What Was the Worst Press You've Ever Owned?

[RGMJ]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted a run down of presses to avoid.

Just started reloading 2011 and getting reading to invest in a new press.

I have an old Lyman All American which I want to replace.

Thanks for your replies!!

[garym1a2]

Lee loadmaster. Primer feed dont work. Rest of machine is quiky. Too bad as the classic turrent is great. Save money and get a 550b.

[winelover]

Lyman Orange Crusher! Too much slop in the ram. Currently, on second set of linkage.

Winelover

[Bret4207]

Worst? I've never had a bad one! Love my All American for instance. I can't think of any "bad" press, some are just built heavier than others. For general reloading I really like my Co-Ax and for a light press for priming and such there's a Lee, I forget the model, that is fine. There are 3 or 4 others here too. Baring lost parts, rust or "The Bubba Factor" I can't think of a "bad" one.

[Poygan]

RCBS Green Machine in .38/.357,

[btroj]

Like Bret I haven't owned a bad press. I think a single stage press would be pretty hard to screw up. A progressive is much easier for a company to design poorly.

I would ask how a single tags press can be "bad"? Other than how it handles primers, new and spent, they are all pretty much the same, aren't they?

[Jack Stanley]

Bret might gather quite an opinion army with him on this one , I agree with him too . I never had an All American press by Lyman though I did have a Spartan and a Spar-T in my early days . I didn't like how they threw spent primers all over the place since I was reloading in the den and the vacum cleaner hated picking them up . The good part is , that downfalling if you can call it that led me into a CO-AX and a Dillon .

I kind of wish I had kept the Spartan but I did replace it with a Pacific press that gets used , just not for depriming . They are all pretty similar in the way they work , about the only real difference is the quality of the press itself .

One of the fellas at work bought one of the LEE multiple station presses when they became available . I think that is the reason he gave up shooting and took up golf . In defense of LEE though , I have a LEE hand press that gets used a little and it works fine for the little it's used . But it too is rather simple and hard to mess up .

[seagiant]

Hi,
Never had a "bad" one! Loved them all!!!

[MBTcustom]

Confucius say, no such thing as bad press, only bad operator.

[gnoahhh]

Ah, so true, Grasshopper!

I too never had a 'bad' press, but then again I never messed with any el-cheapo ones either. My main press is an old Lyman Orange Crusher that is as tight as the day I bought it.

I did have an early generation Hornady progressive shotshell press that had me cussing a lot, I gave it away (with full disclosure) and went MEC like I should've done in the first place. The guy I gave it to ended up throwing it in a dumpster!

[UNIQUEDOT]

There are no bad presses made today, but there are some people that can't run a good one.

[BRobertson]

The worst I have used is the LEE 1000 progresive

It was a piece of junk

Bob

[Ickisrulz]

I don't believe I've read anything positive on the Smartreloader presses.

[rda72927]

Have to go with Bret on this one. Used an old RCBS JR for years before I " moved up " in models.

[Cowboy T]

Confucius say, no such thing as bad press, only bad operator.

Or, as Sitting Bull might've put it, "it ain't the arrow, it's the Indian."

[Crawdaddy]

Lee Load Master, hands down was the worst I have had.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[3006guns]

I've never had a bad press, although I had a friend who ordered an RCBS "Piggyback" unit for his Rock Chucker. I guess it was designed to make a progressive out of a single stage press, as Dillon was beginning to make inroads into the business. My friend was a PHD and was assisted by two other college professors. After three days of cussing, he finally fired off a letter to RCBS and they took the unit back and refunded his money, INCLUDING shipping. It surprised me that RCBS would market something so poorly engineered as the rest of their equipment is top notch in my opinon.

As for the older Pacifics, Lymans, Hollywoods, etc....despite being older designs, they're rock solid reloading tools. Not as polished as the new girls on the block but they'll get the job done and they can be had at bargain prices to boot.

As for "Smart Reloader" brand, I've only heard derogatory remarks about their bottom of the line $19.95 press and nothing about their more expensive toggle link unit.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I refuse to buy junk, so I avoid any press beginning with the letters L-E-E.

[dagger dog]

My first Lee Loader in 357 Magnum was the worst press I ever owned, just couldn't get that hammer to work by it's self, it just sat there on the table and didn't hit a lick !

[LUBEDUDE]

I refuse to buy junk, so I avoid the any press beginning with the letters L-E-E.

I was in a bad mood when I logged on. But Kevin, you just made my day! I can't stop laughing.