Author Topic: Lee Progressive Press comparisons (Read 1425 times)

bajabill · « **on:** December 16, 2011, 11:47:38 AM »

I am thinking of getting into the automated loading circle now. I have been using a single stage press and usually make between 15 and 30 at a time for rifles but I just got a 45colt levergun that I may want to up my loading speed for. I also have a 40sw handgun but find that I can buy factory ammo cheap enough for that so I have not loaded for it yet. Honestly, I dont see my self going for the $500 Dillon or Hornady and also do not like the Dillon SquareD option either. I am considering the Lee pro 1000 and Load Master as possibilities.

What are the benefits of the Load Master over the pro 1000? Does the Load Master kit come ready to load just like the pro 1000? What is required of each to change to a different cartridge? One thing I like about the Load Master is possibly using it for rifle loads, but I load for so many different cartridge I dont know how feasible that will be if it costs too much to get set up for each option.

Savage · « **Reply #1 on:** December 16, 2011, 01:17:55 PM »

Get the Load Master. 5 minute change overs if you have to change primer size. I have used both, and currently use the LM. Conversions are inexpensive and readily available. The LM has 5 stations to accommodate a separate crimp die or post sizing if you like. I have been totally satisfied with the ones I own. These presses get a lot of bad press, mainly due to operators not taking time to familiarize themselves with the intricacies , and failing to set it up properly in the first place. If you are not reasonably good at these things, the Lee is likely not for you.
Savage

Drilling Man · « **Reply #2 on:** December 16, 2011, 01:54:16 PM »

I've been researching them for some time, and i'll tell you what i have found out.

The Lee works, but it's something you have to keep fiddleing with... Seems it's the least reliable of the three.

The Hornandy is MUCH better but you must keep it properly cleaned and lubed to be pretty much trouble free.

The Dillon is pretty much trouble free, and requires the least maintance.

Lots and lots of LEE complaints on line, maybe not major complaints, but seems they need to be fiddled with to keep them running smoothly.

SO, how much BS are you willing to put up with? Open your wallet, and choose the amount...

DM

bajabill · « **Reply #3 on:** December 17, 2011, 04:11:41 AM »

my expected usage will not be too much. I bought the gun without looking into ammo cost for the 45colt. Was hoping to get ammo for $20/50 (close to other high volume handgun cartridges) and find that 35+ is more in line. So I thought I could look into loading for it to save half the cost of the ammo. This is not an endeavor to try and match the ammo to my gun for accuracy, just the cheapest bangs with a repeater. Brass may also be an issue as I dont see myself finding all of my brass if I am shooting in the field and not a shooting range station. Im not going to rush on this decision and may eventually pass on it.

I have a 40sw that I am content with buying ammo on sale and dont think I can make it for much less than that.

anachronism · « **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2011, 05:05:09 AM »

I've learned a lot from reloading, and each equipment manufacturer has taught me a lot too. Hornady taught me patience, Dillon taught me the value of spending just a few dollars more, and LEE taught me how to cuss like a longshoreman. Between casting and reloading, my average cost per cartridge is well under ten cents per shot. This is calculated with a primer cost of three cents each. I'm a hoarder, so my primers actually cost me half that, but the primer issue is a purchasing issue, and only other hoarders can duplicate this cost. So my true cost is under a nickel per shot, as long as I use primers already on hand. How's that for economy?

daboone · « **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2011, 07:33:29 AM »

I am thankful for my humble roots to the single stage. The LM is an solid progressive but as Lee says: "There is no reason you can't start with a progressive press, but unless you go through over 250 rounds per week, a progressive press is not really necessary. The Turret press is both less expensive and easier to set up, and (once set up) will reload up to 250 rounds an hour in experienced hands. Setting up a progressive press requires patience and attention to detail.

McDerry · « **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2011, 08:00:17 PM »

The pro 1000 is an awesome pistol press. Personally I found it to be a lousy .223 press (initial purchase reason). Once everything is adjusted it runs like a swiss clock. Swap over from one caliber is a 5 minute ordeal, less if it uses the same shell plate; Little longer if you use an auto-bullet feeder, but then again it will easily double your production rate. 100 rounds in 6 minutes whats not to like? Over all cartridge length is limited in the pro 1000. 7.62x39, 30 CARB and .223 are about the limit on length. For doing .223 effectively I have found to use two turret plates (a fourth hole would be awesome but I must degress). One with a sizer in position one and a flaring die in position two, position three empty. Second turret plate has a empty position one, powder charge die in position two, and seater crimper in position three. Reasoning being is the rifle cases are lubed and it gives me a chance to clean the lube out of the necks for easier charging. In addition the flaring die makes for a better mate up with the powder die, aswell as facilitating easy bullet starting of non boattail bullets. Two pulls per round sure beats 4. Mind you the powder through expander die used with Lee's pistol dies alleviates these issues. $0.186 a round for 40 s&w or $9.30 a box will pay for the press in a heartbeat. At $0.232 a round for 45 Colt or $11.60 a box even faster.

The Loadmaster is a much better press if you plan to do rifle calibers. The extra holes allow for the factory crimp die and also you can put a case flaring die in the same slot as the priming station. Its double the press for double the capabilities for about double the cost. It will also do pistol work like a champ.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2011, 05:04:35 AM »

The problem i see with the PRO 1000 is, it's like a Taurus hangun. For every guy that tells you they run like a swiss watch, about 20 tell you they have had nothing but problems keeping them running.

In either case, those odd's aren't good enough for me...

DM

Troyboy · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2011, 03:17:44 PM »

Mine works. Solid mount and attention to detail are all that is required. If you plan on doing rifle the LM would be my choice the P1000 is best served as a pistol press.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #9 on:** December 20, 2011, 01:00:22 AM »

by the loadmaster. Its a bit heavier so when you tire of tweaking that pos it will make a slightly better boat anchor.

John R. · « **Reply #10 on:** December 20, 2011, 02:17:29 AM »

Get a Dillon and be done with it. My 550 has run flawlessly for years and has loaded thousands upon thousands of bullets. You can't beat Dillon's "No BS" warrenty if you ever have to use it.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2011, 05:30:16 AM »

YOU WONT GET A BETTER ANSWER THEN THIS

Quote from: John R. on December 20, 2011, 02:17:29 AM

Get a Dillon and be done with it. My 550 has run flawlessly for years and has loaded thousands upon thousands of bullets. You can't beat Dillon's "No BS" warrenty if you ever have to use it.

bajabill · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2011, 06:33:33 AM »

I have no fear of Lee products, used them for years and know they are not built like a brick outhouse and know that my useage requirements and expectations do not always require them to be. High cost, well made dust collectors are equally wasteful since I am not fond of the trouble required to sell things. Sometimes it pays to buy the best, sometimes it doesn't. The trick is to know when, and as always, hind sight helps.

for all the dillon trumpeters, are you recommending the square deal setup?

MZ5 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2011, 01:00:11 PM »

Quote from: bajabill on December 20, 2011, 06:33:33 AM

Sometimes it pays to buy the best, sometimes it doesn't.

My opinion is that it _always_ pays to buy the best. The trick, IME, is remembering that Most Expensive doesn't mean Best. Finding The Best is a matter of knowing what you need a tool to do, and choosing the most appropriate tool for the job. You seem to have a clear idea of those things, so I expect you'll find The Best for your needs fairly easily.

noylj · « **Reply #14 on:** December 20, 2011, 01:52:26 PM »

Quote from: Drilling Man on December 16, 2011, 01:54:16 PM

The Hornandy is MUCH better but you must keep it properly cleaned and lubed to be pretty much trouble free.

The Dillon is pretty much trouble free, and requires the least maintains.
DM

Sorry, buttheDillonsneedtobejustascleanastheHornadyandtheHornadyiseasiertoclean.
Ifyouwerejustloadingbottleneckcases, thePro1000wouldprobablybeanexcellentchoice.
Forstraight-wallcases, IwouldONLYbuya5-stationprogressive.
ThereisaLoadMasterforumwhereyoucandownloadtheirversionofthemanualfortheLoadMasterandthewholeforumwouldbeofhelp.

Sorry, spacekeydoesn'tworkforme, eitheronmyPCorMac

noylj · « **Reply #15 on:** December 20, 2011, 02:14:07 PM »

Quote from: Lloyd Smale on December 20, 2011, 05:30:16 AM

YOU WONT GET A BETTER ANSWER THEN THIS
Quote from: John R. on December 20, 2011, 02:17:29 AM
Get a Dillon and be done with it. My 550 has run flawlessly for years and has loaded thousands upon thousands of bullets. You can't beat Dillon's "No BS" warrenty if you ever have to use it.
Ummm, thatisthe4-station, non-auto-indexingpressthatonlyOCDsuffererscouldlivewith?

5-stationsistheminimumforadecentprogressive(onestationforRCBSLock-Outdieandtwostationstoseparateseatingandcrimping.
LovedmyHornadyprogressivesoverthelast35years. LovemyDillon1050s. Didnotlikethe650(poor ergonomics for me comparedtotheHornady), butagreatpresswithcasefeeder.

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #16 on:** December 20, 2011, 02:24:18 PM »

Years ago I bought a Lee Progressive press...I do not recall the exact model, but I bought it becuase it was cheaper then the others that I was looking at the time. When it arrived I unpacked it and started putting it together.

It didn't take me long to see that the quality and durability of the Lee Press just wasn't there. I sent it back and put another $200.00 with the order and bought an RCBS AmmoMaster with some accessaries. It can be a bit finiky, but I love the way that it reloads shells.

I reload thousands of rounds of 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 Colt and .357 Magnum...and some .223 Remington (Ball Powder).

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2011, 02:06:32 AM »

a guy may not allways be able to afford the best but my goal is to buy the best i can afford. I get a charge out of guys who buy lees and say that they couldnt afford a dillon. Ask them how many guns they have and for the price of one of those guns they could have a good press that will be around when there great grandchildren are pulling the handle. Then theres the other people who say they dont load enough to justify a dillion. Well folks if you load enough to justify a lee progessive you certainly can load that same ammount on a dillon with a lot less nerve medication. If you dont load enough to justify a dillon stick to your single stage press until a time comes when you do and by then youll have saved up enough pennys to buy a good press and wont have wated a 100 to 200 bucks of your hard earned money on a pos. Believe me down the line youll thank me for the advice. I too bought into the i cant afford it thing and owned both a pro 1000 and a loadmaster. Both are thankfully just a bad memory.

bajabill · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2011, 03:35:58 AM »

Noylj, that typing style giving me quite a chuckle (eye strain also) this morning. Maybe you coulda save a penny or two and on that last dillon and had enough left over for a keyboard

Could you (maybe after fixing the spacebar) explain your reservations about the dillon 550,

Troyboy · « **Reply #19 on:** December 22, 2011, 11:32:41 AM »

Seems like any time Lee is brought up it turns into a pissing contest. There is never one color for everyone. Seems like the question asked pertained to which lee press would better suited to the required needs