How to weigh a heavy(ish) object for free.

Wings_of_Ambition

Hello peeps,

Sold a bulky object on eBay (very pleased, got more than double what I was asking for it on gumtree!), and have been very MSE by using McDonalds french fries boxes for packaging, and filling it with scrumpled up old newspaper. Only thing is, I have no idea how much it weighs. What's the best way to weigh something that'll be around the 10kg-15kg mark, without paying to do so? Do post office scales go that high? Any other ideas?

(I don't have any luggage scales at home and the only weighing scales here are the rotary ones rather than digital, so not particularly accurate!)

Cheers

Wings

martindow

Bathroom scales are fine but as they aren't particularly accurate for small weights it is best to weigh yourself holding the box and then take off your own weight.

Mechanical rather than digital scales may not be particularly accurate but this is often not very important with carriers who will often charge the same price up to 20 or 25kg. PO scales weigh fairly heavy things like this but other carriers are likely to be cheaper - try parcel2go or interparcel for instance.

googler

Bathroom scales - weigh yourself, then again holding the package - take the difference as the weight of the package.

The accuracy, or lack of, the scales will only be an issue if the weight is very close to a 'break point' where the postage rate changes.

Most times the weight of the package will be (say) 7.5kg, and the applicable range of postage rates is 5-10kg, so it won't matter if the bathroom scales are even half a kg out of whack..... the package is still in the same range for that level of postage cost

Wings_of_Ambition

Thanks, peeps. That worked surprisingly well

Package is about 9.5kg, so looks like I can get a 48-hr service for about £9... less than I was expecting!

Avoriaz

Wings_of_Ambition wrote: »

..Package is about 9.5kg, so looks like I can get a 48-hr service for about £9... less than I was expecting!

If 48 hours isn't essential, MyHermes will collect and deliver for £7.20 with £50 insurance cover. A signature or more cover is extra.

MyHermes get a bit of criticism on here but I have used them frequently with no issues.

bxboards

If you plan to use a courier, than the price doesn't tend to change weather it's 1kg or 20kg, at least if you use UPS or Citylink.

If it's between 10-15kg just put 20kg on the courier booking form to be safe. It can be a bit of a pain trying to weigh heavy items, but as long as it's under 20kg it doesn't matter much.

The discount couriers often get more expensive than UPS or Citylink for items over 10kg.

samsmoot

Food makes a good makeshift weighing option. Frozen meat has the weight on it, sugar comes in kilos etc. A long stick and a few carrier bags completes the kit.

mgdavid

samsmoot wrote: »

Food makes a good makeshift weighing option. Frozen meat has the weight on it, sugar comes in kilos etc. A long stick and a few carrier bags completes the kit.

surely that's not a complete kit - how about the tape measure and the fulcrum?
Worth noting that the OP has already succeeded with the bathroom scales option as described previously.

samsmoot

mgdavid wrote: »

surely that's not a complete kit - how about the tape measure and the fulcrum?

If you need that explaining you probably should stick to proper scales to be on the safe side.

mgdavid wrote: »

Worth noting that the OP has already succeeded with the bathroom scales option as described previously.

Not really.

Wings_of_Ambition

Thanks for all your help, peeps. Some novel ideas and great logic here, for sure!

Rotor

fill the bath to the brim then put your item in the bath. Mop up and measure the amount of water in your mop bucket ; 1 ltr = 1kg


Tell the wife it's ok - it's 'science'




Or maybe not


Edit: this will only work if it floats - and won't work anyway. Hope this helps