Hey everyone, this is Josh from Scales Plus with my review of the Scout STX line from OHAUS. First thing’s first: I’m not part of the technical team here at Scales Plus. I’m just one of the operations team members (I also double as an awesome blog writer!). So why should you care what I say about these scales? Because I’ve used them for over 4 months in our office.

What kind of things would an operations guys use the Scout STX? Everything! That’s what so great about these units. They're just as comfortable in an office or warehouse as it is in the laboratory. I’ve used the STX for weighing (making sure I have enough postage on letters and small packages, those post office people are very picky!) and even parts counting for some small repair parts we have in-house. But this baby packs in 9 different weighing applications. Choose from weighing, parts counting, percent weighing, check weighing, animal (dynamic) weighing, totalization, density determination, display hold, and mole weighing (no, not the animal). Whew! That’s a ton of nerdy scale jargon I just threw at you, but if you need some help check out our Scales Definition Glossary.

The first time I unboxed the Scout STX, I had it up and running within 5 minutes. Included in the box: the STX base, a 4.7” round weighing platform, and an AC adapter. There are a ton of extra accessories available, including cases, communication modules, in-use covers, printers, and stacking kits. We opted for the stacking kit as we have other Scout balances we use. This allows us to stack the Scouts on top of one another when not in use, savings us valuable shelf space.

The first thing I noticed when powering up the STX is the large and brilliantly lit color touchscreen. It’s incredibly easy to use, even if you haven’t used a scale like the Scout before. The menu is icon-driven for an intuitive approach that guides you through the weighing process. For you lab techs out there, you can even operate the touchscreen while wearing gloves. If you have a larger operation and more colleagues to train, the OHAUS STX line of Scout balances are a great choice with its flat learning curve and economic price point which is sub $500.

After powering up, I navigated to the Weighing Units screen and chose parts counting as I was bagging up small nuts for our technicians’ use. I set an Average Piece Weight by tapping the Samples key and adding 20 pieces to the pan and entering 20 parts as the quantity on the screen. The STX calculates the average weight and stores it in memory. This made my job simple and quick as the stabilization time of the Scout STX series is lightning fast, at 1 second.

Another great thing about the Scout STX family is its portability. I could move it anywhere in our office as it can also use 4 AA batteries. I preferred this as I kept the scale on my desk and didn’t have room for an extra plug. You can get up to 6 hours of continuous use on battery power. And don’t worry! If you’re forgetful like me, the Scout STX has an auto-off function, which made sure it was ready to use the next time I needed it.

After a few months of use, I was pleased with the performance of the STX. It was incredibly easy for me to setup and use (I r smart!), even though I haven’t had much use experience on a scale like the Scout STX. I recommend the Scout STX line of balances from OHAUS for anyone that needs a scale that is portable, versatile, and easy on the budget. If you’re interested in purchasing one of the OHAUS Scout STX scales, check them out on Scales Plus here. If you have any questions about how the SPX series can streamline your operations, contact one of our knowledgeable technicians (the real brains of the operation) through our online form here or by giving us a call!