We were a little thrown when we found no digital option (I'm not sure why the word "digital" is in the current description). Moreover, I'm not certain why this needs to be almost ten pounds (it's a bit chunky and weird ... kinda like carrying a Pulp Fiction briefcase of gold). For us, it was a little challenging to get a read that we felt was accurate ... but I think that's because we are accustom to digital scales. (This might be a little too old-school for us?)

I think that if you are prepared for the weight of this item (and do not have to lug it around to multiple locations throughout the day) and are cool with a traditional scale (i.e. not digital), this could work nicely for you. In fact, I think if you became accustom to this scale, it could last you for a lifetime.

Although this is a nice scale, I'm not sure I understand why they are calling it digital. It is not digital so keep that in mind while looking for a good food scale. Having said that, it's a great scale that I will be using mostly as a shipping scale. At the moment I have a little scale that I have to set an empty coffee can on top of it in order to be able to weight anything very large, otherwise I can't read the display because the package is in the way. This scale will make a much nicer scale to use than my current scale and I don't have to set a coffee can on top of it for larger packages.

This scale is very well made and it's heavy. It's accurate with my little digital scale as well. So, I am very happy with this scale.

When I first saw this I was impressed by several features. as a frequent visitor to farmers' markets, I thought a "briefcase" scale would be very convenient for anyone who sets up in a different place every day. While I typically am there as a consumer, I have more than once thought about getting a seasonal stall, as we have several fruit trees, each of which produce hundreds of lbs. of fruit, once/ year, more than the 3 of us can eat, or preserve and store, or even give away to friends.

My primary use, however, is as a shipping scale. I had been puzzled by a scale made for commercial use, whether produce or shipping, which measured pounds but not ounces. It does! While the interval measurements are not labeled, they are there, and easy enough to figure out. My favorite feature is the weight lock. I don't know how many times I have craned my head this way and that, put the scale on a ledge, or somewhere eye level, to try to see the read-out which is obscured by large boxes. The weight lock lever solves that problem!

It is a simple spring-loaded scale, easy to use and set, no complicated instruments to short out or batteries which will expire or corrode. , an instrument which is not a disposable! (Those are becoming increasingly difficult to find). It is also described as having a corrosion-resistant mechanism, very important in my very wet environment (and a useful attribute even for those who do not live in the rain forest). This too adds to it's durability.

The reason for my 3 star rating (and I so wish Amazon would go to a 7 point Likert scale) is that:
1) it is very heavy for a portable scale. It is, in fact, heavier than most stationary scales, which makes it considerably less portable.
2) While fairly accurate, it is not reliable! I weighed 3 things ranging from ~ 1lb to 150. Each time when I removed the object I found that the scale was not zeroed! It varied by a random amount of 1-12 lbs, which to my mind makes it nearly useless. It was zeroed before each run, and was on a level surface; some taken on my countertop and some on the floor.(and I have both manual and digital levels. I am certain that was not the issue).

Given that last issue, I would say that the best use for this scale is to get a rough estimate of the weight to determine which shipper or class of service to use, but when accuracy is required (e.g. for prepaid shipping) this would not be a good scale to use.

I really wavered in my rating. It has some nice features, a very solid build, but a scale is entirely useless if it is not accurate or reliable. It is really too bad. I would love to have a scale with a weight lock as it is fairly often that I have difficulty seeing the readout because of overhang, but if it is only accurate to within 12 lbs (going out of balance as soon as any weight is put on it, it is not very useful..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/24 update) -------------------------------------------------------------
I am updating this review to add that having mentioned the noted issues to my husband (who is the wholesale manager for a local co., and so does a lot of shipping) said he would be surprised if there was not some packing material stuck inside which as throwing it off. We will be checking today to see if that is the issue and I will update as appropriate. I do not want to disparage an otherwise useful instrument if it is simply a matter of a piece of cardboard which got lodged in the wrong place during the shipping process. Revision pending .This review ought to be updated by this afternoon.

We did check the scale over for bits of cardboard (or other debris) which might have slipped inside, and found none. My husband repeated my tests, weighing himself and some random objects, and also finding that the weight varied each time. (He weighed each thing 3 times, and never got the same weight twice). The scale is adjusted or zeroed like just about every spring-loaded scale I have seen, with a side dial. It is simple, and effectively foolproof. It is possible that I got a damaged scale (though there is nothing indicating that in terms of appearance). but my experience shows it to be thoroughly unreliable. If others report differently, then it is possible that the one I received has something wrong with it, but I can only report on what is in front of me. As of the time of this writing I can not recommend it.

This is an amazing scale even though it is not digital. If the company considers this digital they had better go to the dictionary and look up the proper meaning and this is my only gripe about this piece.

The scale is weighty which you would expect from a quality made item that is made to perform under stressful conditions. The weight lock tab is a wonder and just what anyone who is weighing oversized packages needs when the can't see what the package actually weighs. This is going to be fabulous come Christmas when I'm packing up gifts to ship. I'll be able to do everything at home now and then have UPS just come and pick the packages up for me. Having physical restrictions this will be like my new left hand.

The instructions are very, very basic which is okay since there is not much to learn with using this. It just would have been nice for them to let you know where the scale adjustment wheel was without having to look the entire piece over to find it. I know I'm knit picking! It does adjust to zero perfectly after letting the weight lock tab loose. I weighed my 5 month old kitten and she's 7 pounds which is right on the button to what the vet said so I consider that acutely accurate. I have also weighed in a few other items and they were spot on. It's actually more accurate than my weight scale I have in the bathroom.

Overall the piece is not overly large coming in at 10 x 13 1/2. It has a handle for easy carrying and is extremely durable and strongly built. This is top notch quality that I have come to love from Rubbermaid. You get what you pay for so grab this for the best quality and accuracy that you can get on the market today.

+ 250lb limit is a good amount

+ Zero-out knob is on the right side. Took me a bit to get the zero to center properly it wanted to go too much one way or the other, but I eventually got it.

+ The lock lever is near the handle, so you need to reach under the box on the scale and flip the lever to freeze the scale in place. Love this feature. Main reason to get this product.

+ Easy to read numbers

+ The handle is very useful for making this scale more portable.

+ Rubber feet do in fact keep this from slipping

OVERALL: For a mobile scale you need to move often and it can handle most packages for receiving or shipping, this works great.
I'm not sure about the cost, when there are other shipping scales that are rated well and at a portion of the cost, such as: Smart Weigh Shipping and Postal Scale, Heavy Duty, Stainless Steel, 10.6" X 10.6" Platform, 440 lbs. Capacity, Extendable Cord