I am planning to upgrade my furnace....

[Harry O]

I have gone through three Lee 20lb pots in the last 20 years or so and have decided to upgrade this time.

I want to stick with a bottom-pour furnace. I have been reading about the RCBS ProMelt 2 and the Lyman Mag 25. My question is, which one is better. Does anyone have any experience with both? If not, how about experiences with either? If there is another, better furnace available, let me know. Thanks.

[Lefty SRH]

Tagged for later

[swamp]

I have never used the Lyman, but have used the RCBS. I liked it well enough to get a second one. Both early models.
swamp

[ericandelaine1975]

I have the Lyman. I love it. A friend of mine has an RCBS. I've used it. It works just as well as my Lyman. Honestly I'd say that its up to you. There's good points and bad points with both. Personally I'd get which one was cheaper.

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[georgerkahn]

I have three of the older Lyman furnaces, which had the "weak links" of both a bimetallic thermostat, and of greater consequence a mica receptacle to plug A.C. cord in to. The archaic thermostats on two pots were simply bypassed -- I plug into a PID -- so alloy temperature regulation is not any longer germane. The A.C. plug issue was a royal pain in the derrière, however, with my ending up crimping .22 short cases over wire ends to ensure the connections. I also have -- my main pot -- a relatively new RCBS Pro-melt; temp regulation is moot, as I have it set at maximum, also plugging in same PID unit. My only complaint with all, is on occasion, there will be a very scant drip -- YES, I've many times cleaned spout, etc. ... but, after a while... it will drip -- which, probably related, on rare occasions necessitates the use of a propane bar-b-que lighter on the bottom spout to melt temperatures.
Old sages suggested, when I got my first bottom-pour ~40 years back, to EXCLUSIVELY use it ONLY for pouring CLEAN alloy. Yes, one still must flux... but, I do all initial smelting in a cast iron pot atop a propane stove. The initial fluxed alloy is ladled into ingots which then, as needed, are added to electric bottom-pour unit being used at the time.
Re "better furnace available" is quite the subjective question; re cost, there are a few VERY MUCH more costly than those I have. But, with smelting outdoors to get rid of most all crud seems to surely not hurt in the longevity of mine. As a "what I did", I saw what became my 2nd Lyman on eBay for an incredibly scary-low price, with description that cord unit was broken off, and it was in need of repair. The thermostat was shot, too. BUT, for the cost of two .22 short cases, a coating of baking soda solution to make an insulator, and a few inches of copper wire to short existing thermostat -- albeit it plugs into a PID -- I have a great working bottom-pout furnace for less than $35.00, to my door.
Good luck!
geo

[ShooterAZ]

If you can find an "original" Pro Melt, that is the one to get IMHO. You might even be able to find a good used one at a decent price.

[jdfoxinc]

I had a Lyman I bought 5+ years ago. Loved it. Replaced the thermostat once. Disassembled it to clean, and caused a short while reassembling. I was going to send it to Lyman for a rebuild when my store was torched. I found The price of a new one prohibitive so I now own a Lee. If your Lyman lasts 20 years you will be even with the cost of 3 lees.

[Grmps]

What happened to your lee 20#? I have run thousands of pounds through mine and with minor work and a PID it still works great.
I bought a spare heat coil and bowl a long time ago and haven't needed them (yet?)

I personally avoid any new Lyman product their warranty, quality control, and customer service has gone to heck.