A&D FX-123 Reloading Scale Review

The A&D FX-123 is the Fortis-series milligram balance a lot of handloaders are searching for. Same 122 g × 0.001 g class as the FX-120i that already sits on a lot of Texas benches. The FX-120i is the discontinued predecessor. Different generation, different ports, different draft shield.

We are All Scales USA in Cypress. We sell A&D to reloaders, and we will not sell you a story. Factory numbers below come from A&D, not from a converted grain chart and not from a "main provider" pitch.

Buy the A&D FX-123 on this site today — $675. Same 122 g × 0.001 g class as the older FX-120i. External calibration. RS-232 and USB standard. Small breeze break in the box. 100 g Texan-tested calibration weight included.

Buy the A&D FX-123 — $675 →

Also listed at MNM Scales. That catalog is a second path. The buy CTA from this review is the All Scales product page.

Questions: (832) 766-5410 or pete@allscales.com. Cypress shop: 21249 FM 529 Rd, Cypress, TX 77433.

What the FX-123 actually is

The FX-123 is an A&D Fortis precision balance: 122 g × 0.001 g, external calibration. Official product page: A&D Fortis FX/FZ Series. Datasheet: FX-FZ Datasheet (PDF).

A&D's published numbers for this model:

• Capacity / readability: 122 g × 0.001 g

• Repeatability: 0.001 g

• Linearity: ±0.002 g

• Pan: Ø130 mm

• Stabilization: ~1 s typical in FAST

• Calibration: external (the internal-cal sibling is FZ-123)

• Display: backlit LCD

• Ports: RS-232 and USB, both standard

• Draft: small breeze break is standard on 0.001 g FX Fortis models

• Protection: Impact Shock Detection and overload protection

It is a lab-class milligram balance that reloaders put on a powder bench. It is not a hobby beam scale, and it is not a legal-for-trade counter scale unless you specifically buy the NTEP SKU (see below).

The older milligram FX-i that most reloaders already know is the FX-120i (external cal) / FZ-120i (internal cal). Official page: A&D FX-120i. Same 122 g × 0.001 g class. Different display, different standard ports. The FX-120i is discontinued, limited stock, listed at $899. It includes a 3.4" breeze break as a factory standard accessory; FX-i-11 (7.9") is optional.

FX-123 vs FX-120i vs FZ-120i

Factory specs only. Grain conversions are not in this comparison on purpose.

• Capacity × readability — FX-123 / FX-120i / FZ-120i: 122 g × 0.001 g

• Repeatability — all three: 0.001 g

• Linearity — all three: ±0.002 g

• Pan — all three: Ø130 mm

• Calibration — FX-123 and FX-120i: external; FZ-120i: internal

• Display — FX-123: backlit LCD; FX-120i / FZ-120i: VFD

• RS-232 — standard on all three

• USB — standard on FX-123 Fortis; optional Quick USB (FX-i-02) on FX-120i / FZ-120i

• Breeze break — FX-123 Fortis: standard small break; FX-120i: included 3.4" standard (FX-i-11 7.9" optional); FZ-120i: included 3.4" standard (FX-i-11 7.9" optional)

• Stabilization — ~1 s typical (FAST) on Fortis; FX-i is within a second

• Extra Fortis features — Impact Shock Detection and overload protection

• Standard model NTEP? — No. NTEP SKUs are FX-123N and FX-120iN (Class II)

• IP65? — No. That is FX-123WP / FX-120iWP

• All Scales product page — FX-123 ($675); FX-120i (discontinued, limited stock); FZ-120i

Weighing class is the same. What you are paying for on Fortis is the newer chassis: LCD, USB in the box, and impact-shock detection. The FX-120i also includes a 3.4" breeze break as factory standard; FX-i-11 (7.9") is optional. What you are paying for on the FZ-120i is internal calibration on the FX-i platform — handy if you do not want to keep a cal weight on the bench.

Grain unit, and why we will not print "0.02 gn"

A&D lists grain (gn / gr) as a selectable unit on both the FX-i series and the Fortis FX series. You can display powder in grains. That is a factory unit, not a dealer add-on.

The factory readability A&D publishes is 0.001 g. Some dealers convert 0.001 g ≈ 0.02 gn and print that as a spec. We do not. That number is a unit conversion, not an A&D factory grain-division spec. If you need the grain display, select grain on the balance. If you need the milligram spec, it is 0.001 g.

NTEP: you probably do not need it for powder

Reloading is process weighing. You are throwing charges, not selling powder by the grain over a legal-for-trade counter.

• FX-123 (standard) is not NTEP. FX-123N is the NTEP Fortis SKU.

• FX-120i (standard) is not NTEP. FX-120iN is NTEP Class II.

Do not buy the NTEP letter just because a listing waved it around. Do not skip a perfectly good milligram balance because it is not NTEP. If a Weights & Measures inspector has to put a sticker on it, call us and we will talk NTEP. For a loading bench, the standard FX-120i / FX-123 is the usual tool.

Draft, breeze break, and a still bench

A milligram pan will chase air. HVAC, a ceiling fan, a garage door, even walking past the bench will move 0.001 g.

• FX-123 (0.001 g Fortis): small breeze break is standard.

• FX-120i / FZ-120i: 3.4" breeze break is included as a factory standard accessory. FX-i-11 (7.9" large) is the optional upgrade.

If you are charging on an FX-120i and the last digit will not sit still, you need still air more than you need a new sensor. Use the included 3.4" breeze break, or park the scale out of the draft. The 7.9" FX-i-11 is the optional taller upgrade.

Waterproof / dusty-shop IP65 is a different SKU: FX-123WP or FX-120iWP. The plain FX-123 and FX-120i are not those models.

Calibration: external vs internal

• FX-123 and FX-120i: external calibration. Use the calibration mass the balance requests (Fortis 122 g datasheet lists 50 g / 100 g for FX-123).

• FZ-123 and FZ-120i: internal calibration. The balance has a built-in adjustment weight.

External cal is not a downgrade. It is the normal shop setup: keep a known weight, cal when you move the scale, when the room changes, or when a reading looks off. Internal cal is convenience — one less thing to hunt for at 10 p.m.

We stock the FZ-120i on this site if you want internal cal on the FX-i platform.

USB vs RS-232, and AutoTrickler

Do not guess the cable from a forum post.

• RS-232 — FX-123 Fortis: Standard; FX-120i / FZ-120i: Standard

• USB — FX-123 Fortis: Standard; FX-120i / FZ-120i: Optional Quick USB (FX-i-02)

A lot of automated trickler benches talk to an A&D milligram balance over RS-232. USB on the Fortis is useful for a PC. It is not automatically the same thing as the serial link a trickler expects.

AutoTrickler: the All Scales FX-123 listing notes official AutoTrickler V4 compatibility over the standard RS-232 port. Confirm firmware and model with the maker (AutoTrickler) against the exact scale you are buying — FX-120i or FX-123 — before you order adapters or assume USB will do what RS-232 does. If you want a second set of eyes on ports after that, call the shop.

Which one should a handloader buy?

Buy the FX-123 from All Scales if you want the current Fortis milligram balance: LCD, USB in the box, small breeze break, Impact Shock Detection, and a 100 g calibration weight. $675 on the All Scales product page.

Buy the FZ-120i from All Scales if you want that same FX-i milligram platform with internal calibration.

Buy the FX-120i from All Scales if you specifically want the older FX-i platform. It is discontinued, limited stock, listed at $899. Same 122 g × 0.001 g class. The 3.4" breeze break is included; FX-i-11 (7.9") is optional.

The All Scales FX-123 product page is $675. The older FX-120i remains listed at $899 (discontinued, limited stock — confirm the live price before you order). FZ-120i has been listed around $1,039.50 — same rule: confirm on the page.

Buy the A&D FX-123 — $675 →

Looking for other lab gear from Cypress? Browse our precision balances, analytical balances, and calibration weights, or buy the live A&D FX-123 product page.

FAQ

Does the FX-123 read in grains? Yes. Grain is a selectable A&D unit. Factory readability is still 0.001 g. We do not publish 0.02 gn as an A&D spec.

Is the FX-123 NTEP / legal for trade? The standard FX-123 is not. FX-123N is the NTEP Fortis model. Powder charging is process weighing, not legal-for-trade.

Will it work with AutoTrickler? The All Scales FX-123 listing notes official AutoTrickler V4 compatibility over RS-232. Confirm other AutoTrickler versions with the maker. FX-120i is RS-232 standard; FX-123 is RS-232 and USB standard. Those are not always interchangeable.

FX-123 vs FX-120i — is the Fortis more accurate? Not on paper. Both are 122 g × 0.001 g, 0.001 g repeatability, ±0.002 g linearity, Ø130 mm pan. Fortis adds LCD, standard USB, and Impact Shock Detection. Both include a standard small breeze break; the FX-120i’s optional upgrade is the 7.9" FX-i-11.

Do I need the breeze break? If air moves across the pan, yes. It is included on 0.001 g FX-123 Fortis. The FX-120i also includes the 3.4" breeze break as factory standard; FX-i-11 (7.9") is the optional upgrade.

FX-120i vs FZ-120i? Same FX-i milligram class. FX = external cal. FZ = internal cal. FZ-120i on All Scales.

Talk to the shop

All Scales USA 21249 FM 529 Rd, Cypress, TX 77433 Main: (832) 766-5410 Also: (281) 656-2666 · (832) 290-3120 pete@allscales.com

Manufacturer references: FX-120i (FX-i) · Fortis FX/FZ · Fortis datasheet (PDF)