Anybody else noting super poor quality of Lee moulds lately?

[Farmer&shooter]

Between me, my son and my buddy, we have bought seven Lee moulds in the last three months. Only three didn't have to be sent back (or should have been sent back)! I couldn't get a picture to load, but the .44 240 grain tumble lube mould my son just got is more than a 1/64 inch offset! By that I mean the two halves of the mould blocks are offset by that much. Talk about a twin gas leak! (if you could even begin to get them in a case). I have about thirty Lee moulds from over the last couple of decades. Only very recently has their quality control completely gone to pot. Oh, they will send me a new one after a week or two, (and have), but even the replacements have required a half hour or so of tweaking to get them to drop a round, somewhat the right sized boolit so it will go into the sizer centered. Most of the problems have been moulds that would not close so the boolit was four or five thousanths out of round. If you try to size a boolit like that, the lube groove (s) really show the out of round original condition. The other problems have been noticeably offset blocks, in addition to one failure of the sprayed metal cam handle on a six gang.

I have always thought that having a bunch of aluminum moulds was better than having a couple expensive moulds, and that has, up until now, served me well, but I think I am about to completely give up on Lee moulds. They sure weren't made like that when Dick Lee was at the helm.

[tomme boy]

It happens. They make a bunch of perfect moulds after everyone complains for awhile. Everyone keeps sending them back. Then all of a sudden for a few months they are good again.

It is like they make all the new employees run the mold division for a few months at a time. They start out not knowing what they are doing and then when they find out they can actually run the job, they start over. I talked to Andy Lee one time and he is the one that was setting up the moulds. So according to this, he is the one to blame for the alignment issues.

I will let everyone know this. I worked at a factory that supplied stuff for your vehicle that I can guarantee that every single person here has bought at least one of these things you hang from your mirror. If you send the product back to where you got it from, they will have more pull to get things straight than if you send it back to the place that made it. These wholesalers do not take defective products lightly. Send it back to where you got from. They are also more likely to pay the shipping. Lee will not pay the shipping to get it to them.

[ShooterAZ]

I have sent back my fair share. I usually buy from Midway, and they take them back or exchange them, no questions asked. The problems have been everything from off off center mold halves, to bent sprue plates, to buggered up cavities. QC is lacking, but once in a while you will get a real keeper. My biggest complaint with Lee, is that they seem to use a really soft aluminum alloy.

[dragon813gt]

They have always been a **** shoot. There is a reason I don't own a single Lee mold anymore. I will gladly pay the custom makers more money so I get a mold to my specifications.

[dromia]

Lee have the IKEA method of quality control, get the customer to do it.

Lee products account for around 50% of my handloading equipment sales and 99% of my customer returns.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Between me, my son and my buddy, we have bought seven Lee moulds in the last three months. Only three didn't have to be sent back (or should have been sent back)!
...snip

Well, this is bad news, I haven't bought any in the last twelve months. I think I have all of the Lee 2 cav molds that I'd ever need(must be about 35 stacked up). I think I'll hang on tight to the ones I have now. I thought when they changed over to the new style alignment for the two cavity molds, that they were really putting out some good ones...again, this is bad news.
Jon

[ph4570]

I have had just the opposite experience in the last month. Bought a 45 cal 230 grain 6 holer -- the most perfect Lee mold I have and I have many. It required no leementing at all. Boolits fall out upon opening. Bought a 45 cal 200 grain 6 holer -- not as good as the other but better than the norm. I spent about 1/2 hour cleaning up the edges of the cavities. It casts well save for one cavity that does require a tap to drop the boolit.

Yes it is a **** shoot.

[A pause for the COZ]

It happens. They make a bunch of perfect moulds after everyone complains for awhile. Everyone keeps sending them back. Then all of a sudden for a few months they are good again.

It is like they make all the new employees run the mold division for a few months at a time. They start out not knowing what they are doing and then when they find out they can actually run the job, they start over. I talked to Andy Lee one time and he is the one that was setting up the moulds. So according to this, he is the one to blame for the alignment issues.

I will let everyone know this. I worked at a factory that supplied stuff for your vehicle that I can guarantee that every single person here has bought at least one of these things you hang from your mirror. If you send the product back to where you got it from, they will have more pull to get things straight than if you send it back to the place that made it. These wholesalers do not take defective products lightly. Send it back to where you got from. They are also more likely to pay the shipping. Lee will not pay the shipping to get it to them.

I agree with this, If we send them back to the manufacturer. They can hide the bad quality longer. By ones and twos.
When the people who buy in the 10,000,s start complaining.
They dont get ignored.

[bangerjim]

I have 35 Lee 2 & 6 banger molds. Never a single problem. The are NOT of the new generation you are getting. Where did you buy them?

banger

[TXGunNut]

Well, this is bad news, I haven't bought any in the last twelve months. I think I have all of the Lee 2 cav molds that I'd ever need(must be about 35 stacked up). I think I'll hang on tight to the ones I have now. I thought when they changed over to the new style alignment for the two cavity molds, that they were really putting out some good ones...again, this is bad news.
Jon

I'm pretty pleased with all but one of my Lee moulds and really like the new alignment pin arrangement on the 2-cav moulds. The one I don't much care for was mainly a test mould to see if my 45's liked Lee's version of the H&G 68. They did, so I ordered the six-banger. All my six-cav moulds seem to be quite good with the exception of a sticky cavity here and there but things generally work out. I prefer NOE, Accurate and even Lyman over Lee but sometimes they have a mould I need or like and I've generally been pleased with them. Does sound like their QC has it's ups and downs lately, to say the least. As has been said before on threads like this one, you generally get what you pay for when buying moulds. In most cases I feel Lee is an excellent value for the price but a mould so flawed that it's useless has no value at all.
I agree with sending it back to who you purchased it from, they generally respond quicker and can put more leverage on their supplier. Handling defective goods is a huge PITA for them and they will do what it takes to keep you happy and try to prevent future issues.

[GLL]

You must remember that when you purchase a LEE mold you are not actually buying a mold !
You are getting a "mold kit" !
After completely dismantling the mold, deburring, polishing, aligning, drilling and tapping some set screws,replacing the spru handle pivot, and flattening the spru plate you can get some good results !

LEE molds are inexpensive for a reason. The customer is actually a cheap employee that performs half of the company's manufacturing process !

Jerry

P.S. : For the record I own a bunch of LEE 6-cavity molds ! I do not consider this "LEE-bashing" !

[gwpercle]

In the past 6 months I have purchased 4 double cavity moulds. 3 handgun and 1 rifle. Have had 0 problems but I do go over them and smooth any rough edges and properly lube and preheat them.
Don't know if I'm just lucky or if following directions and doing prep works.
For $20.00 with handles I don't mind doing a little smoothing up of edges.
Gary

[Elkins45]

I had a great old style 8mm two cavity. I say had because I have no idea where it disappeard to. I searched the garage end to end but couldn't find it.

I ordered a new one. I got the new style. The gas check shank is quite oversized. I figured I might try to plain base it one day so I just added another one to an order from a different vendor some months later. It also had a fat shank. At some point I'm going to ship them both back.

They were better back when they were still lathe boring them. I would gladly trade the crappy old alignment system for the better cavity tolerances.

[melloairman]

I have over 20 lee 2 cavity molds and at least 6 of the new style . I have had fewer problems with all of the molds than I have had with Accurate , RCBS, lyman , and Ideal . And on the last 4 new LH molds I have left the pivot screw alone and have had no problems with filling, smears or finning . As well as the screw coming lose . All four of these molds have produced over 90 pounds each of good usable bullets . Marvin

[GhostHawk]

In the last year I have bought 6 double cavity molds from .312 to .452.

I have yet to have a significant problem with any of them.

I did have to put one handle back on and tighten the pin.
I had to adjust one alignment collar for the alignment pin to get it to close up correctly.

I have cast in the last year aprox 1500 30 caliber boolits for Mosin's and SKS.
My .357 mold which I dearly love is pushing the 1k boolits mark after only 3 months.
This one is my favorite, 158 grain, tumble lube design it sizes easily down to .356 for 9mm rounds, or use them as cast in
.357 mag or .38 special rounds.

I took a brand new .44 rem mag mold, cleaned up a few burrs, slightly rounded the front edge of the sprue plate so it wouldn't scar up the mold top, lightly polished the sprue holes with a piece of steel wool, lubricated it, smoked the cavity's. (Normally only once a decade)
Then proceeded to crank out 100 useable .44 mag boolits in about a half hours time.
As far as I am concerned, that mold just paid for itself. It will cast those boolits for the rest of its life, whenever needed, with only minor maintenance needed.

For a person just getting back into rifles after a 25 year hiatus on a strict budget, that is in my book, priceless.

I do know that sometimes you might get a bad one, or one that needs a touch of work. But overall, in the long run, these molds are a great buy for the money IMO.

[shoot-n-lead]

Just got a new one last week and it is probably the best casting new mold of any make that I have ever had.

However, I know that all of them are not good...just saying that I have never had a Lee mold that gave me problems...fingers crossed.

[fredj338]

What do you mean lately. I've had good & bad ones. I know when I buy its a krap shoot.

[cajun shooter]

The problem with Lee is not a new thing at all as this was a problem back some 6 years or more. When I first came onto this forum, I was told about the group buys that were always going on with the custom Lee mold company. The normal wait was over a year. I was so excited to get in on my first one, but I was not so excited when it arrived over 13 months later. It had cavities that were of different sizes and poured poor bullets.
I was first taught the art of casting by my gun store owner in 1970 with H&G molds and Lyman 20 lb pots. I was spoiled for life as far as quality was concerned. I kept trying Lee molds by purchasing the custom SASS molds sold by Dick Dastardly to the cowboy shooters. I would buy three and send back two or all three. I finally became upset as I was not having fun casting anymore.
I finally talked with Tom at Accurate Molds about 6 or more years ago. My first mold was ordered on Monday and I received it on Friday(This was before Tom became known). I was also having molds made by Dave Farmer at Hoch molds in New Mexico at the time. The Hoch molds are also pieces of Art and worth every penny spent on them.
Lee's entire mold business needs a reworking if they intend on being known as a mold to purchase. They may be happy to continue making and selling cheap inferior molds and are happy at that level. If you don't believe what I'm saying, do a search and see what the members were saying about Lee back in 2007 and forward.
I'm currently loading on a Cast Iron Lee turret press and it does the job although it has it's problems also. I miss my Dillon, my Star's and all of the equipment I had to sell because of my medical problems that stopped me from casting and shooting for over two years.
Loading and casting equipment is no different than all of the other items we purchase in life, you receive what you pay for. Can you cast with a old iron pot and Coleman stove with a ladle and Lee mold, You betcha but they have much better equipment that may be used to make it fun. Later David
I

[Ben]

You must remember that when you purchase a LEE mold you are not actually buying a mold !
You are getting a "mold kit" !
After completely dismantling the mold, deburring, polishing, aligning, drilling and tapping some set screws,replacing the spru handle pivot, and flattening the spru plate you can get some good results !

LEE molds are inexpensive for a reason. The customer is actually a cheap employee that performs half of the company's manufacturing process !

Jerry

P.S. : For the record I own a bunch of LEE 6-cavity molds ! I do not consider this "LEE-bashing" !

Jerry,

You have spoken the truth.

Lee bashing is nothing new and it seems that many are bent on continuing this .

Ben

[freebullet]

Of over a dozen I've only had 1 defective mold form lee. That was a sprue plate problem, and lee sent me a new one. Everyone who's ever made a mold has had some produced out of spec. It happens. If lee didn't exist the reloading/casting entry/start up cost would be too much for a lot of folks. You can spend twice as much and still get a defective product. It's what they do to resolve it that counts, and Lee's been known to take care of folks.