My Weigh SCGEMPRO250 250 GemPro 250 50g x 0.001g Scale

In the world of precision scales, it's truly amazing what $150 won't get you. That's right, WON'T get you. To really step it up to a laboratory grade scale, you're in the $800+ ballpark. But, if you don't need a laboratory grade scale (most of us don't), and you just want a very good scale for jeweler or reloader applications, then the GemPro series of scales is where it's at. I think that at least some of the negative reviews stem from the fact that some folks are expecting $800 performance from a sub-$150 product. I think even more of the negative reviews stem from the fact that people seem to not know how to treat a precision instrument.My experience with this scale has been very positive. Upon receiving it I was surprised at how small it really is. I know, the dimensions are listed, but it didn't settle in until I had the device in my hand. I was also surprised to feel how lightweight the scale is. In a world made of plastic, nothing really has that solid feel anymore. I can live with that so long as it performs, and it does. For the reloader, it measures 0.02 grain variance. That's far more accurate than most reloaders need. It may or may not be trickle friendly. What I mean by that is that it's going to depend on the weight that you're trickling in. Sometimes you'll have to lightly tap the pan, or take the pan off the scale and place it back on the scale for an updated reading. Again, this falls back under the category of what not to expect from a sub-$150 scale. It has a tare (zero) button, unit button, light (mode) button, and power button. I'm not going to rewrite the instructions, which are available online, but I will tell you that they are all pretty obvious in their use, except light. The light button is actually a "mode" or "settings" button. This is going to be where you can set the scale to turn off automatically, calibrate the sensors, change the way the backlight works, etc. Once you have it set up the way you'd like, simply place the items to be weighed on the pan and the value will flash on the display while the scale is acquiring a reading. Once it's done, the value stops flashing and that's your measurement value.I'd like to include a few tips on how I use this scale, and that has led me to problem free use.1) This is a precision piece of equipment. Even though it takes batteries and has a carrying case, Don't treat this like your lunch pale, throwing it in your bag and tossing it on the table or floor. Extreme shock will ruin it. I'd wager that some of the malfunctioning units are simply shipped without enough packing to protect the sensors. On that same note, don't put your coffee mug on the pan, or anything else that is over the max weight. You will break it.2) If you are getting a zero drift, stop and look around. Is your cell phone blasting Pandora directly next to the scale? The scale should be shielded, but that only can do so much. It's still a good idea to keep your phone and radios away from the scale. Even fluorescent lights require a transformer when turning on. These things can mess with your scale readings.3) Let the scale return to zero ever so often. You can lose zero if you bounce from one weight to the next, always getting a positive and negative reading, but never letting the scale return to zero. Toss the empty pan on there from time to time, allowing the scale to read zero before weighing another string of items.4) And finally, just leave it on. ALWAYS. Precision electronics work differently when they're cold versus warm. The scale needs to be warmed up, and needs to stay that way to get consistent readings. This is probably the biggest thing that will cause zero shift. A common mistake is to turn it on right before you plan to use it, calibrate it, zero it, then as the scale warms up your zero shifts all over the place. Depending on the scale, it can take from an hour to a day for things to really settle in at the operating temperature. A good way to start off is by turning it on, fix the settings the way you'd like them, then just leave it for a day. Don't calibrate it, just leave it. Once a day has passed, now you can calibrate your scale and begin using it.I know it's a lot to read, but I hope this helps people get the most from their scales. These GemPro scales really are a very good value.

Our seed company purchased 3 of these scales to weigh our products. One scale was dead on arrival. It never did work. A second one broke down after using it for a few days. The third lasted a number of weeks longer before it was also unusable.For years our company used only Tanita scales, they give us the accuracy we need - at a cost of about $400 per unit. As sales grew and our scale needs increased, we experimented with a variety of brands to determine if we could find the precision and dependability we require - in a lower cost scale.The My Weigh GemPro 250 Compact Jewelry Scale turned out to be a completely wrong turn. Our experiments were successful however, we found what we needed in the American Weigh GPR-20 scales. In our tests they were able to replicate known weights better than the the My Weigh GemPro, and they are showing far superior durability.Based on the experiences at our company, we have concluded the My Weigh GemPro 250 is a product to avoid. For us, it was not as accurate as other scales in its class, and the My Weigh GemPro 250 was the least dependable piece of equipment (of any kind) we have ever purchased.Kudos to the American Weigh GPR-20, which we find to be more accurate and far more dependable - at half the cost of the My Weigh GemPro 250 Compact Jewelry Scale.

I've been reloading ammo for more than two years and can honestly say this is the best scale I've ever used, albeit my experience is with digital scales only (all the beam scales I looked at seem rickety and cheap looking, like something from a child's chemistry set). I have tried unts from Franklen, Hornady and Lyman, and found them lacking in sensitivity and repeatability. The GemPro beats all of these hands down, has features none of them did, and is worth every penny I paid for it.The best feature (and what attracted me to it in the first place) is the second decimal place in the grain weight. The claimed accuracy is 0,02 grain, and while I have no way to verify that, the presence of the second digit is still comforting. When my old scales read 31.0, the actual value could be anywhere\r from 30.9 to 31.1. But when the GEMPro reads 31.00, the actual value may only range from 30.98 to 31.02. And I get the same value with repeated re-weighing of the same sample.The GemPro is also AC operated (as well as battery). Seems like every time I went too use my old scales, the auto-shutoff had elapsed and I was constantly turning them back on, No longer with the Gem Pro on AC. And even in battery mode, the shutoff interval is configurable.Another great plus is the display panel and controls. The digital readout is tilted down about 15 degrees which eliminates reflections from overhead lights. The display characters are large, crisp and made easy to read by the bright red back light (which can be configured to stay on all the time in AC mode). The function buttons are good sized and give positive tactile feedback when operated. These control buttons can be used to configure a number of operational parameters to customize the unit to suit your needs.Using the Gem Pro is a joy. Place a sample on the pan and watch the units symbol on the display. When it stops flashing (2-3 seconds), the weight is displayed. Using a trickler to top up the charge is also a breeze. The unit responds quickly to one or two granules of most powders, so you can fine-tune the final weight quickly and accurately.I have found no functional problems with the unit at all. I've seen some reviews that say it is sensitive to ambient temperature, air movement, fluorescent lights and power cord induction. I have a basement setup which is far from pristine and have experienced none of these. I have not experienced any drift or other fluctuations, but I do re-tare prior to weighing each sample, and re-calibrate each time I turn it on. This is a good idea for another reason; the calibration procedure is a rather cryptic combination of the "Light" and "Tare" buttons. Calibrating on every start keeps you from forgetting how to do it (and then trying to remember where you put the instructions).