What does the LoadMaster give you over the Pro1000? Looks like the LM uses much of the same accessories as the 1000. Is it only the bigger piston?
Lee Loadmaster worth it over Pro1000?
- Thread starter Rustynuts
- Start date
- Status
The advantages of the Loadmaster are more functional in nature, but they are there.
1:Five-hole turret. Space for an extra die, like the FCD or a separate Decapping stage (i.e. decapin station one, size and prime in station two, expand and charge, seat bullet, post-size and crimp).
2:Internal spent-primer collector. The collector is the ram itself. There's a little tab on the bottom you pull out and the spent primers empty out. Due to the design of the tube, you still have a bunch in there that can only be removed by disassembly of the ram, but it's really not a problem to leave them in there until you have to disassemble it.
3:Indexing: The indexing parts of the press are more reliable. The Pro 1K has a plastic indexing gear that tends to break. The LM is all metal components in the stress-receiving parts of the indexing assembly.
4:The case feeder is direct linkage, and does not require a "Z" bar like the Pro 1K does. I've heard this is a source of frustration on the Pro 1K, though I've never had the chance to test that myself.
5:Larger pull-arm. It's stronger.
6: It's bigger!!! Bigger is always better, right? No, really, the thing's a beast.
I'm perfectly happy with my LM. I guess the most important thing to say has been voiced numerous times with comparing a Dillon 550 to a LM. Lee's are made for people with limited funds and/or who like to tinker with the press. The process is the most important thing to them. It's a hobby to sit down and enjoy, and if you happen to crank out a few hundred rounds, all the better.
Dillons are for people who are willing to spend the money to buy a press that just flat-out makes gobs of ammo. The ammo part is the most important thing to them, not the process.
Obviously this is a generalization, and I know there are Dillon guys who like to load ammo and their purchase reflects simply wanting the best money can buy.
The Lee Loadmaster has it's setup and operational quirks, but with all of the experience on this board, there are numerous videos and threads devoted to making the LM work near flawlessly. I'd recommend the LM over the Pro-1000. It's worth the extra cash.
1:Five-hole turret. Space for an extra die, like the FCD or a separate Decapping stage (i.e. decapin station one, size and prime in station two, expand and charge, seat bullet, post-size and crimp).
2:Internal spent-primer collector. The collector is the ram itself. There's a little tab on the bottom you pull out and the spent primers empty out. Due to the design of the tube, you still have a bunch in there that can only be removed by disassembly of the ram, but it's really not a problem to leave them in there until you have to disassemble it.
3:Indexing: The indexing parts of the press are more reliable. The Pro 1K has a plastic indexing gear that tends to break. The LM is all metal components in the stress-receiving parts of the indexing assembly.
4:The case feeder is direct linkage, and does not require a "Z" bar like the Pro 1K does. I've heard this is a source of frustration on the Pro 1K, though I've never had the chance to test that myself.
5:Larger pull-arm. It's stronger.
6: It's bigger!!! Bigger is always better, right? No, really, the thing's a beast.
I'm perfectly happy with my LM. I guess the most important thing to say has been voiced numerous times with comparing a Dillon 550 to a LM. Lee's are made for people with limited funds and/or who like to tinker with the press. The process is the most important thing to them. It's a hobby to sit down and enjoy, and if you happen to crank out a few hundred rounds, all the better.
Dillons are for people who are willing to spend the money to buy a press that just flat-out makes gobs of ammo. The ammo part is the most important thing to them, not the process.
Obviously this is a generalization, and I know there are Dillon guys who like to load ammo and their purchase reflects simply wanting the best money can buy.
The Lee Loadmaster has it's setup and operational quirks, but with all of the experience on this board, there are numerous videos and threads devoted to making the LM work near flawlessly. I'd recommend the LM over the Pro-1000. It's worth the extra cash.
jfh
Member.
I own and (have) used both.
When I had a 9' long reloading bench, I had both set up (and others). Now that I have a 4.5' bench, I just have two presses set up--the Loadmaster and an updated standard Turret.
The Load-Master has two major advantages over the Pro 1000 in its design and features.
1. It can do larger / longer (rifle) calibres.
2. Its five-station turret allows for die configuration flexibility.
And it much more 'heavy duty.'
Were I just wanting to build some semi-auto fodder--good reloads, to a custom recipe, but not carefully-finished (so to speak), I would re-install the Pro 1000. If that is what you need to do, then the Pro 1000 is a good choice.
I used mine to build 1000s of .45 ACP and 10 mm rounds fifteen years ago. These were non-max loads that provided barely-major PFs, built to the accuracy-load sweet spot in the respective pistols (different 1911s, and others), and once the combined seater-crimper die was properly tweaked, 400 rounds an hour could be sustained in production. I set up turrets and complete carrier assemblies for the respective calibres, and I could change out calibres in about one minute.
This year, when I set up my bench again (new house, eight years away), I was working with different calibres, and I wanted the flexibility of 4-die configurations--i.e., separate seating and crimping. (I was embarking on a reloading project with revolver ammo that would provide separate seating and crimping, and I was working with max loads.) I wanted the ability to tweak the finish of those rounds carefully once I did production runs--so I set up the Load-Master (and I updated one of the standard Turrets to 4-die configuration and added the Safety Prime and installed it as well).
All Lee presses have their "quirks"--and a successful setup on the Load-Master is arguably more difficult than one done on the Pro 1000. Quite frankly, I had been wanting to throw mine away when I last used it--but I took one last shot at using it by starting with a detail-strip-and-clean, studying the support videos, using that turret flexibility to provide for separate decapping and sizing, and then finishing with careful die setups.
It paid off, and the Load-Master is working smoothly--because of its construction details, it can run easier and faster than the Pro 1000.
Once done, however, the production is higher. And, more importantly, greater flexibility is there. The higher production rate of the Load-Master is no longer important to me, but that die configuration flexibility is.
EDIT: FIEROCDSP types faster, so I'll add on some reactions--
1. about spent-primer cleaning--FieroCDSP, use a bent coathanger to clean out the ram. It's bent to get your hand out of the way for the 'plunging' one needs to do--i.e., from the bottom. That is easier than disassembly, IMO--and I've even run Gun Scrubber down the ram and swabbed it successfully with the press assembled.
2. The indexing difference in the two presses IS important, and better in the Load-Master--the Pro 1000 indexing parts I keep on hand, because they can be damaged and if they are, it's a no-go until they're replaced.
3. The Z-bar on a Pro1000 can be problematic, but some straightforward Z-bar tweaking generally fixes it. What happens is that the Z-bar tab for press connection also gets worn, and people don't notice that. The Load-Master feeder setup is more complex, IMO--but works as well or better if one faithfully uses the YouTube videos--and uses the STP lubrication trick.
4. That comment about press user types is important; pay heed to what kind of user you are.
Jim H.
When I had a 9' long reloading bench, I had both set up (and others). Now that I have a 4.5' bench, I just have two presses set up--the Loadmaster and an updated standard Turret.
The Load-Master has two major advantages over the Pro 1000 in its design and features.
1. It can do larger / longer (rifle) calibres.
2. Its five-station turret allows for die configuration flexibility.
And it much more 'heavy duty.'
Were I just wanting to build some semi-auto fodder--good reloads, to a custom recipe, but not carefully-finished (so to speak), I would re-install the Pro 1000. If that is what you need to do, then the Pro 1000 is a good choice.
I used mine to build 1000s of .45 ACP and 10 mm rounds fifteen years ago. These were non-max loads that provided barely-major PFs, built to the accuracy-load sweet spot in the respective pistols (different 1911s, and others), and once the combined seater-crimper die was properly tweaked, 400 rounds an hour could be sustained in production. I set up turrets and complete carrier assemblies for the respective calibres, and I could change out calibres in about one minute.
This year, when I set up my bench again (new house, eight years away), I was working with different calibres, and I wanted the flexibility of 4-die configurations--i.e., separate seating and crimping. (I was embarking on a reloading project with revolver ammo that would provide separate seating and crimping, and I was working with max loads.) I wanted the ability to tweak the finish of those rounds carefully once I did production runs--so I set up the Load-Master (and I updated one of the standard Turrets to 4-die configuration and added the Safety Prime and installed it as well).
All Lee presses have their "quirks"--and a successful setup on the Load-Master is arguably more difficult than one done on the Pro 1000. Quite frankly, I had been wanting to throw mine away when I last used it--but I took one last shot at using it by starting with a detail-strip-and-clean, studying the support videos, using that turret flexibility to provide for separate decapping and sizing, and then finishing with careful die setups.
It paid off, and the Load-Master is working smoothly--because of its construction details, it can run easier and faster than the Pro 1000.
Once done, however, the production is higher. And, more importantly, greater flexibility is there. The higher production rate of the Load-Master is no longer important to me, but that die configuration flexibility is.
EDIT: FIEROCDSP types faster, so I'll add on some reactions--
1. about spent-primer cleaning--FieroCDSP, use a bent coathanger to clean out the ram. It's bent to get your hand out of the way for the 'plunging' one needs to do--i.e., from the bottom. That is easier than disassembly, IMO--and I've even run Gun Scrubber down the ram and swabbed it successfully with the press assembled.
2. The indexing difference in the two presses IS important, and better in the Load-Master--the Pro 1000 indexing parts I keep on hand, because they can be damaged and if they are, it's a no-go until they're replaced.
3. The Z-bar on a Pro1000 can be problematic, but some straightforward Z-bar tweaking generally fixes it. What happens is that the Z-bar tab for press connection also gets worn, and people don't notice that. The Load-Master feeder setup is more complex, IMO--but works as well or better if one faithfully uses the YouTube videos--and uses the STP lubrication trick.
4. That comment about press user types is important; pay heed to what kind of user you are.
Jim H.
Last edited:
I can't comment on the Loadmaster but I can crank out 100 to 200 rounds faster on the Lee classic cast turret over the P1000 after a caliber or primer change with a lot less aggravation. - Phil
I do not mean to offend, but the Pro 1000 I got when they first came out (1991?) I would not wish on anyone. Primer feed was terribly unreliable, and the motion/feel of the whole operation was unsatisfying and felt junky.
I tried and tried to get it right, I am mechanically inclined but it never worked right. At the time I much preferred using my Lee 3 hole turret and when I got my 550B in 1993, I could die today and still not feel like I needed a better press. The 550B is not perfect, but at the time I bought mine, it IMO was about the best thing going for my needs and price to quality ratio.
Perhaps the Pro 1000 has drastically improved, and what I mention is all in the past?
I tried and tried to get it right, I am mechanically inclined but it never worked right. At the time I much preferred using my Lee 3 hole turret and when I got my 550B in 1993, I could die today and still not feel like I needed a better press. The 550B is not perfect, but at the time I bought mine, it IMO was about the best thing going for my needs and price to quality ratio.
Perhaps the Pro 1000 has drastically improved, and what I mention is all in the past?
jfh
Member.
Galil.556: My Pro 1000 is from the same time. I initially had problems with reliability, too--but eventually, I figured out things to do that kept it operating reliably--like keeping the primer anvil assembly scrupulously clean, and tweaking the primer trough vibrator pin for better vibration--that sort of thing.
I'm not sure that the 'problems' are all in the past--it's more likely that in the intervening years, people have learned the setup techniques and tricks to use the press successfully and reliably, and that the Internet / forums like this one disseminate that knowledge far more widely than we could find out fifteen years ago.
I think the Pro 1000 is an excellent, reliable press for semi-auto ammo. The updating to it has been minimal, but it fills a niche. Now that Lee is shifting to the 4-die paradigm a new 'Classic Cast Progressive' should be coming along, I would think...
Jim H.
I'm not sure that the 'problems' are all in the past--it's more likely that in the intervening years, people have learned the setup techniques and tricks to use the press successfully and reliably, and that the Internet / forums like this one disseminate that knowledge far more widely than we could find out fifteen years ago.
I think the Pro 1000 is an excellent, reliable press for semi-auto ammo. The updating to it has been minimal, but it fills a niche. Now that Lee is shifting to the 4-die paradigm a new 'Classic Cast Progressive' should be coming along, I would think...
Jim H.
Makes sense what you say jfh, but even with perfect mechanical reliability the castanet sounding primer feeding, and other Rube Goldberg looking/functioning parts just did not do it for me. I originally came from cast Iron "O" frames, and the feel of the 1000 just felt like crap IMO. An Iron Duke lee progressive sounds interesting, and I would be interested in seeing them put one out.
I'm not a "Lee basher", as I mentioned I had a 3 hole turret that was OK, many molds, trimmers, bullet sizers, dies, electric casting pots, powder measures, and the first reloading I ever did was with a Lee Load-All I bought in 1979. I will say the only other piece of Lee equipment that I disliked (OK I hated the POS) more than the P 1000 was a lee "Perfect" powder measure I bought to use along with my RCBS Uniflow. Thing was like working a sand jammed PVC pipe, and it went back within a week. This was back about 12 years ago, so perhaps it has been improved upon?
All said and done, folks could do a hell of a lot worse than a 550B, and It comforts me to know I could sell it today for more than I paid.
I'm not a "Lee basher", as I mentioned I had a 3 hole turret that was OK, many molds, trimmers, bullet sizers, dies, electric casting pots, powder measures, and the first reloading I ever did was with a Lee Load-All I bought in 1979. I will say the only other piece of Lee equipment that I disliked (OK I hated the POS) more than the P 1000 was a lee "Perfect" powder measure I bought to use along with my RCBS Uniflow. Thing was like working a sand jammed PVC pipe, and it went back within a week. This was back about 12 years ago, so perhaps it has been improved upon?
All said and done, folks could do a hell of a lot worse than a 550B, and It comforts me to know I could sell it today for more than I paid.
evan price
Member
When I started reloading I was heck-bent on a single stage turret press to start with because I was afraid of making lots of bad ammo in a progressive- horror stories around Teh Intarwebs.
I found a sweet deal on a Pro-1000 setup with many many dies and caliber parts. At first I set up to run 9mm and after choking a thousand rounds through the press I was ready to toss it out the window. Jams, mis-seated primers, herky-jerky operation, stuff didn't line up right, etc. the usual complaints.
After taking teh whole press apart and studying how it worked I figured out (since no instructions came with it) how to properly setup the dies, how to time the index, how to make the primers feed right (timing is important here!) and how to smooth out operation, and learned the press likes to feel and run a certain way at a certain speed and smoothness of operation.
Now I can crank out 250-300 rounds per hour of good ammo. I don't need a factory crimp die. I load .38/.357 & .44 mag with a moderate crimp on it with no problems, and 9mm & .45 acp with just enough crimp set to unbell the case mouth. Is it the best press ever? No. It is good enough for what I do. A Dillon would be nice but frankly I don't have the space and I don't load more than 10K rounds a year so the time spent reloading isn't much less, and the extra expense of caliber conversions and the press itself (RL550B ain't cheap, plus accessories) are not justified for me. Plus I have my Pro-1000 and my Lee 3-stage turret bolted to a Midway reloading stand that gets set off in a corner when not needed. I don't have a basement or garage to load in so I have to do it in my living room or den. Can't treat a Dillon like that, it needs permanantly mounted.
As far as "stronger" goes, the Lee equipment is strong enough for what it is intended for. If you want to do .375 Ruger or .300 WinMag get a Rock Chucker. The Pro-1000 is for straight-sided pistol ammo. IIRC there is a story on the Lee web site where Mr. Lee himself was talking about the press wars where they all kept making them bigger and heavier and saying they were stronger. Engineering analysis proved that some designs were 40 times stronger than they needed to be, and Lee took a set of uprights from his press and lathed them down to .125" diameter and resized some large rifle cases with it to prove that bigger and heavier is not always better.
I found a sweet deal on a Pro-1000 setup with many many dies and caliber parts. At first I set up to run 9mm and after choking a thousand rounds through the press I was ready to toss it out the window. Jams, mis-seated primers, herky-jerky operation, stuff didn't line up right, etc. the usual complaints.
After taking teh whole press apart and studying how it worked I figured out (since no instructions came with it) how to properly setup the dies, how to time the index, how to make the primers feed right (timing is important here!) and how to smooth out operation, and learned the press likes to feel and run a certain way at a certain speed and smoothness of operation.
Now I can crank out 250-300 rounds per hour of good ammo. I don't need a factory crimp die. I load .38/.357 & .44 mag with a moderate crimp on it with no problems, and 9mm & .45 acp with just enough crimp set to unbell the case mouth. Is it the best press ever? No. It is good enough for what I do. A Dillon would be nice but frankly I don't have the space and I don't load more than 10K rounds a year so the time spent reloading isn't much less, and the extra expense of caliber conversions and the press itself (RL550B ain't cheap, plus accessories) are not justified for me. Plus I have my Pro-1000 and my Lee 3-stage turret bolted to a Midway reloading stand that gets set off in a corner when not needed. I don't have a basement or garage to load in so I have to do it in my living room or den. Can't treat a Dillon like that, it needs permanantly mounted.
As far as "stronger" goes, the Lee equipment is strong enough for what it is intended for. If you want to do .375 Ruger or .300 WinMag get a Rock Chucker. The Pro-1000 is for straight-sided pistol ammo. IIRC there is a story on the Lee web site where Mr. Lee himself was talking about the press wars where they all kept making them bigger and heavier and saying they were stronger. Engineering analysis proved that some designs were 40 times stronger than they needed to be, and Lee took a set of uprights from his press and lathed them down to .125" diameter and resized some large rifle cases with it to prove that bigger and heavier is not always better.
I have the Pro 1000.
If I had the dough, I would have bought a Load Master or Hornady LnL AP.
Pro 1000 works great, but is limited to pistol and short rifle cartridges. Also limited to 3 dies. I would much prefer 4-5.
I plan on getting a second press soon. Either the Lee Breech Lock or Classic Turret. I need to reload 7mm Mag, .270, and .375H&H.
Progressives are great for speed. But switching shell plates and buying all the extra stuff is expensive to me.
Breech lock can handle the ultra mag cartridges.
If I had the dough, I would have bought a Load Master or Hornady LnL AP.
Pro 1000 works great, but is limited to pistol and short rifle cartridges. Also limited to 3 dies. I would much prefer 4-5.
I plan on getting a second press soon. Either the Lee Breech Lock or Classic Turret. I need to reload 7mm Mag, .270, and .375H&H.
Progressives are great for speed. But switching shell plates and buying all the extra stuff is expensive to me.
Breech lock can handle the ultra mag cartridges.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked