This is a re-post from r/ecr_eu.
I like to mix juices for myself and more experienced DIYers here have finally convinced me to start mixing by weight. So I went too FastTech to buy some cheap scales and spent a lot of time reading reviews, googling and so on to find out which scales are cheap enough yet work properly for my needs. I ended up buying Precision Digital Pocket Scale (300g Max) (what a name!) for $11.51 and I think I’m ready for a review after two weeks of daily usage.
Btw, here’s a crappy photo from Instagram (will make a proper one later, sorry).
Specs and packaging
These scales are pretty basic, they measure what you put on them, they have tare function and you can choose measuring units. I use grams and don’t understand what other options are. The resolution is 0.01g, but that doesn’t mean their precision is 0.01g. Well, I don’t have any tools to check precision, so I can’t comment much here. But I have a feeling that precision is about 0.03g. Maximum weight for these scales is 300g.
Another feature is calibration. If you feel that the device is showing you wrong numbers, then you can calibrate it easily. I haven’t used this feature yet, because it looks like my scales are properly calibrated out of the box. I will update this post once I try that feature.
Almost forgot about packaging (: This cheap device comes in a sturdy carton box with a small instructional leaflet in English and Chinese. The weighting pad (I don’t know correct term, lol) has a plastic cover. This cover also has a manual sticker on the inside and it is held in place by a small magnet. Two AAA batteries are already installed, but you need to remove a safety wrap from them before using.
It is also worth noting, that the scales are pocketable. And they are smaller than some of the modern shovel phones. They fit nicely in my pocket.
Usage
I’ve heard different horror stories about Chinese scales and their funky behaviour. Well, my scales also have some kinks, but these are tiny and don’t affect my workflow.
There are four buttons: On, Off, Tare and Mode. All button functions should be easily understandable to any intelligent creature. The buttons are not high-end, but I’m a gentle guy, so I don’t have any problems with them.
When you power these scales, they show status screen with battery level and the screen will start showing the weight after a couple of seconds.
Screen dims after a few seconds of idling, that can be annoying when working in darkness. But a light touch will turn it on again. Auto-shutdown happens in about 30 seconds I believe. I didn’t measure that time, it haven’t bothered me in two weeks. I can say that it is enough for me to refill dropper bottle with VG from big bottle without hurrying.
One annoying kink is that after pressing Tare button some kind of threshold mode is activated and unless you drip 0.08-0.1g you won’t get any values. It doesn’t matter most of the time, because 0.1g is 1% in 10ml mix, but it can be an issue when mixing 5ml bottles or when using less than 1%. I’ve found that the best way to add such small percentages is without using Tare function and to calculate the difference in your head. Tapping on the weighting pad doesn’t help.
Quality
Well, it’s a $11.51 device, nothing fancy, but it works! I don’t have any precision weights, but I tried weighting 5ml of water and got reading of 5.08g. I might pushed a drop more of water from the syringe or my syringe is not precise, so I consider these scales to be good enough for home DIY. And, most importantly, they came pretty much calibrated. I will get some precision weights soon and will monitor how they work over time.
Battery holder springs are not the best. They work, but be careful when installing new batteries. The screen is bright and works well. Buttons? Well, don’t press them too hard and they will live.
Summary
It has a few minor kinks, which do not affect my personal workflow much. It has minimal set of functions. It has a very budget price. And it works!
This little measuring device is a god-send for every DIY enthusiast out there! If you are not ready to shell out 40-50 EUR for a better device or you don’t need some extra-precision, this thingie will be your best DIY friend.