What Case Trimmers do you all like and recommend?

[Murphy]

L.E. Wilson all the way for me. Shop around some of the auction sites and you may be surprised how cheaply you can pick one up.

It may be a little slower than you care for, but if it's consistency you're looking for I know of no other that beats it.


Murphy

[Oyeboten]

I use this one

LEE PRECISION 90670, Deluxe Power Quick Trim Case Trimmer LEE PRECISION 90670, Deluxe Power Quick Trim Case Trimmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MHZHS0Q..._.OKiDb7NGAHPG

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How is the Cartridge Case held?

How does one set it up to trim only to a specified length?

Looks like this is only a part of something.

[Oyeboten]

Another fan of the Forster trimmer here. I have the power adapter for mine and use the Dewalt cordless screwdriver in the link below. It's variable speed and makes quick work of what could be a monotonous job. It slips on and off the adapter easily. The driver is gyroscopic and varies the speed and direction by simply turning your wrist slightly. It's got plenty of power to do hundreds of cases on one charge. Love it!

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCF682...35915698&psc=1

How are the Forster and the Wilson different?

Do they accept the same Shell Holders?

[Oyeboten]

L.E. Wilson all the way for me. Shop around some of the auction sites and you may be surprised how cheaply you can pick one up.

It may be a little slower than you care for, but if it's consistency you're looking for I know of no other that beats it.


Murphy

MIDWAY has them on sale right now, both the basic one and the Micrometer-end one.

I'll keep pondering another day or two, then take the plunge for one kind or another!

But watching the Video on the Wilson Micrometer-end one, I did like it, it looks like it would work very nicely and would allow precise Cartridge Case lengths...and it's be easy to use a little Battery Powder Drill on it same as any of the others, if one wanted to.

[Murphy]

MIDWAY has them on sale right now, both the basic one and the Micrometer-end one.

I'll keep pondering another day or two, then take the plunge for one kind or another!

But watching the Video on the Wilson Micrometer-end one, I did like it, it looks like it would work very nicely and would allow precise Cartridge Case lengths...and it's be easy to use a little Battery Powder Drill on it same as any of the others, if one wanted to.

I actually have 3 or 4 Wilson trimmers, none are the dial caliper style you mention. Not that I wouldn't mind owning one with the dial caliper setup mind you, I would. Of the 3-4 I have, each is dedicated to a specific cartridge, marked and left on the shelf until needed.

That reminds me. I'll be retiring at the end of the month. People ask me, what are you going to do?

Huh? I just laugh and laugh. Most have no idea of my reloading/casting setup. This summer heat in S.E. Oklahoma can make you beg for your next breath. I have a nice air conditioned shop, more brass than I can say grace over, and a lot of it needs prepping. It also has a sound system inside of it that would make a honky tonk owner proud.

Life's good!

Murphy

[fatboy]

for larger cuts i use my dillon trimmer, small stuff just touching up i use the lee trimmers

[Barman54]

Started with a Lyman doing my 30.06, using the Hand Crank.
Then bought the Power Adapters, for 6+ Calibers.
Got into Highpower shooting .30.06, .308, got a Gracey.
Then got an AR for Highpower, got a 2nd Gracey for smaller Calibers.

Still use the Lyman for Straight walled shells, and some of the Old Calibers, and some Newer Calibers.

Barman54
Out

[flyingmonkey35]

How is the Cartridge Case held?

How does one set it up to trim only to a specified length?

Looks like this is only a part of something.

all good questions.

you purchase the trim length die for the appropriate cartridge.

they are 8 to 15 bucks each

the length is preset by Lee to match the COL per Lee's handbook.

I find it dose a fantastic job of trimming. chamfuring and debuting at all the same time.

if I'm only doing a handful I'll set it up.on a single stage.

if I'm doing a bunch. I'll do it on a progressive with a case feeder

for 223 cast I do this
deprime resize. on station2. trim on station 3. slight bell on station 4. and done.

the back in the cleaner for a quick rinse an then ready to load.

quick video
https://youtu.be/UUCejrfzcFE

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[samari46]

Wilson, Forster,and Lee. I like the Wilson because when I did experiment with High Power shooting you could get the reamers for small and large primer pockets.My Wilson is the standard one with the stand and clamp for holding the cartridge adaptors. The Forster is one I haven't used in awhile and the Lee accepts the auto prime shell holders. I have a small box with extra cutters and lock studs. Frank

[rbt50]

I have tried them all. the ones that I think are best and use are Giraud and Dillon case trimmers.

[Rich/WIS]

Have a Forster and have used the Lyman trimmers as well. My Forster is about 45 years old and has done more 06,243, and 30/40 than I can count. Mine has the handle that unscrews and I just remove it and chuck it into my 1/2" battery drill. Clamps to the shaft and not the threads. Someone gave me some Herters parts and there was a trimmer shaft that is the same size, and also got another shaft from somewhere. I set each for the correct length by caliber and just swap out as needed. The Lyman was nice also, easy to adjust and the system to clamp the case was easier on my fingers, also being universal did not need different collets. Whatever you decide on make sure you can attach a power source for trimming, hand cranking gets old real fast.

[Alan in Vermont]

I have both a Forster and an RCBS trimmer. Both get used with a battery drill for power, hand cranking gets old fast when doing any heavy trimming, as in 30-30 to 357 Herrett. Forster has better inside neck reamers but RCBS has a really decent 3-way trim & chamfer assembly. It's only listed as working with specific calibers (the 3-way cutter) but once you see how it works it can be used on other calibers.

I bought the Forster because my LGS had one on the shelf when I needed it. The RCBS came home with me when I was telling a friend I wanted to get one of those.

Both of those are collet style case holders. I keep seeing comments about how the collets aren't as consistent as other types. I just don't get it. The collet locates on a shoulder inside collet holder, the case locates on the recess in the collet. I put an untrimmed case in the open collet, side the cutter pilot into the case and tighten the collet, thus setting the case up just about perfectly square to the cutter blade. I generally get accuracy to +/- .001".

[tankgunner59]

I have used the Lee trimmer set up for years, ever since I began reloading. I have an inexpensive cordless drill/driver that I chuck the lock stud into. I like the Lee cutter that is set into a hardwood ball about 1 1/2 -2 inch. I had some old handrail dowel laying around, so I cut a piece 2 inches long, squared up the ends with my chop saw. I then determined center on one end and drilled a hole just smaller than the cutter. I put the dowel in my bench vise and pounded the cutter into the drilled out dowel with a rubber mallet. Very inexpensive, easy to use and accurate.

[dogmower]

Dillon is the cream of the crop, especially for high volume use. The new lyman ez trim is pretty awesome as well, not quite as fast as the Dillon, but just as accurate. For larger case forming jobs, where a lot of brass needs to be removed, Harbor Freight sells a nice little chop saw that cuts brass well. Also, the lee Case Length Gauge & Cutter and Lock Stud set up is neat, especially if you have a drill press. For the rest of the smaller volume jobs, I use the rcbs trimmer with the quick release handle thingy, and a hand drill to drive the cutter head. case trimming is PIA.

[Tmaloy]

I have two trimmers, a Trim-it and a Forster. I like using the Forster, I have the 3-Way cutter for some rifle brass, I use it with a cheap Ryobi power screwdriver. I like that the power driver isn't to heavy and putting any weight on the end of the cutter shaft. Still has a lot of power to trim the cases.

[Oyeboten]

My poor Head was spinning, Lol...so...I took-the-plunge and got the 'Wilson' Micrometer Model with stand from Midway, who is having a sale on them at the moment.

I can put my Battery Drill to it and I am sure I will..!

I will see about getting a 357 Maximum Shell Holder tomorrow, I clean forgot when ordering the Trimmer itself, to see if Midway also had the Shell Holders to choose from as well.

Thank you all so much for your input!

This is sure a fine forum and good people..!

I'll make a thread about how things are going once I am getting things underway!

[Ramson222]

I've tried Wilson, foster, and lee. Lee was the worst. Foster and Wilson both have great repeatability once you get them setup correctly. If I was going to buy a new one, I would by a foster. The Wilson is overkill unless you are competing. I happen have foster you could borrow if you want to compare it to the Wilson. The cutter has a broken tooth but still works fine.

[Hahndorf1874]

I have found the Hornady pacific that uses the std case holder easy to use and quick,the best part is that it indexes from the inside of the rim on rimed cases, more accurate as some cases rim thickness can vary, my Foster indexes from the base of the rim and is not as accurate, true uniform length is handy when breach seating, ie 40/65 BP. A couple of thou. Does make a difference.

Cheers Mal in au.

[Oyeboten]

I have found the Hornady pacific that uses the std case holder easy to use and quick,the best part is that it indexes from the inside of the rim on rimed cases, more accurate as some cases rim thickness can vary, my Foster indexes from the base of the rim and is not as accurate, true uniform length is handy when breach seating, ie 40/65 BP. A couple of thou. Does make a difference.

Cheers Mal in au.

Makes sense!

My primary purpose for this is to have uniform .357 Maximum Cases, which I will shorten to stand in for the early S & W .38/44 Target Revolver cases, so all my cases ought to be uniform Rim thickness, and all are brand new and same make.

But now that you have informed me about this, I will measure rim thickness, just for fun, and just to see how consistent they are ( I have 100 Empty Brass of the .357 M ).

I did not know enough about any of these to have even thought some Trimmers might index from the Cartridge Rim's upper portion...that is really neat to know.

I do have an early .22-250 ( and no where to shoot it ) which I hope to Load for eventually, and it would appreciate the utmost in these kind of observances...the Brass I have for it is Lapua and new.

The "Wilson" outfit will be a good one for me to learn with, and go from there.

It'll do fine for the old Target Revolver's Cartridges.

[Oyeboten]

I've tried Wilson, foster, and lee. Lee was the worst. Foster and Wilson both have great repeatability once you get them setup correctly. If I was going to buy a new one, I would by a foster. The Wilson is overkill unless you are competing. I happen have foster you could borrow if you want to compare it to the Wilson. The cutter has a broken tooth but still works fine.

Mighty nice of you to offer!

Thank you!

I'll have my introduction to all this soon with the 'Wilson' outfit, and see how things go..!