Hello Michael and All,
Your way might be easier for your hives but not for hives on pallets with 
clips. Until you have seen one of the Mann Lake tools work you might think 
lifting and tilting and sliding is easier.

Remember My hives are strong and you are trying to slide a scale under a 
hive body without a bottom board.  You can not tilt the hive back or to the 
side enough to get a scale under to weigh. Even if you could way too much 
work when an easier method is available.

My method has to be faster than yours.

 My scale can sit in one place while the whole pallet is weighed (one hiva 
at a time) . At times several pallets with hives. Withn the Mann Lake tool 
we move hives 50-100 feet to put on other skids. You can move a hive as fast 
as you can walk and I have moved hives in three hive bodies and heavy with 
honey.

The electronic scale can be read easily at a glance. When I used the scale 
you use I had trouble reading the weight without getting down to peer under 
the plywwod. Weighing hives on the pallet I have never seen done (other than 
a spring scale and doubling the result).

Beekeepers always *think* their method is the easiest until they *see* first 
hand an easier method. Your method might work for hives on bottom boards but 
does not work for hives on pallets. The hives have to come off the pallet 
because of the 8 pallet clips, the closeness of the hives and the nanrrow 
strip alnong the outside edge of the pallet.
I started not to reply but in the interest of learning I will. If you and 
Peter still do not understand what I am talking about ask and I will try and 
explain further.

In fact with the hive moving tool you could *using two people* simply pick 
the hive up , slide the scale under, sit back down and weigh, lift the hive 
back up and remove the scale . However still not as easy as my method which 
is leave the scale in one place and bring the hive to the scale..

bob


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