You can check the accuracy of any scale in the few ounces range by weighing an accurately measured amount of water. Half a cup of water should weigh 4 ounces.
George
Hey guys, thanks for the additional input. Very helpful and the input has helped me narrow down my choices.
Much appreciated!
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
SeeYou190 Antonio, my scale has a "zero" button on it. When I weigh big items, like a passenger car, I set a tray on the scale and hit the "zero" button. That resets the scale so the weight of the tray is not included in the readout. That makes it easy. -Kevin
Antonio, my scale has a "zero" button on it. When I weigh big items, like a passenger car, I set a tray on the scale and hit the "zero" button. That resets the scale so the weight of the tray is not included in the readout.
That makes it easy.
-Kevin
One thing to watch for is the max weight of the scale is without the tare. If the scale is good to 1000g and your tray weights 900g, you can only put 100g more on.
Otherwise you can risk damaging the scale, or mess up the calibration. If the calibration is messed up it won't correctly read anymore (until recalibrated). I made that mistake once on a much more expensive scale.
AntonioFP45 Hello crew members. The 1970's era "old school" analog (post office) scale that I used for weighing my HO scale rollng stock, basically, went kaputzky. Looking online, I see that there are a large variety of small scales on the market. But I realize that, in spite of being attractive, they likely vary in quality, accuracy, and durability. From what I've gleaned on this forum, a number of you use digital scales. So I'd appreciate your feedback, opinions, photos, and recommendations; pro and con. Thanks!
Hello crew members.
The 1970's era "old school" analog (post office) scale that I used for weighing my HO scale rollng stock, basically, went kaputzky.
Looking online, I see that there are a large variety of small scales on the market. But I realize that, in spite of being attractive, they likely vary in quality, accuracy, and durability.
From what I've gleaned on this forum, a number of you use digital scales. So I'd appreciate your feedback, opinions, photos, and recommendations; pro and con.
Thanks!
I highly recommend one of the Fugitive scales sold by the Jansen company. They are very easy to use if one of my cars needs to get a weigh.
Late to the party so to speak but I will completely agree with Harbor Freight. I have one that my now late father got me a few years ago. (He'd order stuff from there for our ranch and over a certain amount would be free shipping, so he'd ask if there was something I thought I needed when he was ordering.) It does have the accuracy down to .001 but I compute my weights with a spreadsheet that I have set to three decimal places so it works for me. I also have used it when I have shipped cars and engines out. (I was given a collection from someone getting out due to age and sold some of the items off as they didn't fit my era but some of them I kept and the scale was used to get the correct weight on them as well.)
tstageThat's called "taring". Most, if not all, scales have that as a built-in feature.
I figured all digital kitchen scales would have this feature, but since I have only used two, was reluctant to state that.
Two things about my new scale that annoy me are that it defaults to metric every time I turn it on, and it has this dumb feature to calculate calories that is way too easy to turn on and cause confusing readings.
I miss my old scale that just weighed things in ounces.
Simple is better.
Living the dream.
That's called "taring". Most, if not all, scales have that as a built-in feature.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Thank you Tom! Much appreciated.
I'll continue to read info on the suggested choices, including yours and I'll likely select and order one soon.
AntonioFP45Tom, I do like the compact size of your scale as well and wonder if a passenger car can be accurately weighed with the center of the body on the plate and the trucks / ends hanging off of the ends?
I don't see why not, Antonio. As long as your cars are centered on the weighing platform you should get an accurate reading. The plastic cover/weighboat (as pictured above) would help support the middle 1/3 of your 11.5"-long passenger cars with the remaining 1/3s hanging off each end. And the cover has a convenient round, molded ridge in the middle that helps take the guesswork out of centering it onto the round weighing platform.
Unless you need to weigh items greater than 1000g, I think it will serve you well. And the compact size you just can't beat. It easily fits inside one of the larger storage/hobby organizer drawers. The cover also helps to protect the platform and keep dust off of the display. Should prove handy for weighing letters for proper postage, too. All these are a win-win in my eyes.
FWIW...
Gentlemen, thanks!
I appreciate the information you've provided with vaible CHOICES!
About 25 years ago I bought a Sunbeam digital kitchen scale for weighing HO scale rolling stock. I remember it was very expensive, but I was broke back then, so everything was expensive.
It finally died about two years ago.
The Sunbeam scale only measured in incremements of 1/4 ounce, and that was plenty good enough for my train cars.
My new scale, which was dirt cheap, measures to the 1/100 of an ounce, and I hate it. Plus or minus 1/4 ounce is plenty accurate for our toys, I do not need this kind of precision, and I find it annoying.
Recommendation... cruise Goodwills looking for an older working Sunbeam scale that reads in 1/4 ounces!
Another vote for Harbor Freight, and you can use a 20% off coupon. Close enough for NMRA recommendations for rolling stock weight and you can use it for calculating the weight for shipping.
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
I bought one similar to what Tom has more than a decade ago from Micro Mark.
Sheldon
I bought a Harbor Freight. I weigh HO cars, not my next dose of Fentanyl. Accuracy to the nearest ounce is good enough.
However if accuracy is that important, I'm sure you can find an Ohaus beam balance scale on Ebay.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Hello All,
I use a Taylor brand digital scale.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BDS4716/ref=twister_B00K0DKIZ4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Our old postal scale gave it up too, the local post office has downsized, and they no longer sell them, so the wife found this, I believe at WalMart.
https://www.dymo.com/en-US/m5lb-digital-postal-scale
I've used it for Ebay, and weighing models, seem accurate and it is consistent.
Mike.
My You Tube
My wife got me a digital postal scale on Amazon - I mostly used it for shipping models I sell but it should come in handy for weighting freight cars.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Got a Pocket Scale from Harbor Freight. Seems to be accurate and consistant. They have others.
Good luck,
Richard
I bought a Weighmax postal scale (up to 5 lbs) in 2012 that was $16 at the time. That one is not still available. I'm pretty sure I just looked on Amazon and read reviews.
It has done fine for me for weighing rolling stock and checking weight for small postage packages for EBay. It zeroes itself on startup and has a tare button to see just added weight to a container. I just assume it is accurate with weight added, never checked that to my recollection.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Antonio,
I recently purchased this pocket scale off Amazon:
AccuWeight Mini Pocket Gram Scale
Specs:
And the cover also serves as a handy weighboat [Edit: Weight 0.6 oz], as pictured above. While I haven't really used it much, it seems quite capable for what I will use it for MMRing-wise.