The Best Weed Scales
By Robert Bergman, Founder of ILoveGrowingMarijuana.com
Weed scales are crucial in the pot world since they measure out marijuana quickly and efficiently. If you are thinking about buying one, you’ve probably noticed there are quite a few options available.
Before you buy one without thinking twice, consider your personal situation and why you are buying a weed scale to begin with. What exactly are you going to need it for? Is it going to be used simply for some casual use, or are you going to use it for commercial purposes instead?
You should also consider whether you are going to want to take the scale with you (such as when you are buying marijuana), or would you rather leave it at home? Are you going to want to weigh all of your weed all at once, in larger quantities, or are you going to measure smaller amounts, one by one?
Additionally, where are your top priorities? Is keeping the scale a secret priority number one? Or is functionality more important than anything for you? Or, perhaps you just need something inexpensive but reliable — in any of these cases, there is a scale for you.
Think about these things, among the other aspects, before you buy a new weed scale.
Get to know the metric system
For Americans who haven’t been heavily exposed to weed measurements, it’s important to get to know the metric system. You must have a decent understanding of grams, such as how much it is, and how many grams are in an ounce of weed. This is an important piece of information for anyone to know because it helps ensure that those buying marijuana are not taken advantage of.
For the record, 28.349 grams are in one ounce of marijuana. Many think an ounce of marijuana is 28 grams, when in fact, it is more than 28 grams. Generally speaking, about 40 joints can be rolled from one ounce of weed.
An additional term to think about is an “eighth” of weed. An eighth of weed measures out to 3.5 grams, which means that eight bags of eighths equals almost one ounce of weed. Although this may not seem like relevant information now, it certainly will be relevant as soon as you are measuring out and dividing up your marijuana, or buying it from someone else.
Small pocket weed scales
Pocket scales can be very practical for the right person. First of all, they are easy to put away and are out of sight when you are not using them. Second of all, they are easily afforded, unlike the more precise and bigger digital weed scales. Pocket scales measure to a hundredth of a gram, and it is unlikely that you’ll need anything more specific than that anyway. In fact, one-tenth of a gram is generally precise enough for any marijuana weighing.
That being said, there are also certain downfalls to having a small pocket scale. For example, they pretty much can only be used for weighing weed. If you want to use it for more than one purpose (in other words, if you want to use it for anything besides weed), then you should probably opt for a bigger scale.
Pocket scales are generally the most popular choice for people who use marijuana casually.
They are more portable than larger scales because they come with a lid to protect their pressure sensors, meaning you can bring them wherever, whenever.
An expansion tray is also usually included when you buy one. Without an expansion tray, you can measure a surface area of up to 9 square inches (3 inches wide by 3 inches across). This means you can only weigh about 3 grams of weed or less at a time.
The expansion tray lets you weigh as much as 15 grams at a time; it is highly useful to some of us. You simply place the expansion tray on the scale; zero out the scale with the “tare” button (meaning the weight of the expansion tray won’t be considered in the final weight); and then you can measure more product all at once.
In addition to being small and inexpensive, pocket scales are also generally easy to use. Its simplicity comes from the fact that it doesn’t have very many extra features — it only has what you need. If you want to measure more all at once (to save time or simply to weight greater quantities for some other reason), it’s a good idea to buy a larger scale instead.
Purchasing a small, inexpensive, pocket scale is a good choice if you are on a budget and if you are only interested in using the scale for weighing weed.
Large platform weed scales
Large platform scales are an excellent choice for those looking to weigh all their weed at once. The platform on a large platform scale is usually 36 square inches (6 inches wide by 6 inches tall), making it about twice as large as an average small pocket scale. Grab my free Grow Bible if you want to grow large amounts to weigh.
Of course, the size of a large platform scale does come with certain downfalls. For example, it simply is not as easy to transport — especially discreetly — as a small pocket scale. If this is an issue for you, but you don’t want a pocket scale (because of its size) luckily there is at least one option for a portable large platform scale. The LB Series weed scale is one of the best portable large platform scales, according to marijuanascales.com.
If you are wanting to measure large quantities at a time or you would like to use the scale for more than just marijuana, then a large scale is better for you. It is particularly useful if you are someone who likes to make marijuana edibles. With a large scale, you can weigh baking ingredients quickly and efficiently such as weed butter, for example).
Stealth weed scales
As you have probably already gathered, marijuana users and producers have had to be extremely creative over the last few decades. Stealth scales are a perfect example of this creative innovation.
If you are able use a small digital scale, there are a variety of scales that look like other items. For example, a CD case might not turn out to be a CD case at all, but is, in fact, a small marijuana scale! If safety and security are your most important goals when it comes to marijuana use and measurement, then this is the best way to go by far.
Other examples of small stealth scales include flip phones, candy bar phones, a computer mouse, or even an ash tray. These objects often include some kind of storage compartment as well, which means that if you need to hide your stash of weed in addition to weighing it, then the small stealth scale serves a useful dual purpose.
Other types of weed scales: hand scale
If you are not interested in battery powered digital scales, then you may want to look into the old-fashioned kind of scale: the hand scale. It is not as accurate as a digital scale — it will weigh to the gram rather than the tenth of a gram. Therefore, if accuracy is important, it is not a good option.
If you aren’t too bothered with accuracy, however, then a hand scale can be an excellent choice. You simply hook it onto a bag holding weed, and it will show you how much it weighs. It is as simple as that! Plus, you can keep it anywhere – cold (or hot) weather will not negatively affect it.
It makes for an excellent “emergency” scale when you need one out of the blue. It fits into a little pouch, making it easily stored away, and it can usually weigh up to one hundred grams of weed (or anything else, for that matter).
Buying weed scales
There are certain things you need to consider before you pay for a new marijuana scale. You need to know how much you can expect to pay, the type features you should look for, and which brands are the best.
Luckily, the dawn of the internet brought with it cheaper and cheaper prices for good digital scales. A decade or two ago, scales were going for more than a hundred dollars. Nowadays, scales are far more affordable, even when purchasing the highest quality ones.
First, make sure any scale you choose actually measures in grams. If you are buying a scale in the United States, this is especially important since most Americans do not use the metric system on a daily basis.
Second, consider the accuracy of the scale. It should measure to at least a tenth of a gram, if not a hundredth. Although a hundredth is usually overkill for weighing, use it to gauge accuracy. Don’t pay extra just to have something with a measurement that is more precise than a tenth. This applies no matter what type and size of scale you decide to buy.
You should get a scale that has at least a 200-gram maximum weight if you are weighing casually. If you are weighing in bulk, then a 1000-gram maximum is important, as is as large a tray as possible.
If you want to be able to weigh bulk perhaps you should start growing your own weed. Download my Grow Bible to find out how.
Scales are generally battery powered so you can expect that. If you use marijuana extremely frequently, you might want to find one (generally a larger one) that instead plugs into the wall. Otherwise, you will need to replace the batteries far more often than you would like.
Scales can cost as little as $30 or less, so they don’t need to be a significant investment. Just remember, whatever one you decide to buy should fit into your lifestyle and your budget. There should be no need to compromise at all.
It’s important to keep in mind that you should buy a scale online rather than at your local head shop. This is because it is far cheaper online; $20 or less for a scale that might cost $80 in the head shop, for example. Look on Amazon.com for some of the best deals; they will likely be the best ones (and with the most reviews) that you will find on the web.
When looking at specs when shopping for a new scale, you will likely find its weight and accuracy; it will be described as “capacity x sensitivity.” If it’s a scale that can weigh up to 200 grams, for example, with a sensitivity of a tenth of a gram; it will say “200g x 0.01g.” This is important to understand since it won’t always be clearly described in the descriptions online.
American Weigh Scales
It’s important to know about American Weigh Scales, since they are the most popular type of scale, worldwide. They come with a ten-year warranty, although they are highly durable and don’t break very easily anyway. They don’t lose accuracy, even if they aren’t stored properly or safely all the time, and users are consequently very fond of them.
AWS models are highly respected and loved, and there are a few scales in particular that are worth mentioning. That being said, there are many, many more types of AWS scales out there, so by no means limit yourself to these:
The original AWS pocket scale
No taller than a standard lighter and not much longer; the original pocket scale from American Weigh Scales is truly pocket sized. It looks sleek and small (much like the size of a calculator) and relatively inconspicuous; this makes it a dream for pocket scale fans. This scale has a sensitivity of 0.01 grams.
The blade
One of the most popular scales in the world is called “the blade.” It is marketed as a pocket scale, but it isn’t quite as small as the original pocket scale or as many other pocket scales. The blade is not ideal if you need a truly portable pocket scale.
It doesn’t fit easily into most pockets, like the original pocket scale, but it has a conveniently stored display that slides from underneath the scale itself, making it fairly compact and easy to use. You can expect the blade to last many years, much like the rest of AWS’s products. This scale will cost around $10, and also has a sensitivity of 0.01 grams.
Cell phone style weed scales
This is the ideal type of scale for people needing to hide the fact that they have a weed scale. The beauty of a brand like American Weigh Scales is knowing that their products are going to meet a certain level of quality — regardless of if they look like cell phones or scales. For that reason, the cell phone style scale is highly recommended if you need something high quality but very stealthy. In addition to the other AWS scales mentioned above, this one also has a sensitivity of 0.01 grams.
Smart Weigh digital pro pocket scale
This scale, although it does not come from American Weigh Scales but rather from Smart Weigh, is still highly loved. It has a higher capacity than those above and is also very sensitive and precise. If you need precision and efficiency, this is the scale for you. It will cost you only about $20 and has a sensitivity of 0.01 grams.
My Weigh MXT digital scale
This scale is popular in the marijuana community because it is tiny and high quality. It is probably the smallest of its kind. For that reason, it not powered by AA or AAA batteries (like the other scales, pocket or otherwise). It uses watch batteries.
That is the only negative of a scale like this; the fact that the battery isn’t as commonly found around the house. You can also get a larger size that will weigh up to 500 grams; but of course one of the best parts of the smaller size is the fact that it can fit into such small spaces (including, of course, your pocket). Despite its tiny size, it is still powerful and sensitive: its sensitivity is 0.01 grams.
I hope this helps you decide what kind of scale works best for you. I you want to learn to grow marijuana be sure to grab my free Grow Bible.