new sizer

[Catch]

I would like the opinion on which lube/sizer is the absolute best buy at this time.
My old one has given out and has served me well for a long time. Its time to invest................Catch:Fire:

[Calehedron]

BEST is the Star Sizer from Magma Eng if you have the money to spend on it and decking it out. Next one on the list would be the Lyman 4500 w/heater element for around $140 plus dies.

I have a 4500 for harder lubes, an older 450 for soft lubes and planning on getting a Star just after the first of the year to increase the speed of lubesizing. Going all out and getting all the bells and whistles, about $600.

[Down South]

Another vote for Star as the best. The 4500 or an RCBS would be next up.

[No_1]

I have had RCBS, Lyman, Seaco and Star in that order. I traded the RCBS off, gave the Lyman away and still have the Seaco for rifle work and the Star for pistol work. If I had to do it all over again I would go Star all the way. There are lots of options for the Star. Currently mine is stock from the factory. The next modification will be the pressure lube system and then a bullet feeder (if I cannot figure out how to make one first).

Robert

[mtgrs737]

If you are high volume pistol kind of guy the Star is the king. However the Lyman and the RCBS are half the price and the dies are cheaper too. I also like the no nose punch needed with the star, I have four flat punches for nose first sizing. If you get the Star also get the air cylinder kit and the shovel handle, they make sizing large amounts a breeze.

[cajun shooter]

Plus One on MTGRS737 post. No1 go with the shovel handle, for $27 it's the slick as -----------

[No_1]

I keep forgetting about the shovel handle but get reminded by the Star everytime I do a marathon sizing session. I saw where a member posted his home made handle. Looks pretty good and worth a try.

Robert


Plus One on MTGRS737 post. No1 go with the shovel handle, for $27 it's the slick as -----------

[EDK]

If you're a serious pistol shooter, you need 4-to-6 cavity moulds, a STAR lubri-sizer and a 550 DILLON ( or equivalent progressive reloader!)

You gonna cast some boolits for them pistols or whistle Dixie?

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[HeavyMetal]

another vote for the Star!

Options needed should be based on how much you shoot, or plan to shoot, in the future.

For the average guy and 4 or 5 Hundred rounds a month the standard Star with a shovel handle is the hot ticket!

If your going to use hard lubes a heater will be needed, not nessasarily the one from Magma.

[Catshooter]

Can't argue with the Star recomendations, never used one.

However, I can and will dispute the Lyman over the RCBS people. I've been watching the threads here for more than two years for an RCBS for sale (esp one of the older ones) and I've seen exactly zero.

I have seen plenty of Lymans up for sale though, and lots of threads of "How do I fix my Lyman". I don't recall any for fixing an RCBS. Undoubtedly someone will now post 91 threads each proving me wrong, but this is what I've seen/not seen.

But the clincher, and one that few will dispute is RCBS's [I]customer service.[I] No ones' is better. There are plenty of stories out there about their service, here's mine: I bought one of their Piggy Back presses used at a show. I told RCBS customer service where I got it when I was ordering the eight parts it didn't come with. They didn't care, no charge. Not even for shipping.

My loading bench is Green and always will be.


Cat

[cajun shooter]

Catshooter, You missed the one that I sold on this site around the summer time. It was almost new. I sold it to make room for the Star. The RCBS is a better sizer than the Lyman. The linkage on the lyman breaks. Look on the LBT site and see what Veral Smith Says. Sorry you missed mine.

[beagle]

Kind of depends on what you need.

If it's a lot of pistol bullets, go for the Star.

If you kind of experiment around, the old Lyman 450 is my choice. I have three and an RCBS and have had a Saeco.

Die/TP availability is pretty much a driving point. That narrows it down to Lyman and RCBS as their dies and TPs interchange. The Lyman, although it has it's glitches and quirks is a little more user friendly than the RCBS.

Then, there's the warranty on the RCBS which is golden.

Your choice. Me, I'm a Lyman 450 user (not a 4500) and I've been in this game since 1958 and started pan lubing with a 310 tool./beagle

[Catshooter]

Oh cajun! Oh the pain!

Yea, I was moving to South Dakota this summer, so I missed alot here. Oh well, I'll keep watching.

Beagle, you should sell me your old wore out beat up RCBS sizer. I want the one that the top of the lube resivor (how the heck do ya spell that?) doesn't screw in, it just sits there.



Cat

[AzShooter]

Buy a Star and you won't be sorry. Buy a 4 - six cavity mould and if you've got the money buy and LBT mould. Best mould I've used. I cast 200 bullets tonight for an experiment and they all came out of the 180 grain mould at 182 grains due to my alloy. Using my Lee six cavity the bullets average = - three grains.

[kooz]

I have a Star and it is outstanding ! my freind has two Saeco sizers' and they work perfectly, they are just a hair slower to use.

[dromia]

The Star is indeed a fine machine and is especaily good if you are sizing and lubing to one size in quantity.

The Saeco is probably the Rolls Royce of pull push sizers, however their size dies are more expensive as are their top punches. I have one but haven't used it in years because I don't have the size dies for it I need and haven't got round to springing the dosh for them.

I have three RCBS and two Lyman sizers on my bench and they all work fine, I do a lot of changing size dies and I find the RCBS/Lymans easy to set up and their size dies are interchangeable.

The RCBS sizers are very good and their backup is second to none as has been said. The Lymans are good too though, I have a 450 and the newer 4500 with heater for Carnauba red, both are fine sizers with the 450 having sized 10s of thousands of boolits over the years with no problem. The 4500 has maybe had 12,000 boolits through it over the past 2 years with ne'ry problem.

There is also a lot to be said for the Lee push throughs also especially if you are tumble lubing.

Second hand is a good way to go and the money you save can buy a sit upon heater for the sizer.

I can recommend any of the above, you pays your money and you takes your choice. :grin:

Cat, of the three RCBS and two Lymans I have the RCBS's were all bought second hand, the Lymans were bought new as there weren't any second hand ones around when I needed them.

There is no justice. :mrgreen:

[Catshooter]

There is no justice. :mrgreen:

And no rest for the wicked either! Dang little for us rightoues too. I'll just keep looking.


Cat

[happy7]

Dromia,

I have a Lyman 4500 with the made for it heater. I have been using a soft lube without heater, but I have ordered a second 4500 to start using Carnuba Red in it. I could waste an evening figuring this out by trial and error, but if you already have, maybe you could share with me/us.The 4500 heater is not adjustable that I can see. How does that work with the Carnuba Red? Do you just leave it plugged in or have you rigged a temp controller of some kind? How long does it take to warm up to lubing temp? Any other advice?