Adam EquipmentHCB 1002 Highland Portable Precision Balance, 1000g Capacity and 0.01g Readability

I was nervous getting a (relatively) inexpensive scale after my $600 Acculab scale died after 7 loyal years (due to a misguided attempt to clean it). This wasn't a major brand, and the price was only $300 and change. I planned to use it to weigh nutritional supplements for a diet formula we will soon be marketing.I couldn't be happier with this scale. It is better, and more accurate, than my Acculab scale has been for a long time. It warms up in seconds. I've tested it using weights and it was on the money every time. It just feels sturdy and reliable. My Acculab scale had a .001g readability and 300g capacity, but .01g was plenty accurate for my needs and I really appreciate the 600g capacity.I wish every purchase I made was this satisfying-- highly recommended!

This is a good balance, if and only if, you have experience working with analytical balances and you have specialized tools. The instructions that come with the balance are poor. Also, a special key-type wrench is needed to removed part of the packking material. The wrench sent with the balance was the wrong size. Fortunately, Ihad the correct size wrench.

I purchased this on Amazon for less than I could get it from the manufacturer and free shipping too. It is exactly what I needed at a price much lower than anywhere. Duh, isn't that why we shop on Amazon in the first place? The only drawback is that the software to transfer data through the USB cable is only available through the manufacturer and cost an extra $95. For the price a real winner. It has a great hook that come out of the bottom of the scale for doing suspended weights. I needed this feature especially to enable measuring density by Archimedes' method.Follow-up: January 31, 2013I have used this scale for several months and it is plagued by having to keep pressing the tare button while weighing. The scale weight drifts as much as 300 mg in a day. The weight is not stable and therefore you can not trust what weights you measure with it. I could not find a way to contact the manufacturer for a fix on this problem. I have since purchased another scale as it is too late to return it to Amazon for a refund. The other scales that I also purchased from Amazon will hold their Zero whether the temperature in 90F or 30F without issue. Research my other reviews to find these products. The latest was a real nice balance, also with under-weighing hook, that holds the zero for several days so far.I do not recommend purchasing this scale unless you plan on testing it vigorously for the first 90 days while it is still under Amazon's return policy. The best factor that it has going for it is that you can use the USB port on a computer instead of RS-232.

So far, so good. Very accurate and it has sped up my compounding workflow.

This device is not easy to setup. The instructions are incomplete and not clear. Having said that, it actually works pretty well once setup. I'm not doing high precision weighing and it is a good value compared to the big names.