I've been looking through past posts and it seems like the D I Scale is very highly regarded. I can't find a web site for the company--does anyone have experience with the scale, prices, company contact information etc? Thanks to all.

Denver scales are common in the scientific community and are generally well thought of. I'm not familiar with any models offered to the public but you can probably get started through scientific suppliers such as VWR or Fisher. Don't be surprised if they're a little aloof as they're used to dealing with big spending companies/corporations. Try www.vwr.com or www.fisherscientific.com. From there search for your balance of choice.

I hope that helps.

Reed

As a chem student doing research I have order equipment and chemicals from both Fisher and VW&R, they were both professional and courteous.

Link to the company.

www.denverinstrument.com

The Denver electronic scales are excellent and we use them in the reloading labs where I work. I don't know of any serious reloader who does not use them.

Guys,

So which DI models are suitable/ideal for reloaders?

Roger

I think it's a question of readability. A friend of mine has one of the $95 models from one of the reloading companies that reads to a tenth of a grain (0.1) but while it's okay for certain tasks I would think that a little more precision would be desirable, maybe a hundreth of a grain (0.01). Also, most lab scales read in grams only so you'd have to do the conversion which can get a bit confusing as most reloaders are very much used to units of grains.

I don't have my reference material handy but I know that 454 grams=1 pound and I seem to recall that approximately 7000 grains=1 pound so there's approximately 15.42 grains/gram or 1 grain = approx. 0.065 grams. That divided by 10 yields the magical 0.1 grain = approx. 0.0065 grams. So, if one buys a scale with 0.001 gram readability it's actually less precise than +/- 0.1 grain. The next step is a scale of readability of 0.0001 gram which would provide precision better than the 0.1 grain typically desired.

Bottom line, that's probably an expensive scale.

Sorry if I slipped on math but I think that's correct. The grains/pound value quoted is probably rounded however. Nevertheless, it's close enough to show what you need for precision better than 0.1 grain.

Good luck,

Reed

Actually,

Briefly looking at the DI site most of the scales seem to measure in grams, grains, carats, etc. Personally, I would not want to mess with conversion to grams on a regular basis. Seems like one more way to introduce a screwup in the loading process that could lead to safety issues. I have enough trouble keeping my sh** together as it is!

Roger

Roger:
I've had a Denver Instruments "Accurate Load IV" for a few years now, after my RCBS electronic scale just up and died on me one day. I didn't have to shop for it- the company sent me an info and pricing brochure out of the blue. Bought it and have used it ever since without any trouble; it holds calibration very well, stabilizes on a thrown charge relatively quickly, and reads out in grains to the tenth. As I recall, it was rather pricey then (~$400) but I can't say it's not money well spent.
Perhaps you could email the company about availability and, perhaps, find a refurbed demo / rental unit priced reasonably.
Good luck
Rosse