lyman mag 25 or rcbs pro melt

[krazypetman]

looking to get a new casting furnace either the lyman mag 5 or rcbs pro melt or the pro melt 2 anybody use these and the pros and cons to them also do they use pid controll

[Jackpine]

I have a Pro Melt that I use with a PID and think it is great. The biggest difference that I am aware of, is the mold "shelf" The RCBS is a very basic design, but is very quick to adjust and you can quickly center and adjust to fit any mold. The Lyman, while it looks more "designed," looks like it would be slower to adjust. The biggest difference is the Lyman width is fixed, and it will not accommodate some molds.

I get absolutely no dripping from my Pro Melt. Cannot comment on the Lyman, but having started with a Lee, I thought I had died and gone to heaven, when I switched to the RCBS. (Lee users, don't take this the wrong way. I think for the money, the Lee unit is a great buy, and I cast many, many bullets with one, but maybe I am just not smart enough, but I tried all the tricks I could find and still had a drip o matic.)

The RCBS can be switched to left hand operation, which may or may not be an issue.

While the Lyman has a digital readout, I assume it senses the temp of the pot, not the lead. If you want consistent bullets, IMHO, the much more closely regulated temp from the PID is the only way to go. I also premelt and flux in a cast iron pot on a cheap hot plate, so I am adding molten lead to my casting pot, and have very little lag time between adding lead and getting back to casting temp. This is a big deal to me, as I cast a lot of 400 and 500 grain bullets.

Finally, my person experience is that RCBS customer service is the best there is. While I have not needed anything on this pot, after several years and hundreds of pounds of lead thru it, I have had great experience with RCBS on other items and like to support the folks that I think best support us.

My two cents. Your mileage may vary.

Jackpine

[runfiverun]

that last paragraph is why I would go green.

[DerekP Houston]

I have a pro-melt, and I'd buy one again if this one died. I wrapped some wire around the top to hold my thermocouple and plugged it right into my PID. Runs like a champ, no more drips, positive closure with the handle. Just flat out works!

[hermans]

I agree, green is the way to go. I added a cheap PID controller bought off eBay, and the Promelt is still going strong after more that 30 years of serious casting!

[dannyd]

I have both and I like the Lyman because of the built in PID.

[dragon813gt]

While they both have limited warranties. I would go w/ RCBS because you can actually talk to someone if you have issues.

[ole_270]

Just got a new Lyman about a month ago. Would rather had the green one but by the time I would of added a a PID the price difference was just too much for the amount of casting I do. I've only cast about 500 bullets so far, but the only problem I've had is the valve adjustment screw was installed before shipping and was bent slightly out of plumb so it missed the valve as it came up. Didn't take much to fix it but it shouldn't of needed it. Haven't gotten around to building a spare mold guide to fit my NOE mold.

[RKJ]

I have the Lyman and like it (a lot) but if the RCBS would have been closer in price I'd have gone green. No doubt in my mind.

[zomby woof]

I have the Lyman 25. I upgraded from a LEE 20. What a great pot. My production has increased. I would buy again

[retread]

I have been shopping for an RCBS Pro Melt. The original is no longer sold and the Pro Melt 2 is out of stock with every vendor I have tried. Anyone found a source? Looks like the choices have been reduced!

I do agree that RCBS has treated me very well in the support area. Can't talk to support at Lyman as I have yet to need their support. Mostly have just their molds and several other odds and ends.

[dikman]

In the other post it was mentioned that the new RCBS won't be available until January and if the original ones are no longer available then RCBS stand to lose a bit of business. It also means that the value of used original ones could go up - if anyone wants to sell theirs, of course!

[Bama]

+1 on pro melt