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Lyman scale giving me fits

idahoduckeridahoducker Member Posts: 740 ✭✭
edited July 2008 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Bought a Lyman model 1000-something digital scale a few days ago. It randomly and frequently un-zeros by -.4 grains. It only happens with powder in the pan. If I let the empty pan sit there it'll stay at zero. Add a charge and then trickle up to what I want and suddenly it'll start creaping until it's off by .4. Put the powder back in the hopper and the pan back on the scale and it usually reads -.4. Next load it might be fine. I've moved it around the bench and made sure I wasn't even breathing on it. Any suggestions or did I get a bum scale.
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Comments

  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    How long is it turned on before you start weighing on it? Does the instructions say to let it warm up for a while? My 1200 DPSII has a 30 min. warm up time.
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  • idahoduckeridahoducker Member Posts: 740 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't recall anything about warm up. I do remember it said to let it stabilize for 24 hours before using the first time which I did. I think it said it would shut itself off after 15 minutes of not being used. I'll be able to try it again and reread the instructions tomorrow. Thanks.
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  • idahoduckeridahoducker Member Posts: 740 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, tried it again. It's worse than before. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using but that didn't help. Couldn't get a single charge to be consistant. Even if it stayed at a given weight if I put the same charge back in the pan it wouldn't read the same. It's going back.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    buy the Pact or the RCBS combo units,..far better than the Lyman.
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  • flyingtorpedoflyingtorpedo Member Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was looking at digital scales a while back and looked at the lyman 100 and the RCBS rangemaster 750. After reading several reviews on different websites I went with the RCBS. Most of the recent reviews about the lyman 1000 described the same problem you are having. I'd get a refund out of it and do as JustC suggested. Good luck.
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  • idahoduckeridahoducker Member Posts: 740 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the input. I decided last night to get the RCBS combo unit. A bit pricey but the user reviews at Cabelas and Midway were outstanding. If anyone is interested Midway has them on sale right now. Should have checked the reviews on the Lyman first.[:(!]
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  • flyingtorpedoflyingtorpedo Member Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Check out http://www.natchezss.com/category.cfm?subCategory=477&catLevel=2 My scale was cheaper from there than it was from midway.
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  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Funny but I haven't had a bit of trouble with my Lyman scales. Perhaps i am the exception. I have heard that Florescent lighting, or a TV too close can cause Electronic Scales to run goofy.
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  • OdawgpOdawgp Member Posts: 5,380 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    use a 5# hammer and give it a tap, if that doesn't fix it you will have a pretty good argument for going and buying a new one (brand of your choice) [:D]

    If mine changes I always check mine with a balance scale and if the balance scale says it wrong I rezero and start over [:(!]
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  • skychaser53skychaser53 Member Posts: 344 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .4 gms is nothing but your breath or the furnace or someone moving in the room. I weigh diamond and diamond dust(microns) at work and we usually have a plexiglass box to prevent air movement around the scales.
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  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .4gr. is quite a bit when loading pistol powder.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello Sky chaser are you using Grams "grs" or Grains "gr" they are different units of weight. I agree with DCS SHOOTERS .4 GR. is too large of an error in small pistol loads.
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  • skychaser53skychaser53 Member Posts: 344 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    well. I mixed grams and grains up again lol. sorry about that.
    still,the scales might be sensing a change in air flow.I know if I breathe towards mine it registers.
    good luck
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  • idahoduckeridahoducker Member Posts: 740 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Tried the RCBS combo unit today. It's amazing to say the least. Never lost zero and my beam scale agreed with it every time I checked. By the time I get a bullet seated it has another charge ready to go. That is a serious time saver. I need more brass.[:D]
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  • flyingtorpedoflyingtorpedo Member Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good to hear you got one that works now!
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