# Another cliche': one-ton weights? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364 "2005-11-03T22:51:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/1 "2005-11-03T22:51:14Z")
You’ve seen them in numerous cartoons, the large iron frustum with “1 TON” marked on one side. Is there any basis in fact for a standardized weight that heavy? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/2 "2005-11-03T22:52:03Z")
My Acme Scale set includes one. I have only use it once however. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/3 "2005-11-03T23:03:46Z")
Maybe in elevator shafts? Not all elevators, certainly, but the bigger ones with the 14-person capacity? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/4 "2005-11-03T23:05:51Z")
You sometimes see them in produce scales. They’re necessary for weighing the one ton tomatoes. One ton tomato! I eat a one ton tomato! One tone tomaaaaaaaato! I eat a one ton tomaaaaaa-tooo! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/5 "2005-11-03T23:35:51Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > You sometimes see them in produce scales. They’re necessary for weighing the one ton tomatoes. > > One ton tomato! > I eat a one ton tomato! > One tone tomaaaaaaaato! > I eat a one ton tomaaaaaa-tooo! Scary that I immediately had the tune in my head. Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/6 "2005-11-04T00:02:23Z")
At truck scales, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/7 "2005-11-04T00:32:31Z")
Actually the newer standard is the 16-ton weight. If that doesn’t work, release the tiger. Sixteen tons and what do you get? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/8 "2005-11-04T00:36:39Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Actually the newer standard is the 16-ton weight. If that doesn’t work, release the tiger. What about the pointed stick? ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/9 "2005-11-04T00:59:23Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > What about the pointed stick? Don’t bother releasing the pointed stick, it’s not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/10 "2005-11-04T01:32:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt? Shit, that’s actually right… ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/11 "2005-11-04T02:00:19Z")
[http://www.calweights.com/Shop/IND\_cast\_page.asp?page=57](http://www.calweights.com/Shop/IND_cast_page.asp?page=57) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/12 "2005-11-04T14:27:48Z")
Thanks **Harmonious Discord**. So they definitely make test weights that heavy. I still wonder if they used to be frustum\* shaped. \*ain’t that the funniest word? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/13 "2005-11-04T14:39:00Z")
And don’t forget the time Mr. Burns dropped a 1000 gram weight on Homer. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/14 "2005-11-04T15:21:37Z")
And of couse the 16 ton(ne?) weights that ofen drop on Monty Python… Brian ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/15 "2005-11-04T20:59:48Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > You’ve seen them in numerous cartoons, the large iron frustum with “1 TON” marked on one side. Is there any basis in fact for a standardized weight that heavy? Hm dont know about the Acme weights, but I do remember watching a video of a helo accidently dropping a 5 ton training weight over the piste. Makes a doozy of a crater :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/16 "2005-11-04T23:38:13Z")
What? No list price for the 5000 pound weight? Wonder how much to deliver to Canada? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-cliche-one-ton-weights/329364/17 "2005-11-05T00:10:07Z")
We use 1.5-ton and 2-ton weights all the time in the Navy. They are surprisingly compact! Most of the time, they are used to anchor down things you don’t want flying/washing away in foul weather (on the pier). I’m sure there are other uses, as well.