anyone recently purchased a Lee Load-Master ?

[1bluehorse]

[QUOTE=44Vaquero;3249804]

"Easier and more reliably" is a subjective opinion. I have been running my Load Master since 1992 with minimal down time and rarely if ever a problem with the priming system! In fact I am still using the original priming system as supplied by Lee. I have broken 2 case slides and 2 priming pins in that time!



But herein lies the problem.....you have a LM that's worked well for you for many years with rarely a problem (your words)....so to your way of thinking (understandably so) this would be the norm and all LM's are this way, that all the "bad" reviews are from others that (as worded above) are either to stupid or won't take the time to learn how to run it....both wrong assumptions (I personally can completely disassemble, clean, repair and re-assemble a LM press in a couple hours, done it, more than once) ....ALL the statements from other opinions can't be wrong....and you know they're not....some of these units are simply a PITA and need serious help....If you run a LM you know who "Magic Mike" is, read what his critique of the LM press is.....it's not to glowing either, but he has the talent to make it work with his after market "fixes"....o.k., fine, but when you add the items from him into the cost of a new LM you're in Hornady LNL territory.....it's all a moot point anyway as from what I've seen in the past, when someone asks about a Load Master press they've already decided to purchase one and all they're looking for is someone to tell them that "My LM press is great, no problems" regardless of any other opinion.....that's my opinion.....

[kfarm]

Worked on mine about as much as I loaded. Gave it away and went with a lnl.

[44Vaquero]

Ah yes, the vocal minority speaks louder there fore it must be true! That is also assumption on your part 1bluehorse, given that on average 1 dissatisfied customer complains to 10 or more people and 13% tell 20 or more of their negative experience. This inflates the perception of negative experiences and the testimony of all other users (I.E. people like myself and Beesdad etc., is written off as a fluke and dumb luck? Really? I think not!

I have also repaired and adjusted a great many Load Masters and Pro-1000's over the years and have yet to find one that was impossible to get up and running correctly. Perhaps, it was because when I started using these tools there was no such thing as the "Internet", I was on my own and limited to phone calls and letters to Lee.

Load Masters and Pro-1000's do require adjustments and Tweaking to run correctly, in most cases once set up and adjusted properly function quite well.

On our Face Book (Lee Reloading and Casting Equipment) page we have over 10,000 members and continually help many new members set up their equipment with different degrees of success. Again YMMV

[dudel]

I have also repaired and adjusted a great many Load Masters and Pro-1000's over the years and have yet to find one that was impossible to get up and running correctly. Perhaps, it was because when I started using these tools there was no such thing as the "Internet", I was on my own and limited to phone calls and letters to Lee.

Load Masters and Pro-1000's do require adjustments and Tweaking to run correctly, in most cases once set up and adjusted properly function quite well.

On our Face Book (Lee Reloading and Casting Equipment) page we have over 10,000 members and continually help many new members set up their equipment with different degrees of success. Again YMMV

44,

Are you just so close to the problem that you don't see it?

"I have also repaired and adjusted a great many Load Masters and Pro-1000's over the years"
"Load Masters and Pro-1000's do require adjustments and Tweaking to run correctly"
"On our Face Book (Lee Reloading and Casting Equipment) page we have over 10,000 members and continually help many new members set up their equipment"

It's admirable how you provide Lee customer support at no charge. I've no doubt you (and a few others) can get a LM up and running; but from your own words; many others can't by themselves.

Some continue to try, some succeed, but it seems that a not insignificant number just move on to something else. Buddy of mine could not get his LM to run. Chucked it and got a different color, and now the "mechanically inept" person, can now load ammo without a hitch. Funny how the "inept" become "ept" by just changing equipment brands.

I don't think it's just a "vocal minority" complaining about problems.

[44Vaquero]

A great many words are often attributed to me as having said them, when in fact I have not. I never said or accused anyone of being mechanically inept, what I did say was: "I have also repaired and adjusted a great many Load Masters and Pro-1000's over the years and have yet to find one that was impossible to get up and running correctly. Perhaps, it was because when I started using these tools there was no such thing as the "Internet", I was on my own and limited to phone calls and letters to Lee.

"It's admirable how you provide Lee customer support at no charge."
Snarky comments not withstanding: I am a proud member of the shooting community in good standing who takes pride in being of assistance to my fellow reloaders. You apparently see that as opportunity for not so subtle ridicule, that's a very sad and divisive attitude. Our FB page is a solid ever growing group of people working together to provide solution oriented answers to people using Lee Equipment.

[220]

I haven't found a powder check die yet that really works well with most (not all) pistol powder drops. You MUST use a bulky powder. If you use AA #2, Titegroup, Bullseye, or anything similar then the check dies don't notice until you drop a triple or even quadruple charge.

Have you used a RCBS lock out die?
I run one on my LNL, using AP-50 or AS-50 (international) in 38spl or 9mm it locks up on anything out by 1grain or more. Not perfect but using light charges (2.5grains) then the lightest that can get through is 1.5 and the heaviest 3.5. No chance of a squib and no chance of a double charge.

It will only work with pistol cals from 9mm/38cal up.

[VHoward]

Some people learn how to use their equipment and others don't! Beesdad runs 5 of them! I have run mine since they came out!

[]139471[/ATTACH]

Some people might interpret this to say that they are mechanically inept.

A great many words are often attributed to me as having said them, when in fact I have not. I never said or accused anyone of being mechanically inept, what I did say was: "I have also repaired and adjusted a great many Load Masters and Pro-1000's over the years and have yet to find one that was impossible to get up and running correctly. Perhaps, it was because when I started using these tools there was no such thing as the "Internet", I was on my own and limited to phone calls and letters to Lee.

"It's admirable how you provide Lee customer support at no charge."
Snarky comments not withstanding: I am a proud member of the shooting community in good standing who takes pride in being of assistance to my fellow reloaders. You apparently see that as opportunity for not so subtle ridicule, that's a very sad and divisive attitude. Our FB page is a solid ever growing group of people working together to provide solution oriented answers to people using Lee Equipment.

I for one am mechanically inclined and have no problem working on my machines. But after trying many solutions offered to me through several forums including the loadmaster video's forum, I gave up on the priming system problems I had and sold the loadmaster.

[birddog]

I've got both the Lee and Dillon. The Lee is a good piece of equipment and the Dillon is better! I've called on both parties for customer service and this one has no equal. Yes it was my fault on both, but when I called for support that is where everything came very clear. Dillon is far and alone the best in their class for service. Yes I still buy Lee products and will continue to do so. And some day soon I'll buy a 650 but thats my 2 cents
Charlie

[chucky64]

The new and old priming systems on my LM have been a source of many problems for me. I have been prepriming all my cases for the last five years. I still use it for reloading 45acp and 357sig. I have transitioned 9mm, 40/10mm and 38/357 to a RCBS pro 2000. The case feeder on the Lee is simple and effective and I commend Lee for helping keep cost down. When a full tray of primers detonated on me is
the time I started prepriming all the cases for the LM. On last last LM tale, I had a bad casting and the frame of the press cracked and broke while reloading, it was still under warranty and Lee replaced the press frame.

[dragonrider]

Add me to the vocal minority, I bought an LM when they came out, Six months later and two returns to Lee and I was very happy to sell it for half of what I paid for it. I got no useable ammo from it. COL was never uniform, would vary by as much as .050", unacceptable. Priming on the upstroke when everything else is happening at the same time is unacceptable, and IMO dangerous. Primers were mostly upside down or sideways. I will not buy another press that need rebuilding in order to function correctly. Those of you say to buy the press and then buy Magic Mikes fixes in order to make it function. I wonder if you realize what you are saying. The machining tolerances on LM's could be MUCH better I believe that alone would solve many problems. Change the primer system to work on the down stroke like all or at least most other reliable presses and I would consider buying another. But until then my Dillon 650 is worth ever penny that I did not pay for it. I got it free under not so desireable circumstances. Lee make a lot of stuff that I buy and enjoy quite a bit however, they cannot make enough LM's to give me in trade for my 650. Smooth and continuous operation after adjusting the dies is worth a lot.
Let me also say that I have much Lee equipment and it all functions quite well and I like it. I especially like my Lee Challenger press, it is the press I take to the range when tweaking loads.'

I must apologize I did not intend to write so much it just came out so fast.

[MacFan]

I've had a LM for about a year and load 45 acp, 7.62x39 and .50ae with it. When I first got it I read the info at Loadmaster Videos. I probably spent 3 days of spare time (8 hours total?) setting it up the first time making sure each station was perfect. I've had no trouble and have had to make no adjustments. I have a turret for each caliber and go through 200 to 250 combined rounds a week at the range.
I did not have any Magic Mike's mods made but did benefit from the advice at his site.

I get the strong impression that blue users take their press out of the box and instantly start loading perfect rounds every time, forever.
I unfortunately had to set my LM up. A huge disadvantage.

[gtgeorge]

Count me as a Newbie LM owner as I have had mine a few months. Bought as 45acp and did great loading them after initial setup. Changed over to 38 which also ran great. 9mm was my problem child and experienced a few problems. I am still up in the air whether it is a good purchase or not. I was very pleased with how fast a bucket of ammo could be turned out when it is running smoothly.

[dudel]

"It's admirable how you provide Lee customer support at no charge."
Snarky comments not withstanding: I am a proud member of the shooting community in good standing who takes pride in being of assistance to my fellow reloaders. You apparently see that as opportunity for not so subtle ridicule, that's a very sad and divisive attitude. Our FB page is a solid ever growing group of people working together to provide solution oriented answers to people using Lee Equipment.

44,

No snark intended. It is truly good of you to support those who can't seem to get their machine working. We need more in the reloading world, we need more people shooting, it's all good. People getting turned off to reloading, generally means less people shooting (or people shooting less), and that's not good for the sport. It's only good for the anti agenda.

Just don't be too surprised, when people trade their Lee equipment for other colors. FWIW, I don't see as many threads about people trading their Dillon, Hornady or RCBS for a Lee; as I see about people trading their Lee for a Dillon, Hornady or RCBS. Just in this thread alone, people who had Lee and moved on, outnumber those who switched to Lee.

Lee has done a great service to the sport providing low cost equipment. I probably would not be casting had it not been for a Lee 20-4, Lee molds, Lee ALOX and Lee push through sizers. However, not everything Lee makes is golden, they've laid a few turds along the way. Mythbusters showed you could polish a turd; but it's not (to me) a pleasant way to spend time.

[kryogen]

Priming on the upstroke is one of the reasons that scares me a bit away from the 1050.
Imo, feeling the primer seat allows you to "check" the primer pocket, and then you arent actually seating a primer on the down stroke while everything else happens.
But then, I have some mil crimped brass and the 1050 would just make it all easier.
But to keep the cost affordable, I would have to just switch dies on one toolhead for the 1050, and adjust while I could afford multiple toolheads for the 650.

[JesterGrin_1]

What the hey I will chime in as a newbie.

I have not been loading all that long next to many members here. And newbie to the fact that I have never used a progressive press of any sort. But like the OP I have been contemplating the purchase of one. And like many the Lee LM was a press I was looking at. And thus like many others I started to research the press on the open internet along with this good forum where there are some posts I believe by Magic Mike. And while Magic Mike is genuinely interested in helping others to upgrade the Lee products for better or some might even say normal performance some of his products to help make the Lee product operate as it should from the factory is expensive such as his new turret heads to help with C.O.L as I have read in other places along with here that it is one of the big problems with the Lee LM.

I will say that I believe that there are probably many that are happy with there Lee LM but also due to the simple fact that there is a web site with what 10,000 members there has to be some problems with the Lee system. It kinda makes you feel like Clint Eastwood is pointing a .44 Magnum at you and saying well do you feel lucky. If so purchase a Lee LM and test out your luck theory lol.

But I am still a little ok allot hard headed so I am still a little open to the idea of a Lee Lm lol.

But for right now I am working to get an RCBS Piggyback II up and running. As I have not heard of any real problems with the old press other than like many others priming lol. And to be honest I would rather prime off of the press as I use an RCBS hand primer so I can feel the primer seat and it gives me one more chance to glance over the brass for problems and clean primer pockets one last time before loading.

But again all of this is from an outsider to progressive presses of any sort.

[rtracy2001]

Getting back to the original question, Yes, I have purchased a LM in the last two years (my first). I have had one small problem with the primer feed. I was cycling the press too slow and the primers bridged. Once I learned that you don't operate a LM that slowly, I have never had the problem again.

I have since converted to another caliber (I now run .223 and 40S&W) and am collecting the parts to convert to 30 carbine too.

To answer the question, even with the caliber conversions, the press has performed flawlessly (the operator, not so much).

[zomby woof]

25 year LM owner here. I now have two. I know pretty much all it's weaknesses. I've done a few of internet mods and they work well. If you are mechanically inclined you should be good, especially with the internet. I recently got a friend involved in shooting. He bought a LM. He only loads 45acp but he has no problems. My powder check is my eye. I've used station two with an M die. Great press

[seaboltm]

I bought one two years ago. Works fine. Priming system works OK with mine. Some problems, but maybe 1 in 100 or less. The Lee powder measure works good with some powders, but not Bullseye or small charges of Unique. There is a way to attach a Hornady powder measure. I loaded 500 rounds of 45 ACP in less than an hour. Used a Lee universal deprimer and the case feed set up to deprime 1000 30 carbine cases in less than an hour.

[tiger762]

Loadmaster here. If someone has three-dimensional mechanical imagination, he'll be fine. There's an external cammed surface along which a slider makes all the timing happen. I had to loosen the 7/16" nut in the very bottom of the press, and twist everything to make sure the slider was flush against the cam surface. Based on what people describe, I am certain that is what a lot of problems come from. The other thing is to twist the slider on its square shaft in or out so that after the 72 degree advance, the shell plate is solidly in position. Allowing it to be loose, means there will be some phase error. That is where priming problems come from.

If you're the kind of sort that can put together an 8 cylinder engine, setting the cam/crank/ignition timing, you'll easily set up an LM. Mine's set up in 45acp right now. Have done 5000 rounds so far. I choose to avoid priming 'cuz I have brass that is a mix of small and large primer. Some headstamps (WINCHESTER in particular) are so tight, I'd rather do it by hand. Also, I wet-tumbled after sizing / depriming to get the primer pockets as well. So I use the LM to flare, add powder, seat bullet. I use an RCBS bullet feeder die.

[LAKEMASTER]

see, my main desire for the LM is to deprime before tumbling... the case collator makes me warm and n fuzzy inside knowing i can swiftly deprime dirty brass and clean. the turret will make it easy for me to change calibers super fast, and judging by how cheap powder measures are i could just set up each turret for xxx caliber and store away ready to load... so other then the shell plates and the $13 per turret (ebay) it seems cheap and simple...