(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best postal scales

Sure thing, absolutely--thanks for asking!

Getting your bird to switch to pellet is THE CLASSIC new parrot problem. The reason is pet stores and breeders feed seed diets to young birds. This serves two purposes: first seeds are cheap, second seeds add weight which is good for young birds in potentially stressful situations.

Here's a great article on switching your bird from an all-seed to a primarily pellet-based diet: http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/switching-birds-to-pellets.html

Seeds aren't bad as PART of your Conure's diet. I'm a big fan of Volman's seed products, one reason is that they package their seed in breed-specific mixtures.

Pellets are extremely important. They are specifically designed to give your Conure the nutrition a growing bird needs. Even offset with fresh fruit and vegetables a seed-based diet is not good for your bird's health and pellets are specifically formulated to include proteins and trace minerals that your bird is not going to find elsewhere.

My bird's cage has four feeding stations: Pellets, Water, Seed and I have this acrylic thing that holds up to four bowls for fresh foods. So you can provide a whole lot of variety in your bird's diet once you establish pellets as the base.

Additionally, you're going to want to give your bird small amounts of occasional good fats like coconut oil and red palm oil. This can be done by infusing it into your pellets. It's pretty easy to do, just gently warm some of the oil to liquid and drop in some pellets and shake them around until they soak up the oil. Store and feed.

You'll also want to be sure to provide either direct sunlight (not through a window) or a bird-specific full-spectrum lamp as this is how birds produce vitamin d and process calcium. Check on Amazon for "bird light full spectrum" for the light that best works with your cage setup--be very careful to get the "avian" bulbs and not the "reptile" bulbs, as some companies make products for both. The reptile lights are different and can harm your bird's eyes.

Another GREAT habit to get into is weighing your bird every day. A gram scale with a T-perch like this one is super easy to use and changes in a bird's weight are the best indicator of health. This is because birds are very good at hiding any illness so as not to be banished from the flock. To them, looking healthy is a matter of life and death. Having an understanding of your bird's current and usual weight is the quickest diagnostic tool available. Once grown your bird should weigh about the same within a +/- 5% window.

I use the Triton T2. Goes to 0.00g, max 200 grams

They have newer Tritons. The t3 goes to 300-400 grams max. It may even go to 0.000

You only need a 0.00g, I would reccomend getting 2x 100g calibration weights and calibrating your scale once a week for powder drugs.

If you wanna scale a 0.5g, let it teeter around 0.48-0.49g

0.51g vs 0.48 is negligible and if someone calls you out on it you can work from there.

There are “better” scales for small amount of substance like only goes up to 100g but super accurate. Those scales are only necessary for certain drugs, powder coke isn’t one of them.

Google amazon triton scale.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/My-Weigh-T3-400-Triton-Digital/dp/B00A755058

Comes with a single 200 gram weight. For my scale, I know I need 2 separate 100 gram weights to calibrate successfully. Single 200 gram weight won’t work.

Looks like you need 2x 200gram weights to calibrate it successfully. I don’t know for sure. But they’re about $9 each.

You can always bring your scale to the smoke shop and they will calibrate it for free as long as your scale has no residue of any sort, it must look essentially brand new. Hope this helps.

Depends on your budget. You would have a hard time finding a worse scale than an American Weighs Scale, made in China using the least accurate electronic weight sensor in the world.

This one from Amazon is quite a step up, but still very inexpensive.

The world's best scales are made in Japan with the world's best weight sensors, also made in Japan. This Tanita 200g capacity is an excellent scale. I own both. Buy calibration weights for either. The cheaper one will calibrate with anything from 500grams down, (in ten gram increments) but the Tanita will only calibrate with 200 grams. Buy the 2 100s that Amazon suggests. You can calibrate both scales with those.

A simple test to show the sensitivity of a scale is to see how low of a weight it will register. Cut some pieces of paper into half inch squares. Each will weigh about 0.01g. Starting with a calibrated and zeroed scale, place a single piece of paper on the tray and see if it registers. Most cheap scales, including yours and the $17 one I recommend will not move from zero until you get to at least 0.04g, and then they must be placed all at once. The Tanita will register each piece of paper as you add them.

Remember that the electronic weight sensor in any portable scale is susceptible to to permanent damage if exposed to a very strong magnetic field like those from the silly rare earth magnets that many people think are useful to show silver purity. (They don't anyway.)

I recommend the cheaper 500g capacity scale because it has the ability to do a specific gravity test on ten ounce bars and coins. And with a piece of that size, you don't need 0.01g accuracy anymore either, 0.1 will do the trick.

If you don't have any supplies at the moment I'd highly recommend you spend as little as possible ~$20 on supplies such as tape, 30-up labels Amazon Basics works fine, and reuse boxes if possible.

If you end up going through will selling on Amazon (you're making a few thousand a month) I'd recommend spending the ~$200 and get the proper supplies

DYMO Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053HCP8K/ref=psdc_1068986_t1_B00U93G6C4

3" Tape https://www.amazon.com/Uline-Clear-Industrial-Tape-Rolls/dp/B00BNIM7OA/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=uline+3%22+tape&qid=1564200633&s=office-products&sr=1-17

Tape Dispenser https://www.amazon.com/Uline-H-596-Packing-Dispenser-3-Inch/dp/B005XYJGTO/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=uline+3%22+tape+dispenser&qid=1564200672&s=office-products&sr=1-3

I personally spend $200 once in a blue moon on Home Depot small/medium/large boxes

You're not getting a prepper or going to think about getting one for a long time. Selling on Amazon is a super manual business even though people on YouTube never show it (because most don't actually sell).

Cheap scales like the gemini 20 are terribly inconsistent, and are not safe to use for tianeptine and noopept.

I recommend a gempro 250, which in my experience is accurate to 2mg. If that is out of your budget, the cheapest scale I can recommend is the Jennings JSVG-20. These scales will not only give you peace of mind and safety, but will help you narrow down the minimum effective dosages.

https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-JSVG-20-Compact-Digital-Jewelry/dp/B0141MQTOI

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GemPro-250-x-0-005-Carat-50-x-0-001-Gram-Precise-Digital-Jewelry-Scale-My-Weigh-/380636162684?hash=item589faeea7c:g:MhsAAOSwR0JUR9Pw

This is the shipping scale I have used for the past few years, it has served me well. The 75lb weight limit will be good enough for pretty much anything you are selling, and the price is right (under $20).

Once you get around to actually shipping, USPS will likely be the cheapest option, especially with smaller and lighter packages. If you end up shipping things that are larger and heavier, I have often found Fedex to be a better deal than USPS, sometimes less than half the cost!

And ditch the OEM scale that comes with the kit, go for this or this. A digital scale makes weighing your charges much easier and quicker.

Notice how they're exactly the same thing as the Hornady or Frankford Arsenal, except for fall less $$. Everything nowadays comes out of the same factories in the East, and resellers just slap their label on and charge whatever they think their targets are willing to pay. '

I personally got that Smart Weigh and it works great.

Less than $5 actually. These ones are awesome, I love them.

https://www.amazon.com/100gm-Standard-Hanging-Postal-Scale-Black/dp/B00A9XFZVC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1511550257

This may be too large for your intended use, but it's a really good scale for the price point...

https://www.amazon.com/US-Balance-Bench-Backlit-Display/dp/B005LDOYH6/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1505677243&sr=1-1&keywords=u.s.+balance

Weighs up to 2000 grams in .1 gram increments, nicely backlit, fairly compact and the auto-off feature can be disabled.

A strainer (Preferably one with a very fine mesh so you don't get too much grit at the bottom of your mug/pot), an electric kettle (preferably one with different temperature settings for different teas), and if you want to make two or three mugs of tea at a time, maybe a teapot or two. For storing tea and keeping it fresh long-term, you will either want to get double-lidded tins, or I prefer dark glass jars, such as amber glass or violet glass.

If you want to get into gongfu style brewing, that's a whole other animal in terms of equipment.

Edit: oh, and if you want to be extra fancy about weighing out exactly how much tea you are using, a pocket scale is also a nice thing to have.

dude, if you're looking for a scale recommendation, I bought this thing for about the same price its listed right now. Keep in mind though that you might want to buy a calibration weight, too. If not, you can use 20 nickels. I think each one weighs exactly 5 grams. If you're across the pond, I think 20 pent coins weigh exactly 5 grams, too. If you're in the EU, you could use 12 0.50 euro coins, 1 0.10 euro coin, and 1 0.01 euro coin for exactly 100 grams. I'm sure there are other combinations too, you guys just don't have nice round numbers for your coin weights.

Good luck, dawg

This is the scale that I've been using. At the time I bought it, it was a bit cheaper than that.

When I bought it, I only had the kingsnake, so a small scale worked fine for me. If you want a scale like that, I might suggest something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Black-Digital-Pocket/dp/B0012N1NAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1324149891&sr=1-1

It's better than mine in that it allows you to place up to 1000 grams on the scale (versus 550 for mine), while having the same accuracy (0.1 gram increments). And it's cheaper and has a larger weighing platform than mine.

However, shortly after I got that scale, I got the python. And that wasn't a problem originally, as she weighed about the same as my young kingsnake. But, that wasn't the case for long, and she's getting too damn big to cram onto that little scale.

So I looked around for a scale that was (1) cheap, (2) would accept more weight, and (3) had a large platform. I ended up buying this a few days ago: http://www.amazon.com/TFY-Digital-Tempered-Kitchen-Scale-Black/dp/B004UJ7988/ref=sr_1_42?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1324149612&sr=1-42

It's finicky, but for 12 bucks, it'll do what I need to, and it weighs accurately. It only has an accuracy of 1 gram (versus 0.1), but given that I'll be using it with the ball python, who already weighs close to 250 grams, fractions of a gram aren't really all that important anymore.

I don't ship clothes usually but I think a lot of folks here use poly bags to ship clothes.

Yes you should invest in a scale. And you definitely need to weigh the item in the polybag or box. Unless it's a flat rate box.

I bought this scale. Worth every penny.

Weighmax W-2809 90 LB X 0.1 OZ Durable Stainless Steel Digital Postal Scale, Shipping Scale With AC adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MT86A1I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LFHQCb7MGH1FZ

that seems like a good idea. Something like this?

I have this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004T5Z25U/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ref_=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item

Some reviews at Amazon link to github. I have yet to experiment with them though-- the scale is still in the box.

If you end up getting the same one, let me know. I can lend a hand in getting it set up. Two heads are better than one.

I bought this one and it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0012LOQUQ/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A calibration weight may not be a bad idea either

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EG6T0A/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Calibration weights if you really care but I like this simple penny version.
http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Calibration-Laboratory-Commercial-Educational/dp/B009D94QEA/

I use an Accuteck and I love it but I never see other sellers recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/ACCUTECK-DREAMCOLOR-WHITE-DIGITAL-SHIPPING/dp/B00ECHSWDE/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1381207166&sr=8-9&keywords=accuteck+postal+scale

I have a "postal" style scale, too. Works very nicely, has a "tare" feature so that you can zero out your containers, does grams and oz both. Would buy again. Mine's a pelouze 5 lb capacity. Looks like this

I have this scale and I ripped apart an old hdd for magnets. Like /u/FartSkin said the Redbook is nice to have.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BTWMPQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just bought this one a few days ago. Haven't tried it out yet but reviews are really good and the price seems right. Wide range of weight it can cover.

I bought this one and it has worked perfectly so far.

This is the one I used to use. It's great.

Buy a cheap .01gr scale. You can see hundredths of a gram which is useful when you buy that small amount. I'd weigh what you buy next time and mention it if there's an issue.

Scale that I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00123AVTO

This guy weighs down to increments of 0.1oz, which translates to ~3 grams. For $25 that's not too bad.


This guy seems like crappy plastic to me, but it claims to deliver 0.1g accuracy. Personally I wouldn't trust a 'precision' instrument that's this cheap, but it's up to you.

Beware the nicer scales - they're commonly used by drug dealers to measure things out, and buying an accurate scale can put you on a watch list.

Try something like this. It is essential unless you are selling a lot of really big stuff.

In my super limited experience, a 0.1g scale is no good. You won't really know if you have 0.1 or 0.2 g on there. I tried it and really had no idea what I was looking at with such small amounts. Get a 0.01g scale.

I just got this $15 scale today and it seems to be decent:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00123AVTO

Well lookie what I found.

Amazon 4x4 US BALANCE Backlit LCD Display Table Scale, 2000 x 0.1gm, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LDOYH6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-KxJDbQ17R91Y

Edit:the one from eBay is much, much less expensive

It is a balance scale weight.

Ordered this at the same time - 100 gram calibration weight for $3.19 shipped.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EG6T0A

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPTVIIY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

is a 100 grams enough for your keyboard? http://www.amazon.com/Gram-Chrome-Scale-Calibration-Weight/dp/B000EG6T0A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320159876&sr=8-4

http://smile.amazon.com/DYMO-1772059-Digital-Shipping-25-pound/dp/B004T5Z25U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426863032&sr=1-2&keywords=digital+scale+for+shipping+usb

Niche.

If you don't want to worry about packing/weighing/boxes, then you're probably stuck to clothes/dvds/books. Honestly, though, dealing with all that stuff isn't that big of a deal and you'll get the hang of it quickly if you suck it up.

I get all my boxes and packing materials from dumpsters, so I don't pay for that (lately I get most of my inventory from dumpsters, too). If I don't have a box the correct size I'll make them myself out of recycled cardboard. I bought a cheap shipping scale and scored a label printer (you'd have to look around; I managed to get a Zebra LP2844 for $60).

Package your items before you list or as you're listing so you know how much to charge for shipping or how much to list for to cover shipping if you're offering it free.

I know that frustration. Have you tried weighing your grind? I solved a lot of my problems by getting one of these http://amzn.com/B000FIASRM and started weighing shots until I got it right. I pull really consistent shots now every single time. It's a small inconvenience but I think really worth it

I was wrong. It didn't come with the weight; it was one of those Amazon "Frequently bought together" things that it does.

Amazon link for the scale

Amazon link for the weight

This bad boy is used by a few silverbugs here and after shipping costs about $5 more:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FPTVIIY/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

one more thing and i will stop harassing you. You should weigh your bird every day using something like this: https://www.amazon.com/ZIEIS-A63SS-NMP-Accuracy-Capacity-Stainless/dp/B0040HR28C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

Why? Well in the jungle predators will always attack first whichever animal in flock that looks sick or injured. For this reason parrots instinctively HIDE any illness until they are almost dead. The only way to get early warning of illness is to weight them. Weigh her every day at the same time. IF she drops 10% get her to a Vet THAT DAY if less watch closely and maybe go in for checkup. Also you should find an AVIAN vet ahead of time. Regular vets only get like 1 week on birds in school(many claim bird knowledge to get more $). See here: https://www.beautyofbirds.com/recommendedbirdvetsvirginia.html

Also, they love cheek rubs and tapping on top of head with 2 fingers :-) have fun