Bench, Floor or Platform Scales: Which to Choose

Are you trying to decide between a bench, floor or platform scale but you’re not sure which one would be most effective for you? This blog outlines the differences between the three types of scales, factors that would influence your choice the most and which on the Inscale site we recommend.

Understanding the Basics

Without delay, let's define each type of scale.

What is a Bench Scale?

In short, a bench scale is a weighing scale that’s small enough to be used on a bench- or table-top. Bench scales are typically available in capacities up to around 40kg, although you will find some bench scales with higher capacities. Pan sizes for bench scales vary, but will usually be on the smaller side.

What’s a Floor Scale?

In contrast,  Floor scales offer large enough platforms to necessitate use on the floor. They have higher capacities than bench scales, so they can hold and provide results for more weight. Floor scales can be portable, but for the most part they require a dedicated weighing space because of their size.

What are Platform Scales?

Lastly, some consider floor and platform scales to be synonymous. In general, however, platform scales are those designed for weighing heavy, bulky, palletised goods, with large platforms.

The weighing indicator is typically a separate entity as opposed to being mounted on a pillar attached to the scale. Furthermore, you can mix and match indicators based on your weighing needs and place them where they’re most convenient.

Key Differences Between Bench, Floor or Platform Scales

For example, below is a basic chart of the average statistics surrounding a typical bench, floor and platform scales.

5 Factors to Consider Before Buying Bench, Floor or Platform Scales

Unfortunately, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ weighing solution, so let’s consider a few key factors to help narrow down the decision:

1. What capacity and readability do you need?
2. What kind of space do you have available?
3. What type of environment do you work in?
4. Do you need trade approval?
5. Do you need extra functions?

Let's deep-dive into each!

What Capacity and Readability Do You Need?

As far as capacity goes, the heaviest items you anticipate weighing should still be about 10-15% lower than the capacity you purchase. Subsequently, there's plenty of room to prevent accidental overloads. So if you weigh a lot of super heavy items, like pallets stacked with boxes, you’ll need a platform scale. But if you weigh a lot of heavy boxes, a floor scale might be more suitable. Finally, for smaller and less heavy items, a bench scale is sufficient.

However, your company may have regulations on what readability you need for items of a certain weight. For example, you can’t use a scale with a readability of 1kg when the item you’re weighing doesn’t even reach a kilogram. It’s just as likely you won’t be able to get a 2-place (0.01g) readability when weighing a 500kg pallet.

Consequently, capacity and readability work together this way. The higher the capacity, the coarser the readability, while readability gets finer as the capacity goes down. This may mean you need more than one scale to accommodate the capacity and readability needs of all your goods.

What Kind of Space Do You Have Available?

Both floor and platform scales take up more room than bench scales, as they’re much larger. Therefore, they’ll need dedicated space on the ground with a decent amount of clearance surrounding it to make loading on and off easier. If you’re having a hard time finding consistent floor space, you have a few options. You can use pallet beams, which are thin and relatively portable or you can use a pallet jack scale which lets you weigh items while moving them to another area.

Though bench scales don’t take up as much room, table-tops can be more crowded than the floor. If you’re lacking space on your bench-top, consider investing in a portable bench scale with a rechargeable battery. Then, it can be taken to an area with more free space, without worrying about the availability of electrical outlets.

What Type of Environment Do You Work In?

Additionally, no matter which type of scale you’re planning to get, take your environment into account. If you’re in a particularly humid, wet, dirty or dusty environment, you may want a bench, floor or platform scale with an IP-rating so it doesn’t suffer damage. Read this blog for more info.

Do You Need Bench, Floor or Platform Scales with Trade Approval?

Does your company sell items by weight, such as meat by the gram or bags of flour by the kilogram? If so, you’re legally required to use a legal-for-trade weighing scale (bench, floor or platform) to weigh those items. Luckily, Inscale has an expansive collection of trade approved scales.

Do You Need Extra Functions?

Extra functions such as parts counting, checkweighing, dynamic weighing and more can help improve efficiency in a variety of industries and tasks. If you already know which applications would benefit you the most, ensure they’re included with your options. To learn more about different applications, read the blogs linked above.

In short, taking these questions into consideration will help you pick the absolute best option for your needs.

Which Bench, Floor or Platform Scales Do We Recommend?

Latitude LBX Compact Bench Scales

Capacities: 3kg – 30kg

Readabilities: 0.5g – 5g

The Latitude Compact Bench Scale offers both a compact construction and an extensive battery life of up to 240 hours between charges. You can keep it stationary on your benchtop or move it wherever it needs to be without worrying about power. Take advantage of the Latitude’s useful parts counting, checkweighing, peak hold and percentage weighing applications.

BKT Label Printing Bench & Floor Scales

Capacities: 8kg – 600kg

Readabilities: 0.1g – 50g

The BKT combines weighing with label printing, saving the need to get a separate device to print labels. Customise the labels with weight, QR codes, bar codes and even your own logo.

GFK Checkweighing Floor Scales

Capacities: 75kg – 600kg

Readabilities: 5g – 50g

With two options for pan sizes, 400 x 500mm and 600 x 800mm, the GFK Checkweighing Floor Scale is perfect for warehouses, production floors and general industrial applications. Built-in traffic-light style LEDs let you know when your results are below, within or over your set checkweighing limits. Enjoy a 120-hour battery life between charges!

NFB Drive Through Platform Weighing Scale

Capacities: 600kg – 1500kg

Readabilities: 200g – 500g

The NFB Drive Through Platform Scale offers a large 1m x 1m platform with a built-in ramp for loading and unloading hand-trucks and carts. It even has IP67 protection, so it can be easily washed down to prevent the build up of rust, dust or dirt.

PT Platform Scale with GK Indicator

Capacity: 1 Tonne – 3 Tonne

Readability: 200g – 500g

With a weighing surface up to 1500mm x 1500mm, PT Platforms can handle large, heavy loads with ease. Paired with the GK Indicator, checkweighing is simple and the results are easy to read.

Need help deciding between a bench, floor and platform scale? Contact the Inscale team for help!