The 10 Best Livestock Scales
Special Honors
Brecknell PS3000HD It can often be difficult to find high-weight capacity models that include their own platform, but the PS3000HD fits that bill, with its 3,000-pound limit. It includes a separate display unit and floor stand that makes for easy viewing of the results, especially when coupled with its hold function. brecknellscales.com
Editor's Notes
March 04, 2021:
For the most part, there were very little changes that needed to be made to our recommendations. The majority of our choices continue to function well, and there haven't been any new models released since our last update that were more worthy of inclusion than our current line up. In fact, we only replaced a single model, the Amston ASWB-10, and this wasn't due to quality concerns, but rather availability issues. While we may have normally considered keeping the unit despite this problem, we chose to replace it this time because it was our only 10,000-pound option.
Taking its place is the Prime ESB4810K, which also has a five-ton capacity. Those who are weighing very sizable animals will appreciate that its bars are longer too, at 48 inches versus the 40 inches of the ASWB-10. If you are looking to save a bit of money and don't need to weigh any animals over 5,000 pounds, and also don't mind rigging up your own platform or bars, then you may want to consider the A and A Scales FSK-BASIC instead.
October 24, 2019:
Whatever the reason you need to weigh your animals, it is important to have a dedicated livestock scale if you want accurate results. Models like the Amston ASWB-10 and Optima OP-919 are versatile options that can be used with cattle shoots, cages, and nearly any other kind of platform you prefer, since they simply have two large steel beams you place underneath a hard surface. The A and A Scales FSK-BASIC is another option that offer some serious customization options. However, it is worth noting that it is a build-it-yourself kit, so expect to put some time into getting it set up. These three scales have some of the highest weight capacities, anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 pounds, making them ideal for the heaviest of livestock.
If you only deal with small and medium-sized animals, you can look to the IBE Supply 660, Amston ASLVS-XL 700, A and A Scales VS-660, and Prime Scales PS-AS700. These all have at least a 660 pound or higher weight capacity, yet are still accurate in the lower ranges single-digit ranges.
With half ton or higher capacities and an included steel platform, the A and A Scales VS-2200 and Brecknell PS1000 are a good compromise between seriously heavy-duty models intended for full-size cattle, and the smaller options that can't accommodate anything larger than a pig.
During this round of updates we removed the W.C. Redmon ZT7400 and the Prime Scales PS-4KCS. The former was replaced because its small platform and low maximum capacity made it better suited to our pet scales list than one dedicated to livestock. The latter was eliminated because we started seeing too many reports of it malfunctioning.