Customer Reviews

Seca 700 Physician's Balance Beam Scale with Height Rod

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are looking at purchasing a physician's balance beam scale, you understand they are more accurate, repeatable, and durable than other types of scales and over the long run should be cheaper than replacing the regular strain gauge and digital bathroom scales every few years. You have three brand choices: Detecto, Health-o-meter, and Seca. Price isn't a consideration because careful shopping reveals less than a 15 dollar price difference between these three brands when one compares the equivalent models. Before choosing, I searched the net for reviews and information. Finding little, I contacted 7 companies which sell them (5 sold all three, 2 didn't sell Detecto) and 2 firms which calibrate & repair medical scales. I asked each which scale they would purchase for their own home and why. On to the review:

Detecto looked like a winner out of the gate. It is the only brand made in the U.S.A. However, looking at pictures I found on the net, the fit and finish did not appear to rise to the level of the other 2 brands. Additionally, no one I contacted recommended Detecto. The eliminating factor: Detecto has reduced their warranty from the industry standard 2 years to 1 year. Folks, this happens when the 2-year warranty is costing them too much money and it doesn't speak well for their quality.

The Health-o-meter brand is owned by Sunbeam and is made in China. Fit and finish are very good and it has a 2-year warranty. None of those I contacted had anything bad to say about them. One put it best when he said the Health-o-meter vs. Seca was basically a Ford vs. Chevy argument. I do not believe one could go wrong purchasing the Health-o-meter model. They are great scales and should serve the needs of anyone for many years to come. If you buy a Health-o-meter make sure to get the 402kl or the 402lb as they are the best of the line (the EXP is not as sturdy and the CERT model is not worth the extra money).

Seca is a German company and the 700 model is made in China. Fit and finish are excellent and it has a 2-year warranty (the 5-year warranty listed all over the web is not accurate, call Seca if you don't believe me). All 700s have integrated wheels (optional and costs extra on the other 2 brands). Additionally, everyone I contacted chose Seca over Health-o-meter. Most chose on the basis of its modern, less clinical appearance, several felt it would be more durable in the long run because it outweighs the other 2 brands by at least 10 pounds, and one said she had never had a Seca returned.

I purchased the Seca 700 `pounds only' model with integrated height rod (5 bucks extra and I liked the looks) and have had it for over a month. It arrived well packaged and took 20 minutes to assemble. It was perfectly balanced out of the box and the weight was dead-on. It is highly repeatable; the weight will remain the same no matter how many times you step on and off. The heavy extra-wide cast iron base and the inherent strength of the round column design speak well for long-term durability. The balance beam is constructed of thick aluminum and is very robust. The beam has 1/8 of a pound graduations (the other brands 1/4 of a pound), is easily read, and the design of the beam `pointer' makes it very easy for one on the scale to tell when the beam is level and the weight is accurate. I also like the sleek appearance. Bottom line: I prefer the Seca 700 and recommend it without reservations to anyone. I'm very satisfied with my decision.

I run a gym program, where accurate weight is important and where the scale receives moderate to heavy use. There are many scales on the market, of course, and we have tried several electronic and dial step-on scales over the years. They are invariably fast and easy to use, but repeatability is not a strong suit on any of the machines we have tried. The step-ons are accurate to one or two percent, but that is not good enough for our programs. The Seca 700 is a very accurate and well-built scale and is not overly expensive, given its excellent performance. It was easy to assemble. We removed the height rod and attached it to a nearby wall, where it looks great and is very useful to us. We could not be happier with this scale.

The Seca 700 Beam Balance Scale provides the accuracy and repeatability needed for serious monitoring of gains and losses. Make sure you have your morning coffee after you're A.M weigh-in else you will record an additional 1/4 pound. It really is that accurate. Perfect for monitoring weight changes, well constructed to provide years of accurate readings for small and large folks alike.

I've purchase this scale few months ago. Although I'm not basing my comparison based on my experience with other similar and comprable scales, I can attest that it's worth every dollar I spent and here's why:

1. Very accurate. No matter how many times you step on it, it will remain consistant. You can't get tha with floor scales.
2. Very easy to assemble. I took me 10 minutes to put it together. Although, they don't have instructions for the hight attachement.
3. The price @ $220 was reasonable. God knows I spent that on the last 3 floor scales.
4. I contacted the manufacturer to confirm the warranty based on the many conflicting reviews I read. I found out that the warranty is indeed 5 years. Call or e-mail them to make sure. I know I did.

Here are the draw backs:

1. The size is rather larger than I expected. Therefore, if you have a small bathroom, you'll need to take that into consideration.


Overall, I think it deserves a solid 4 stars.

The previous reviewer downgraded this scale based on difficulty of assembly. So I first searched other websites for similar criticism. I did not find any. But I did note (and very much like) its longer five year guarantee, and thus went ahead with its purchase. Well, it couldn't have taken over four minutes to assemble (even with two house cats "helping")! Following the one page diagram, I: slid the bottom half of the column into the base (and locked it with two screws); slid the top half of the column and balance head into that (locking with two more screws); tilted the unit on its back and connected a bar between the balance head and the base. Done! I don't see how it could have been any easier. Only thing that stops me from giving it five stars is that for home use, I'd have preferred it were a little more compact (the balance beam is about 5 ½ feet off the ground).

Post Script: A close read of the manual's fine print revealed that Seca has downgraded the guarantee to only TWO years!!!

The Seca Balance beam scale could be a very accurate product, except the balance adjustment is not accurate. (anyway, mine isn't)The adjusting screw doesn't seem to want to set in the correct position to balance the scale. Mine turned out to be about 8 ounces off. (no big deal, I guess) Yhe height bar is useless to me so I didn't install it on the scale. It would be fine for someone with growing kids who want to measure them periodically, but I'm 78 years old and shrinking by the day. Anyway, the scale is solid, and made well, and as long as you're aware of the amount of inacuracy, there,s no problem. I parobably just got one that wouldn't balance correctly. Who knows? For someone who is concerned about daily weight differences, this scale is excellence.

Scale was simple to set up, and worked perfectly. I had a calibration weight, and tested it, right on the money.

I've had this scale (pounds only, with height rod) for about a month now and I love it. For a long time, I was going back and forth on whether to go digital or balance beam. I'm so glad I went with the balance beam. Once you develop your technique with it, you can get a reading accurate to within 1/8 of a pound or less in about 30 seconds and that measurement will be perfectly repeatable. A digital scale may give a reading faster, but it will almost surely vary plus or minus 1/8 of a pound or more per reading. I'd rather weigh myself once and have absolute confidence in the number than hop on and off a digital scale repeatedly, never really trusting the result.

The scale is marked with 1/8 pound increments. If you have good lab technique (that is, if you're familiar with the practice of estimating the next degree of precision off an analog intrument's increments), you can actually read this scale down to the ounce. In this fashion, I can easily detect the difference in weight when holding or not holding a toothbrush. It is *that* accurate.

One note about how to use it: Judging by the reviews, a number of owners don't seem to understand how to use the scale with its flattened black indicator and black alignment platform. The design is absolutely top-notch. Once you're close to balancing (say, within a pound or two), lightly pinch the indicator and the platform with your thumb and forefinger so that the indicator's level with the platform. Then quickly and smoothly unpinch your fingers, releasing the indicator: if it rises, your scale's weight setting is too light; if it falls, it's too heavy. Adjust the balance beam and pinch the indicator level with the alignment platform again. You'll soon learn how many ounces you are off by the speed of the rise or fall and you'll be able to get an exact balance quickly. This flat indicator and platform design greatly speeds up the weighing process and allows for tremendous accuracy. There is absolutely no need to stand there watching the indicator bob up and down, waiting for it to stabilize. Users who are doing that are missing one of the best features of the scale.

The scale, once assembled, is very nice. It's well finished, and attractive to look at I guess, as scales go. It seems accurate and repeatable, but hey...were not talking advanced physics here. Simple beam scales are pretty hard to mess up. I bought this one because it measures in 2oz increments, and that was my biggest criteria.

As far as assembly instructions go, you're pretty much on your own. There was a picture which, I think, had a blown-up parts list. But it was in some language other than English, so I only glanced at it. The only other instructions were a separate pamphlet that only dealt with attaching the height rod. But thankfully, THAT had 8 or 10 different languages... The point is, nothing tells you how to assemble the scale itself. The only real issue is that of the 7 screws, there are four types, and three of them are similar enough in size and pitch that it's not obvious which ones go where. But still, it only took about 10 minutes to unbox and assemble it... Here's the skinny... put the column in the base first, then put the top of the scale into that column... gently lay the scale down on it's back and connect the rod to the hook in the base. Pick it up and attach the height rod. Calibrate the height rod with a tape measure and tighten it's attachment screw. Done.

I get the impression that the scale was designed to be 'stylish' as well as functional. And what makes me say that is the rather modern look of the head and beam. This is most noticeable when you see how you're supposed to know the beam is at 'zero'. Instead of putting a series of lines on the scale head, and a single line or arrow on the beam, they simply have a protrusion on each that, when zeroed, line up with one another. On the picture, these protrusions are the little 'finger' sticking out to the right. It works, but frankly I'd rather have a more traditional type of indicator. It's made a little more complicated by the fact that this scale does take a while to settle down and stop bouncing. But the main thing that stops the bouncing is friction between the parts, and less of that will result in a more accurate measurement. Eventually. Hey, you might burn a few extra calories while you wait.

In spite of this, I still think it's a nice scale, and I'd still buy it if I'd known all this before I made the decision.

I finally decided to get honest with myself about my weight. I weigh 5 pounds more on this scale than I did on my analog scale, but at least I know what I actually weigh every morning, accurate to the quarter pound. The truth is, I always weighed those 5 extra pounds, but I was in denial about it. I quickly came to appreciate the accuracy of this scale! This is a precision instrument for people who are serious about knowing what they weigh, and are not willing to settle for an estimate. When I decided to buy a "doctor's" scale reading the reviews here was very helpful. This scale is top of the line and cost as lot less than I expected; it was a very good buy. Thanks!