DETECTO 437 Mechanical Physician Beam Scale, No Height Rod/Wheels

I gave this product five stars in spite of the fact that it arrived with a ding in the column due to shipping damage. I'll cover the product and assembly first, since you'll probably be luckier than I when it comes to shipping damage.**UPDATE** I'm inserting this paragraph up front so that you don't overlook it. Detecto (not the vendor) sent me a replacement scale, and I was allowed to keep my damaged one until I received the replacement. Here's the news: The two independently adjusted scales agreed to within one tenth of a pound!!! Wow!!! Now you can argue that that was pure luck and maybe both were precisely wrong, but the odds are about 20-to-1 in favor of Detecto here. I am extremely impressed by the quality of this product. **END OF UPDATE**I read a lot of reviews before I chose this scale. Other scales had mixed reviews, but this one really stood out in that regard. I haven't been disappointed. The scale is exactly what I needed. I will say that I've found the scale to be insensitive to how I stand on the platform: positioning and (equivalently) leaning have no effect on the reading, and the readings are absolutely repeatable. Achieving independence of position on the platform is the most challenging part of designing this type of scale. Detecto has achieved near-perfect design and execution in this regard. Inconsistency is the reason why I replaced my floor scale. Of course consistency doesn't prove accuracy, but inconsistency does guarantee inaccuracy. Other reviewers have done a great job of verifying accuracy on this scale in real-world tests, so I won't go down that path. I'm very, very pleased with this scale.The weight of the scale was apparently a compromise between sturdiness and being manageable for shipping as well as handling by consumers. At least one reviewer thought it was too light. I think it's a good compromise. It's not so heavy that I had any problem getting the box upstairs, and the assembled scale can be easily slid around and even picked up and carried as needed. Detecto calls this a "Physician's Scale," but I think it's a bit lightweight for that. Even though it is lighter, cheaper to ship, and easier to move around, it is every bit as sensitive as the scales in physicians' offices. (Of course, I won't have unruly children jumping up and down on it either. That kind of thing is virtually guaranteed as the Public flows through a doctor's office. I've known one adult who routinely kicked the scale when she didn't like what it told her!) After inspecting the scale closely, inside and out, I'm convinced it's more than sturdy enough for many, many years of use by reasonable people. It's perfect for me.I'm placing the scale on a carpet. The carpet is not super thick. The only adverse effect is that the scale can tip right or left a little bit as I get on or off -- this is of no consequence to me. The carpet has no effect whatever on the accuracy of the scale, which is something I was concerned about. The carpet makes no contact with moving parts. So long as your carpet or rug is not so thick as to make the scale tippy and unsafe, you should be able to put the scale right on it. If it's tippy enough to be unsafe, you could put a wide, rigid foundation of something like half-inch plywood under it.Thanks to prior reviews, I had no issues with assembly. All you need is a medium size Phillips screwdriver. Adjustment is easy with a small to medium flat-blade screwdriver. I'm going to put everything I learned down in one place here for your reference, including adjustment, which is not covered in the manual.Unpack the scale carefully, locating all the paperwork and the little pouch containing the hardware. All you need of the hardware are the six Phillips screws and six tooth-washers. The scale is boxed as only two separate major pieces: the base with the floating platform and the column with the mast (with beam) at the top. There is also a PVC black cover that slips over the floating platform (to protected it from scratches and direct exposure to feet) You can always pull the cover off and wash it if needed.Once the parts are unpacked, your very first step should be to carefully turn the base over, platform down, and remove the cardboard piece that is wedged between components inside. (Others have overlooked this, and the scale will not work properly if the cardboard is not removed.) When you turn it over, be gentle and don't bend the mounting bracket tabs on the top of the platform. It is easier to remove the cardboard if you have a box cutter or utility knife. Once the cardboard is removed, gently turn the base back over. Make sure the mounting bracket tabs are straight. If they are slightly bent, you can straighten them without using pliers. From here on, assembly is nothing more than the proper mating of the column with the base and engaging the mechanism. You may want to leave the protective materials on the mast until you've finished those two steps.Before mounting the column, take note of the metal rod with a hook in it that sticks out of the bottom of the column. It is called the Draft Rod in the instructions. When you mount the column, it goes through the hole in the base where you will connect it later to the platform lever. It will be obvious that this is the mechanical connection from the floating platform in the base to the balance beam at the top.With the tabs sticking straight up, slip the column over them with the Draft Rod (with the hook) going into the hole, and seat the column firmly. I was able to do this by myself, but you may feel more comfortable having someone hold the column at this point. Be sure that the Draft Rod (with the hook) drops into the hole in the base. (It should be hard to mess this up.) If you have the column seated properly, the screw holes in the column should line up approximately with the holes in the mounting bracket tabs. One reviewer had a problem with the column not having a tight mounting to the base. If your mounting tabs are straight and the holes line up properly, you should not have to worry about that.The next step is to secure the column with the six screws with washers. First, do one on each side to secure the column and then do the rest. It is a little awkward to tighten the lowest screw on the platform side. A stubby screwdriver might make it easier, but I got by without bothering with one. If the screws are all tight, the column should be tightly secured to the base. There should be no looseness there at all.The last step in the assembly is to connect the Draft Rod (with the hook) to the platform lever. To do this, you will need to lay the column horizontally over something so that you can easily get to the underside of the base. The instructions don't want you to just lay it on the floor, presumably because that might put too much stress on the mast. The manual tells you to use a table. I placed a towel over a step-stool and set it on that. In a pinch, you could do it on the floor with the base on the floor and some pillows under the upper part of the column to keep the mast and beam from contacting the floor. Once in position, the base should be pointing downward from the column. As you face the base, the column is at the top. You are going to hook the Draft Rod over the platform lever. The lever is actually an assembly, made of two heavy pieces of flat steel that run down the middle of the base. The two flat pieces are connected by a small square bar, which is near the top of the lever as you face the underside of the base. You are going to hook the Draft Rod around the connecting bar. The lever is pictured in the assembly instructions. First you need to locate the Draft Rod (with the hook) and pull it toward you and away from the lever. Now you push in the "lever" away from you into the base and put the hook over the lever. With the lever pushed in, you should have no problem slipping the hook over it. Next release the lever, leaving the hook in place. This whole process takes less than 10 seconds. Turn the scale back upright; slip the cover over the platform; and assembly is completed.Adjusting the scale is easy. You'll need a flat-blade screwdriver. Remove all the packing materials, tape, etc. Set the two sliding weights to their far-left (zero) positions. My scale was already perfectly adjusted WITHOUT the platform cover. When I added the cover, I had to adjust. Walk around to the left side of the mast/beam. You want to adjust the screw on the left end of the silver beam assembly. Turning the screw allows you to move a weight to make the pointer at right end of the beam move to the center of its opening. You do not have to wait until the pointer stops moving. If its motion is centered between the stops, it is properly adjusted. Turning the screw clockwise makes the beam pointer move up; counterclockwise makes it move down. I had to adjust the screw less than half a turn. It is easy to do. When that process is complete, you're done. Congratulations!Now for my damage problem. The scale is packed in a tall, wide, flat box. The ding in my column was caused by a blow near the center of the box. The Styrofoam blocks around the mast and beam provide good protection there and the base is double boxed. The long column, however, extends down the middle of the large, flat, outer box from top to bottom. There is no Styrofoam around the column. If significant pressure is applied to the center of the box, the cardboard walls will flex and touch the column. In other words the column has woefully inadequate protection. All that is needed is some protection at the center of the column, which would support the box and provide the necessary insulation from the usual (brutal) handling by shippers. This seller used FedEx, normally the best. So, while the scale gets five stars, the packing gets one. I could go through the hassle of trying to do a return, but I have a life outside of dealing with this kind of thing. Even though I saved the shipping container (which is impossible to open without some tearing), and even though I routinely return damaged merchandise, repacking and shipping this scale would cost me time that is worth more to me than the price of another scale. I'd rather spend any further time on this scale writing a review. I'll live with the ding in the column. It's a compromise that I'll have to make, and it's a routine part of dealing with online retailers. It's a shame, though, that this superior product doesn't get adequate packing.**UPDATE** My vendor was Northshore Supply. When I sent them an e-mail describing the damage, they ignored me. Detecto, on the other hand was great. They sent me a new scale, which, as I said previously, I was able to compare to the damaged one. Detecto clearly cares about their customers.

I have mixed feelings about this scale. I wish I had purchased a higher quality one. After calibration of the scale the weight will vary depending on whether you are standing with your head down or standing straight with your head up. I assumed it was because of uneven spots in the laminate flooring so I cut a 3/4" thick square of plywood that I put a level on and painted it for the scale to stand on....no help. The day of my dr appointment I weighed myself, walked out to the car, arrived at the dr office and got on their scales....off by 4 lbs. Came home and tried to find the sweet spot of how to stand and get the same measurement...no luck finding the proper position to stand. Accuracy was the whole reason for buying this scale, I could have bought a cheap floor scale and got the same results tipping forward and backward. The doctor's office scale was calibrated dead center and standing on it the scale makes no movement whatsoever, you stand on it and that's it.....I waited for the girl to level out the correct weight and I started leaning forward and backward to test it and it made no movement. This scale says it will weight up to 400lbs which sounds like a good heavy duty well made scale but a 200 lb man can change the results with the tip of his head reading the bars. You get what you pay for, yes it looks great and looks like the real thing but that's about it. "Cheap" is relative and this was an investment for me. I'm disappointed because Detecto is an American company and I felt good about supporting them. 1/4 lb increments? Try 4 lb increments. I'll keep it till I can afford a better one then toss this one in the dumpster because there is no way I would sell this or give it to someone. Save a $130.00 and buy a sixteen dollar scale....you will get the same accuracy. Seriously bummed.

Came in quickly and in good conditionPros:Exactly as shownmechanical scale with no batteries or electronics to ever go bad- long term investmentSturdy enough for home use if not moved around much15 minutes to put togetherinstructions in good englishcame with wrench to install the height measurementeasy to adjust exactly- I keep a dime sitting on the frame and trek it a fractional turn before using so I know it stays accurateConsWorkmanship and build quality is definitely lower than its big brothers I have used in medical clinics- but sufficient to do the work.At first the rails are a little rough, and the castings are not as pretty Aluminum isn't as shiny as stainless steel but that does not interfere with functionhard to hook the union of upper to lowerworks on carpet fairly well, but I will get a plywood square and some carpet anchors to sit it on to decrease slight movement with weight shift, something like the carpet adaptors for large stereo speakersOverallI am very pleased. The build quality is sufficient for my purposes - an accurate and believable early morning daily weighingThe mechanical nature plus the balance tune up every morning ( taking 30 seconds) helps me avoid a state of denial as to the consequences of diet choicesI will now stop throwing out dead electronic scales every couple of years and no more batteries in landfills for this.It will last as long as me or longer.Two notes on assembly: the mating of the upper hook to the lower scale rod is hard for big fingers. It stumped me for a few minutes, till I took a hemostat to grab and deliver the hook very easily. If you don't have a hemostat a long pair of needlenose pliers might work, but hemostats are useful and $5 on Amazon, buy a pair when you buy the scale.Finally It was very satisfying to buy quality and durability Made in America which builds our economy rather than buying from other places and eliminating American jobs and continuing the erosion of the middle class.