Customer Reviews

Detecto Eye Level Physician Scale 400 Lbs X 4 Oz/ 175 Kg X 100 G Without Height Rod 10 1/2 X 14 1/2 Platform - Detecto 337

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always wanted one of these scales in my home. It is identical to the kind you will find in a doctor's office. It gives consistent readings from day to day. For some reason, other scales I have owned would vary in their readings up to 7 pounds from day to day, maybe because of the temperature or weather, or may be because they are just cheap. The $200 price was acceptable to me in exchange for an accurate reading. My recent beginning of a diet to lose weight was the primary reason for purchasing this scale. With my old scales it was imnpossible to know if I was gaining or losing weight until a change of 5 or 10 pounds had occurred.

When selecting a Detecto scale there are many features to consider that may look confusing at first. After researching the Detecto web site I got all the data I needed then returned to Amazon to make the purchase. Basically there are two main groups which are BALANCE BEAM or DIGITAL. I went with BALANCE BEAM. Then there is METRIC(Kilograms) or ENGLISH(Pounds) or BOTH. Other features are HEIGHT ROD, HANDLES (to aid a person stepping on or off the scale) and WHEELS (to easily move the scale). The reason there are so many model numbers to choose from is because Detecto has provided nearly all combinations of these features.

This product comes in 2 parts held together with 4 screws. Unfortunately, one of the screw holes was not threaded and I had to tap it out with a 1/4-20 tap. I suppose someone got distracted on the assembly line. I don't think many people would have a tap set on hand to fix this themselves. I suppose I would have simply had to leave one screw off if I didn't cut the threads in the hole. Once I got it together, it worked fine. I prefer digital scales, but home digital scales just don't seem to last more than 6 months. This balance bar scale should last forever.

The good thing about the shipping was it was fast... other than that...
The column of the scale was pretty badly mangled when it arrived. The draft rod was bowed and rammed into the assembly of the balance arm. A few of the metal parts of the weighing mechanism seemed at odd angles and pretty torqued. A call to customer service wasn't answered so I tried to figure out how to fix it but ended up just horsing on it with pliers until it broke loose. The screw holes didn't quite match up (before the horsing too). I'm not sure if it could pass a US Standards and Measures inspection right now, but it appears to be functioning with unknown accuracy. I'll try to email to find out but I'm not expecting much help. It also had a slip that said it passed inspection by two individuals. I'm not sure how they inspect their product but it obviously didn't include making sure the balance arm/dectector rod moved freely. I don't think I would buy anything from this company again since I feel they goofed up the product by packaging. It must have taken lots of pressure to ram the rod into the assembly that deeply.

I was tired of the uncertainty of several electronic scales I used, and wanted to get back to something that was mechanical and certain. And made in the USA. Thus the Detecto 337. I purchased it through Amazon.com (and their agent, Wholesale Point). When I got it, I failed to examine closely one aspect of the assembly, and as a result, mangled the "draft rod" ... both Detecto (thanks, Charlie!) and Wholesale Point (thanks, Lisa!) were very responsive, and in relatively short order I received a new part and got the scale assembled. One neat thing I discovered is that on the Detecto.com website they have a video from the "How it is Made" TV series, and you can actually view a #337 being manufactured and calibrated. And, it is made in Web City MO ... outstanding product!!

The scale calibrates but then does not weigh accurately from one weighing to the next. I thought this was supposed to be medical grade?!?

I received this scale just last week, and I am happy to report that it is everything I expected. I was sick of spending money on expensive digital (inconsistent) models, that stopped working after only a year or so of use. This unit provides consistent readings at eye level. It was simple to complete assembly of the two main pieces shipped in the box, and was simple to balance (and rebalance as necessary if the scale is moved).

Scale arrived quickly and setup was very easy.
Setup:
1. unwrap two parts
2. Connect two parts using 6 large screws
3. Attach hook on the bottom - Done
I've had the scale about a week and it is reliable and consistant.

The seller of this item ships for free and they are quite fast getting them out the door. I was worried about installation and the column seemed slightly flimsy at first, but assembly was a snap in spite of not reading the directions very careful, and it seems quite sturdy once assembled.

The accuracy itself seems to be great. Like all balances, the accuracy is phenomenal. No stepping on and off and getting wildly different results like with most scales I have had.

Definitely worth the price if you are serious about watching your weight.

These Scales are very accurate. I have checked them against calibrated scales where I work by weighing myself right before leaving work and as soon as i got home about 20 min. later. They were dead on. Also, they were a great value. You cannot beat the price. Electronic scales, contrary to popular belife, can be wrong. The scales I had before these were digital and were giving different weights. That is why I bought these. I know they are always right.

I wanted a scale that would finally be an accurate measure of weight and after reviewing many balance scales on Amazon, decided on this one. I've had it now for about 6 or 7 months and it performs beautifully. I've checked it against the scales at the gym and doctors' office and it weighs perfectly. We don't really have a lot of space for it so it's sitting behind a door in the bathroom. We unfortunately kept forgetting it was there when we first bought it and kept hitting it with the door as we went in and out. Thankfully, the scale is sturdy enough to take the hits without hurting the mechanisms at all, and still works perfectly. I'm VERY happy with it.

So why didn't it get 5 stars? Well, the numbers on the beam are so small I can't see them when I'm weighing myself. They could make this better. I have to get off and stand back to see the weight. From looking at the scale it doesn't seem that making them this small was necessary to fit all the numbers on.

I definitely can recommend this scale to others. The price was good and the scale is great.