5393 Farrell Rd. Sanford, NC 27330

Call (919) 776-7737

Most quality 4'x4' 5K Capacity floor scales have a shipping weight of at least 285 pounds. Anything less and you run the risk of the platform flexing, particularly when off-center or edge loading with concentrated loads. Think of it another way. Notice the subtle difference in the platforms below? The platform with our name on it is actually wider and has more steel and support than the other (4). This angle gives you a nice example of the differences in floor scales. If you were placing a heavy load on your floor scale consistently, which scale would you rather have? So whether you're looking for floor scales with printer or perhaps floor scales with ramps, this information will be helpful.

You should also buy scales that are made by a scale manufacturer that you can trust. Many, many platforms are being imported into this country that have no standards. Choose a quality platform that is made by a manufacturer that has a reputation. Some good manufacturers to look for include: Rice Lake Weighing, Cardinal Scale, GSE floor scales, and Pennsylvania. Choose one of these brand name products for peace of mind.

Most floor scales that we sell are NTEP approved. This is fairly standard, but there are a lot of lower quality 4x4 platform systems beginning to flood the marketplace that are not NTEP approved legal for trade. Why is NTEP approval important? If you're going to buy or sell to people based on weight, you have to have NTEP approval. NTEP approval is the process whereby weighing and measuring devices are examined by government officials to determine if the design and performance comply with the Weights and Measures requirements of the country in which the manufacturer wishes to market the device for commercial applications. For a scale system to be NTEP the scale base, loadcells and indicator must all be NTEP approved. All NTEP products have a label located on the item and bears the NTEP label or a certificate of conformance (CoC).

The purpose of type evaluation is to examine the design, features, operating characteristics, and performance of weighing and measuring devices for compliance with Weights and Measures requirements. Such tests are performed on sample devices under laboratory conditions. Buying a scale system that has NTEP Approved components isn't always required for every weighing application, but it is always a good idea because it ensures that you are purchasing quality equipment that has been tested to a standard. If you are buying or selling and based on a price on the weight of the item/s you are required by law in the vast majority of states to use an NTEP approved scale. If you are unsure if your business requires an NTEP scale, contact your Department of Agriculture or Weights & Measures to find out. As a general rule of thumb, recycling and landscaping centers and commercial shipping companies and most government agencies require NTEP.

Load Cell Cable Channel -- Most, if not all quality floor scales run the load cell cable through channels underneath the scale. This protects the cable. Notice the underside of the "cheap floor scales" in the pictures on the left and right. The loadcell cable is run under the scale using double sided tape/hooks, this could easily allow cable to drag under the scale and become ripped or cut. Now just think, the money you saved by buying a "cheap 4x4 floor scale", you just lost because you're going to have to have someone repair it.

Bracing under the scale -- This applies to the first question as well. The more structured and braced that the underside of the scale is, the higher quality the scale. (And, usually an increased shipping weight) Notice the loadcell cable is neatly hidden and protected in the channels under the scale. Many of the "cheap" no name imports have loadcells that no one has heard of and questionable design features. If your scale is on uneven floor, just adjust the foot and you can weigh.

Load Cell Summing Boards -- The standard floor scale system sums all 4 load cells under the scale to the board in the junction box. This box includes a summing board which allows for adjusting each load cell to insure an accurate weight on each corner of the scale during calibration. Cheap floor scale systems lower the cost, by running all the load cells to a board with no adjustment screws.

Outdoor Use -- If you are going to locate your floor scale outdoors, in most cases you will need to ask for a stainless steel adder upgrade package including a stainless steel weight indicator. Be sure to mention this when requesting a quote.

You have many different choices. The basic readout is usually made out of ABS plastic. The readout shows the weight display and usually 5 buttons (zero, net/gross, tare, print, units) and most include RS232 output. Better digital readouts usually are housed in a stainless steel enclosure and include the weight display, full keypad (ideal for typing in tare weights) & feature both battery and AC power. We even offer digital parts counting scales that can be connected to a 48"x48" platform scale for the ultimate parts counting system. There also systems available for washdown floor scales and wireless floor scales which would require no cable between the scale base and the digital readout. Basically what we're saying is, we offer quality brand name digital indicators that are relatively easy to use and/or program. If you have any trouble with the indicators, you have us as well as the US scale manufacturer to contact. The same can't be said for some of these others on the market...who do you contact for technical support for a XK315 or P2000?

Our systems have warranties ranging from as many as 5 years to as few as 1 year, depending on the manufacturer. Most of the higher quality floor scale systems have at least a 2 year warranty. Some 4'x4' systems that we've researched on the web have 1 year warranties or less (some have 90 day only warranties). These warranties are basically what are called limited manufacturer warranties. The manufacturer will cover any parts failure due to craftsmanship for the timetable. If you drive over your scale with a fork lift, not covered. If you drop your digital indicator on a concrete floor, not covered.

We are well aware that there are scales being sold today that are intentionally marketed incorrectly on the internet. A 4' x 4' floor scale system that is being sold on the internet for $950 is a great example. Problem is, this system is really 48" x 45" (that doesn't equal 4'x4'). It's not NTEP approved, shipping weight is barely 200 lbs, and the loadcell summing board has no adjustment. Nobody seems to mention any of those facts! Plus, do you honestly think that a scale that is hundreds of dollars less and includes "free freight" is truly the same quality as our high quality scales? Truth is, many "no name" floor scales are being imported from China and have little or no quality control to them at all -- remember the lead paint toys fiasco?

Another popular trend we've seen recently is for scale companies on the internet to take a picture of a "quality floor scale" like the GSE Gator Deck, edit the picture, then offer it on their website's as a new "Economy" low cost floor scale system. So after you place your order, the scale you end up with, looks nothing like the one in the "picture".

Hopefully, after reading our page, you understand what things to look for when buying a floor scale system. There are A LOT of people out there trying to sell floor scales. We've been providing quality floor scales with digital readout to our customer's for over 30 years. We don't try to deceive or trick anyone ... we simply try to provide you with as top notch of a scale system as possible for your dollar. Our experience has shown us time and time again, that in the long run you are much better off purchasing a quality system that is well built and serviceable -- like the system below.

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