Should I upgrade the 550b

[MoreIsLess]

I am thinking of upgrading my Dillon 550b to the 650. I've had it for about 5 yrs and has served me well. At the time I got the 550, I thought, "well the 650 isn't that much more money". I was told that you don't get the full benefit of the 650 unless you get a few accessories, like the case feeder and a few other things, so you may as well add that onto the cost. I was told that if you don't want to buy the additional accessories, then you may just as well just get the 550b, so I did, and I am happy with it.

But now, I can better afford the additional expense of a 650. So, what factors should i use to determine if it is worth stepping up to a $650 (1050 is not an option). I know changing calibers is more hassle on the 650, which was a factor in me getting the 550 earlier.

 

[tallpaul]

I say buy the 650 and KEEP the 550. Use the 550 for the ones you load smaller quantities on and change more often. Use the 650 for the high er regular production runs

 

[Beach Bum]

Having more than one press is highly convenient...totally in agreement with Paul.......

 

[Rottweiler]

I have both, BUT I only use the 650 if I have a LOT of one caliber to load (1000+) otherwise the time and trouble of switching it from one caliber to another isn't worth it compared to the 550. Someone once asked me if I had to sell a press which one would go first.....the 650.

 

[cfullgraf]

Having 5 stations is handy but I'd keep the 550 as well.

 

[Chuck R.]

I say buy the 650 and KEEP the 550. Use the 550 for the ones you load smaller quantities on and change more often. Use the 650 for the high er regular production runs

This is the route I'm taking, I'll get the 650 with case feeder set up for 9mm and keep the 550 for all the other pistol, .223 and 7.62 bulk loading I do. Right now since I load in "lots" of 2-3000 per caliber my 550 is doing "OK" as I don't swap out tool heads and plates that often, but I would like a little more speed for the 9mm loading.

Chuck

 

[MoreIsLess]

Can you use a case feeder on the 550?

 

[Beanie-Bean]

I started with an RL550B, and added an XL650 a short while later. I set it up and tried it out, but eventually out it back in its box for a couple of years because the 550 fit my needs better.

Lack of bench space is what drove that decision, and then I learned about the quick change mount from Inline Fabrication. It fit the original stand I bought for one of my Hornady presses, so I bought mounting plates for the 550, LnL AP, and LnL SS presses. 650 was mounted permanently last year for 9mm, and now I have the best of all presses.

 

[Chuck R.]

Can you use a case feeder on the 550?

Yes, they now have a case feeder specific for the 550.

Chuck

 

[Chuck R.]

I started with an RL550B, and added an XL650 a short while later. I set it up and tried it out, but eventually out it back in its box for a couple of years because the 550 fit my needs better.

Lack of bench space is what drove that decision, and then I learned about the quick change mount from Inline Fabrication. It fit the original stand I bought for one of my Hornady presses, so I bought mounting plates for the 550, LnL AP, and LnL SS presses. 650 was mounted permanently last year for 9mm, and now I have the best of all presses.

Same here, but I just fixed that issue a couple weeks ago.....20' worth:


So now the 650 has moved to the top of the wish list.

Chuck

 

[25-5]

I've had a 450 for forty years and stopped counting after 200K. Did upgrades toward the 550 over the years. No tool bar. At least 10 calibers between rifle and pistol. Even during my competition days (5/month) I kept up.
Just food for thought. You might consider getting something you can shoot instead.

 

[wally]

Having 5 stations is handy but I'd keep the 550 as well.

I've a pair of 650s for a long time and the 5th position has never been used for anything.

Lack of auto indexing was a deal breaker for me on the 550. If I could go without the case feeders I'd have a pair of Square Deal presses instead. The pain of the initial expense has long passed and cranking out a months worth of ammo (typically 2000-2500 rounds) in only a few hours would be impossible to give up. My rate limiting steps are cleaning brass and filling primer tubes.

I tell my wife its like a slot machine but I win 8-25 cents every pull!

 

[Browngirlsdad]

I tell my wife its like a slot machine but I win 8-25 cents every pull!

I am definitey going to use that. Well said. Never mind that I just shoot twice as much.

 

[jmorris]

I have all of the Dillion presses and they each have something going for them. The 550 is the fastest to convert out of any of them, caliber and priming system, but I am the slowest loading on it.

I generally use it for rounds that I load more of than I want to do on a single stage or turret press but not enough of where I feel like converting one of the 650's or 1050's to a different caliber.

 

[MoreIsLess]

Lack of auto indexing was a deal breaker for me on the 550.

I was hung up on this when I was trying to decide between the 550b and the 650. The fact that you had to add a lot of accessories to the 650 to really get the benfit of a 650 along with the fact that the 550 is easier to change calibers tilted me toward the 550. Once I got used to it, the manual indexing of the 550 is not such a big deal.

 

[MoreIsLess]

Lack of auto indexing was a deal breaker for me on the 550.

I was hung up on this when I was trying to decide between the 550b and the 650. The fact that you had to add a lot of accessories to the 650 to really get the benefit of a 650 along with the fact that the 550 is easier to change calibers tilted me toward the 550. Once I got used to it, the manual indexing of the 550 is not such a big deal.

 

[Kingcreek]

I was hung up on this when I was trying to decide between the 550b and the 650. The fact that you had to add a lot of accessories to the 650 to really get the benefit of a 650 along with the fact that the 550 is easier to change calibers tilted me toward the 550. Once I got used to it, the manual indexing of the 550 is not such a big deal.

Manual becomes automatic when you do it enough.
Personally, I would rather have 2 550s than one 650.

 

[cfullgraf]

Lack of auto indexing was a deal breaker for me on the 550.

For the most part, I used to agree. But, I bought a BL550 (basic version of the 550b) to load 460 S&W Magnum on for a variety of reasons.

I have since moved a couple other lower volume need cartridges that are aggravating to load on my 5 station press to the BL550 and do not feel the manual operation is a limitation at all.

Now, the way I use a progressive press, a 4 position press is not a limitation either. I almost always have one position empty regardless of what I am doing on a progressive press. I can see the number of positions on the press could be a limitation for some folks.

 

[Hondo 60]

Those of us who have a 550 obviously don't have a problem with the manual index.
I like it because I can stop in mid-stroke to correct an error.
(forgot to put the bullet in place etc.
I just make sure to dump the last charged one back in the powder hopper (whether I actually dbl charged or not - it's safest that way)

 

[jmorris]

I'll admit the lack of auto indexing and only being 4 stations are the two reasons The 550 was the last press in the Dillon line to come into my collection.

That said it you can chew gum and walk at the same time, manual index isn't the end of the world. If you have Alzheimer's and forget you just stroked the handle 1 second ago, you should still be safe because you don't have anywhere to put another case and bullet and there is already a primer in the case you just sized.

Then again I also understand reloading in general is not for everyone.

 

[25-5]

For rifle I only use stage 1 and 3, so manual index is important. I prime and charge separately.

 

[apachejack]

I put a case feeder on my 550 and even run .223 in it. I couldn't be happier with mine. The only bad thing about the case feeder is that it doesn't run .380s

 

[Nature Boy]

I started with a 650 and have no experience with the 550

I think the 650 really shines when making pistol rounds. With the powder check and case feeder you use all the stations and can really crank.

That said, I load a lot of very accurate rifle rounds on it too, I just do it in a more of a single stage, manual mode that doesn't take advantage of all of the 650's features.

I've also made rifle rounds in progressive mode and it makes some very consistent, high quality ammo too.

Of course, when making rifle rounds you have the additional step of case forming, and being able to run that progressively with the case feeder is really nice

To me, the 650 is the perfect tool for what I do. If I had a 550 already I'd have no issue getting a 650 for what it has to offer.....but I'd keep the 550.

 

[MoreIsLess]

I started with an RL550B, and added an XL650 a short while later. I set it up and tried it out, but eventually out it back in its box for a couple of years because the 550 fit my needs better.

Lack of bench space is what drove that decision, and then I learned about the quick change mount from Inline Fabrication. It fit the original stand I bought for one of my Hornady presses, so I bought mounting plates for the 550, LnL AP, and LnL SS presses. 650 was mounted permanently last year for 9mm, and now I have the best of all presses.

So, were you swapping out the 550b and the 650 using a quick change mount? The 650 looks like it would be kind of cumbersome to take off and put back on

 

[RussellC]

Interesting thread. I have been going back and forth trying to decide between these two presses. I thought I had convinced myself on the 650, but after reading this, again I am not sure.

Russellc