benos Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 Got a question in an email that prompted this. Leaving features and price out of the question - considering accuracy, reliability and durability - which do you prefer - PACT's Digital Precision, PACT's BBK II, or Dillon's D-Terminator. My vibes: It's a tough call. I'm not a huge fan of PACT's Digital Precision scale only because, even though it may very well be the most accurate electronic scale on the market, over the years I've heard more than a normal amount of complaints regarding its "environmental sensitivity." It's sensitive to "noise" on the electrical circuit, like florescent lights for example. I can't recall ever hearing complaints on their cheaper BBK II, however. Additionally it has the option of running on a 9v battery, if "noise" happens to be a problem. Personally, I've used Dillon's electronic scale for many years and have been totally happy with it. I know today's version of the D-Terminator is not made by the same company (who knows what secret overseas vendor they use), but, as always with their products, have heard nothing but good on their newer scale. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 I use the BBK II, and it's been great! I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. Plus the price is right, and it's alot faster than a balance beam. Ray C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 RCBS, I bought it used for 70 bucks and it has been flawless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpnBlstr Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 I use the newer style Dillon D-Terminator. I don't use the AC adapter since I like to put the scale back in a cabinet when I am through with it to avoid damage. It works just fine on batteries. No complaints at all. I do recalibrate it everytime I take it out though. There is no 'electronics warm-up time' involved as with other digital scales I have seen. As soon as it comes on, zero and go. Fifteen minutes and thirty readings later it will still be balls-on with the calibration weight. When I got it I tried to fool it by placing the check weight in the middle then at the very edge of the table. No effect - exactly 50.00g no matter where you place the weight. I guess that's one of the benefits of using four load cells instead of just one. It's still on the same battery as I put in several months ago. I believe CED OEMs the scales for Dillon. The old one looked like an Ohaus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyro Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 After swiching from the beam to Digital, the BBK II is the only other scale that I have used. I have been 100% satisfied with this scale. FWIW, I have a little method that I use when I'm trying to achieve the highest accuracy (as for chrono work), I will weigh a total of 10 powder charges and then divide by 10 to get the average to 2 decimal places. (example - the sum of 10 charges may be 45.7, then divide by 10 to get 4.57) . Then to verify the weight, I will often do this 2 more times. With the BBK II, it will very often repeat the original weight. This repeatability leads me to believe that it's a very accurate scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerjg Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Load with the Blue, weight with the Blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I have a Pact and I am very happy with its preformance. I also own dillon products and must believe that their scales are of high quality just as the rest of their products are. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S. Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 For the last few years I've been loading 45 Colt and 357/38's on a Denver Instrument XL410-D scale that I really do like. Response is really fast and it's very accurate. Makes it easier to weigh a lot of PPC cases, etc. For pistols I use it with a Harrel's Schutzen pistol measure, which I think makes for a good combo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I hate my RCBS its junk. Its is the same as the PACT bbk. Im gonna step up to a Dillon soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Brian Right on with the PACT being sensitive to line hits. One day I couldn't even use it til I move it to a different room If you let it warm up, real important, and calibrate it it is a VERY accurate scale. I have personal "check" weights that have proven it holds precision for many years. I own it and would not take a hit to trade it on a Dillon. Now if I was buying one one now it would be a dillon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted December 12, 2003 Author Share Posted December 12, 2003 Great input all - thanks! And be sure to keep votin'! be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I just bought a digital Lyman scale. I would have gone for the Dillon, but I could buy it used at a very reasonable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted December 14, 2003 Share Posted December 14, 2003 I have a BBK, old one I think, battery only. No provisions for AC power. Ditto the warmup thing, just a few min. of warmup will change a few tenths on scale check weights , from there it's always within a tenth, close enough for government work. I didn't take the poll, first digital, and I'm not going back. Travis F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimstc Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 I bought the Dillon d-terminator scale when I bought my 650 . It lasted about 3 months before I could not calibrate it . I called Dillon and was advised to send it back to them which I did. Two weeks later I followed up and was told that I should have sent it directly back to CED. After a few minutes of discussion with the Dillon rep they agreed to send a new scale . Dillon's no BS warranty is for real. They are the greatest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doggorloader Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 This thread started as a result of my e-mail to BE so I could give my wife the right "hint" for a Xmas gift. She picked out the Dillon Detirminator from BE and I used it today for the first time to load 44 mag and 45 ACP and it's like I came in from the dark ages. What a great upgrade in time and convienience. FWIW my Dillon Beam Balance and the new Detirminator read exactly the same on a given weight. I'm a happy man (for the time being) Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 One comment on electrical scales-- talking on a cell phone nearby can cause inaccurate and fluctuating readings. Found that out the other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 Ray S. mentioned the best scale out of the bunch, the Denver Instrument XL410-D. I also have one and it has passed every real world test I or my employees could dish out without a hiccup. Of course comparing this scale to any reloading scale offered on the market is like comparing a 747 to a paper airplane. I also use a Mettler AE50 balance. This is the type with a fully enclosed housing with glass doors. At work we once found it was impossible to accurately measure the weight of water as this balance was picking up the continuous changes in weight due to evaporation. I've never found a digital scale/balance priced under $350 to be worth the effort in the lab. Any of the reloading scales on the market qualify as junk from my perspective. Realize that my experience comes from a production environment, so the cheap scales must (from reading the posts anyway) be OK for home use. I don't quite understand how equipment that is junk for one person could be a precision instrument for another, but what the heck. Except for weighing cases or bullets, I'd stick with a beam scale if I didn't already have these lab balances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted December 31, 2003 Author Share Posted December 31, 2003 Thanks all for the interesting input. I thought the BBK II would have finished a little stronger because of its price and battery powered capability. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 BBK II baby!! PS, it's the only elec scale I've ever had so I can't compare, but I have no complaints....none! I finally had to change the battery after 1.5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bill Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 I have the older style D-Terminator Dillon scale I bought from BE earlier this year, and it is fantastic. It runs like a champ and appears to hold its zero without issues. I am a Dillon fan all the way. (Except for those pesky loose tolerance Dillon case gauges....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Like TBF, I didn't vote because I didn't use all of the scales listed; I've only used one of them. Maybe that does mean I have stated my preference, by voting with my wallet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan550 Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 I'm using the RCBS and HATE it! I spent the better part of a day weighing bullets, separating the 125s from the other weights in .2 gr increments. Came back in a few days to weigh more ( had nearly 7500 total to weigh) and just for grins & giggles, decided to re-weigh a few of the first batch. They ALL checked .2-.4 gr different from the first weighing a few days earlier!!!!!!! So I gave up on separating them at all. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riden Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 I bought my 650 & Dillon accessories from Brian and do not have any complaints on their scale. Sure beats what I used to do 30+ years ago when handloading .222 & .22-250 varmint loads on an old RCBS & beam scale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walangkatapat Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 The Pact BBKII has been good for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek45 Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I have the Pact BBKII. I really like it. I went with it because it was $89 shipped. and it would do AC or DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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