Count! That's the simple answer really. A counting scale is a product that has the amazing ability to count small items for you. Typically these items include coins, nails or screws. That said, you could pretty much count anything you want with these things, as long as the item in question isn't too heavy. So what am I going to gain by purchasing one of these things? Well, the answer to that is simple - Time. It takes time to count things the old fashioned way, and in this fast paced world, who has the time to do anything manually anymore? If you do, fair enough. Sit there counting pennies until you reach 100... And then count them again just in case you got something wrong :) In all seriousness though, counting scales are life saver. As you read through the following text, keep this in mind. Deals are there to be had in this current economic climate. If you're thinking of buying a scale, check online. There is bound to be some good prices out there!

These things really aren't that hard to figure out but here is a bit of basic information for you to consider before making a purchase. Usually the biggest factor to think about is the size of the scale. How many things are you going to be counting? If it's a lot, chances are you'll want a scale with a pretty big surface area to place items on. If you only want to make rolls of dimes, on the other hand, go with a smaller unit.

Calibrating these products is pretty straightforward. Here is quick breakdown of how to do it. Keep in mind that this process varies a bit from unit to unit. It may be a bit different depending on the brand and model of your specific counting scale. As far as I know, Ohaus, Mettler and AND scales all calibrate something like this:

1. Put a small item on the scale - Weigh it. The scale will then ask you how many items there are on the digital screen. Push the 1 button.

2. Put 10 of the same small items on the scale - Weigh it. Now tell the scale that there is 10 items sitting on it.

3. Assign a number to the item you weighed and program it into the digital counting scale.

That's it!

Regardless of what you're wanting to count - be it money or parts, the calibration process is the same. Because of this, these items are sometimes known as coin counting scales or parts counting scales.

More Counting Scale Options To Consider

Now that you've decided on the size of the scale, here are a few other options that you may or may not want to add.  First of all, digital is the only way to go.  In fact, I'm not sure if they even make analog counting scales!  When you're looking at the screen on a digital scale, you should notice a few things.  First off, there should be at lease three figures on it.  There is the total weight number.  This is the combined weight of all the parts or coins that you have on the scale.  Beside that you'll see the unit weight number.  This is the weight of each part.  And finally, you should see the number of units on the scale.  This number is why you paid big bucks for a counting scale!

Another features that some high end models have are stainless steel platform.  I don't really see the point in shelling out extra money for this feature...  Maybe you do!  Two options that I definitely enjoy, though, are convertible weight and a extra programmable buttons.  The convertible weight basically means that you can measure parts or coins in both g(grams) and oz(ounces).  The programmable buttons are a must!  You don't want to be recalibrating your scale all the time.  Get one with a lot of presets and you'll only have to do each item once.

So there you have it!  A brief overview of electronic counting scales.  I hope you found some value in this article.  Please feel free to leave me comment.  I'd love to hear from you.  Also...  Below I've included links to some of the reputable scale brands out there.  Good luck and happy counting!