It depends on the application. How much does error in your project matter? If you’re filling a tub with water, then it may not matter at all. If you’re filling of a tub with chemicals, then the consequence of error could be severe. If the consequences of error are significant, you should identify all sources of error and their contribution to total error.

You can then “snap” load cells with different levels of accuracy into your evaluation and see the impact of sensor error on each. If you have other error factors that are much larger than the transducer, then upgrading the transducer accuracy may not matter.

Remember to translate the accuracy into hard numbers to get a better perspective. Is a 1,000 lb load cell with 0.1% accuracy good enough? The real question is whether an accuracy of +/- 1 lb is accurate enough. Is detecting between 999 and 1,001 lbs at a true load of 1,000 lbs acceptable? It depends on the application.

You can always opt for the highest accuracy, but it can be more beneficial to analyze accuracy in the context of the application’s needs, transducer costs and transducer lead times.