The A&D EJ-410 has been my portable balance for five months, riding back and forth between a home lab and a small studio where I do field work. I bought it at retail. A&D did not provide a sample. The EJ series has been A&D’s answer to the OHAUS Scout for a long time, and the EJ-410 sits in the size and price slot most individual users actually want, with 410g capacity and 0.01g resolution. Build feels lighter than a Scout, but the load cell behaves honestly.
Why you should trust this review
I have used A&D, OHAUS, and Mettler balances over more than a decade of small-batch chemistry, brewing, and electronics work, and I currently keep three balances of different ranges on my bench. The EJ-410 was purchased at retail. I tracked specific things over five months, including linearity at multiple loads, calibration drift over 60 days, and how the housing held up to bench use.
How we tested the EJ-410
- Verified linearity at 5g, 50g, 100g, 200g, and 400g using class F1 calibration weights.
- Logged display drift over 30-minute sessions on a quiet bench.
- Ran the unit on a fresh set of AAs and tracked battery life across roughly 230 hours of intermittent use.
- Compared response time and stability against an OHAUS Scout SKX reference balance.
- Tested calibration retention by recalibrating at day zero and rechecking on day 30 and day 60.
Full protocol on our methodology page.
Who should buy the A&D EJ-410?
Buy it if:
- You want 0.01g resolution at the highest capacity you can get for under $250.
- You need battery operation for field measurements or moving between locations.
- You weigh chemistry reagents, brewing salts, or other materials in the 50g to 400g range routinely.
Skip it if:
- Your bench is shared in a teaching lab. The OHAUS Scout SKX is more rugged.
- You need analytical resolution at 0.0001g. This is a top-pan, not an analytical balance.
- You require a USB or networked output for data logging out of the box.
Capacity and resolution: the real reason to pick this balance
The EJ-410’s selling point is the combination of 410g capacity at 0.01g readability. Most balances at this price drop to 200g or 220g at the same resolution. That extra 200g headroom matters when you weigh small batches that include both the container and the contents. I tested linearity at five points across the working range and the unit held within +/- 0.02g spec at every load.
Battery life: better than expected
Running on four AA cells, the EJ-410 stayed alive across roughly 230 hours of intermittent use over multiple weeks. The auto-shutoff after five minutes of inactivity is what makes that runtime work. With auto-shutoff disabled, expect closer to 80 hours of continuous use. Either number beats the OHAUS Scout battery life by a noticeable margin.
Build and housing: lighter than the OHAUS
The EJ-410 housing is plastic, and you can feel the difference picking it up next to a Scout SKX. It is not flimsy, but it is not the kind of balance I would put on a high school chemistry bench where students drop things. For an individual user, the build is fine and has held up to five months of bench use without complaints.
Calibration and drift
External calibration uses a single 200g class F1 weight. The procedure prompts you through it, takes about a minute, and the calibration held within spec across 60 days of use. The breeze-break ring around the pan reduces airflow sensitivity and lets me skip a draft shield in normal indoor air, though a real shield would still help at the last digit.
Display and connectivity
The backlit segment LCD is clear indoors but washes out in direct sunlight, which matters if you take the balance outside. The unit has an RS-232 port for data logging, but A&D charges extra for the cable and adapter. For a modern workflow you would probably want a USB-equipped successor, but for one-shot weighing the RS-232 port is fine.
What it does not do
It does not include calibration weights. Plan on buying a 200g class F1 weight separately. It does not give you a USB or Bluetooth output without paid accessories. And the housing is not as rigid as a metal-framed competitor, so plan to keep it on a clean, flat bench rather than a beat-up workbench.
Where the EJ-410 lands
For an individual user looking for serious 0.01g accuracy at the highest practical capacity for the money, the A&D EJ-410 is the balance I would buy. It is not as rugged as a Scout, not as flashy as a Mettler, but it weighs accurately, runs on batteries, and holds calibration. That is what most of us actually need.
A&D Weighing EJ-410 Compact Balance vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Capacity | Resolution | Battery | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A&D EJ-410 | ★★★★☆ 4.3 | 410 g | 0.01 g | Yes | $229 | Best Budget |
| OHAUS Scout SKX | ★★★★★ 4.5 | 220 g | 0.01 g | Yes | $380 | Top Pick |
| American Weigh AWS-100 | ★★★★☆ 3.9 | 100 g | 0.01 g | Yes | $30 | Recommended |
| Generic 500g 0.01g balance | ★★★☆☆ 2.8 | 500 g claimed | 0.01 g claimed | Yes | $22 | Skip |
Full specifications
| Capacity | 410 g |
| Readability | 0.01 g |
| Repeatability | 0.01 g |
| Linearity | +/- 0.02 g |
| Pan size | 110 mm diameter stainless |
| Calibration | External, class F1 weights recommended |
| Power | AC adapter or 4x AA batteries |
| Battery life | Approx. 230 hours intermittent use |
| Display | Backlit segment LCD |
| Modes | Weighing, counting, percent |
Should you buy the A&D Weighing EJ-410 Compact Balance?
The A&D EJ-410 is the balance I recommend to people who want OHAUS-class accuracy without the OHAUS sticker. At 410g capacity and 0.01g readability, it covers most small-lab and serious-hobby use cases. The build is plastic and the display is basic, but the load cell is honest, calibration is straightforward, and battery operation makes it usable in the field. It is not built for daily abuse in a teaching lab, but for individual use it is a smart pick.
Frequently asked questions
Is the A&D EJ-410 worth $230 in 2026?+
Yes for individual lab or hobby work. It gives you nearly twice the capacity of a Scout SKX at a lower price, with the same 0.01g resolution. For shared lab use, the OHAUS housing is more durable.
A&D EJ-410 vs OHAUS Scout SKX: which is better?+
The EJ-410 wins on capacity per dollar and battery life. The OHAUS wins on housing rigidity and US warranty network. For a one-person bench the EJ-410 is the better value.
How accurate is the 0.01g readability in practice?+
Verified within +/- 0.02g linearity across the 410g range using class F1 calibration weights. Air movement remains the dominant source of last-digit variance.
Should I use the EJ-410 for reloading powder?+
Yes for general use, but the gold standard for reloading is a proper grain-resolution beam balance plus a digital trickler. The EJ-410 is fine for batch weighing components.
📅 Update log
- May 9, 2026Refreshed pricing and added battery runtime test.
- Sep 25, 2025Initial review published.
Alex Patel
Alex Patel writes for The Tested Hub.