Lyman mag 20 broken

[walker77]

I need help with my mag 20 before i go taking it apart. I had just got done casting, and decided to cast just a few more. So i plugged it back in and waited about 30 minutes and went back to it and nothing is melted. The light is on, i turned it down to 1 and you can hear the it click that it reached temp, turned it back up and the light came back on. It feels like it is trying to work, but only getting up to around 150. Any ideas? Im assuming its the heating element that has gone out. But looking over the lyman page, they dont have that listed on the parts list. Would i be able to call them to get other parts? Thanks.

[Echo]

My guess is that the heating element has cratered. If the control is cycling, the only other element is the heater. On second thought, it is probably a bad contact on the heating element, allowing some current to flow, but not the full load, so the element gets warm enough to cycle, but not hot. If you have a multimeter you might be able to troubleshoot it, or you might just open it up and looksee. As I said, it is a pretty stupid piece of equipment and should be easy to troubleshoot. And I am sure that you can get a new heating element from someone, if not Lyman.

[walker77]

Yeah i just got done taking it apart. I didnt even need the voltmeter. The stupid heating element broke in half and fell out when i was taking all the insulation out. Looking at the parts diagram, it looks like lyman is going to MAKE me send it in to have it serviced. I bought this piece of junk thinking it would be better than a lee pot. How good are the lee pots compaired to the lyman? It will probably be cheaper to buy a new lee than send this in. I did see a lee heating element listed on midway, does anyone know if this will work?

[Calamity Jake]

Sent it to Lyman and let them fix it!! I've had 2 mag 20s for over 20 years, never had a problem, but someday I will.
Bought a Lee, once, had it about a week, never again!!!

[gasboffer]

I had a Lyman. The thermostat went out. Called them, they said they do not stock thermostats, very superior talking woman. Told her to kiss my .... foot!

[Echo]

W77, you already have the furnace apart. Are you in a large enough city where there might be a small appliance repair shop? If so, you could check with them to see if they have, or can obtain, an appropriate element for your furnace.

Or you could go online and google 'electric furnace heating elements' and check it out. SOMEONE makes that furnace for Lyman.

If you are in this group, I have faith that you have the chops to fix it yourself.

Or you could send it back to Lyman and wait forever to get it back...

[Larry Gibson]

A couple years back I had a problem with my Mag 20. I thought the element was burned out. I called Lyman and was advised to send it back even though it was over the warrenty period. I sent it back and it returned in several weeks. I did not expect "next day service" and was pleasantly surprised at the "quick" service. Also it was not not the heating element but a bad wire. It was fixed at no charge and returned shipping paid.

I feel I got very excellent service from Lyman and all employees I have talked with over many years have all been pleasant. Perhaps if we express their product is "junk" then we might expect a little "arrogance"? Anyways I've always been pleased with Lymans service and products. Yes there are some problems now and then but isn't there with any product? I would suggest boxing it up and sending it to Lyman if you can't find the part and fix it yourself.

Larry Gibson

BTW; To get the unmelted allow out of it I laid the furnace on its side on a cinder block and melted the alloy out with an acetlyne torch. I let the alloy run out into my cast iron dutch oven I use to melt WWs and mix alloys. That way I didn't pay for shipping the heavy alloy.

[TAWILDCATT]

I just fixed a saeco pot that the thermoste went bad jumped the wires and bought a Harbor freight "router speed control"it works like a charm.$15.