Best value casting furnace

[DBrown]

I’m a Lee user as well so I will be following this thread.

[Jackpine]

I used a Lee for many years, and probably would have continuted I ran into an unbelievable deal on a almost new Pro-Melt. It is a great unit and RCBS, if you ever need service, is a great company to work with.

[Ranger 7]

Have two (2) Lee 4-20 Bottom pour units for 9 years.
Have processed two TONS of range scrap lead into clean 1 & 1/2 pound ingots.
They are producing very nice cast bullets and still working fine.
I have cleaned out the spout pour hole on each and reseated the rod twice.
Can not imagine any reason to spend as much as 5 times the cost! Per pot!
Lee 4-20 Bottom pour pots work great and cost far less.

[Fastleo]

You are 28 and I am 70. What might be a good value to some may not be a good value for you. As far as I am concerned the absolute best value are the products I have purchased that did everything they were designed to do, did it well with little or no problems and continued to work flawlessly year after year. When you buy a product like that at your age, even if it is expensive at the time, it ends up being the cheapest because of the longevity of use. Take it from an old man, buy quality and you will never regret your purchase.

When it comes to a bullet casting furnace it is the RCBS Pro-Melt Furnace, I can't vouch for the new model, but would assume RCBS would do their usual and make it right if there were a problem.

When it comes to molds it is the H&G & old Saeco. I have molds that are still casting perfectly that are older than me.

Lubricators I quit using 6 years ago and have gone to powder coating.

Thanks sir for the advice and wisdom!

[Fastleo]

Have two (2) Lee 4-20 Bottom pour units for 9 years.
Have processed two TONS of range scrap lead into clean 1 & 1/2 pound ingots.
They are producing very nice cast bullets and still working fine.
I have cleaned out the spout pour hole on each and reseated the rod twice.
Can not imagine any reason to spend as much as 5 times the cost! Per pot!
Lee 4-20 Bottom pour pots work great and cost far less.

Having to tweak the Lee pot over and over is not for me. I enjoy casting and shooting, I don’t enjoy having to mess with a casting pot in the middle of a casting session

[Petrol & Powder]

Well I'll toss in here.

I'm about 5 1/2 years into my experience with the Lee 4-20 Drip-O-Matic and I have to say that's it has proven to be a good value.

There was a learning curve and I did need to tweak it a bit, but we're getting along well now.

When I purchased the Lee, I just could not justify the cost of the RCBS Pro Melt. If the Lee dies, I'll probably get a RCBS but as of now the Lee shows no sign of giving up.

As for the dripping, I have eliminated that problem by polishing the rod and nozzle. Empty the pot, remove the rod from the nozzle, put some grinding compound on the tip of the rod and chuck it in a drill. Insert the rod into the nozzle and spin it with the drill. Clean everything up and carry on. Problem solved.

My casting bench normally sits too far from the closest outlet for the original Lee cord to reach. I cut the power cord and spliced a permanent section into the cord so I don't need an extension cord.

I expected the Lee to be a stop gap measure until I could budget for a better pot but it has performed better than expected. I'll use it until I kill it but so far it is soldiering on.

[murf205]

I have an older Pro-Melt and I love it. I have read that the newer ones (China?) drip as bad as a Lee 4-20 or in some cases worse. I have an old 10 lb Lee that I have used since 1980 and it might drip a little but its still working like a charm. Midway has the Lee 4-20 for $62 and the Pro-Melt2 for $270. Is the RCBS worth almost 4 times what the Lee is? You will have to decide that. The older Pro-Melt was the best furnace a hobby caster like myself ever needed but I have a hard time stomaching the China thing. FWIW, I bought a Lyman pot in the 70's and it lasted a very short while. They sent a replacement element that I installed but it died too. With Lymans track record on replacing parts without charging for them, I wouldn't buy one now, but that's just me.My 2 cents.

[Rcmaveric]

I have been using the Lee 20Lb bottom pour for a couple of years now. Not problems from me i love it and would buy it again. I second the larger capacity. I don't have a PID but i do have a thermometer and patience and great tempo.

[dbmjr1]

I too use a Lee bottom pour furnace. Using a thermometer, it takes a while to get the temperature just right and get into a rhythm.


Yes, my pot leaks. I can mitigate this by turning the rod with a flat head screwdriver.

I'm on a limited income, so I don't expect to be buying a new pot any time soon. I'd rather spend the money on other things.

[HATCH]

I would change your train of thought.

Master Caster
Yes its $1100
But it will out live you
It is a production machine meaning you can do about 650 bullets per hour with out much hassle.
Yes the molds are $90 each but they will last your lifetime and then some.

[slim1836]

I started out with the LEE 10 pound pot and moved up to the 20 using my homemade PID. Their issues are minor IMO compared to their price. After all, we're only melting lead. Any bottom pour pot will leak at some time.

If I were better off financially, I might (or may not) move up to an older Pro-Melt, not one with a built in PID though.

Slim