I got a Soehnle scale as a gift and use it a lot, not just for cooking but as a postal scale for packages since I print my own postage out at home. I typically use it for pasta or if I'm dividing up meat and freezing some so the packages are the same size and for measuring out dough for rolls or buns. I don't have a good eye for guessing and uniform size buns cook up better.
If your just starting out with bread baking I'd follow the directions pretty closely at first - there can be a real learning curve - and weighing is just as easy as measuring. I'd also recommend using SAF yeast (found at Hy-vee or Walmart) as it made a HUGE difference for me. Also, get a good insta read thermometer so you can tell when the bread is done. Why guess when you can be right?
