"I see very few of the complaints about Lee stuff that isn't just misusing the tool/equipment."
Roger that. Those with little (or no) mechanical aptitude tend to abuse, misuse and bust stuff. And then blame the tool!
I have five presses of three brands, including a couple of Lee's. I have some fifty+ mixed brand sets of dies for about thirty cartridges. Three beam scales. Three powder measures. Four tricklers. Three case trimmers, not counting my Lee trimmers. Etc. All of them work, I like some better than the others but they all make high quality ammo when used correctly. But nothing works very well if it's used incorrectly does it?
Complaints that Lee's alum and plastic stuff is not as robust as far larger and much more costly cast iron stuff are just silly; anyone who thought it would be otherwise REALLY lacks mechanical understanding! Clear fact is most of Lee's tools are made for the low volume shooter (not beginner, beginners need the same qualities as "experts") and Lee certainly delivers to that market. Intelligent buying matters; anyone buying a light alum alloy frame Lee press for massive case reforming is worse than mistaken, he's a dummy (but Lee's iron/steel Classic Cast/Classic Turret presses are as sturdy as any and more so than most). So is anyone buying a Dillon 650 to make two boxes of 9mm and two boxes of .45ACP twice a year. Bottom line is we should buy what we need and don't denigrate others who also buy what they need, be it Lee, Dillon or xxxx.
Anyone who has actually measured the output from very many sets of dies by the various makers has probably learned there is NO consistant differences in the 'tolerances' of any brand, they vary as much within the same brand as between brands. On average Lee's dies load as well as any and, tolerances being what they are, may load better than much more lauded/costly brands! Anyone blasting and swaring off any brand for production errors would quickly find nothing on the market at any price they would buy, especially including new autos.
Whining about something that's been misused or the maker hasn't been contacted for valid correction does not gain my sympathy. But then I'm old enough to have a sense of personal responsibility rather than blaming others for my screw ups. I buy and use Lee's tools same as I do any others; their suitability for what I will be using them for. And I've NEVER broken any reloading tool except decap pins, usually due to pebbles in the cases.
