Lyman MAG 25 first use report

[Buzz64]

Well, after nearly two years of waiting, it came yesterday. I unpacked it, checked it over and plugged it in with a load of lead to see what would happen. All went well and after about 25 minutes I had a pot full and setting the PID to 750 had a steady (+/- 2 degrees) pot ready to go. I looked at the mold guide set-up and found it wouldn't work with my MiHec molds - which I already knew thanks to other posts here. Anyway I unplugged and let it cool over-night. Then took out the factory guide (had to drill a hole in the left side to get the long bolt out of the back) and made a 'custom' guide (platform really) that fit my desired mold height. Fired it back up and again, about 25 minutes later had lead up to temp which it held steady, again +/- 2 degrees. After heating mold on hot plate at same time tried my first pour. Hello, forgot to check the pour rate and had a pretty good overflow from the mold which you can see in the pic below. Got the screw driver and wrench and adjusted and off I went. BTW, the head on the flow metering screw is small compared to what it needs to be and you have to be careful to get it tightened down so you reliably catch the lift handle rod. So far I like what it does - holds 5 pounds more than my Lee 4-20 and PID holds temp as well as my FROZONE PID in my Lee. Now I have a backup or if I'm really serious, I can jump from one to the other for a marathon session without waiting for warm- up on refills. Here are a couple pics from this am. The box of boolits in back were made yesterday with my Lee/Frozone PID set-up. These are MiHec 402190 with large HP pins which drop them at 188, lubed and sized.

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[GLL]

Nicely done ! Thank you !

Please keep us updated with your impressions.
I had serious doubts about this pot but owners seem to be happy.

Jerry

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Are those finally becoming available for purchase? IF so, what are they running price wise?

[LynC2]

I'm very happy with mine so far and the only complaint I have is a bit of dripping on occasion. My old Saeco and Lee haven't been used since I got it. They are relegated to special batches for BP and whatever.

[Buzz64]

Dave - $239 shipped from Brownell's

Lyn - no drips yet - then again my Lee never dripped either. I never draw down below about an inch or two from the bottom and use fluxed clean alloy only in my bottom pours.

[LynC2]

Dave - $239 shipped from Brownell's

Lyn - no drips yet - then again my Lee never dripped either. I never draw down below about an inch or two from the bottom and use fluxed clean alloy only in my bottom pours.

Mine didn't at first either; but after a couple of thousand the valve may have clogged up with some crud from the WW ingots I am using. I most likely just need to drain it and clean the valve area. I'm very pleased with it so far. I did add an external fan to cool off the electronics and pot on shut down as a preventive measure for "just in case". I'm very happy with mine so far in spite of all the "nay sayers". Even if the electronics (PID) fail, it is still a bargain.

[foesgth]

Thanks for the review. I've been wanting one of these, but, every time I go look they are sold out.

[LynC2]

Thanks for the review. I've been wanting one of these, but, every time I go look they are sold out.

They were on back order for a very long time and about the only ones that got one were on the B.O. list. I'm sure the pipeline will fill up eventually, but may take awhile.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Wow, they've went from $239 shipped to $249 before shipping at Brownell's already. Gotta love that.

[Buzz64]

I was on the waiting list since April 2013 - when I started it was $225. Through the months it went up to 239 but I got them to drop the shipping charges due to the long wait.

[kweidner]

Very nice. One of my boards went crazy on the bullet master. Might have to go back to hand casting lol. A couple years ago I bought an RCBS to replace my old Lee's. Wish this was available at the time. I still cast my cores by hand for swaging.

[OuchHot!]

I will bet that rcbs pro-melt (I've had one since dinosaur era) will drop in price quite a lot and that the first slight problem with the lyman will have orgasms of "I told you so!" from the nay sayers.......glad to see rcbs getting some competition!

[Buzz64]

OK, update on my 'new' furnace. I love it. Have cycled it at least 9 times from completely cold to casting temp (750 for me). Have over 7,000 boolits completed. First, I did have to add a nut to the limit bolt beneath the plate holding it on. It seems the plate is threaded and one nut on top to fix height. That didn't hold the bolt firmly and allowed the bolt to be pulled up with the lifting of the flow lever. With the nut added below, it holds firmly and keeps the bolt straight up so the lever positively contacts it every time. I found that you need to set the flow when the pot is about two inches from being empty - other wise you end up with a slow dribble that didn't do a good job on filling the base of the boolits. Gravity when full makes it flow a lot faster - just have to find the happy medium between too fast when full and too slow when nearly empty. Temp is amazingly accurate. NEVER more than one degree up or down once it settles the first time on selected temp. When heating from cold it does go about 10 over before dropping back to selected temp and from then on it's perfection. I have checked the air flowing out of the cooling fan ports and have never felt anything close to warm air coming out - seems to run cool as a cucumber. Even turned it off and went back 20 minutes later and plugged it in to feel the air and it was still cool so doesn't seem to build up heat when unplugged and the fan stops running. Bottom line is I'm glad I waited and got this one.

[dikman]

Thanks Buzz, always good to have feedback on something new (particularly something like this), and your comments line up with Lync's. Time will tell, of course, but so far they don't seem too bad. Based on what Lync has said, I would certainly be modifying one if I got it, but that's just me.

[Smoke4320]

Buzz64
Thanks for the update as well .. I was on the fence over this product because of the PID being located so close to the pot and Lymans known lack of customer service.. but if its working well I may have to get one as a backup to the Pro melt and PID

[Buzz64]

I have a Lee Pro IV-20 with frozone PID also. Thought this would be my backup also but it is the other way around - until I start with the aluminum blocks and may just have both going!

[SSGOldfart]

Humm I waited two years then picked up a really good SAECO pot from Scott and a new Lyman Mold Master XX as a back up it's never had lead in it. So I'm not planning to spend more on a pot when I can just add the PID that I've already ordered I hope you enjoy it and please keep us posted so if you have problems at least we'll know what to lookout for.

[GLL]

Bump to see if any other members have received their new MAG 25 pot !
It appears these are still pretty rare and out-of-stock everywhere !

Jerry

[Buzz64]

Just another update for those concerned with the pid location and durability. Over 400# of lead through the Mag now and still dead on accurate. No drips and still only takes about 20 minutes from stone cold to melted metal. This one is a winner.

[Catshooter]

That's a sweet report Buzz. No drips is impressive!


Cat

[cajun shooter]

It's taken Lyman an extra two years past the first release and recall to start back selling them. So far it seems they used that time to get the bugs out. Wait until they have endless hours of use before comparing with the Pro-Melt which is the current king of bottom pours. Later David

[Mal Paso]

Bump to see if any other members have received their new MAG 25 pot !
It appears these are still pretty rare and out-of-stock everywhere !

Jerry

No, this is the only one Lyman has made so far. They are still working on how to produce more than 1 a year.;)

[Catshooter]

No, this is the only one Lyman has made so far. They are still working on how to produce more than 1 a year.;)

Yea, but it's a good'n! :)


Cat

[GLL]

No, this is the only one Lyman has made so far. They are still working on how to produce more than 1 a year.;)

:) :)

Jerry

[Southron]

Well, I have a Lyman 25 Pound lead pot that I purchased something like 20 years ago. Last year it "died" on me. I shipped it back to Lyman and asked them to fix it.

Well, two weeks later I got it back.

When I opened the box, there was a piece of paper in the box. The paper said: "Repair 1 Lyman Electric Lead Furnace....N/C"

Needless to say, I think the world of those wonderful people at Lyman.