Is the RCBS Pro Melt worth the money

[oneMOA]

The RCBS Pro Melt is the most expensive of the "Big Three" melt furnaces. Street price is about $365 more or less. If you look at the components of a melt furnace you will see: one heating element, one bi-metal thermostat, one 22 lb pot (bottom pour) one on/off switch, sheet metal to enclose it all. Finding prices online for RCBS furnace parts are non-existant. Prices for Lee products are available and a search will find heating elements (700 watts) lead pot (20 lbs) bi-metal thermostat and pin rod shut-off rod all for less than $85. Then add some extra for sheet metal enclosure and insulation, lets say brings the cost up to about $100.

The new melt pots only have a two year warranty according to their website, the lifetime warranty is a thing of the past. In my experience their customer service leaves something to be desired, so "Where is the beef." Much of the online chatter on this forum and others expound on the quality of RCBS and the resultant Customer Service to justify the higher price. I will admit that over 10 years ago I called RCBS for an issue with a primer pocket swager and they sent a replacement part free of charge.

Recently I experienced a problem with my new (two months) RCBS Pro Melt furnace after attempting to drain the pot to chage the alloy. As per their instructions, "always keep about 1.5 inches of alloy in the pot and I suspect this has to do with overheating the heating element with no load on it. As I drained down the pot into my ingot molds using the bottom pour spout, when I reached the 1.5 mark, I shut off the power to the pot and contunued to drain the pot. All but a small amount drained out but enough remained once it solidified to capture the the lift pin valve and it could not be removed. I used a propane hand held torch to melt and free the pin and clear the nozzle of the pot.

Once I reloaded the pot with the new alloy the nozzle leaked one drip about every four seconds where it did not leak before. At this point I suspected I had warped the pin or the bottom of the pot and caused an alignment problem. I decided to call RCBS to see what they suggested.

When I called Customer Service I was referred over to the correct department and no one answered but I was was promised a call back within 24 hours. When the next day arrived and no call back I call again and left another message with a promise to call back within 24 hours. When the third day arrives i am pretty irrate and after complaining to the only live person I could get on the line, and threatening to phone the CEO of the parent company of RCBS, I was refered to a so called tech support person who claimed to be knowledegable of the Pro Melt Furnace. After a brief conversation I realized she new nothing about the Pro Melt. She did agree to send a new pin rod to see if that helped.

Once the new pin rod arrives I'll install it and if the pot still leaks I'll send it back to RCBS for warranty repair. It will go up on ebay after the leaking issue has been resolved.

I have since purchased a Lee Magum Melter for $65 and at 700 watts is equal to the Pro Melter in that reguard. I have also purchased a laddle and will cast by boolits by ladle. My molds are all large boolits in the 535 gr .45 cal, so ladle pouring will be better in the long run. I regret the day I purchased the RCBS Pro Melt pot.

[VHoward]

Really? You damage the pot, They send you a new part free of charge and if that doesn't fix it, your going to send it back to RCBS for "warranty" repair, and then not use it?
You damage the pot through no fault of theirs and your p***ed at them?
Granted they dropped the ball phone call wise but they are sending you a part fee of charge. I think they should charge you for the part.

[M-Tecs]

I waited for a sale and rebates. I have about $240 in mine. It's worth every penny. I have a PID Magma Cast Master 90 pounder http://www.magmaengineering.com/products/cast-master/, the ProMelt, two waage 22 pounders and an old Saeco from the late 60's. Tried the Lee route but they would burn out every couple of years.

Like the Cast Master best but it's 240 so I only can use it in one spot. The ProMelt sees a lot of use on the patio.

Interesting read http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?157028-Opinions-on-the-RCBS-Pro-Melt

[chloe123]

I've had a Pro Melt for about 5 years. I used it as a casual shooter for about 2 to 3 years. In my experience, no dripping issues. Apart from the few times I had contaminants.

Since there's a mixed theme of "is the RCBS Pro Melt worth the $" and "has RCBS Customer Service deteriorated", I think it's good to get others input.

RCBS sent me 2 parts (one for their Lubrisizer and the other for their bullet feeder), for free. Sure, it took a while to reach them over the phone but they were courteous and attentive to the issue.

I may be wrong but I think the Pro Melt is popular, and speaks to their price point. The alternative is the Lyman. Is their price that much less?

[barkerwc4362]

I have three Pro Melts. I have used Lee's 10 lb pots in the past and bought a 20 lb pot, but never used it after getting the first of my Pro Melts. The first Pro Melt almost 25 years old and has never missed a beat. With the Lee 10 lb pots I had to change the heating elements and run them wide open to get good fill. They also leaked like a sieve. The oldest Pro Melt has my pistol alloy only now and has cast unknown tens of thousands of bullets. They are worth every penny I paid for them. All of mine have been modified to use the Lyman mold guide. It makes casting with four cavity molds a breeze. I have never had any problem with RCBS customer service. If anything they are too generous with their free parts. If it sound like I am a loyal RCBS customer you are right. I also have three piggyback progressive systems that run like sewing machines because I take the time to adjust them. If you don't want that Pro Melt send it my way, I know some one who would love to have it.

Bill

[oneMOA]

While I had the "Tech Support" person on the phone I asked if there was a procedure suggested by RCBS to drain the pot for cleaning or changing alloy. She said no. So it's up to the end user to figure out the best way without damaging the pot. The user Manual as I have previously stated, says don't let the alloy get below 1.5 inches from the bottom of the pot. Failing instructions from the manufacture the end user is on his own.

My comments have been a rebutal to the glowing reviews of RCBS's great customer service from across this forum and across the web in general. It may be that in the past they were great..............today my experience has been not so much. Is one to assume that RCBS feels the melt pot would never need cleaning or draining of the pot for any reason? Apparently so since they provide no instructions in doing so either on their website or their user manual.

Asside from the poor customer service I experienced, I made the decision to buy this RCBS pot based on the positive comments I found across the web. Now that I have experienced a problem, I have had cause to make a detailed comparison of the competitors pots. The pin rods look very nearly the same from the top three manufacturers, meaning there is no superior engineering with the RCBS valve over the competitors. The heating element could be compared to an ordinary electric stove......does one brand have a higher failure rate of heating elements over others? All the top brand melt pots use a bi-metal thermostat and while I have no experience with the others, my Rcbs Pro Melt had a 50 degree temp swing from low to high as the control cycled. Thats why I went to a PID control.

As I have said in my previous post the RCBS pot is not superior engineered or does it use superior parts in the construction, just premium pricing which should include a "No BS warranty" which the cunsumer pays dearly for.

Yes once I get this pot working properly with no leaks, I plan to sell it and recover as much of my money back as I can and chalk it up to a learning experience. Anyone interested in purchasing this pot, send me a PM and lets make a deal.

[500MAG]

Love my Pro-Melt. Never have drained it completely to change alloys, I just drain it down to about an inch & a half and start the new alloy. I keep a separate lee 20 pounder for anything special.

[Ole]

I paid a little under $300 for mine and you can't have it at that price unless you stick a gun in my face.

[cheese1566]

I have a friend who is a customer service tech at rcbs. He was emailing me last weekend. I asked why he was working on Saturday when he usually had Fridays off...
He said the call system failed and the entire staff had to work the entire weekend on a days notice doing call backs to customers because of the glitch.

I have a nice rebuilt promelt from.him because someone complained about it repeatedly and the issue couldn't get resolved over the phone. It was sent to them and rcbs techs deemed it perfectly fine. I have used it for 3years and no issues.
Please send your stuff back to them! Others can get good deals on their refurbs!


I know of their lifetime warranty, I don't think it ever covered electrical, electronics, motors, or elements.

[wv109323]

I have a Lyman 20 lb. bottom that I have had for 30 years. I had to re wire it two or three times and replace the fiber board where the cord plugged into the furnace twice. Last time I went with a PID control to eliminate the wiring in close proximaty to the heating coil.
My complaint is that I don't think any of the name brands are worth the selling price. A melting pot is not a complicated device. There is no rocket science involved, no R&D, no expensive materials needed, minimum manufacturing machinery needed to make the parts or skilled labor for assembly. The only thing that would drive the cost up is low volume.
Think about it, you can almost buy a cheap kitchen stove for what you pay for a melting pot. If I had a lathe I would built my own.

[M-Tecs]

Never heard of anyone going from a ProMelt to a Lee and being happy. Lots went from a Lee to a ProMelt and are very happy. I wouldn't sell the ProMelt until I have experience with something else. As to heating elements Lee does have a very high failure rate in my experience.

[williamwaco]

I don't know about their phone system.
The last two times I wanted something, I just emailed them.

The first time was a broken part. The second time was a part I lost. Didn't break it. It didn't fail. This was in no way a warranty part but they sent it for free in less than 24 hours.

RCBS ROCKS!

[cheese1566]

I put my Lee 20 off to the side to try my promelt. I ended up putting it in the attic just in case my promelt gives up. I guess if that happens, I will have my promelt rebuilt rather than use the Lee. I do resort to y Lee 10 pounder for y decoy weight mold, but just hate using it now compared to the promelt.

[VHoward]

And I never put dirty lead in my casting pot anyway. And no need to completely drain it ever because of the no dirty lead rule. I have had mine for 5 years and have not drained it yet. And I don't plan to.

[nhrifle]

I am not a diehard RCBS fanatic, but one situation I had showed me how they value their customers. Some years ago I bought their Rangemaster 750 electronic scale. It served me well for quite awhile. Life's changes came my way, and after two moves in about 6 months I started getting my equipment set up again. I found the scale, but the calibration weights were lost. I couldn't find them for sale on the RCBS website. I called them and asked about purchasing a replacement set as it was my fault, and the warranty was long since expired. I received a new set in the mail three days later. No charge, no questions asked.

[Mk42gunner]

Number one, how did you not get the liquid lead alloy out of your Promelt before it refroze?

I will admit that the cost of a new Promelt threw me off for several years. I bought a Lee 4-20 brand new, then the next week I bought a production pot four from a pawn shop (missing valve rod) for ten bucks as a back up. Fixed the ten pounder and haven't heated it up since, (in fact I think about two puppys ago the cord got chewed). I used the 4-20 for a few years with okay results.

I bought my Promelt well used, at an estate auction for $80.00; and haven't cast a boolit with the Lee since then. I have no earthly idea how old it is, but it still works fine.

The only reason I don't always recommend the Promelt to new casters is the cost.

If I lost it tomorrow, could I go back to using the 4-20? Sure, but I would not be happy.

Robert

[rockrat]

I have two. One I bought new about 8 years ago, and another I found at a garage sale. Its 18 years old. Both work great!! I only use my Lee to anneal brass

[.22-10-45]

Never owned the RCBS Pro-Melt..have Lyman Mag Dipper. I'm curious about the warning of not letting alloy drop below 1.5"? whats the difference when first using furnace when you fill it with ingots? There sure isn't anything insulating the heating element except air!

[oldfart1956]

Never owned the RCBS Pro-Melt..have Lyman Mag Dipper. I'm curious about the warning of not letting alloy drop below 1.5"? whats the difference when first using furnace when you fill it with ingots? There sure isn't anything insulating the heating element except air!
Now there's an interesting conundrum. I'll piggyback on this post because I have an RCBS that is nearly full of linotype that I need to get out. Actually cast a few boolits with that stuff...as per Mike V. and that'll never happen again. :( So should I bring it up to temp and quickly drain into ingots after turning off the power and then melt alloy in another pot to pour into the RCBS?? Or melt and drain to the 1 1/2 inch level and fill it to the brim with soft lead? Audie...the pondering Oldfart..

[dikman]

Might as well add my bit. I bought a ProMelt first, and paid a LOT more than you guys do! I consider it quite well made and the stock thermostat works quite well, although I now run a PID. It strikes me as being a good solid bit of gear. I've since bought a Lee Pro4, and it now works very well - but only because I modded it heavily. I consider the Lee handle/needle lifter to be its weak point, a cheap-to-make item, whereas the RCBS handle is infinitely superior in design and operation.

Is it worth the money? I guess that's up to the individual. If you're capable of modifying the Lee, you can turn it into a "mini-RCBS" and it will function just as well, for a fraction of the price. If you can't do it, and have to use the pot as it comes, then the RCBS is the much better pot to use.

I can, however, understand your frustration at dealing with them. Such treatment is unacceptable, and if they were having difficulties with their system then they should have said so.

[contender1]

I will say that with any man made object,, you will occasionally get a "bad one."
That said,, I, like so many others got a Lee to start with. My first one was a 10 lb pot. I added a second Lee due to buying it really cheap. Before I could ever even use the 2nd Lee,,,, I got a smokin' deal on a pair of pots. A Magma-Caster, & a RCBS Pro Melt. I started with the RCBS to see how it ran. VERY shortly after,,, I realized how nice it was. I sold the pair of Lees as I felt I'd never step back.
And it must be a sickness,, as just this week, I found another nice deal in a RCBS Pro Melt. I didn't "need" it,,, but I realized it needed a good home. It even came filled to the brim with what appears to be nice clean lead. (And if any of the bullets I got in the same deal are of the same alloy, it'll be even better.)

RCBS has a good solid reputation for customer service. For a company to survive,,, AND give away a lot of free parts even when they do not need to must have good solid products. If not,,, the bean counters would look for ways to cut the losses. While you may not be able to SEE the differences in a quality product vs. a lower priced one,,, does not mean they are the same.

Quite often, people come to me for advice that is shooting related. I have found that if I recommend a product, based on my experiences,,, I rarely get anybody mad at me. In general,, if you buy a good quality product, from a company with a solid reputation,,, you only have to buy it once.

[Moonman]

My RCBS PRO MELT works great,as is its temp dial, I also use a WAAGE pot for ladle work,

NOT inexpensive but a great pot and good temp control also.

[carbine]

I only cast 500 gr bullets and I dipper them. The Waage pot for $146 is the best bang for my buck

[aap2]

Most of my casting has been under less than high-tech conditions (charcoal, plumbers pot etc), but when I retired in 2005 I bought modern equipment. The RCBS Pro Melt has been worth every cent; it's been working great for nearly 10 years without issue. RCBS customer service has been great (actually better than great) and seldom needed. The Pro Melt is full of my common alloy (range scrap plus some lino-tin etc) and I have 2 Lyman Big Dipper pots, one dedicated to pure lead for muzzle-loaders and one for #2 alloy for selected rifle boolits. I never drain the Pro Melt or empty the Big Dipper pots. I think that the warning not to let the alloy drop below 1.5" in the Pro Melt is to keep the keep the heating elements from causing the sides of the pot from glowing red-hot until the ingots melts. I noticed this when I used the pot for the first time and it was full of cold ingots: the inside of the pot was glowing red hot before the ingots melted (can't be good for the heating elements)...I hit the top of the ingots with a propane flame to help the melt.

[Beagle333]

Never owned the RCBS Pro-Melt..have Lyman Mag Dipper. I'm curious about the warning of not letting alloy drop below 1.5"? whats the difference when first using furnace when you fill it with ingots? There sure isn't anything insulating the heating element except air!


Inside the case......
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?41055-Here-are-some-PICS-of-the-inside-of-an-RCBS-Pro-Melt

[Petrol & Powder]

I run a Lee 4-20 and it is serviceable but requires a fair amount of fiddling. When I decided to go with an electric, bottom pour pot, I couldn't justify the expense of the Pro-Melt unit. When the Lee dies, I'll buy an RCBS Pro-melt.

[oneMOA]

As the original poster of this thread, I'd like to add the reason I bought the Pro Melt and what has led me to where I am today. As a newby in bullet casting I have also began BPCR Silhouette shooting. My 45/70 uses big boolits of the 535 gr single cavity group. I was advised on this forum not to go with a bottom pour and instead go with ladle casting for better quality boolits. In my ignorance I thought what is the difference since they both fill the mold cavity with molten alloy. I buy the Pro Melt and began casting using the Lyman 535v gr Postell mold. In the mean time I had ordered a mold from Buffalo Arms which better fit the bore of my BPCR High Wall.

Much experimentation with alloy temps, mold temps, and still poor boolit quality. Since I was using cable lead which I always thought was pure lead, I was certain it was not the alloy. Upon receiving the Buffalo Arms mold it too did not cast good boolits. I built a PID controller thinking my alloy temp was the problem. The PID was certainly an improvement over the 50 deg spread with the Pro Melt thermostat. I now can control within two degrees of set temp. I use a hot plate to heat the mold, so I'm thinking all will be good. NOT SO FAST...... I was advised not to go with the bottom pour pot and when I sent the mold back to Buffalo Arms thinking it was defective, I received a call from Dave Gullo the owner of Buffalo Arms and a world class shooter in his own right. He stated my alloy was the problem or my technic. He also stated a bottom pour melter would not get the quality boolits I desired. I needed to ladle pour.


He also explained that cable lead, while thought to be pure lead is not always the case. His comments motivated me to buy from Rotometals some 30/1 alloy lead/tin mix. I needed to clean my pot of all the cable lead in preparation for the foundry alloy. This is when I had the problem described in my OP. As I have stated I ordered a Lee Magnum pot with 20 lbs capacity and will use my PID for temp control and a RCBS ladle upon the recommendation of Dave Gullo.

Having received my Lee pot and RCBS ladle and the foundry alloy from Rotometals, I have had several casting sessions using this new ladle pour method. I can say without a doubt the ladle pour method gives the best results. I get one reject in 50 boolits cast.

My bad experience with RCBS customer service is not the reason I'm changing over to the Lee Magnum furnace, it's simply the bottom pour does not do the job I need for the boolits I'm casting. It may work just fine for .45 acp or 9mm small cavity boolits, but for reasons I am not aware, the bottom pour does not work well for large cavity molds, IN MY OPINION.

Beagle 333 (see post #26) has a link to pics of the innards of the Pro Melt so you can see what you're getting for premium pricing from RCBS. The comments on that thread are very interesting and quite a bit different from the comments on this thread.

After many years of buying , battering, swapping, trading, not only guns and gun related items, I sometimes realize I paid too much for what I received, because the value was not there. I usually just move on and chalk it up to a learning experience. I have moved on in this case and while I plan to sell the Pro Melt once I get the pot to working properly with no leaks. Those who are contemplating a purchase can consider my comments and make their own conclusions about their purchase based upon their needs and expectations.

[VHoward]

That makes more sense. Bottom pour pots do not pour fast enough to get good fill out on large cavities. A good ladle will work well. The RCBS ladle is good. Many have liked the Rowell ladles.
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/casting_ladle_bottom2.htm

For me, the Pro Melt was worth the premium price. I started with a Lee Production Pot IV and had to constantly fiddle with it to get it to work right and it's temp control was a joke. The Pro Melt has been trouble free. And yes, the largest bullet I cast is a 230 grain 45 caliber round nose.

[dromia]

I run two RCBS Promelts, one of which was bought second hand and missing some parts an email to RCBS and the sent the part to me FOC.

Comparing the RCBS to the Lee is like comparing apples and organges, although they may basically have the same constituent parts the Promelts quality and ergonomics is far superior. My promelts have never dripped my Lees have from day one despite every fix suggested being applied. My biggest bugbear with the Lee was that I had to raise it up to near eye level to be able to see the spout. With the Promelt I just need to have it at bench height to see what I'm doing.

RCBS and the Promelts have been everything good that has been said about them, I suspect that the OP is the exception that proves the rule.

[DR Owl Creek]

MidWay USA advertised the Pro Melt last year about this time for $319.95. It wasn't in stock, but I ordered one anyway. It came sometime in December. I got the $50 rebate coupon, and that brought the total delivered price down to around $275. I'm quite pleased with mine.


Dave

[Beagle333]

I got mine about a month ago, $295 shipped (with rebate) and I don't want my money back! I hooked my PID to it this weekend and casting was just pure enjoyment! :D

[abunaitoo]

I wish I had a RCBS Pro melt.
For 10 years I've been using a Lee #10. Served me well. Even with the drip..drip...drip.
Found two Lyman #20 on Craigs list and jumped on them.
Soooo much better than the Lee. But still drip once in a while.
Fixed a RCBS for a friend once. Had to make sure it worked, so I cast a few thousand boolets.
Was tempted to keep it, but he's a good friend, so he got it back.
He gave me his old pot. Now I have 2 Lee #10.
He had bought a Lee #20 while I fixed the RCBS. It's now collecting dust.
Boolet casting is a learned art. It's not something that can be done correctly from the get-go.
New first time casters would be better off starting with a ladle. Learn the art. Then try a bottom pour.
Boolet casting is not for everyone.
I've seen boolets from people who have been doing it for a long time, and they look really bad.
Like anything else. Some can, and some cannot.

[daengmei]

I've yet to use the Promelt I bought in early summer. Still making ingots and some mold use using a Rowell ladle to get a feel for pouring boolits. Ya'll are making me feel good that I bought one. I have been able to get some good boolits with the ladle....just way too many culls trying to learn. It's all for a good time though.

[Fluxed]

To the original poster: I'll give you $50.00 for the Pro Melt shipped to me. Pack it well please.


:bigsmyl2:

[oneMOA]

To the original poster: I'll give you $50.00 for the Pro Melt shipped to me. Pack it well please.


:bigsmyl2:

Fluxed, It would seem you're a bit off the mark with you $50 offer. Based on the glowing rebuttals to my OP I think the a fair price would be a bit below street price, but not much. My opinion of the pot seems to be in the minority based on those who posted on my thread. I suspect that the ebay auction would determine the market price. Perhaps your $50 offer could be considered an opening bid or maybe your offer is what you think the value of the Pro Melt actually is.

[VHoward]

I think Fluxed's post was in bad taste.

[dikman]

Nah, you can't blame a guy for trying.....;-).

[Hardcast416taylor]

Just got a flyer from Midway. For the next week they are selling the RCBS pot for $345, that`s $20 off the retail price. Couple this with the $50 rebate from RCBS and the pot cost is now under $300.Robert

[rockrat]

I don't think the heating element goes all the way to the bottom of the pot. Probably only starts about 1.5" above the bottom of the pot and it will take awhile for the lead to get to where it will melt, all the while, the middle of the pot glowing red.

[VHoward]

If you look at the thread linked to in post #25, you will see pictures of the heating element and how far it goes down the pot. In the 5th and 6th pictures, you will see that the heating element goes all the way to the bottom.

I had a Lee pot and the heating element in it was like you described and did not go all the way to the bottom.

[Beagle333]

I believe the element going all the way to the bottom is the reason the spout rarely "freezes" on RCBS pots. :D

[GLL]

"Is the RCBS Pro Melt worth the money"?Yes !

And so is the Magma 40-pound pot !

Jerry

[seagiant]

"Is the RCBS Pro Melt worth the money"?

Yes !

And so is the Magma 40-pound pot !

Jerry

Hi,
I was going to buy the Magma 40 # pot and waited to long. They went beyond what I was willing to pay. Had a hunch and called the nice lady at RCBS and asked if she had a "second" Pro-Melt and she did!

Cost me $200 at the time and when I got it, all I could see was a little ding on the left corner that you had to actually look for!

[chloe123]

Pays to ask!

[Beagle333]

I have only used mine for a week and now I'm pretty sure I need a second one. :cool:

[dikman]

Funnily enough, I went through the same process! I couldn't justify the (high) cost of another RCBS, though, so went with the Lee.

[truckerdave397]

So how does the Lyman Mag 20 com pair to the RCBS pro melt. Anybody own both? I have an older Lyman and thinking about upgrading. Thanks Dave

[David2011]

My Pro-Melt is at least 32 years old and still works as if new. It drips a little but not enough for me to worry about it. At the price back when it was purchased, that's a cost of ownership of around $5-$6/year and dropping.

David

[odinohi]

So how does the Lyman Mag 20 com pair to the RCBS pro melt. Anybody own both? I have an older Lyman and thinking about upgrading. Thanks Dave

i my opinion, the mag 20 sux and the promelt doesn't

[VHoward]

Any specific reason?

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got two of them. there great pots. Are they worth the 30 percent more over a lyman? I dont know. I do know though that the peace of mind of having rcbs behind them made the differnce for me. Lyman sucks with its customer support.

[youngmman]

I have not used the RCBS but have used the Lyman Mag 20 in the past. I got rid of the Lyman and bought a Magma Master Pot. It works great but is a little pricy but what is an item worth that works wonderfully well and will likely do so forever?

[Smoke4320]

At one time I had 4 lee 20LB pots .. All of them would leak a little .. just enough to be annoying .. sold them to fund a pro melt .. So very glad I did ..
combined with a PID, the ease of use , the non freezing spout, the positive flow start and stop make it a massive upgrade

[odinohi]

Any specific reason?

The spout constantly froze up. Very unproductive

[VHoward]

The spout constantly froze up. Very unproductive
That would be reason enough for me to replace it too.