A Comprehensive Review Of The Best Fish Scaler – Top 6 Included (Electric, Manual, Plastic, Ultimate)

The below factors will help you in determining the kind of scaler you need. Once you are through with this, the next thing to consider is the scaler options. Since the scalers come in different types and sizes, there are a few options to guide you on what the type of scaler to go with.

Peeling scalers

Peelers are common especially with people that do not scale large fish daily. They look like your everyday vegetable peelers with serrated edges, which allow them to scale the fish fast. Peelers are easy to use and cleaning up after use is just as easy. This is because they come with scale catching compartment that prevents scales from spreading all over your working space. A retractable fillet knife is another extra that you get with some of the peelers.

Scaling brushes

Brushes or scrapers are plastic or stainless steel tools that look more like a tool you can use in the garden than on a fish. A scaler has a handle and a broad head with features that like teeth attached to the head. The teeth are the ones that scrape off the scales. Scalers are fast and easy to clean and maintain.

Scaling Knives

Scaler knives come in different types. We have the basic scaler knives and your standard fillet knives. For those without fish fillet knives, a simple butter knife makes a good scaler too. Though the knives come in handy when you do not have any other tools with you, they are not for people that scale large or huge number of fish daily. This is because the knives lack non-stick handles and therefore you need to hold onto the fish firmly when using them.

Electric scalers

Electric scalers are common and much faster to use than manual scalers. For those that scale large amounts of fish daily, electric knives are the best tools to use for the job. Majority of the electric knives have the same shapes as the manual knives. The cording of the knives varies from knife to knife. They come with comfortable grips and extra blades that you can easily interchange. Detaching the components is easy for cleaning.

Electric fillet knives are sharp, and precise. Once you finish using an electric fillet knife, you may notice some rogue scales on your workstation. This makes cleaning up after use more tasking. As compared to the ordinary manual knife, electric knives are more expensive.

Another type of an electric scaler is the electric drill scaler. If you have a drill, then all you do is attach this tool to the drill and you are good to go. It is great for scaling larger amounts of fish and uses minimal labour. The best place to use this device is outdoors because the scales fly all over the place. Electric drill scalers are durable and they are self-oiling. They are also rust proof and very safe to use. You however have to dig deeper into the pockets for electric scale drillers.

Electric drum scalers are other types of electric scalers that come in handy if you are scaling over 20 fish at any given time. This drum scaler comes with a compartment that resembles a cheese grater. It uses water to remove the scales, grime and dirt from the fish. It is also easy to use because all you do is fill the drum with water, put in your fish, switch it on and let it run for 20 minutes or thereabouts. After the required time is up, remove the fish and clean off the scales into the drum. The drum scaler is good for both indoors and outdoors because it leaves no mess of the scales around the workstation.

Another scaling tool very similar to the drum scaler is the drill bucket scaler. Whereas the drum scaler uses water to remove the scales a bucket scaler uses a beater to remove the fish scales. The beaters attach to an electric drill and as it moves after plugging in, the fish tosses around in the bucket and in the process losing their scales. It is easy to clean after use because it also leaves no mess around the workstation.

Buying Guide – the features to look out for when buying a fish scaler

Knowing the right features and qualities to look out for when buying a fish scaler will save you time and costs. All the qualities below are necessary if you want to make fish scaling manageable and will give you a good buying guide.

Amount of fish

Before you set to buy your fish scale remover, you should first take into consideration the amount of fish you want to scale on a daily basis. If the fish is for commercial use, you will need a scaler that can handle large amounts of fish. If the fish is for domestic use, you will need a scaler that is fit for smaller amounts of fish.

Frequency

You need to know the number of times you will scale your fish. Is it on a daily basis, once a week, once a month or annually? If you are in the fishing industry and you need to scale daily because it is your profession, then you will need a scaler that can withstand the number of uses. Knowing this will help you in determining the amount of money you need to use for the scaling tool.

Price

Before you purchase your scaler, compare different prices offered by various stores on the same brands. Go with the store with the best offer. Always remember not to go beyond your stipulated budget unless you cannot help it. Do not however compromise quality for something cheap.

Durability

Look for scaling tools that will last. Do not buy a tool that will serve you for a short period after which you will start looking for a replacement. Make sure the tool you choose is rust free and resistant to corrosion.

Ease of cleaning up after use

Scales can get messy and cumbersome to clean up. This is so especially if you are using a knife or other traditional means of scaling the fish. Go with tools that will not give you a hard time cleaning up after scaling. Some of the fish scalers in the market today come with features that capture the scales leaving little or no mess around the workstation. The only thing you do is empty the accumulator and clean up tour scaling tool. For people that scale many fish daily, this feature is very important.

Comfortability

Scaling the fish with the wrong tool can give you hand blisters and other body aches especially for those that scale much fish in a day. Look for a tool that offers you comfort as you scale. Today, you will find a good number of non-slip grip scalers that offer enough comfort as you go about your scaling work.

Method of scaling

The method you use to scale your fish will determine the type of scaler you need. If the fish you scale on a daily basis is not much, you could prefer to go with a manual scaler. If on the other hand, you do a lot of scaling, you coils opt for an electric scaler. Bothe manual and electric devices come in different versions and brands, some of which I will highlight here. The [prices of the devices also differ from scaler to scaler with electric ones being more expensive.

Multi-tasking

You can save money by buying a scaling knife that you can use for other meat besides the fish. Some of the electric knife scalers are also good meat cutters and they do not change no matter how much fish you scale or how much meat you cut. Tools that do other tasks besides scaling come with extra blades that you can easily change to fit the task. Other tools also scale both large and small fish. Finding knives or tools that can multi-task saves you the agony of buying several tools for different applications.

Speed

Speed may seem like a non-issue but it is very important to consider it when you are buying a scaler. Imagine having spent hours fishing than taking another couple of hours of scaling and it only takes you a couple of minutes to eat the fish. Find a knife or tool that will scale fast enough to spare you the agony of getting more fatigued or getting bored. Electric scalers are much faster than manual scalers allowing you to scale a larger number of fish in any given time.

Maintenance and cleaning

Some of the scaling tools come with several components. Electric scalers come attached to electric drills and you have to use other components with them for clean and smooth scaling. Look for tools that have easy to remove and attach back components. Check and read the instructions on how to clean the parts of the scaler.

Whatever you choose, make sure, you can clean it up easily and maintain it well to avoid corrosion and rust. It will help more if the tool you choose has parts that are dish washable too. Make sure to wash the components attached to an electric drill separately.

Wrapping it up

With the above scalers and a guide on how to go about buying the best fish scaler, scaling should come easy to you. It does not matter whether you are an amateur, a professional or you love fishing as a hobby. Whatever you are, scaling should not be in the list of your problems. Invest in a tool that best suits you and a tool that is within your budget.

So the scaler I would most recommend to you would be the Amzchen Electric Fish Scaler due to the fact it hits all points on the head for the every day and advanced fisher, although it may not stack up for commercial use for users like you and me this does the trick in a fantastic way.

As a fishing enthusiast who loves to share ideas with fellow anglers. I hope the above article helps you in making your decision. If you have any questions or further information to add, feel free to comment 🙂