What's up with dilon these days?

[FISH4BUGS]

My customer number at Dillon is 19XX....that's how long I have been with them. Original 450 upgraded to 550 upgraded to 550b. I load for machine guns so I have loaded literally hundreds of thousands of rounds, if not more.
My 550b has been kept running for many many years now and it never cost a dime to repair.
A spare parts kits and small parts here and there keep this machine humming.
I would not base my dislike of Dillon on one incident. They stopped the lifetime warranty on electronic stuff some time ago.
Completely understandable in my book.

[Nick Quick]

I called Dillon once and told them I recently moved and during the transportation somehow I lost my primers tubes and I want to buy 3 tubes. They asked for my address and said it is not fair to have a machine that have no primer tubes even if is my mistake. I just didn't know what to say anymore. A week later I got a package from them with three tubes. Free of charge. Even now I cannot wrap my head around it. Needless to say I'm sold to Dillon.

[fredj338]

I have never had an issue e-mailing Dillon for a part or any issue. I get pretty much a 24hr response. Plus you have a paper trail so to speak if something isn't taken care. It's the age of the internet, use it to your advantage.

[kevin c]

The only "negative" experience I've had with Dillon was mostly on me when I was a raw novice reloader. The retaining bolt for the shell plate on my SDB had broken and, being completely non mechanical, I insisted to the representative I called that I needed to send the press in to get the shank of the bolt out. They accepted the repair at no charge to me, but the rep did comment that it might take a week or so, "since hunting season is coming up". I'm sure he was thinking that idiots like me were what was in season, but I got my press back with a new bolt, no charge.

Since then, over the past 25 odd years they've basically repaired or replaced every part on that press except for the ram and the dies. The only items I paid for were the spare parts kit, the upgrade to the powder bar return mechanism and the twenty primer tube tips (I actually have and use that many primer tubes, but had never asked for that many tips at once; I guess, given the eBay thing, I shouldn't be suprised that an eyebrow was raised).

[oger]

I have been a Dillon owner since the 80s and now have 5 that I use. All I can say is since Mike passed away things are not the same. I have had to debur items with sloppy machine work and some that really didn't work at all.

[samari46]

Kinda miss my Dillon "Blue Press" booklet every month. So did the guys at the post office. Frank

[Wilderness man]

Never any problems with Dillon, they are always ready and willing to help with anything I need

[lightman]

I have not had to deal with Dillon since Mike died but their CS was the best in the business at one time. Oh sure, there were others just as good. RCBS and Leopold come to mind. Maybe Dillon's deal does have something to do with Ebay sellers? But, QC problems are not an Ebay problem. I hate to see them change.

[ioon44]

I guess I going to find out, I just broke my 30 year old powder measure on my 550.

[kevin c]

Kinda miss my Dillon "Blue Press" booklet every month. So did the guys at the post office. Frank

I still get mine, ever since I got the press all those years ago. New, larger format now, it seems.

[Muddydogs]

The fact that Dillon makes great stuff isn't in question , they do .

But again what chapped my hind end is the fact that they sold me a lifetime warranty and then they didn't deliver on it .
Why should it matter to me in even the slightest bit if they made the item or not ?

Mtecs ... it may have very well been a 5 year warrenty instead of year
It's been quite awhile . But 1 year or 5 years isn't the lifetime I paid for and didn't get .

Just try to keep in mind this is my personal "blue whale" I've still recommended Dillon to more then a few people because the quality is not in question

But you did get your life time warranty, Dillon replaced your tumbler under the lifetime warranty and now the new tumbler isn't lifetime. You got 2 tumblers for the price of one.

People wonder why company's change there warranty policies but yet guys are posting about dragging in 50 year old hard used stuff and getting it replaced for free. Just look at how people abused Cabela's great return policies until they changed them, purchasing $40 boots and wearing them everyday for 6 months in the woods until they were trashed only to return them for another pair only to turn around and do the same thing again.

This day and age most people are looking at how they can take advantage of a company.

[Walter Laich]

got my first SD in '71 for $129.95--before there was a "B" model

I love Dillons--have 5 presses now.

I usually email my needs. explain what happened and then list parts

I always wondered about ebay sellers--now I learned above that they are thieves

[ioon44]

I just sent in my 30+year old Dillon powder measure that broke and I just received a new one, I call this great service.

[garywg]

I have only had one experience with Dillon support, it was a 5-star experience. Received the plastic part in 3 days, no charge. I was surprised.

[GreenRiverBoy]

I have never had an issue e-mailing Dillon for a part or any issue. I get pretty much a 24hr response. Plus you have a paper trail so to speak if something isn't taken care. It's the age of the internet, use it to your advantage.

Not sure why but this is my preferred method of contacting dillon for any replacement parts I need.

[6bg6ga]

I've had 3) different Dillon machines a Square Deal, a 650, and a 550. Dillon treated me right on the Square Deal as I got everything I needed to keep it running back in the 80's I believe. The 650 started out ok with no hassle getting parts I needed until about a year ago. I was questioned on everything, do I grease the machine to do I have any aftermarket parts on it to what type of grease do I use. I don't feel it was needed. The 550 I purchased recently and was slightly used and I needed some primer tube parts as well as some primer tubes. Dillon sent them.

I feel that once the machine has been purchased it shouldn't make any difference if it changes hands or not. Dillon makes enough profit on these machines to hand out a few free parts heck when you order new parts from them for a caliber conversion or simply a set of dies and you pay thru the nose for shipping and handling and that alone probably funds the warranty program.

It seems that after Mike died the whole attitude changed there and while that might be great for the bottom line it tends to make some of us that feel we have paid enough and are entitled to $5 worth of parts every 2 years start wondering if maybe another brand might be worth looking into.

The no BS warranty should stay no BS without the BS questions involved.