Dillon Xl 750 questions

[irishlad]

I need to increase my 9mm production rate. I've been using a LCT .
The XL 750 has been out for little while now, I would like to hear from the folks who have one. I saw on some posts where some didn't like the location of the primer system.
My questions are:

1. Is the primer location an issue?
2. Any problems with the press?
3. Is it best to buy directly from Dillon?
4. Is it okay to start out with basic press and add case feeder and other accessories later?

Thanks in advance !

 

[Bosn Ski]

I was in the market for a 650 and had completed a ton of research. Then the 750 came out...and with all the changes, I held off on the purchase. I waited because I was going to be visiting my parents in Phoenix. Today we made the trip to Scottsdale so I could get a hands on look. I spent an hour with the salesman on the floor going over a 750 with all the accessories, like you see on their website, and a plain out of the box 750 with no bells and whistles.

I can't answer questions 1 & 2, I have no experience with previous versions. There is a thread on here that talks about the 750 priming system and the improvements. The salesman did say the new priming system is much better.

Question 3:
I asked about any specials for Veterans, Veterans Day or sales. The salesman said "In 42 years there has never been a sale and there never will because of the no BS warranty." I've been poking around the forums and have concluded that free shipping or sales from other vendors may be a better deal. I also found a few opinions that stated the deals from other vendors may not be a good deal because they may not have all the accessories you will need and one may have to go to another website and pay more shipping. Shipping from Dillon caps at $26 if you spend a certain amount, I don't remember the amount but the cost of the press exceeds the price. I will be buying from Dillon directly.

Question #4:
(I'm pretty sure) You will need dies, and the reloading components to get started. I am not going to use the Dillon case feeder or a bullet feeder. But, I am going with the Double Alpha Mini Case Feeder. HOWEVER, the salesman said 22 9mm cases will fit in the single tube that comes with the press. I asked about the Dillon Powder Check or an RCBS lock out die. The salesman told me since I was loading only 9mm not to bother with either since it was easier to see into the cases.

Good luck!

 

[frankmako]

i load on two 550's. i have looked at the 650 and now the 750 because of the case feed system. i keep thinking i need one. i got my first dillon in 82 and never used a case feeder yet. what i see in the 750 is the 750 has the 550 primer system. they say it works better than the old 650 primer system. you can have primer problems no matter the system and/or whom made the press. the reason to buy the 750 is to have the case feeder and bullet feeder. buy everything up front, get it setup and load away. auto indexing is nice, but to me the 550 works. i buy from dillon, big items, small items. alway have and never looked back. all presses have problems and you will have to do something to make them run. but with dillon they are just a phone call away and the parts to fix are free.

 

[GarrettJ]

I started with a Square Deal B, and later added a 650, without a casefeeder.

I found I could still load much faster on the SDB, since it was set up to manually feed brass (same with the 550). The 650 (and I presume the 750) was designed for and intended to be used with a casefeeder, so Station #1 is not in a location that’s all that convenient to manually insert a case.

You can manually load the case feed tube, but you have to stop every 20 rounds or so to do this. It’s a break in the rhythm, and really tends to slow you down.

So if you intend to not use a case feeder, I would lean toward the 550 or SBD. If you think you want a casefeeder, it’s not “required” on the bigger press, but I would plan to add it sooner rather than later.

 

[rfwobbly]

1. Concerns I've seen about the primer location have more to do with the physical position of the shuttle and primer column, not the station number where the primer is being inserted or the operation of the primer shuttle. I think it simply boils down to being "crowded" in the front.

2. With the no BS warranty, that's the least of your worries.

3. Probably most Dillon dealers take your money and then have Dillon "drop ship" you the press. So one way or another your press will arrive from Arizona. When Mike Dillon was alive, the only discount available was free shipping from a seller on Ebay or Brian Enos. These days I'm starting to see a few cracks in that policy, but not many. Personally, I like to be in their database as an original owner to get the sales flyers and updates.

4. When you buy the combo press/case feeder you probably save $25 over buying the separate parts. But the 650/750 is really designed to use the case feeder since case entry is in the rear of the unit at the 1 o'clock position.

► If your budget is tight, then IMHO there are other accessories you really need more than the case feeder, like the Strong Mount, Bullet Tray, and a third party "spent primer chute". Those 3 items have a huge impact on the initial setup and operation, so they need to be there from "day 1".

► However, no other accessory speeds up your rate of ammunition reloading like a case feeder. So your decision depends on the volume of ammo you need from this machine on "day 1".

► If you decide buy the Case Feeder later on, then you still need to pick a location with at least 48" free space ABOVE the bench top to mount and load the Dillon case feeder in the future. The fully loaded press is tall !!

Hope this helps

 

[irishlad]

It helped alot! As did all the other replies. I have the Inline fabrication flush mount on my bench now. It makes it real easy to swap out my presses. Would that not work or is there an advantage to the strong mount? Thanks

 

[Skeeter300]

I have the RL550c and the XL750. I love both of the presses. The primer systems is similar on both.
1. The primer location is not a problem for me. When I switched to the small primer slide,
2. I had trouble with the 750 primer slide not sliding back for enough to pick up a primer consistently. A quick call to Dillion and they had me working in no time. Make
sure the distance between the top of the primer housing and the bottom of the clamp is 5 inches.
3. You can run the press without the case feeder, but it will be slow and will get old real fast.

 

[MikeInOr]

I ran my 650xl without a case feeder for 3 or 4 years and I was perfectly happy with it (mostly 9mm). Then I spent the next 25 years running my 650xl with a case feeder and love it even more. I feel the case feeder isn't manditory if you have never loaded with a case feeder. AFTER you add one you wont want to load without it though.

I have always bought my Dillon gear direct from Dillon. I have never seen any advantage to buying it else where.

My dillon 650xl grew with me over time and continues to grow. I might add a bullet feeder someday. The primer tube filler would also be nice some day.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I'm not a "Dillon guy" (I load on a Hornady LNL AP) but I have a brand new 750 mounted on my bench that belongs to a friend who was lacking space at his house. We installed it and tuned it (I've previously loaded on the 550 and 650) so I'm pretty familiar with it. It has been installed about a month and we've only loaded about 4k rounds on it so far

1. Is the primer location an issue?

Not at all. It is very reliable as it is the same system as on the 550. The major flaw of the 650 priming system is that the primers were too crowded on the rotary plate

2. Any problems with the press?

No more problems than you'd expect with any progressive press. You have to fiddle with it a bit to get it running correctly. The "product improvement" changes from the 650, other than the priming system change, do make the 750 run smoother than a stock (no after market parts) 650. The main issue we had was getting the press to insert cases into the shell plate reliably . After several calls to Dillon and careful observation on our part, we were able to determine that it was an improperly machined shellplate (it was always the same cutout that hung up). Dillon replace the plate and it has been running fine since then.

3. Is it best to buy directly from Dillon?

Yes. it is going to all ship from the factory anyway and there aren't really any discounts to be taken advantage of.

4. Is it okay to start out with basic press and add case feeder and other accessories later?

You really be doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't get the casefeeder. The 650 and 750 were designed to be run with a casefeeder installed. Filling the installed feeder tube with a limited number of cases gets old really quickly.

Having said that, there are some other accessories which help make running the Dillon much easier than the casefeeder.
1. Spent Primer Chute is a must if you don't want to be constantly cleaning up primers and debris
2. Quick Disconnect for the powder measure makes it easier to empty the powder
3. Case Feeder Disconnect allows you to stop additional cases from dropping when addressing issues
4. Plastic tabs for the retainer pins make them a lot easier to lift out
5. Inline Fabrication Ergo handle is much nicer than the Dillon roller handle

I have the Inline fabrication flush mount on my bench now. It makes it real easy to swap out my presses. Would that not work or is there an advantage to the strong mount?

I have the same mount on my bench between my two progressive presses that I use for my single stage press. I found it to place the press a bit low. But as you already have in installed, you can start with just the plate for the Dillon. The quality of the Inline Ultramount is much better than the Dillon Strong Mount. The metal is thicker and there is more reinforcement for stability

I have both the Hornady and the Dillon mounted on Inline Fabrication Ultramounts...they raise the press almost 10" off the bench. The clearance is perfect for the Hornady, but about 4" too high for the Dillon. The owner of the Dillon likes the taller mount, but he's 6-3.

 

[Erief0g]

I can't give info on the 750 but you mentioned production rate needed increased.

Here is yesterday's example. Already had 8 primer feed tubes loaded. Already had press setup perfectly from the morning where i loaded fifty four testing. Got back from range.
filled powder hopper, set powder drop.
I then loaded 850 45acp cartridges in one hour 22 minutes.
I did have a few minutes dumping half a powder hopper into a brand new bottle of the same powder pf a different lot number, mixed it up, poured back in hopper and double checked charge. That might have added 7-10 min to overall time

 

[lordpaxman]

I have both the Hornady and the Dillon mounted on Inline Fabrication Ultramounts...they raise the press almost 10" off the bench. The clearance is perfect for the Hornady, but about 4" too high for the Dillon. The owner of the Dillon likes the taller mount, but he's 6-3.

Could you clarify how high your bench top is from the floor, and do you sit or stand while reloading? If you sit, then is on a stool that would be higher than a normal chair height?

 

[rfwobbly]

Sitting or standing, you want the op lever knob at shoulder height. So the optimal bench height is a function of your personal body. For the Dillon 650/750 bench height, simply subtract 16-3/4 inches from your shoulder height.

I prefer to design for the standing position. Then, it's easy to find and modify "bar stools" that allow you to sit at the same height. If you start with office chair sitting position, then standing can't ever be.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Could you clarify how high your bench top is from the floor, and do you sit or stand while reloading? If you sit, then is on a stool that would be higher than a normal chair height?

My bench is 36" at the frame with a .75" plywood atop it. I usually reload standing...I'm just under 6'

you want the op lever knob at shoulder height. So the optimal bench height is a function of your personal body

I've found it more important that the roller handle be about waist level at the end of the downstroke...that way you don't have the bend at the end of each stroke.

My Inline Fabrication Ergo handle, I have the shorter one, is at about 37" when all the way down and at about 51" when all the way up at rest

 

[NATO Reloading]

I have a 550B and a XL750.

I don't like the 750. It has several issues. Its designed poorly if you ask me. It doesn't work seamless like the 550 does.
1) You cannot run a powder check system with a auto bullet feeder, like normal, as you can with the 650, because the powder bar is DIRECTLY in line with the auto bullet feeder tube. It won't work. In order to make it work, you have to bend the crap out of a few parts and cant the lever bar for the powder measure slightly, so you angle the powder bar away. When I contacted Dillon and told them that the Powder check system they sold me, with the bullet feeder didnt work together..they didn't even KNOW THAT. They never tested it, obviously. They were surprised. Then they acted like total dicks to me and did NOT solve my problem and never got back to me on what they were going to do about it.
2) the primer system is similar to 550, yes, however, my 750, the primers don't always load, they get stuck and won't cycle into place. This screws entire system, and takes too much time to fix. This machine is a pain in the ass.
3) the bullet channel at last station that the bullet rides into your plastic bin, is having issues bending slightly, and getting hung up on the rig, i dont know what its called. So I had to try and bend it back so you can cycle the thing. The channel that bullet rides into bin, blocked the action from going up and down.
4) the 750 is also touted to have less powder spill or splat, or whatever, when it rotates. But powder still plats out when it rotates a lot. I don't like that at all.

I paid about $2300 for all the stuff I have with mine. And its one of the worst buys I ever made in my life. Its not so much better than a 550 that warrants that kind of money at all. It can maybe load like 300 or so more per hour, WHEN IT WORKS and the primer system runs as it should....but they keep getting stuck and its damn annoying.

People at Dillon are such jerks to me, I will never buy from them again. Terrible customer service, and they are as arrogant as it gets.

BTW, I have all the INLINE FAB stuff. better than the dillon stuff for sure, I have both. I like handle better, the mount is VASTLY superior, the light, its all great..the primer racks I love....good company.

 

[Phlier]

You really be doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't get the casefeeder

Big +1 to this.

IMO, it is the component you need on a progressive to really realize the benefit of your progressive press.

I have a 550 and a 1050. Love them both. But I'd really love the 550 if it also had a casefeeder as the 1050 does.

Yup, casefeeders are spendy. But this is definitely a "buy once, cry once" situation where you need to go ahead and let the tears flow. If your time means something to you, you will not regret getting a casefeeder.

 

[rfwobbly]

I'm just under 6'.

That's much better than being 6' under.

 

[9mmepiphany]

But I'd really love the 550 if it also had a casefeeder as the 1050 does

They are available, it is just that the 550 wasn't designed to use one. I've heard some folks who have had problems setting their's up...but I don't think it is anything more than you'd expect with add-on parts

 

[GW Staar]

Ahh, the joys of bringing out a new progressive. Reminds me of RCBS's last introduction. Skeeter300 has a positive experience, Nato Reloading is experiencing a bunch of negative. Sometimes it pays to buy the tried and true models until the bugs are worked out, but what's the fun of that? But Nato's negative experience with the techs on Dillon's help line probably isn't the norm. Sometimes we can bring out the worst in a tech by calling when we are already seeing red and are shooting flames out the other end of the phone.......and Nato's may not have been the first irate call of the day. Sugar works better than acid, Nato, try one more time.....you may be pleasantly surprised.

Irishlad, if you can wait a few months to buy a new model like the 750, you might be have an easier more pleasant experience. I waited 18 months from intro, and I've been very happy with my 7 station green press that some early adopters said was so terrible. I never keep my presses stock for long, but even when stock it didn't deserve all the negative press coming out.

No press if perfect....it's up to the buyer to learn the system well. Most work fine when you do. All have a learning curve.

I need to increase my 9mm production rate. I've been using a LCT .

Any good progressive will do that, but if you want maximum speed, a case feeder and a bullet feeder is nice. I don't compete, so I don't need max. For me a tube feeder would be good enough case feeding, but the short tubes would be exchanged for 3 foot ones. Lee's case collator is reliable for 9mm, if you slide a smaller tube in each entrance hole.....replace their short tubes with 3' ones and you can load 4 3' tubes in less than a minute........I know it's heresy for some, but those tubes will load in a 650 750 just fine......and you can always upgrade to a motorized one when the cash flow is better.

 

[Texas10mm]

People at Dillon are such jerks to me, I will never buy from them again. Terrible customer service, and they are as arrogant as it gets.

What goes around comes around?

I've seen several videos of a 750 running a bullet feeder and a powder check with no problem. Maybe that's a clue.

 

[NC9mm]

I bought a 750 and am very happy with the press.
Buy some extra primer tubes and load them before you start a loading session.
Also, I got the press set up and loaded a few rounds manually, loading the case tube and it got old real fast. I was going to buy a AA case feeder but they do not have a collator so you have to manually load the 4 tubes as well, very time consuming.
As said buy once, cry once....it is well worth it.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I never keep my presses stock for long, but even when stock it didn't deserve all the negative press coming out.

When my buddy set up his 750 on my bench, he'd already added 3 aftermarket parts as we assembled it on the Inline Fabrication Ultramount. After making sure it worked in "mostly" stock form, he pulled out a couple of more after market parts

He really likes researching things on-line and the 750, being essentially a product improved 650, had a lot of stuff available

After getting him comfortable with the reloading process, he ordered even more aftermarket parts to optimize the process

 

[jmorris]

When I switched to the small primer slide,
2. I had trouble with the 750 primer slide not sliding back for enough to pick up a primer consistently. A quick call to Dillion and they had me working in no time. Make
sure the distance between the top of the primer housing and the bottom of the clamp is 5 inches.

You might try changing from one to the other like I do on the 550.

 

[NATO Reloading]

Texas10MM, it won't work UNLESS you run a bullet seater/CRIMP die in 1 die. That is the ONLY way it can work. Because you have to put it in the next station, not the station it is intended....It cannot work, without a shadow of a doubt using powder check and a 4 die system as intended... because obviously, the powder bar SLAMS RIGHT SQUARE INTO IT. Check it out, this is a fact. How can you load when the powder bar wont even open? And Dillon says it wont work? Why would they say that? But don't worrk...Dillon will sell it to you anyway...then when you ask them about it not working, they will say it wont work. Great company.
Dillon ADMITS it won't work, do they have a clue? E-mail dillon...they will tell you exactly as I have said. This is basic to understand. Why don't you do better? Why don't you e-mail the management or owner of Mr. Bullet Feeder, they will tell you IT DOESNT WORK and they are working on a part to fix this issue?

Why dont you look on Dillons web site now? THis is quote from Dillon:

"We here at Dillon understand the issue concerning the simultaneous use of the bullet feeder and the powder check die. We are working to provide a simple fix that will eliminate this problem.”

Why would they be working ON A FIX, when you say the problem is me and I don't have a clue? Could it be, what I said is accurate, totally?

And no, you saw 0 videos with a Mr. Bullet feeder, running a standard 4 die setup, like on a XL650, because it doesn't exist. It cannot work.

Oh, whoops...Mr. Bullet feeder has a page DEDICATED to what I am saying...

https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/mr-bulletfeeder

The current design of the new XL750 does not allow the bullet dropper to be positioned in station #4 of the toolhead because of the angle at which the powder Dispenser bar extends directly towards it. This means the bullet dropper MUST be positioned immediately after the powder dropper, in station #3. That makes it impossible to use a Powder-Check AND a bullet dropper at the same time.

We will attempt to come up with a solution to allow the powder dropper to be rotated to another angle to resolve this issue, but at the moment, be aware of this issue.

Texas10MM, please see the line where it says POWDER CHECK AND BULLET DROPPER IS "IMPOSSIBLE" to use at same time...

??? Have any more questions, I am here for you.

 

[Texas10mm]

Texas10MM, it won't work UNLESS you run a bullet seater/CRIMP die in 1 die. That is the ONLY way it can work. Because you have to put it in the next station, not the station it is intended....It cannot work, without a shadow of a doubt using powder check and a 4 die system as intended... because obviously, the powder bar SLAMS RIGHT SQUARE INTO IT. Check it out, this is a fact. How can you load when the powder bar wont even open? And Dillon says it wont work? Why would they say that? But don't worrk...Dillon will sell it to you anyway...then when you ask them about it not working, they will say it wont work. Great company.
Dillon ADMITS it won't work, do they have a clue? E-mail dillon...they will tell you exactly as I have said. This is basic to understand. Why don't you do better? Why don't you e-mail the management or owner of Mr. Bullet Feeder, they will tell you IT DOESNT WORK and they are working on a part to fix this issue?

Why dont you look on Dillons web site now? THis is quote from Dillon:

"We here at Dillon understand the issue concerning the simultaneous use of the bullet feeder and the powder check die. We are working to provide a simple fix that will eliminate this problem.”

Why would they be working ON A FIX, when you say the problem is me and I don't have a clue? Could it be, what I said is accurate, totally?

And no, you saw 0 videos with a Mr. Bullet feeder, running a standard 4 die setup, like on a XL650, because it doesn't exist. It cannot work.

Oh, whoops...Mr. Bullet feeder has a page DEDICATED to what I am saying...

https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/mr-bulletfeeder

The current design of the new XL750 does not allow the bullet dropper to be positioned in station #4 of the toolhead because of the angle at which the powder Dispenser bar extends directly towards it. This means the bullet dropper MUST be positioned immediately after the powder dropper, in station #3. That makes it impossible to use a Powder-Check AND a bullet dropper at the same time.

We will attempt to come up with a solution to allow the powder dropper to be rotated to another angle to resolve this issue, but at the moment, be aware of this issue.

Texas10MM, please see the line where it says POWDER CHECK AND BULLET DROPPER IS "IMPOSSIBLE" to use at same time...

??? Have any more questions, I am here for you.

Now you're adding more information that was lacking in the first rant. Four die set vs three die set. Me thinks you just like to bitch.

 

[Phlier]

I've called Dillon on the phone around 20 times since 1986, and have always been completely blown away at the support they've given me and my Dad. And I'm constantly reading of many other people having similar experiences with them. Only once in a blue moon do you ever hear of anyone complaining about Dillon's customer service. Dillon is well known for supporting every reasonable request. If they're not supporting you, maybe you should consider whether or not your request is reasonable?

Kinda reminds me of the saying that if it smells like poop everywhere you walk, maybe you should check your own shoes from time to time.