series, FX-i toploader balances
1mg = 0.001g - choose HRB series, VB302A, CY Series, GF Series, Explorer Pro, FX-i, GX Series, Voyager Pro
.1mg = 0.0001g - choose HRB series, CY Series Analytical, CX series microbalance, CX Series Analytical, Orion Series, Explorer Pro Analytical, Gemini Series, Phoenix Series, Voyager Pro Analytical, Discovery Series
.01mg = 0.00001g (most accurate) - choose CX Series Microbalance, Orion Series, Gemini Series, Phoenix Series, Discover Series, or micro balances

Moisture balances
Pharma Class A balances
underhook weighing
VB302A
HRB
Explorer Pro
low cost: MRB and MP


FLOOR OR PALLET WAREHOUSE SCALES

COUNTING SCALES FOR PIECES/PARTS 

MEDICAL SCALES

SHIPPING SCALES

CUSTOM OR SPECIALIZED WEIGHING SYSTEMS

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List of the Departments of weights and measures by state
NTEP Approved - Legal for Trade Guidelines

AK
Alaska Div of Measurement Standards/CVE
12050 Industry Way, Bldg. O
Anchorage, AK 99515
Phone: (907) 365-1222
Fax: (907) 345-2313
www.dot.state.ak.us/mscve/index.shtml