Why are you guys using the 10-base abacus instead of 16?

I understand in China they use the 16 base and in Japan the 10 base, but is there an advantage to using one over the other??

No there is no real advantage, it just depends on what you want to do with the abacus and what you are used to. The Chinese Suanpan has 7 beads per rod meaning it can represent any base16 number (0-15) on each rod. A long time ago China used the base16 number system. The Japanese Soroban has 5 beads per rod meaning it can represent any base10 number (0-9). Most students are learning mathematics using the base10 system so the Japanese Soroban may be simpler to use.

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In terms of learning to perform mental calculation, the Japanese Soroban has the advantage of a simpler visual image for students to work with. If you don't have a preference, the soroban is likely the better overall choice.

Since most people are doing arithmetic with base10 numbers, the choice of abacus type between the Chinese Suanpan and the Japanese Soroban is about calculation technique. Suanpan users must understand the "exchange" method of bead movements and calculation. While Soroban users must understand the "complement" method for both 10 and 5 to perform calculations. Both methods, the exchange and complement method, attempt to mechanize calculations with efficient bead movements. It would be a very interesting study to look at wide variety of calculations to determine if the two methods are similar in bead movement efficiency. But it may likely be a matter of preference which method fits your needs better.

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It would also be interesting to know if there have been any studies comparing the ability to learn mental calculation using the two different methods. Is one method easier or more efficient for visualizing the bead mechanics?