I want a press

[DeanoBeanCounter]

I'm look to buy a press with two things in mind.
1. Won't break the bank.
2. Is amni...amna...Oh, can be used equally with either hand.
I already have a Lee hand held but want to mount one on the bench.
I am right handed but like to switch hands once in a while for a rest.
The pictures of presses are not always clear enough.
Can anybody help?
Thanks
Dean

[SCOTT ARTHUR]

Dean,
Get yourself a LEE Classic Cast press & don't look back! Hands down the best ambedextrous (sp?) press for the money.

Scott

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Lee Classic Turret is what I have. Won't break the bank, handle can be switched, and mounts on a bench. Works quite well.

[calkar]

X2 for the lee Classic 4 hole Turret about $95, but a real cheap start would be the lee $28 single stage. You can always upgrade later to the turret and use the single stage for sizing boolits, Thats what I do.

[klcarroll]

Do you notice that the common denominator here is the name LEE??

(I have three of Lee's old "three hole" turret presses, ....and I would never even THINK of selling them!)


Kent

[Le Loup Solitaire]

So far you have been given good advice. The Lee classic cast press (one station) is a really solid press and it is reasonably priced. It is strong and left or right handed. I've got two of them The 4 station version, also reasonably priced is also strong and quick. Also a sound value. Their old 3 holer, now update-able to 4 holer is also a good buy. Got one of those. You won't go wrong with any of the foregoing. The quality and engineering is good and the pricing is sane. Saeco, RCBS, Hornady and Lyman presses are good quality, but you will pay significantly....a lot more. There are also now cheap knockoffs floating around for like cheap, but they are ***'s and poorly made. They look like a bargain, but avoid them. LLS

[steg]

I started out in the 70s with a RCBS JR3, good press, it's still my main workhorse, I recently picked up a LEE (thats all it says on the press) it's offset cast aluminium? "O" type, single stage press. I got this one to use on a moveable station to use while watching TV in the living room, I'm Widowed so I can get away with this, but I wish SWIMBO was still around to put the Kibash on it. Its a darn good press that I bought from one of the members here, and I wouldn't have a problem with it as my main press, If I were you I would also post this on want to buy and tell just what your looking for, Theirs a great bunch of Guys here that will help you out, I know I've been helped out alot myself...............steg

[Love Life]

+1 for the classic turret 4 holer. I have used Dillons for years and always snubbed lee turret and progressive presses, but after helping a budget minded friend set up his classic turret I ordered one for my self. Yeah it may take 4 pulls of the handle, but you can load a lot faster than you can with a single stage. Plenty of people (my self included at times) will hate on Lee, but they are very hard to beat price, quality, and ingenuity wise. Hell I use several auto disks for all of my reloading on my Dillon RL550B.

[eglidrider]

I have a Lee 1000 progressive for my higher volume 9mm loads and a Lee 3-stage turret that I use for .38 Spcl / 357 Mag and .45 ACP. Both work extremely well and neither are expensive. I also have a Lee single stage the I use for .303 British, 308 & occassionaly 7.62 x 39.

[Reverend Recoil]

Pick a RCBS JR or Lyman Spartan press off of Ebay.

[Ben]

lee Classic 4 hole Turret

[1hole]

Only ambidexterous press I know of is the Forster Coax, great press and the handle comes straight out so it's equally clumsy with either hand. But, it will break a lot of guy's bank so I'd go with Lee's Classic Cast or Classic Turret.

[selmerfan]

The Lee Classic Cast is ambidextrous, as is the Forster. I love my Forster, but I loaded many thousands of rounds on a Rockchucker as well. I sold the Rockchucker.

[DCM]

Only ambidextrous press I know of is the Forster Coax, great press and the handle comes straight out so it's equally clumsy with either hand. But, it will break a lot of guy's bank so I'd go with Lee's Classic Cast or Classic Turret.

+1 I have a Forster and love it, but it isn't cheap.

The Lyman orange crusher is ambidextrous also but it requires moving the handle from one side to the other or ordering another handle.

[1hole]

It appears Deano wants to change hands as he's working. If so, he seems to want something instantly reversable just by changing hands. So far as I know, that's limited to the Co-ax. Moving the handle on a Lee Classic or Lyman requires a few minutes and a couple of wrenches. It's not hard but they aren't "ambidexterous" in the sense he is likely to use. I think.

But, Deano, if you are going to be loading in such large volumes as to fatigue an arm you need a progressive, not a single stage. ??

[Dan Cash]

I'm look to buy a press with two things in mind.
1. Won't break the bank.
2. Is amni...amna...Oh, can be used equally with either hand.
I already have a Lee hand held but want to mount one on the bench.
I am right handed but like to switch hands once in a while for a rest.
The pictures of presses are not always clear enough.
Can anybody help?
Thanks
Dean

Forum member jason has a Lyman Spar-T press advertised for $80 in the swapping and selling section. It is ten times the press that a Lee is, takes standard shell holders, is ambidexterous and offers easy access to the ram/shell holder. Take a look. If you buy it and don't like it, I will take it off your hands for the same money.
Dan

[PacMan]

1 Hole i remove the handle from my CO-AX for 90% of my reloading.Only use it to full lrngth some of the larger rifle rounds.

Works great

[firebrick43]

Forum member jason has a Lyman Spar-T press advertised for $80 in the swapping and selling section. It is ten times the press that a Lee is, takes standard shell holders, is ambidexterous and offers easy access to the ram/shell holder. Take a look. If you buy it and don't like it, I will take it off your hands for the same money.
Dan

I would disagree with the 10 times statement. I own a Lyman t mag and it is not a bad press but I have stopped priming on it as my lee classic cast o frame( and their turrents) have the lever prime with the safety prime feeder and it is so much better than the lymans set up. Also the lymans spare turrents are 35$ and take much longer to change over than the lees turrents and are not as stiff. I have been seriously considering selling my Lyman and getting a lee.

[calkar]

I traded for a lyman turret a few weeks ago, never got a chance to check one out before. After looking it over I have no interest in bolting it to the bench. Its going to need some work to re-enline the turret stops so that the die hole lines up with the ram, Im glad I dont have much in it.

[Cowboy T]

For my Magnum-level .45 Colts, I use the Lee Classic Turret, so you'll get another vote for that press.

But for high volume, I use a progressive press, specifically a Lee Pro 1000. It already comes complete with dies, primer mechanism, and the case feeder setup. The only thing I add to it is the case collator that fits on top of the case feeder tubes. Total package cost: $185, including shipping.

Why do I suggest you consider a Pro 1000? This is why. After one hour, without rushing one bit or getting tired, I can have just over 300 good rounds of .45 Colt or about 375 good rounds of .38/357. The press is not ambidextrous, no. But remember, you've got to take breaks anyway to re-stock the case feeder tubes, the powder hopper, and the primer tray. That takes a couple of minutes. I frequently do 2- and even 3-hour sessions with my Pro 1000 without any problems. Keep in mind that every hour results in 300+ rounds.