Professional 400KL Mechanical Beam Medical Scale Physician Balance, Alloy Steel, White

After reading the reviews I decided to take a chance and hope this scale wasn't too difficult for me to put together and that it was accurate and I could read the numbers. (And because of Amazon's great returns policy it wasn't really a risk.) I am happy to say it was not difficult for me to put together. It was slightly heavy (petite woman) for me to lift the platform section, but I laid the tall section on my bed upside down and put the platform on a chair so that it was at the right height to attach the platform to the top section with the nuts and bolts included. Once that was done, it was easy to pull the hook down and attach it in place. The directions were easy to understand and photos are included, so it was not problem at all. It only took me about five minutes. This scale is SO much more accurate than the digital scale I had been using for ten years. I knew something was off and know now it was off by about 5 to 6 pounds! It would also give me several different readings just stepping on and off it a few times in the same session. This scale is accurate! Finally! I tried several other scales over the past year and had to return all of them. It is not really portable, but I don't need to move it. (It doesn't come with the attachable wheels, and they are a bit pricey, but I might buy them eventually. Amazon doesn't carry them, but maybe they should.) So far, I'm very happy with this scale. I've only had it a few weeks. It's not the old fashioned heavy duty kind we used to find in doctors and hospitals. The metal is lighter obviously. But I wouldn't say it is flimsy like some other reviewers have said. It seems to be made well. And the platform is a solid durable plastic that looks like it will hold up for a very long time. As far as reading the numbers, I can read them okay. The numbers are slightly small, so if you need reading glasses, that might help. I love that you just simply step on it and you know you will be getting an accurate reading EVERY time! It was a bit pricey, but after buying so many other inferior scales over the years, this one should last a long time and pay for itself over the long haul. That is worth the cost it in my opinion.

This is just the ticket. If you've used digital or analog scales, you've probably always been confused by the varying weights indicated. On a digital scale, you have to step on, let the weight register, step off, let the indicator return to zero, and then step back on to get the true weight. Even then it may be inaccurate. All digital scales require this "zero balance" in order to function properly. Analog scales are inherently unreliable because of the spring system and the difficult of determining the exact number indicated. On this balance beam scale, there is no guesswork, no second weighing. It is exactly like the scales doctor's use in their offices, though a smaller, home model. It is VERY accurate and easy to use. Just step on, slide the balance weights until the indicator hovers in the center, step off and read your weight in either pounds or kilograms. There is no guesswork on this instrument. When you first get it you have to bolt the top to the base, with the included wrench, and then adjust the balance to zero with a screwdriver. It's super simple to set up and even simpler to use. It's a little difficult to read when you're actually standing on the scale if you're a tall person, but it's child's play to step off and then read it. The numbers are clear and easy to read, contrary to what some reviewers have said. I don't have 20/20, but don't wear glasses. I never have to use any kind of magnifier to read the numbers. Put it back to zero after using. That's all there is to it. It's perfect. Some models evidently come with a height scale as well. Mine didn't, but there are screw holes pre-drilled to add this accessory later if you need it. Adults seldom change much in height, so it would have been a distraction and possibly an obstruction for me.

This scale is accurate to a fourth of a pound, and was easier to set up than I expected. Notably, I thought I was ordering a model without a height measuring tool, but the scale I received also included the height measuring bar pre-assembled. It arrived well-packed in flat cardboard box with custom formed styrofoam. The box had plastic packing straps that made it easy to get a hand-hold and carry the box along my shoulder / back. I am a woman of average physical strength. Set up took me 5 minutes working alone. It amounts to securing two pieces together (that fit together easily, and are obvious) with 4 provided nuts, tightening with a provided wrench, then slotting a metal hook into a metal hole. There are so few parts that it's hard to get wrong. The scale was close to perfectly balanced right out of the box. The only tool I needed was a flathead screwdriver to rotate the calibration screw half a turn to get the scale perfectly balanced. The construction of the scale, with all working pieces made of metal, seems indestructible. Repeated tests show an accurate read of weight to the fourth-pound every time. For the cost of three unreliable digital scales, this is an incredible value and solves so many problems that digital scales present—requiring no batteries, having no pieces that wear out, staying accurate and reliable, and reporting weight near my eyes so I can read it. I expect to save a lot of money with this scale by no longer having to replace lesser digital scales (and/or their odd battery types) as they wear out or become unreliable. And I will feel more trust in the measurements I get. The scale takes up a footprint 20 inches from front to back and 10.5 inches from right to left. It stands 57.5 inches high. The balance at the top is 17 inches wide. It must sit on hard, even flooring.

Love my Health o Meter scale. The reading doesn't change depending on which way the wind is blowing, like the usual inexpensive floor scales. It is very accurate when I placed a ten pound dumbell on it and then 2 ten pound dumbells. To use, set the large bottom metal weight on 50 lb intervals that is closes to your weight, then slide the small upper metal weight for small pounds. Use a screw driver on the left end of the scale to fine tune the lbs by moving the cylinder weight to the right or left (this is already preset by the factory). The scale is actually pure white, but the camera gave everything a pinkish tone.

I was picturing something about waist height - sort of a smaller home version of the doctor's standard scale. But no, this is full size - a good 5' tall. It's a monster to be honest. That said, it sure is accurate. It's great if just one person is weighing themselves, because you can leave the weights in one position and it's easy to tell if you've gained or lost. However, with two people, you have to move the weights each time. Not a big deal, but a minor hassle. Also, this takes up space. While the footprint isn't that big (about 10 x 12), the spot you put it has to be big enough for you to stand on without touching walls, so you can't just stick it in a tiny corner. Also, heavy enough that you don't want to pull it out each time you use it. If you have space, and want accurate, this is your scale. If you are tight on space, maybe not so much.

This is exactly the same scale we had back at nursing school. Over all good construction and it's a piece of cake to put together. I've found that it does need to be broken in. At first it needs re calibrated after every use but with time it begins to stay accurate for longer periods of time. I figure it's just like a guitar that needs tuned every so often. This scale needs adjusted every now and then. But it's easy to do!

Very disappointed in the life span of the This product. I have always trusted the Health o meter name... no longer! I purchased this model thinking it was the same one which lasted 10 years... not even close - 3 months! Definitely not worth it. (Yes, I am well below the rated weight. )

I like having this old school scale. It works well, and I hear that it’s a lot more accurate. I’ve lost a good bit of weight over the past five years, but I’m 6’5” and 255 lbs. When I was over 300 it was hard to find a scale rated for that weight.