What You Need to Know When Buying a Balance
Choosing the correct balance for your application, or a series of balances that suit all of your application needs, is the first step in good lab weighing practices
If you choose the correct balance, calibrate it regularly— including any time the balance is moved to a new location—and keep it clean, your balance will reward you with many years of accurate operation.
Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Laboratory Balance
- What are the heaviest and lightest samples you will weigh (including container weight)?
- What is the required +/- tolerance of your lightest sample?
- How many decimal places in grams do you require for the displayed weight?
- What type of samples will you be weighing and do you need to take into consideration the size of the weighing surface or the securing of a tare container?
- Is on-site service available from a factory-trained service technician?
- Do you need to interface the balance to another device such as a computer, printer, bar code reader, etc.?
Types of laboratory balance used by survey respondents:
Analytical balance | 89% |
Precision balance | 64% |
Micro balance | 18% |
Ultra-microbalance | 4% |
Other | 12% |
Weighing applications, according to survey respondents:
Differential weighting | 51% |
Dynamic weighing | 49% |
Pipette calibration | 47% |
Mass comparison | 32% |
Filter weighting | 27% |
Other | 11% |
Most common problems users experience when using their balance:
Weight readings do not stabilize | 55% |
The unit is out of calibration | 17% |
Display problems | 14% |
Poor repeatability | 13% |
Cornerload errors | 7% |
The unit does not respond to weight addition | 6% |
Readings moving only down | 3% |
Other/None | 32% |
Factors that would help users overcome their weighing challenges:
Newer equipment | 46% |
Improved maintenance | 38% |
Better training | 22% |
Better technical support | 18% |
Newer accessories | 14% |
Other | 28% |