What's wrong with Lee reloaders?

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Yes, Uncle Don, I can't find that link in GT. I would like it too so I can print it out for my files. One of these fellows may take me up on the "I pay postage and they give me their unwanted Loadmaster--;) "

Even if they don't give me one, I'll probably buy one if the loading volume increases here.
 
He no longer even "wants" it to work. He's convinced that it doesn't and that it's the presses faulty design as opposed to him setting it up incorrectly. Once set up, you don't need to "tinker" at all. If this is necessary between caliber changes as some have described, it's a tell tale sign of set up issues. If he is so adamant, I'll step forward to take it off his hands for him. I'm hoping for a PM with a good price for this "worthless" press as I have a friend that is strapped for cash and would like one very much. I'll get it going and pass it along.

By the way, I have a one minute video that is about 1.5 meg of myself operating this worthless thing at a rate of 900 rounds per hour and that is without a case feeder or my busting my butt to do it. I'd be happy to send it to anyone who wan't to see it for themselves.
 
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I know many of us would like that link you wrote at GT on how to adjust and setup the Loadmaster. I have also sent you an email requesting the video but I wondered, is there someway you can upload a link here with the email? I have never tried to attach anything in this forum. It would be great so that many could get the video and have access to your great discussion of Loadmaster.
 
I learned on a Lee LoadMaster my friend bought. I bought the Hornady LnL when I felt I needed my own. It is a step up in quality and ease of use. Priming and powder drop are much better. I've used the Hornady for rifle rounds this last year as well. It is beefy enough to set the shoulder on 300 WSM cases, and that takes some bumping. I've even thought about a single stage for that function, but the Hornady is up to the task so far.

I've run over 29,000 through mine so far. 9mm, .40, .45, .243, .308, 300 WSM, .45lc, .380

I'm sure that the Lee will do an adequate job for pistol. My friend is still cranking out .40 and .38 on his. It takes some tinkering to keep running good.
 
I have a Lee Progressive set up for 9mm that was given to me because the previous owner decided it was a POS.




He was pretty much correct.

Well... it's not a total POS. It works. After a fashion. It just doesn't work well.
A completely new primer feed helped some, for a little while if you were vigilent.
It produced much better ammo after the sizing and seat/crimp dies were replaced with RCBS dies.
But then I have never really liked Lee dies. You can load safe ammo that will work with them. But I outgrew them somewhere around 1977.





Years Ago™ Gibson guitars principle competition was from the Epiphone company.
(Yeah, yeah I know they're the same company now, but Gibson didn't buy out Epi Stathapopulos until 1957)
Gibson came out with a marketing slogan in, if I remember correctly, the 1940s that stated, "Only a GIBSON is Good Enough!"
Shortly later they dropped the slogan because Epiphone started using the slogan, "Epiphone - When Good Enough isn't good enough!"


Luckily for many companies, good enough IS good enough for enough people.


After the way Lee managment treated a THR member and after the things Lee managment had to say about it on THR they will never get a penny of my money.
 
3rdPig, Considering your budget, I don't think you'll go wrong with the Lee Classic Turret.
Bronson7
 
After the way Lee managment treated a THR member and after the things Lee managment had to say about it on THR they will never get a penny of my money.
__________________
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What was their response here on the HR? I seem to recall it was a humble apology with a story about a snippy store owner. While it's always possible I missed something, don't mix up facts with the result you wished for.
 
What's wrong with Lee reloaders?
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It's cheaper to buy a good product up front than the buy a cheap one and then have to replace it.

Some people call me a Lee basher, I believe the correct terminology would be a former Lee customer, lessons learned the hard way.
 
Uncle Don, I think we're fighting a losing battle. I am so happy with my Lee Classic 4 turret press and dies!

I have been loading with them for about 10 days and I easily load at 150 rounds per hour. And with the new Safety Prime system I KNOW if there is a primer, or not, and if it is going in the right way, or not. The Factory Crimp die is super--I get a lot of Glock range brass in 9 mm and all of it has some kind of bulge near the base. Once the Lee dies get finished it will chamber in any gun.

I am at a total loss about this argument, raging on every website I frequent. I just got back from the range where we shot 9 mm reloads and .38 Special wadcutters. Couldn't ask for any better performance. I am seriously considering a Pro 1000 and a companion Challenger with Factory Crimp die for 9 mm 'cause we're going to be shooting lots of it. But not until I feel time-limited with the New Classic 4 turret setup.

Thanks for helping all of us who listen to the straight stuff re Lee. With the money I saved I can get a .22 conversion kit for one of our 1911s, and more.
:) --;)
 
It's no sweat. I've come to know that Lee bashers come in two types. The first are those that had Lee equipment and were either too ham handed or couldn't figure it out and blamed the design because they certainly aren't going to point to themselves as the weak link. The second are those that chose something far more expensive and feel they have to bash something that offers value and quality in order to help justify the expense.

There are also those that have chosen another brand for no other reason that they felt it was right for them. For those people, I completely respect their decision, but those are also the ones that don't bash anyone else for their choice.
 
I have been loading with a single stage press for almost 30 years now. I just received a Lee Classic Turret, along with the safety prime and auto-disk, and WOW!

It took me about 20 minutes to bolt it down to the bench and set it up, then I sat down and cranked out 50 .45 Colt cartridges in about 30 minutes. Why so slow? Because I checked the charge weight on the first 10, then on #15, then # 25, and finally on round # 50. I didn't find even .1 grain difference, and this set-up crankied out very nice ammo without any problems. Now that I "trust" the auto disk, I have no doubt that I will be able to turn out 150-200 rounds per hour, easy.

Yes, a Dillon would be nice, but for the price (using C&R discount at Midway) this rig can't be beat.
 
My experience, exactly. Although a new handgun shooter/reloader, I have loaded shotshells of all gauges/types for 45 years. Used either Pacific/Hornaday or MEC. The Lee equipment was easier to set up and use than many of the shotshell loaders. The only problem I had was one of the Safety Prime triggers wouldn't spring back and they sent me a new one, immediately, free. Turns out I took the other one apart and discovered the return spring has slipped out of the keeper hole. Slipped that back in and haven't looked back.

The New Classic 4 turret press is one tough dude. I bought extra turrets so I can switch calibers, fast. I agree on the Auto Disk system--I loaded 60 .38 Special WC last night and checked the first two powder charges, a mid-stream one and the last one. I wanted 3.1 gr of Win 231. That's what I got on every check. Won't worry about that disk until I go to a new batch of powder in the future. Then I will check again.

I had a very bad experience with an un-named, but very popular progressive press. Got my money back and bought Lee--
 
After the way Lee managment treated a THR member and after the things Lee managment had to say about it on THR they will never get a penny of my money.
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I wasn't able to find this incident through the search function. Could you please post a link? Thanks.
 
One thing I get a little tired of is the "yeah, but this is cheaper..."

There's a reason cheap stuff is called "cheap". I have a friend that has 4 Lee Progressives and is (supposedly) going to sell them (if he digs them out of his basement). He got tired of the fiddling with the primer adjustments IIRC

I think guys here make the mistake of lumping all Lee equipment in the same category. I suspect the single stages and turrets are fine. It's the progressives with the little bead chains and plastic parts that are the downfall IMO.

I use Lee dies and they seem fine. Never had a problem, and IMO they are finished considerably better than RCBS. The finish and workmanship appear exceptional. Their FCD's can be a godsend.

That said, I use a Dillon 550 after the Lee progressive experience. I suppose there are people that have gone back to a Lee (progressive) after using a Dillon, but I can't imagine why.

Buy good, cry once. Buy cheap, cry forever.

YMMV
 
I inherited most of my reloading equipment when i was 18 or 19, I have bought a few things over the years, but most of what I have is as old or older than I am. I have A Lyman single stage press. A herters powder measure
various RCBS, Herters, Redding, and Bair dies. I have not had ANY problems with any of my equipment. I also don't have any desire to get a progressive or turret. I load for fun and hunting ammo mostly, 200 or 300 rounds a week is plenty fast enough for me. My point is that any quality equipment taken care of reasonably will perform longer than I will be alive. I am now 37 years old and I don't see any signs that any of my equipment is starting to wear out. By the way I am thinking about buying a Lee auto prime 2. Just my 2 cents worth
 
How do Hornady, Lyman, and Redding all manage to stay safe from these debates?
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Well, there have been some Hornady L-N-L vs Dillon. These tend not to get so heated. For whatever reason, it appears Lyman and Redding have never been a big player in presses other than maybe single stage. I can't see that much debate over single stage. How can you get excited over a frame with a moving ram?? Turrets are just a single stage with a revolving head.

When you get into the primer feed seems to be the bugaboo. Primers are tiny little things that tend to hang up. Progressive by their nature are made for guys that want to load a lot in a hurry. If you can change calibers quick, that's way better.

Again, I think we tend to think in terms of "better" as what is better for us. In my case, I want something that makes a LOT of quality ammo in a hurry, is quick to change, and I don't have to screw with. I have enough income to buy 10 presses if I want. I have little to no use for whiners that bitch because something costs $100 more, but they'll spend $5,000 on stereo equipment or some stupid do-dad for their car. The same guy that bitches about spending $500 on a reloader that will last a lifetime has 500 CD's at $15 each.

My wife has 10x the cost of my reloader in shoes in the closet. She probably has 20x the cost in clothes hanging in the basement. She's got 20x the cost in Longaberger baskets. I've got 20x the cost in boats and fishing equipment. I've got 60x in guns.

A reloader and all the stuff you need to reload costs maybe 1/2 what one decent rifle/scope or less than what one decent pistols costs. Buy something decent and enjoy.
 
Well I bought one of those "loaders to last a lifetime" After two weeks it went back for full refund. If anybody could have gotten the primer feed to work without losing primers, putting them in upside down, sideways and just dropping them and losing them inside the machine, it would have been a small miracle. I was told to bend, twist, adjust, stretch, tighten everything that was available and finally, just lost confidence in the whole thing. Oh, and did I mention the rubber band on the powder measure to make it snap back? And the spent primer cup that needed a little X-Acto knife work so it would fit? This was on a $300+ brand new machine.

I now have Lee equipment that will last a lifetime, or two, at half the cost. It turns out a perfect round every time I cycle through the sequence. It is not a jazzy progressive--but I can load 150 rounds/hour with powder charge variation too small to measure. It sure suits my needs.

I'm sure glad some people have the money to buy "the best" That's what keeps the "best folks" in Fat City. In reloading equipment, as in everything else, the most expensive is not necessarily the best. Buy what you can afford to do the job. But please don't complain about other people just because you happen to have lots of $$$.
 
Again, I think we tend to think in terms of "better" as what is better for us. In my case, I want something that makes a LOT of quality ammo in a hurry, is quick to change, and I don't have to screw with. I have enough income to buy 10 presses if I want. I have little to no use for whiners that bitch because something costs $100 more, but they'll spend $5,000 on stereo equipment or some stupid do-dad for their car. The same guy that bitches about spending $500 on a reloader that will last a lifetime has 500 CD's at $15 each.

My wife has 10x the cost of my reloader in shoes in the closet. She probably has 20x the cost in clothes hanging in the basement. She's got 20x the cost in Longaberger baskets. I've got 20x the cost in boats and fishing equipment. I've got 60x in guns.

A reloader and all the stuff you need to reload costs maybe 1/2 what one decent rifle/scope or less than what one decent pistols costs. Buy something decent and enjoy.
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Believe it or not, I'm really not trying to pick a fight with you but review your post. While I personally am not into steros, CDs or even cars, if someone is, that is their vice and their business. You quickly tell us about how much money you have tied up in shoes, clothes, whatever a longaberger basket is, and boats and fishing equipment. I have no use for spending and discrestionary income on any of those things. That doesn't mean I have any issue with anyone else doing just as you should have no issue as to where others place their priorities.

For the recrod, I too can afford any loader and I would like but see absoultely no reason to "upgrade" from equipment that loads just as quickly and just as high a quality as yours. Your term of "decent" and mine differ. I don't have to "fiddle" with my equipment either - the fact that you did does not mean you set the standard. I ran a 550 that a friend has and it does a good job too - it's not as fast as my Loadmaster (to which he readily admits) and it puts out no better ammo but it made him feel better at the time he bought it that he was with the "in" crowd. That apparantly was something that was important to him, but it has never been important to me.

By the way - my vice is woodworking and I own allot of Grizzly equipment. If you are not familiar, they are the "Lee" of woodworking tools. Those who own Powermatic, Delta, Jet and others are happy with their purchase too, but I guarantee that no one can tell from finished product which machine produced it - that goes for loaders too.
 
Suppose my post didn't come across as I had hoped. I like to get the best deal I can on everything I get. The rub comes in with the endless "what's the cheapest AR, or what's the cheapest rifle that will shoot 1/2 moa, or where can I get a super great scope for under $100?" It just seems that most guys can come up with all the money they need for some things and poor mouth when it comes to others. In this case "others" can be a lifetime investment.

I tried to get by cheap for years on reloading stuff. I finally broke down and bought (what I consider) the correct stuff. Makes reloading a joy instead of a job.

If a certain model or brand was totally inferior, the marketplace would get rid of it pretty quick. Guys want to get into a fistfight over Ford vs Chevy, but in reality either will do the job or they wouldn't sell.
 
Some people just dont use their equipment enough to justify buying the very best. The trade off is sometimes iffy performance.

Some guys can load all the ammo they shoot in a year on a progressive in a weekend. At even 150 rounds/hour, 2 4 hour work days will spit out well over a case of a single caliber, which might last a guy a year, but that is more than that guy would want to do on a single stage. Does that justify buying a $500 Dillon, or even the $300 Hornady? Same applies with the $500 AR rifles and $100 scopes. Some people dont have range access or the ability or desire to reload and only shoot a couple days a year. Why act like everyone is cheap when they are spending in proportion to use? Let them buy cheap and use a little, and if they end up liking their cheapy stuff, they might decide to spend a little more on the next purchase to have even more fun.

It's not the price tag on the equipment, but how ya use it.

Randy (My Hornady Pro-jector is the best press ever made btw!) ;)
 
Lee is getting with the program with their presses. The Classic series have been very well received by re-loaders and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if they have a Classic progressive in the works.
Bronson7
 
Car Knocker

I wasn't able to find this incident through the search function. Could you please post a link? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Search under my name...grab a cold drink and some popcorn, because it is a long read.

Uncle Don

What was their response here on the HR? I seem to recall it was a humble apology with a story about a snippy store owner.
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I guess I missed the humble apology. The situation is the same today as it was then. No change. No apology, except the CYA he did after he completely proved my point about their service.

Regards,

Stinger
 
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