which bottom pour melting pot is best, and why?

[BossHoss]

I like my very old LYMAN Model 61 with mould guide. Outworks my Lee , outmelts my Lee,..fatter spout, more adjustable.

[Sasquatch-1]

I have the little Lee 10lb front pour pot. It leaks quite a bit. That being said I got into casting to save money.
After nearly burning my face off casting on the stove and having a lead eruption due to moister in a piece of lead, I bought the little Lee. It is a pain having to twist the stopper pin constantly to stop the dripping but for what I paid for it 25 years ago I'll deal with it until it dies. When that happens I might consider something better.

It all depends on if you have a Kia budget or a Lexus budget.

[CollinLeon]

If Lee came out with a 50-100lb pot, I would probably buy that one.

For a 50 lb pot, you're going to need an inside diameter of about 8" with a height of 8". For 100 lbs, you're looking at about 10" inside diameter and 10" in height.

For the most part, I prefer a pot that is a bit taller than it is wider so that you minimize the surface of lead exposed to air and as such, you should also reduce the lead oxides produced.

[BossHoss]

Gunshows are the way to find a pot that needs a home.

I got my LYMAN Model 61 for 20 bucks at a gun show. Can't beat that with a stick.

yup, I had to fix her up a bit, clean it, fix up the connections. But boy, it sure outworks that Lee 10lb dripper. I worked that Lee over, and it is a good pot, it works. period.

But the LYMAN that is twice it's age or more outshines it by a mile.

It seems there are multiple tacks one can take in getting equipment. New: budget or premium, or Vintage. It seems to me I gravitate towards Vintage ....

Like that old Frigidaire refrigerator.....it still works at 65 years and counting, or the old ......well you know.

Vintage......and the patience to find it.

[sig2009]

Lee 20 lb pot. I would never pay $300 for a pot to melt lead!

[h8dirt]

"I'll bet not nearly as many of the 4-20 pots leak as folks would have you believe."

True, no doubt. But, when the flimsy operating arrangement on my 4-20 (mine had the slotted stem with the adjustment screw apparently made from cast off jar lid material) decided to fail and dumped about 5 pounds of molten lead on my workbench, shop floor and everything in between, I didn't find the aforementioned fact particularly comforting. And, I'll bet I'm not alone.

If you have a 4-20 and are happy with it, good on ya'! However, my advice would be to have a recovery plan just in case. Keep about 5 pounds of lead scraps (culls, sprues, etc) handy to use as a "kill shot". If you get that unstoppable flow, just unplug the pot and dump in the cold lead. That will save the situation and allow an appropriate recovery. I figured this out after the first time -- and after the 3rd or 4th time, I bought the RCBS unit.

[Doubless]

I have two RCBS Pro-Melts and an original Ohio Thermal that I bought used back in the early 90s, if memory serves. I have had the Ohio Thermal pot converted to a ladle pot only (spout welded shut and legs cut off so the pot rests on the stand), and use one of the Pro-Melts. The second one, bought used about two years ago, sits in its original box, ready to go if and when I ever need it. But I am not holding my breath...

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I bought an RCBS Pro-melt in 1979. it never dripped or acted up in any way; its still in service for me. Forgot what I paid for it then, but it was a lot less than what they charge now. No experience with the Lyman line other than starting out with a 10# pot and a ladle one upon a time. Did have a Lee 10# many years ago...Tough to stir in and it leaked a lot...was always afraid to leave it alone for more than a minute or two. LLS

[MT Chambers]

I like the RCBS and "danged the cost", I believe that the pot is lined in Stainless steel and if so, should last a long time, won't comment on Lees.

[kcajeel]

I just read the "limited warranty" from RCBS. It may say what it does but I had a sidewinder tumbler fixed last winter that I bought used. The RCBS people never asked me for a receipt or if I was the original purchaser. All I was told was to send it into the shop with a note and they'd fix it. And they did for free.
It looks like they have the warranty but they go ahead and fix it anyhow.
I still buy RCBS when I can. Just bought a Pro Melt furnace.

[afish4570]

Have be melting lead in my old Lyman Pot and refilling my trusty Lee to keep up with production on my 6 cav. lee molds. Running two pots makes a large run possible without having alot of wait time till one pot heats up enough to be productive.....Works for me.....My old Lee Pot is one of the early ones....still plugging along. If I replace it I will buy the Lee 20# pot for around $70 or whatever they are going for.....afish4570

[cwskirmisher]

I'm kind of in the same quandary.

So far, here are a few ideas:

1. Fill it up with molten zinc and use it as a wheel chalk for the nosewheel of my Cessna.

2. Fill it up with molten zinc and use it as a trotline anchor weight.

3. Fill it up with molten zinc and use it as a makeshift anvil.

4. Fill it up with molten zinc and let it drip, creating zinc-art, then sell the individual art pieces on Ebay as "vintage NEA-sponsored sculptures." (I really like this idea as it should net me enough money, off of each art piece, to buy a Star sizer for each caliber I cast)

Just a few thoughts that have come to mind. . .

In reality, I'll plug the spout and use it for ladle casting, of which I do quite a bit.

OK - Lee is getting an undeserved bad rap. I have been using a Lee Pro-4 20 lb bottom pour pot for 20 years now. It never fails. It occasionally drips, but a quick turn of the stem fixes it. Clog? A paper clip up the spout fixes it. 20 years, and it works as advertised. Like you, I use a dipper for larger caliber moulds, and with that configuration, it works flawlessly - my usual process. If you try to adjust the flow to get maximum, you can over adjust and the spout will not completely close - probably what is happening to many who say it continually drips - just trying to get too much from the spout. For the money, the Lee Pro 4-20 is a best buy. The new production have a removable/replaceable spout that just screws out/in. Lee also has a refurbishment program for 50% of retail - send in your tired pot, they send it back as new, with a new warranty. Since I really don't like to use the bottom pour much, if anymore, my next pot will be the Lee Magnum Melter. It's the same furnace as the 4-20 without the bottom spout. Inexpensive - yes. Effective - Yes. Gets my vote.
Oh, and if you use 'chalk' for your Cessna landing gear, you should not be flying. Chalk is for the classroom blackboard. Myself, I use a chock for my aircraft.

[DerekP Houston]

I went with a promelt and have been very satisfied. The lee 4-20 served me well for quite awhile and taught me how to pour. It has its quirks but does fine for the price point. I personally just wanted an upgrade and that's what I selected. If you go that route, there is a $75 rebate available from RCBS, I just got mine in the mail.

[Bulliwig]

I first had the smallest LEE, without any spout only for ladle casting. But there was something wrong with the thermostat, every now and then it freezes and it reqiuered nearly twenty minutes to get it back to temperature, in this time my molds were cold....
Understandable that I was someday really in anger, went in and ordered a ProMelt. Even if we can buy LEE pots here at about 100 to 150 Euro and the ProMelt is over 500. But since then, I never look back. This melter is awesome. Yeah, it was expensive, really expensive. Would I do it again? I don't know. Do I regret that I've done it? NEVER!!

Wish you all a nice evening,
Timo

[lightman]

This is kind of an old thread, but I've had really good service from my ProMelt. I also had good service from my old Lyman 10# pot but the cord seemed to be the week point. If not for the RCBS pot I would look at the Magma 40# pot.

[Strtspdlx]

My Lee pot drips to no end. However fluxing recently what I thought was clean lead in the pot when alloying I pulled out easily 3-4 tablespoons of brake dust or debri. I had always thought my I gots where clean. This has led (no pun intended) me to believe that I'm not doing my part so the pot can do its part. Once again all my I gots go back into my rendering pot to be cleaned for the third time.

[DerekP Houston]

My Lee pot drips to no end. However fluxing recently what I thought was clean lead in the pot when alloying I pulled out easily 3-4 tablespoons of brake dust or debri. I had always thought my I gots where clean. This has led (no pun intended) me to believe that I'm not doing my part so the pot can do its part. Once again all my I gots go back into my rendering pot to be cleaned for the third time.

I need to get another bag of sawdust for my next recovery melt. I'm probably guilty of not fluxing them quite as much when I started out. I just save all the dross and skimmings and will flux all the valuable scrap back in for the next batch.

[bob208]

back in 72 I bought a layman 10lb. pot. still using it. it went back about 25 years ago and they put a new thermostat on it. I use it for pure lead. in 81 I bought a new 20 lb. pot for mix lead still using it no problems at all.

the only thing the new thermostat cost me was shipping back to layman.

[Pee Wee]

I have a 20 year old RCBS pot and about 2 years ago it decided to drop all 20lbs of lead that I had just set up to cast. Called RCBS got an RO# and sent it back. They completely went thur it and put all new parts in it and did not charge me anything. I have had nothing but good dealing with RCBS. That is why I try to buy RCBS when I can.

[edwardware]

Yeah, another vote for the Lee 20# pot. . .

I enjoy the hobby, but I don't need a Lamborghini of a pot to melt with. I bought the Lee, read the directions, and have never wanted for more.

Well, maybe a casting boy to cast my bullets for me, for free, but other than that. . .