Scale is wrong?

raichhype
raichhype Posts: 74 Member
I'm just using a cheapo scale from Argos at the moment and find it easier to follow weight loss in KG and then convert it to pounds aferwards... It says I'm 81kg at the moment which converts to about 12.10 stone but the scale doesn't go below 13 stone? Confused :S
«1

Replies

  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    Below 13? That makes no sense. Most scales have a lower limit of 2 to 3 stones. You sure it was 13 and not 3?
  • repmlrs
    repmlrs Posts: 154
    lol i dont know what stones are but most scales are innacurate. especially digital
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    lol i dont know what stones are but most scales are innacurate. especially digital

    A stone is 14lbs, the way most British say their weight. Instead of being 182 lbs they say 13 stones.
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    Below 13? That makes no sense. Most scales have a lower limit of 2 to 3 stones. You sure it was 13 and not 3?

    You seem to have me wrong, the pound to stone conversion is wrong on my scale, the conversion says I'm 12.10 stone but when I stand on the scale it shows me as being a little over 13 stone.

    The limit is 1 stone on my scale.
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    lol i dont know what stones are but most scales are innacurate. especially digital

    you don't know what stones are? is this just an english thing then? How strange.
  • repmlrs
    repmlrs Posts: 154
    lol i guess its just in england. im from the states lol we use lbs
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    lol i guess its just in england. im from the states lol we use lbs

    I use pounds to say how much I've lost..
  • athenasurrenders
    athenasurrenders Posts: 278 Member
    Ah ok I thought the same at vtmoon to start with.

    So, you have a scale which measures in both stone and kg. It says 13 stone, and 81 kg when you weigh yourself. But 81kg does not convert to 13 stone, so one of the two measurements must be wrong.

    Is that what you're saying?

    In which case the only advice I can give is that it's time for a new scale! There's no way to know which is wrong but either way that seems pretty shoddy.
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    Ah ok I thought the same at vtmoon to start with.

    So, you have a scale which measures in both stone and kg. It says 13 stone, and 81 kg when you weigh yourself. But 81kg does not convert to 13 stone, so one of the two measurements must be wrong.

    Is that what you're saying?

    In which case the only advice I can give is that it's time for a new scale! There's no way to know which is wrong but either way that seems pretty shoddy.

    Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying!
    I'm obviously hoping that 81kg is correct because that ways less! ;)

    yeah, think I'll have to invest in a more decent scale. Thanks ^_^
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    England should really switch to the metric system :bigsmile:
  • PJ_73
    PJ_73 Posts: 331 Member
    England should really switch to the metric system :bigsmile:

    We did! It's just a lot of people rebelled!
  • lol...I'm English and now live in the USA and most people here don't know what a stone is even though over here we weigh in pounds and not in metric.

    I think your scale is probably not working properly. You said you got it from Argos? You should be able to return it, right?
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    Below 13? That makes no sense. Most scales have a lower limit of 2 to 3 stones. You sure it was 13 and not 3?

    You seem to have me wrong, the pound to stone conversion is wrong on my scale, the conversion says I'm 12.10 stone but when I stand on the scale it shows me as being a little over 13 stone.

    The limit is 1 stone on my scale.

    That is not nice making fun of the poor scale for being bad at math, not nice at all!

    Ya, I miss understood what you said but definitely sounds like it's time for a new scale.

    Did you try using other people or objects to test and see if the error percent is constant or changes based on weight?
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    My scales have a weird 'blip' where they will sometimes show about 4lb over.
    I have tested and the lower weight does seem to be closer to 'the truth', so happy to use that :).

    If it shows the higher weight, I keep it nudging it around on the floor and it'll show the lower weight.

    Does show correctly so that stone match kg, however.

    So I'd double check that it's definitely not just a random variation, then consider taking it back if you can.
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    lol...I'm English and now live in the USA and most people here don't know what a stone is even though over here we weigh in pounds and not in metric.

    I think your scale is probably not working properly. You said you got it from Argos? You should be able to return it, right?

    Bought it over 30 days ago, can't return it now >.<
  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    can you change it to lbs too?
    my scales have kg, lbs, stones
    is it just stones which shows up different do lbs too?
    x
  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    lol...I'm English and now live in the USA and most people here don't know what a stone is even though over here we weigh in pounds and not in metric.

    I think your scale is probably not working properly. You said you got it from Argos? You should be able to return it, right?

    Bought it over 30 days ago, can't return it now >.<
    you can if its faulty!!
    you have a longer period in which you can return it... x
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    Below 13? That makes no sense. Most scales have a lower limit of 2 to 3 stones. You sure it was 13 and not 3?

    You seem to have me wrong, the pound to stone conversion is wrong on my scale, the conversion says I'm 12.10 stone but when I stand on the scale it shows me as being a little over 13 stone.

    The limit is 1 stone on my scale.

    That is not nice making fun of the poor scale for being bad at math, not nice at all!

    Ya, I miss understood what you said but definitely sounds like it's time for a new scale.

    Did you try using other people or objects to test and see if the error percent is constant or changes based on weight?

    It's me who is bad at maths :( I have dyscalculia (which makes losing weight a nightmare!)
    No, I've not tried that but I will try it out :)
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    can you change it to lbs too?
    my scales have kg, lbs, stones
    is it just stones which shows up different do lbs too?
    x

    It isn't a digital scale, it only shows stones/pounds or kg :)
  • mrso97
    mrso97 Posts: 147 Member
    no idea what a stone is...i know when i get on the scale...its more like a boulder....sounds like you need a new scale...
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    no idea what a stone is...i know when i get on the scale...its more like a boulder....sounds like you need a new scale...

    A stone is 14 pounds :) it's a nice way to round up the numbers and sounds good when you say "I lost 2 stone" ;)
  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    can you change it to lbs too?
    my scales have kg, lbs, stones
    is it just stones which shows up different do lbs too?
    x

    It isn't a digital scale, it only shows stones/pounds or kg :)
    so the bit that turns with the measure on it has been printed wrong? id definitely take it back if thats the case...
    discrepancy in digital are to be expected to an extent but a misprint on an analogue is just a "how the hell"....
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    can you change it to lbs too?
    my scales have kg, lbs, stones
    is it just stones which shows up different do lbs too?
    x

    It isn't a digital scale, it only shows stones/pounds or kg :)
    so the bit that turns with the measure on it has been printed wrong? id definitely take it back if thats the case...
    discrepancy in digital are to be expected to an extent but a misprint on an analogue is just a "how the hell"....

    It's just my luck as well! :(
    I'll take it back tomorrow and get my nurse to weigh me so I know how much I actually weigh at the moment, I might be pleasently surprised *fingers crossed*
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Got a link to the scales on the argos website?
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    Got a link to the scales on the argos website?

    http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8319944.htm
  • lauriem1966
    lauriem1966 Posts: 134 Member
    My scale does stone as well (I'm in Canada and I prefer to weigh that way alot, its much lower!) but its digital and doesn't seem to have a lowest stone amount. Scales should always start at zero, no?
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
    I'm a clinical scientist and when measuring it's always best to use the system that has the most divisions. For example if you're off by .5 in 13 stones that's a 3.8% error, whereas if you're off .5 on 81 kg that's only a 0.6% error. Since the stone measurement doesn't go out to 2 or 3 decimal points it's not going to be as accurate as the kg measurement.
  • raichhype
    raichhype Posts: 74 Member
    I'm a clinical scientist and when measuring it's always best to use the system that has the most divisions. For example if you're off by .5 in 13 stones that's a 3.8% error, whereas if you're off .5 on 81 kg that's only a 0.6% error. Since the stone measurement doesn't go out to 2 or 3 decimal points it's not going to be as accurate as the kg measurement.

    ooh goodness, that's where i struggle. My maths is terrible :'(
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    How do you set them to stone?

    I actually had a quick look at the Argos site and those were the only one that didn't have an obvious dual-scale.

    They do get poor reviews for inaccuracy a fair bit it seems too.

    kimberliiw:
    Pretty universally stone are used WITH pounds.
    So my digital scales (£10 from morrisons on offer a couple of years ago, does body fat too) I got a reading of 11 stone 9.8 pounds this morning. (they show in .2lb increments, but while that does seem to be reasonably accurate - if I was to pick up a bar of soap or something, it'd go up - it doesn't point to the general accuracy, which on bathroom scales is never going to be amazing at this end of the price range at least.)
    Never seen a set that only shows stone.
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member

    kimberliiw:
    Pretty universally stone are used WITH pounds.
    So my digital scales (£10 from morrisons on offer a couple of years ago, does body fat too) I got a reading of 11 stone 9.8 pounds this morning. (they show in .2lb increments, but while that does seem to be reasonably accurate - if I was to pick up a bar of soap or something, it'd go up - it doesn't point to the general accuracy, which on bathroom scales is never going to be amazing at this end of the price range at least.)
    Never seen a set that only shows stone.
    Ahh, that makes more sense. I was wondering how accurate it could be just measuring stones. Thanks, it's always great to learn something new.
This discussion has been closed.