I Need A New Scale! 2024
ColdSVT reply :
My old eagle claw scale is inconsistant and dying after a few years of beatings
What is a good scale that wont break the bank?
Senko lover reply :
If you're on the budget of budgets like I am, you'll automatically drift toward a mechanical scale, but don't. They are incredibly inaccurate. Both Rapala and Berkley have lower-end digital scales that should do well. But when you catch that fish of a lifetime, you don't want to be stuck with a junky scale. I need to bite the bullet and just get a nice one.
a1712 reply :
I got a Baker scale and really like it. Not expensive and one of the only ones that don't eat batteries. Brian.
Scott F reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:21 AM, Senko lover said:If you're on the budget of budgets like I am, you'll automatically drift toward a mechanical scale, but don't. They are incredibly inaccurate.
This statement is inaccurate. I work for a company that manufactures scales used in grocery stores. I bought a Chatillion scale 25 years ago and tested it using weights certified by Weights and Measures. It is as accurate as any digital scale. It's only drawback compared to a digital is that you can only read it to an eighth of a pound (2 oz). They also cost double what a Rapala scale sells for.
Alonerankin2 reply :
A inaccurate statement about a mechanical scale, being inaccurate... That's funny, was that intentional ? Lol.. I gotta chuckle outta that.
WRB reply :
Digital scales are as accurate as the battery is at full charge. The accuracy is measured in % of weight being weighed; laboratory scales measure in .1 % accuracy! recreational scales in 2 % accuracy! big difference!
Most spring scales are not linear in accuracy, the lower range differs from the upper range, the mid range is usually the sweet spot.
The 25 lb Chitillian scale above also has a parallax issue with the sliding indicator alignment to the scale graduations, in 2 oz increments. I have this scale and used it for decades. My current scale is digital Ultra Sport 30 accurate within 1% up to 60 Lbs., the batteries good for 5 years., scale is approx $25
Tom
Catch and Grease reply :
My parents got me a tournament choice digital scale from academy, it was only 15$ so I figured it would be off a little but I took a 3lb weight and the scale said exactly 3lbs, so its a darn good scale for 15$!
ColdSVT reply :
That ultra sport 30 looks pretty sweet!
VtGr0wn reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:37 AM, Scott F said:This statement is inaccurate. I work for a company that manufactures scales used in grocery stores. I bought a Chatillion scale 25 years ago and tested it using weights certified by Weights and Measures. It is as accurate as any digital scale. It's only drawback compared to a digital is that you can only read it to an eighth of a pound (2 oz). They also cost double what a Rapala scale sells for.
If the scale doesnt give you an exact weight to the ounce is it not the inaccurate one?
digital luggage scales are acurate to the gram, ounce, kilogram, or lb
i want an Exact weight when i land a trophy fish 2 oz is a difference between 9.8 and a 10 lber
Goose52 reply :
I use the Rapala digital scales. Compact, fit in the belt pack I wear when bank fishing, accurate enough.
I provided a detailed report on the accuracy performance of these scales here: Rapala Mini Digital Scale - Load Test Report
Team9nine reply :
All scales are just instruments, and the more accurate they claim to be (or try to be), the more "touchy" they can be when it comes to maintaining that level of accuracy and calibration. For example, things like the current temperature, extremes of heat or cold during storage or use, dust, dirt, moisture/relative humidity, vibrations (e.g., weighing a flopping fish in a boat on the water), shaking, dropping, operating near other electronic equipment (cell phones, cordless phones, computers, etc.), wind or air currents, and others, can all have an affect on the accuracy of any given reading. I keep two in the boat with me at all times. One is a Chatillon scale (as already shown) that was certified by the IGFA for exactness confirmation, and the other a Rapala touch screen digital for convenience. I also check each against a set of certified weights periodically. The Rapala tends to drift slightly because it tries to maintain accuracy to hundredths of a pound, while the Chatillon doesn't have any issues because it is accurate to ounces.
-T9
Jon G reply :
Acu Cull is my favorite scale that i've had
Scott F reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 8:27 AM, VtGr0wn said:If the scale doesnt give you an exact weight to the ounce is it not the inaccurate one?
digital luggage scales are acurate to the gram, ounce, kilogram, or lb
i want an Exact weight when i land a trophy fish 2 oz is a difference between 9.8 and a 10 lber
Just because the scale shows grams, ounces or tenths of a pound, does not mean it is accurate. Accuracy is when you weigh a 5 pound weight, it reads 5.0lbs not 4.8. The only digital scale I ever owned was off 3oz at 5lbs and 7oz off at 10lb. Todays scales are more accurate than they used to be, but the only way to know for sure is to check them against certified weights.
VtGr0wn reply :
Touche sir
A-Jay reply :
Weld's Largemouth reply :
The more significant digits a scale can provide, the more accurate the scale is. Digital scales provide more significant digits than certain mechanical scales, therefore, digital scales are more accurate than certain mechanical scales.
papajoe222 reply :
An affordable, but accurate scale is a luggage scale. Along with a sturdy hook, many come with a built it handle. Check one out on eBay and you can pick it up for under $10
ColdSVT reply :
Oh uh...sigfigs have been brought to the table...
Thornback reply :
I used to use a Zebco mechanical spring scale. The little cheap black ones. I had to guess at the exact ounces of the bass. About 10 years back I purchased a digital Rapala scale from Kmart for just over $20. I hooked the two scales together and pulled -- I got the same number on each scale. I then lifted a 4 pound weight with each scale and they both showed 4 pounds.
cyclops2 reply :
I have no cameras or cellphone cameras. So everyone HAS to believe my honest weights.
No scale either.
Team9nine reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 8:59 AM, Weld said:The more significant digits a scale can provide, the more accurate the scale is. Digital scales provide more significant digits than certain mechanical scales, therefore, digital scales are more accurate than certain mechanical scales.
What? Just because your digital scale reads out to three decimal places doesn't mean it is anywhere close to accurate when I plop a fish on it. If it has no bias and has been certified/calibrated against known weights then it would likely be so versus a mechanical scale, but that is an assumption until proven otherwise. For example, If your digital scale with 3 places after the decimal point always reads a quarter pound light/heavy (for whatever reason), then my certified mechanical scale, accurate to just single ounces, will always be more accurate. Reword to "potentially more accurate" and I'll buy that statement. Don't confuse accuracy with precision.
-T9
Dwight Hottle reply :
.On 12/26/2014 at 9:22 AM, cyclops2 said:I have no cameras or cellphone cameras. So everyone HAS to believe my honest weights.
No scale either.
We will believe it even more if you don't provide a picture.
cyclops2 reply :
Feels great to be accepted by strangers. 
Alonerankin2 reply :
Reminds me of a carnival scam... " What number am I thinking of?
kanasbassfisher08 reply :
i have had this this problem my self but im in the process of saying for get any cheap scale im going certified like one other said and spending the money on a culmerite thats what the pros use and have and ill never need another again. one of the most accurate scale and its proven. i think all the cheap ones are fine and dandy but my experience is one day it will read fine and then the next its off and then back on and i have had a couple be this way. and i think there is something to say about making sure it has new batteries in it all the time. i think its more accurate. if you want a close messure go cheap it doesnt matter aslong as its close but if you want exact spend some money.
Senko lover reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:37 AM, Scott F said:This statement is inaccurate. I work for a company that manufactures scales used in grocery stores. I bought a Chatillion scale 25 years ago and tested it using weights certified by Weights and Measures. It is as accurate as any digital scale. It's only drawback compared to a digital is that you can only read it to an eighth of a pound (2 oz). They also cost double what a Rapala scale sells for.
Clarification: I meant cheap mechanical scales. Although, they do give you an edge. "I caught an 9 pounder on a incredibly inaccurate scale!! So that gives me enough leeway to join the DD club!
Catch and Grease reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 8:59 AM, Weld said:The more significant digits a scale can provide, the more accurate the scale is. Digital scales provide more significant digits than certain mechanical scales, therefore, digital scales are more accurate than certain mechanical scales.
You are very very wrong, a scale that reads to the grams would be more precise than a scale that reads in the ounces not necessarily more accurate. Look up the definition of precise and accurate and reevaluate what you just said.
gardnerjigman reply :
Best "cheap" scale I have is the berkley boga style digital. About $50 at academy.
Dwight Hottle reply :
.On 12/26/2014 at 8:59 AM, Weld said:The more significant digits a scale can provide, the more accurate the scale is. Digital scales provide more significant digits than certain mechanical scales, therefore,digital scales are more accurate than certain mechanical scales.
I have talked with the people at IGFA in Dania Beach headquarters of IGFA . I was told they certify spring scales more readily per scale tested for IGFA certification than they do digital scales. I was told that the scales that receive the highest rate of certification per scale tested by them are Boga spring scales. I was told that the most frequent digital scale approved was the Salter Brecknell digital scale. My reason for asking was to be able to carry a scale with me that had the most reasonable opportunity to be certified for a world record line class record. I personally carry a 15 lb Boga spring scale & a Salter Brecknell digital scale which weighs to the nearest 1/2 ounce for accuracy. If you want to get a scale certified by IGFA for a one year period for trips or other purposes the aforementioned scales are the easiest to get certified the first time through. I was told that some scales make take numerous entries before they can find one scale to certify.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
My digital scale measures ounces, dont assume that just because its a digital scale that it only measures pounds to 3 decimalsOn 12/26/2014 at 9:25 AM, Team9nine said:What? Just because your digital scale reads out to three decimal places doesn't mean it is anywhere close to accurate when I plop a fish on it. If it has no bias and has been certified/calibrated against known weights then it would likely be so versus a mechanical scale, but that is an assumption until proven otherwise. For example, If your digital scale with 3 places after the decimal point always reads a quarter pound light/heavy (for whatever reason), then my certified mechanical scale, accurate to just single ounces, will always be more accurate. Reword to "potentially more accurate" and I'll buy that statement. Don't confuse accuracy with precision.
-T9
And who is not to say that the mechnical scales precision will be altered over time as the spring becomes stretched after x many fish
Weld's Largemouth reply :
Which scale are you saying reads in grams and which are you saying reads in ounces? You are being vague, either of those two could be a digital or mechnical scaleOn 12/26/2014 at 10:11 AM, Catch and Grease said:You are very very wrong, a scale that reads to the grams would be more precise than a scale that reads in the ounces not necessarily more accurate. Look up the definition of precise and accurate and reevaluate what you just said.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 10:11 AM, Catch and Grease said:You are very very wrong, a scale that reads to the grams would be more precise than a scale that reads in the ounces not necessarily more accurate. Look up the definition of precise and accurate and reevaluate what you just said.
You are correct, it should be precision.
Accuracy is subject to environmental and physical conditions
Two scales, one digital, one mechnical, under the same conditions may experience the same inaccuracies, yet their precision will be based on how finely each scale measures the weight that may be altered by their inaccuracies
tomustang reply :
If you go digital, at least put fresh batteries in often, when the charge goes low the weight outputs get funny.
Basswhippa reply :
After a most prominent poster(WRB) recommended it, I got the Ultra sport for Christmas. I may have not needed to
calibrate it but I did. I used water as weight. On my first try it weighed a gallon of water (8.35 pounds) at 8.34 pounds. I then weighed a half gallon of water and got 4.18 pounds. Technically it should have been 4.175 so it rounded. My son and I were stunned and you could have picked our jaws off the floor. Incredible accuracy for $30.00.
Scott F reply :
How do you know you had EXACTLY, one gallon of water?
Basswhippa reply :
Scott, we tore through grandma's kitchen and found a half gallon tea container that was marked. We doubled it as carefully as we could and put it in any almost weightless Wal Mart bag. The trick was to calibrate you had to do it at 20 KG or 44.09 pounds. We went slow. We weighed it in a trash bag. We accounted for the trash bag which weighed 1.25 ounces.... When we were done it went 44.14 pounds. I was stunned at the instrument and even more stunned at our accomplishment. We first started with weight lifter weights but we discovered discrepancies between multiple 2.5, 5 and 7.5 weights. Each was different, some more than others so we selected water. Again, there was a line on the container and I tried to level it and full it accurately. I still am stunned. 1/100 of a pound on a common troohy bass threshhold.....8.35 pounds. Sheesh. Good enough for me. Thanks for the most excellent recommendation WRB
RoLo reply :
I've owned an "UltraSport 30" scale and frankly, it was the worst fish scale I ever owned.
Mine was so erratic that I finally chucked it in the dumpster (my digital Berkley was much better).
I've fished many years in saltwater, and came to respect “Chatillon” scales, a very trusted name.
Those I own are still working well, but their max capacity it too high for freshwater (too big & clunky).
Although it isn't cheap, my favorite freshwater scale is the "Brecknell Digital Handheld Scale"
It's made by ElectroSamson, has 22-lb capacity, 1/4 oz precision (0.02 lb) and is recognized by IGFA.
The Brecknell Digital Scale is also available in 55 lb cap (1/2 oz precision) & 99 lb cap (1 oz precision).
Roger
Basswhippa reply :
PS, listen to the dude who's caught 19 pound bass. He is legit. I am grateful. My memory says it can even be certified. Amazing.
Basswhippa reply :
Good feedback Roger. Maybe I got the second good one or you got a bad one. You do realize it has a 20 year warranty? And you just trashed it? Lol. In my view it is a solid product, or it seems to be.
RoLo reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 12:13 PM, Basswhippa said:Good feedback Roger. Maybe I got the second good one or you got a bad one. You do realize it has a 20 year warranty? And you just trashed it? Lol. In my view it is a solid product, or it seems to be.
You're probably right BW, I might've gotten a bad one (but that quashed my desire for a replacement).
I've owned many scale brands over the years, but that one was by far the worst.
I bought the Brecknell a few years ago, and at that time it was one of the only IGFA certifiable digital scales.
Roger
WRB reply :
You can certify your scale that is accurate with your local weights and measures , the phone number is on any gasoline station pump.
Some folks are devils advocates on every topic.
Tom
Senko guru 1 reply :
wat are some good high end acurate scalesOn 12/26/2014 at 5:21 AM, Senko lover said:If you're on the budget of budgets like I am, you'll automatically drift toward a mechanical scale, but don't. They are incredibly inaccurate. Both Rapala and Berkley have lower-end digital scales that should do well. But when you catch that fish of a lifetime, you don't want to be stuck with a junky scale. I need to bite the bullet and just get a nice one.
Senko lover reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 4:42 PM, Senko guru 1 said:wat are some good high end acurate scales
Boga grips are pretty good, I hear.
Thornback reply :
One post reminded me of a bass fisherman who is always telling me how many he has caught and the weights of the largest. But he won't allow three things in his boat -- a camera, a scale, and a banana
ColdSVT reply :
I just like a scale to keep track of what i have in the livewell for tourny days...i dont use it a lot as i have a culling beam but i like to have a good idea of where i am during the day
EmersonFish reply :
My only advice, no matter what kind of digital scale you have, is to find a place on your boat for a decent mechanical scale as a backup if the digital scale fails, or to confirm what your digital scale is telling you if the weight on the digital scale doesn't seem right. Trust me; a 15 lb. (in most parts of the country) spring scale tucked in the corner will eventually be worth the investment if you are a bass fisherman.
Team9nine reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 11:16 AM, Weld said:My digital scale measures ounces, dont assume that just because its a digital scale that it only measures pounds to 3 decimals
And who is not to say that the mechnical scales precision will be altered over time as the spring becomes stretched after x many fish
Doesn't matter what units your scale weighs in. You're the one who brought up significant digits, stating the more SD's the more accurate.
Quote
The more significant digits a scale can provide, the more accurate the scale is. Digital scales provide more significant digits than certain mechanical scales, therefore, digital scales are more accurate than certain mechanical scales.
My point, which was only an example, not an assumption, was that it didn't matter how many significant digits your scale has, that in no way means it is accurate when you actually weigh something on it. And yes, things can go out of calibration with mechanical scales at times, which is why you should check and recalibrate your scale as needed. However, there are a lot more things that can go wrong with a digital scale when compared to a quality mechanical spring scale. I've got 7 years worth of use with my Chatillon (spring scale) so far, and it's still reading at a very acceptable level of accuracy. My Rapala digital is starting to drift after less than two seasons.
-T9
Patrick Morrow reply :
I recently saw some rapala 50lb digital scale in amazon. Price was good and it had really big handle. I thought if I would ever lost my current scale then I buy that one.
crankbank reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 8:48 AM, Jon G said:Acu Cull is my favorite scale that i've had
+1, no complaints for $35~.
Swampghost reply :
To clarify this just a bit....ability to read to smaller units means it offers more precision.
Accuracy is defined as repeatability.
Finquest reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 6:45 AM, WRB said:Digital scales are as accurate as the battery is at full charge. The accuracy is measured in % of weight being weighed; laboratory scales measure in .1 % accuracy! recreational scales in 2 % accuracy! big difference!
Most spring scales are not linear in accuracy, the lower range differs from the upper range, the mid range is usually the sweet spot.
The 25 lb Chitillian scale above also has a parallax issue with the sliding indicator alignment to the scale graduations, in 2 oz increments. I have this scale and used it for decades. My current scale is digital Ultra Sport 30 accurate within 1% up to 60 Lbs., the batteries good for 5 years., scale is approx $25
Tom
I know this is an old topic, but forgive me because I am new to your forum.
I was wondering how you know the Ultra Sport 30 is accurate to within 1%?
I tried finding out for myself, but my internet search has failed to come up with any information about its accuracy. I did find that the resolution is 0.1 oz. and 0.01kg, but that is different than accuracy.
Finquest reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 11:59 AM, Basswhippa said:Scott, we tore through grandma's kitchen and found a half gallon tea container that was marked. We doubled it as carefully as we could and put it in any almost weightless Wal Mart bag. The trick was to calibrate you had to do it at 20 KG or 44.09 pounds. We went slow. We weighed it in a trash bag. We accounted for the trash bag which weighed 1.25 ounces.... When we were done it went 44.14 pounds. I was stunned at the instrument and even more stunned at our accomplishment. We first started with weight lifter weights but we discovered discrepancies between multiple 2.5, 5 and 7.5 weights. Each was different, some more than others so we selected water. Again, there was a line on the container and I tried to level it and full it accurately. I still am stunned. 1/100 of a pound on a common troohy bass threshhold.....8.35 pounds. Sheesh. Good enough for me. Thanks for the most excellent recommendation WRB
Am I understanding this correctly? You went through a calibration procedure before you checked its accuracy? Did the instructions recommend doing a calibration for every new unit when first taken out of the box?
WRB reply :
Before I retired this year it was easy for me to check scale accuracy at work in our test lab.
Digital scales are dependent on battery life, as the battery looses power, the accuracy changes. First thing to check is your battery power and battery contacts. Humid environments can corrode the battery contacts, you need to protect them with a conductive lubricant like Deoxit. Scales that operate on 1.5V AA alkaline batteries are subject to power lose quickly, less than 1 year, so check those batteries every 6 months. Lithium battery scales are less subject to power lose over longer time periods, up to 5 years.
Accuracy should be linear from the lowest to the highest reading. 2 ounce deviation for a 10 lb scale is not good, (1.25% @ 10 lbs.) acceptable for IGFA scales based on using traditional spring fishing scales. Accuracy of .1% is 10X more accurate or 0.2 ounce @ 10 lbs. The digital scale numbers will jump around if you have it set to 3 digits; 10.000, change scale to 2 digits or 10.00 and the weight shown is stable.
Tom
Finquest reply :
WRB -- You obviously have some expertise concerning this subject. Thank you for testing the Ultra Sport 30 and sharing the results. Accuracy to 1% is more than adequate for me. Also, thank you for the information about batteries, lubricant, setting the digits, and such. All of it is excellent information to have.
I am still curious about the calibration comments another post mentioned. Do these units need to be calibrated right out of the box? If so, what is the process like? Or better yet, what is the best way to calibrate if you do not have access to a lab?
JGBassinAL reply :
Accu Cull Digital Scale is the best I have used by far.
WRB reply :
There will be a phone number on your local gas station pump for weights & measures, call them for the nearest location that can certify a hand held fishing scale. The scale should be good out of the box, just not certified for state or world record catch use.On 6/23/2015 at 8:03 AM, Finquest said:WRB -- You obviously have some expertise concerning this subject. Thank you for testing the Ultra Sport 30 and sharing the results. Accuracy to 1% is more than adequate for me. Also, thank you for the information about batteries, lubricant, setting the digits, and such. All of it is excellent information to have.
I am still curious about the calibration comments another post mentioned. Do these units need to be calibrated right out of the box? If so, what is the process like? Or better yet, what is the best way to calibrate if you do not have access to a lab?
Tom
Darren. reply :
Dang it, my digi-scale went down to
Davy Jones' Locker last week.
My Boga Grip, is now the main scale!!
Fishes in trees reply :
I've got one of those small Quarrow hand held electronic scales and it is messed up. I test it with my walking weights - 3 lbs each - and it works perfectly. I put an 8 lb fish on it and it only weighs 6 something. Last month I used it on a 6 lb fish and it only weighed 4 something. It is very distressing to have your scale lie to you.
carlm01 reply :
Boga grip 15lb scale ,last scale you'll ever need
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 12:10 PM, RoLo said:I've owned an "UltraSport 30" scale and frankly, it was the worst fish scale I ever owned.
Mine was so erratic that I finally chucked it in the dumpster (my Berkley was much better).
I've fished many years in saltwater, and came to respect “Chatillon” scales, a very trusted name.
Those I own are still working well, but their max capacity it too high for freshwater (too big & clunky).
Although it's not cheap, my favorite freshwater scale is the "Brecknell Digital Handheld Scale"
It's made by ElectroSamson, has 22-lb capacity, 1/4 oz precision (0.02 lb) and is recognized by IGFA.
The Brecknell Digital Scale is also available in 55 lb cap (1/2 oz precision) & 99 lb cap (1 oz precision).
Roger
The Brecknell is also the scale of choice for the MLF series.
WRB reply :
Good scale, $75 price range, uses 9 volt alkaline battery pack and weighs 3 lbs, not a pocket size scale hand held scale.On 6/24/2015 at 10:14 PM, Dwight Hottle said:The Brecknell is also the scale of choice for the MLF series.
Tom
Finquest reply :
WRB -- thanks again for patiently answering my questions. The guys I grew up with are having a little fishing get together/competition later in the summer. Thanks to your information, I will be ordering an Ultra Sport 30 for each boat. This will let us uniformly keep track of our catches and still release the fish right back to the immediate location it came from.
WRB reply :
You can use a plastic grocery bag to put the bass in, avoids hanging them by the gill cover and doesn't remove the slim coat.On 6/25/2015 at 2:34 AM, Finquest said:WRB -- thanks again for patiently answering my questions. The guys I grew up with are having a little fishing get together/competition later in the summer. Thanks to your information, I will be ordering an Ultra Sport 30 for each boat. This will let us uniformly keep track of our catches and still release the fish right back to the immediate location it came from.
Tom
jitterbug127 reply :
I have a cabelas one. 25 bones. Works well
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