57 replies to this topic

[Bshooter]

You won't be sorry. I have had as many as four 550B on a loading bench at one time. Didn't feel like changing calibers. Had to sell to when I moved. Now I just change out presses instead of changing from small to large primer. Good luck.

[benos]

I'm almost at the end of my rope mucking around with my lee pros. Last night I sat down to load some .38 spl and after an hour had a grand total of 40 usable cases and about 25 upside/crushed primer cases. Argh!

I reload 9mm/.45/.38 spl. I have two lee presses that worked ok with the auto calibers but there's something about switching over to load .38 that is completely frustrating and just screws up the works. (it takes about 30-45 minutes for me to change over from 9 to .38 due to tuning/breaking/weird crazy random problems).

Will my needs be met if I plunk down the cash for a 550b and conversion kits between the three calibers? I shoot about 1-2k a month, about 75% of it in 9mm. On a good day I can load about 400 rounds an hour on the lee but once they go down due to a powder flake somewhere where it doesn't belong the press goes down hard.

I've got the womanly consent to go ahead and buy, but I'm on the fence about spending the equivalent of a gun on a press. Need some enablers to tell me it's ok!

You would not believe how many guys I've talked to that are now SOOO happy the dumped the Lee and got a Dillon.
be

[m469699]

I'm almost at the end of my rope mucking around with my lee pros. Last night I sat down to load some .38 spl and after an hour had a grand total of 40 usable cases and about 25 upside/crushed primer cases. Argh!

I reload 9mm/.45/.38 spl. I have two lee presses that worked ok with the auto calibers but there's something about switching over to load .38 that is completely frustrating and just screws up the works. (it takes about 30-45 minutes for me to change over from 9 to .38 due to tuning/breaking/weird crazy random problems).

Will my needs be met if I plunk down the cash for a 550b and conversion kits between the three calibers? I shoot about 1-2k a month, about 75% of it in 9mm. On a good day I can load about 400 rounds an hour on the lee but once they go down due to a powder flake somewhere where it doesn't belong the press goes down hard.

I've got the womanly consent to go ahead and buy, but I'm on the fence about spending the equivalent of a gun on a press. Need some enablers to tell me it's ok!

You would not believe how many guys I've talked to that are now SOOO happy the dumped the Lee and got a Dillon.
be

I believe it. Lee was my first loader and quickly went to Dillon once I talked to more experienced loaders.

[AS350Driver]

I'm almost at the end of my rope mucking around with my lee pros. Last night I sat down to load some .38 spl and after an hour had a grand total of 40 usable cases and about 25 upside/crushed primer cases. Argh!

I reload 9mm/.45/.38 spl. I have two lee presses that worked ok with the auto calibers but there's something about switching over to load .38 that is completely frustrating and just screws up the works. (it takes about 30-45 minutes for me to change over from 9 to .38 due to tuning/breaking/weird crazy random problems).

Will my needs be met if I plunk down the cash for a 550b and conversion kits between the three calibers? I shoot about 1-2k a month, about 75% of it in 9mm. On a good day I can load about 400 rounds an hour on the lee but once they go down due to a powder flake somewhere where it doesn't belong the press goes down hard.

I've got the womanly consent to go ahead and buy, but I'm on the fence about spending the equivalent of a gun on a press. Need some enablers to tell me it's ok!

You would not believe how many guys I've talked to that are now SOOO happy the dumped the Lee and got a Dillon.
be

Here's one right here! I really can't even bring myself to sell my loadmaster to someone else and have them go through the frustration of stopping constantly to clear jams.

I love my 650!

[TerryYu]

Funny thing,

Loaded some 9mm last night on the lee and it worked great. Almost like it knew it was being replaced.

[98sr20ve]

While the 550 is a great press my move to a 650 has really made happy. Avoid the LnL. It was a nightmare and no where near as good as the 650.
If you get a 550 you could always get a 1050/650 later. I use a 650 and a Lee Classic Turret for my seldom used calibers. LCT is a nice reliable little press.

[Flexmoney]

I wish everybody titled their threads soooo truthfully.

GET a Dillon!!

[TerryYu]

Santa express arrives Saturday.

Looks like the lee will have to load one more match's worth of ammo.

[theycallmeingot]

Santa express arrives Saturday.

Looks like the lee will have to load one more match's worth of ammo.

you won't regret it. i had the fortune of splitting the cost of a 550b and 4 or 5 caliber conversions with my dad and brother. but even if you're footing the bill yourself, it is so worth the money. i've had just a few little quirks with mine. nothing that couldn't be bent or lubricated into working order. and as you know, dillon is great about parts.

i still can't remember the name of the part, but i broke one... and i called dillon and said "i don't know what the part number is... but it's the little bent metal piece that activates the primer cup assembly when you pull the handle." he said "you mean the dog leg looking part?" i said "yes. and i also need some more tips for my pickup tubes. i'm not sure how much they are." he said "we'll get em sent out to you under warranty."

the only other customer service comparable in my limited experience is S&W.

[Chris iliff]

I have found no customer service comparable to Dillon.




PERIOD

[Griz]

Short answer: Get a 650 with casefeeder unless you can affort a 1050.

Long answer:

I have loaded 100s of thousands of rounds on a Pro1000 and 10s of thousands on a Loadmaster. I now use a 650 and have played with a 550 and 1050. I'll probably end up with a 1050.

I found the Pro1000 was a very good press if you are mechanically inclined enough to tune it up and keep it running well. It is high maintenance and you have to replace parts as they wear out (parts are cheap though). The Loadmaster is a hunk of junk.

The 550 without casefeeder will be much slower than the Pro1000 *when the Pro1000 is running correctly*. The 550 is a lot less work to keep running though so it will pull ahead in the long run.

The time to load 100 rounds on the 650 will be almost as fast as the Pro1000, but is held back because of how long it takes to fill a primer tube. With the Lee, you shake the flip tray to get the primers all right side up and then install the flip tray on the press and start loading. With the Dillon, after you have flipped the primers, you have to spend a long time pecking them into a tube. Again, assuming the Pro1000 doesn't need maintenance. If you get a vibratory tool to fill primer tubes, then the XL650 is faster hands down.

Speed aside, any of the Dillon presses are less of a headache to tune up and maintain.... much, much less...

[TerryYu]

Short answer: Get a 650 with casefeeder unless you can affort a 1050.

Long answer:

I have loaded 100s of thousands of rounds on a Pro1000 and 10s of thousands on a Loadmaster. I now use a 650 and have played with a 550 and 1050. I'll probably end up with a 1050.

I found the Pro1000 was a very good press if you are mechanically inclined enough to tune it up and keep it running well. It is high maintenance and you have to replace parts as they wear out (parts are cheap though). The Loadmaster is a hunk of junk.

The 550 without casefeeder will be much slower than the Pro1000 *when the Pro1000 is running correctly*. The 550 is a lot less work to keep running though so it will pull ahead in the long run.

The time to load 100 rounds on the 650 will be almost as fast as the Pro1000, but is held back because of how long it takes to fill a primer tube. With the Lee, you shake the flip tray to get the primers all right side up and then install the flip tray on the press and start loading. With the Dillon, after you have flipped the primers, you have to spend a long time pecking them into a tube. Again, assuming the Pro1000 doesn't need maintenance. If you get a vibratory tool to fill primer tubes, then the XL650 is faster hands down.

Speed aside, any of the Dillon presses are less of a headache to tune up and maintain.... much, much less...

See that's the thing, the Lee works very quickly when it works. Last night I sat down to load 300rounds for idpa this Saturday and it took about 1.5 hours. When we were running fine, I was loading 100 rounds in about 15 minutes without a case or bulletfeeder. However then the thiilng gave metrouble with the primer drop and the primer food and it took 30 minutes to troubleshoot.
I am getting to the point where my ammo can't be experimental and when I sit down to load I need to reasonably expect to load x many rounds per hour, not between 0 and 500 per hour depending on the whim of the press.

[sroe3]

Here's the deal, whatever press you buy from Brian (650=cat's pajamas) I'll buy from you at full price if you are not happy and I'll pay half the shipping to Georgia. Brian has free shipping if the purchase is over $400.00 At most you will lose around $12.00

Let me give you Johns shipping address....

[TerryYu]

Here's the deal, whatever press you buy from Brian (650=cat's pajamas) I'll buy from you at full price if you are not happy and I'll pay half the shipping to Georgia. Brian has free shipping if the purchase is over $400.00 At most you will lose around $12.00

Let me give you Johns shipping address....

I hope I dont come off as hard to please but I will have some expectation of increased performance from something that costs 4x more than what I'm currently using.

[FAZZ]

650,I have two one set up for small primer and the other large. Best decision I made in reloading.

[TerryYu]

Christmas has arrived! I almost lost faith but at 8pm the FedEx guy showed up and dropped it off. Now to mount it...

[theycallmeingot]

so how do you like it?

[TerryYu]

I made a couple of hilariously belled .38 spl setting up the dies but that's it so far

[HoMiE]

As far as production rates go, I can crank out 300+ an hour with my SDB presses.

[TerryYu]

Here it is!



Setup for .38 spl




Setup for 9mm with a Lee (gasp!) autodisk powder measure


I'm using the Lee autodisk for 9mm because I only have one Dillon measure and frankly found it a bit of a pain to get dialed in when I was setting up .38spl. As far as Lee goes, their autodisk works great and 20 seconds of drilling adapted it to take the Dillon failsafe rod without a hitch.

Cranked out about 200 rounds today for testing, having a fourth die is great because I can finally use the Lee factory crimp die and get nice looking (and chambering) rounds.

0 problems with the primer feed system, much better (and more expensive) design than the Lee presses.

Griz is right though, my raw cycle speed is less than my old press because of the extra shell plate operation and no casefeeder/bulletfeeder. However my average rate is going up because I don't have to pull the entire thing apart every couple hundred rounds to figure out the latest problem. Overall, I'm glad I bought this thing and look forward to loading thousands more in the future.

[warpspeed]

Congrats! I don't remember timing myself but I think you can easily load 300 in an hour.

[blueeyedme]

Congrats! Of course you know the 650 is made for a casefeeder...I'm sure you will have one soon.

[TerryYu]

Congrats! Of course you know the 650 is made for a casefeeder...I'm sure you will have one soon.

I might get a 550 case feeder. Advancing the shellplate by hand wouldn't slow me down much if my right doesn't have to leave the lever.

[Griz]

I use the autodisk measures too for most of my calibers.

They work great and you know that the setting won't change. I use the spring return though. The only downside is the low powder capacity.

[TerryYu]

Yep. But for pistol caliber I don't need gigantic powder capacity. That and they are 40 bucks as opposed to 75