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Thread: My first LEE equipment problem

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    My first LEE equipment problem

    I'm not bashing LEE products, I have plenty and will certainly buy more. I guess I'm just venting a bit.

    I started loading for 444 Marlin last month and ran into my first issues with LEE products. I'm a budget reloader so my bench almost looks like a commercial for LEE since I've had nothing but good experiences with their stuff. I bought a 3-die set, a shell holder, and a shell holder for my hand primer through Amazon. Everything showed up and looked perfect. When I got started, the first thing I found was that the shell holder for the hand primer wasn't holding the case securely. A quick check with the micrometer showed that the slot was cut to .487", where the slot in the press shell holder was .473". Both are marked as #11. I pulled the hand primer shell holder out of my 44 Mag dies and it was also .473". Obviously the new #11 was either machined wrong or stamped with the wrong number.

    Then when I put the seating die in my single stage press, I ended up using a wrench for the last couple turns to get the die adjusted correctly. It wasn't buggered up threads, just that it got progressively tighter as the die was screwed in. I wasn't having to really put any serious torque on it, but it wasn't the normal finger action I'm used to with every other die before or since. I ran a brass brush over the threads on the die, a drop of oil, and made sure the press threads were clean. Everything looks perfect. I haven't bothered putting the micrometer to the die yet, but apparently the threads were not cut fully. I have a tap/die set that I believe will fit the die so I'll probably try taking a bit more off it. Regardless, I can use it as is.

    I know I could ship the parts back to LEE and they would replace them. But it's not worth it for a $5 shell holder, and the seating die can probably be cleaned up with a few minutes work. Neither of these were show stoppers for me since I was able to get the die adjusted and I had another #11 shell holder for the hand primer. It looks like maybe quality control at LEE isn't what it used to be. No problems in 40 yrs using LEE products and then 2 in one day. Sorry for the venting.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Mytmousemalibu's Avatar
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    Once in a while stuff slips through the cracks. At the Lee price point, I do expect I might hit a snag once in a while or need to do a little fit & tune on components. I have a number of Dillon items that I love and the quality and customer support is above and beyond but I still appreciate Lee Precision and will continue to be a customer. Generally Lee has been very good to me and that is most of us.

    On brand new Lee tools I usually will take them apart and do a cleaning plus smooth & debur. Often new parts have some machining swarf and oils in them. I have experienced some roughness if I don't clean the stuff off. I will also clean the decapping assemblys dry of oil and put some anti seize on the collet nut threads so it gets a good hold of the rod and tightens easier and further than as recieved condition. Little tricks like that go a long way. With your shell holder out of spec, you might call Lee. The cheap little parts they might just send you some free replacements without shipping back the bad one.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I would call lee and explain the problem , they may fix you up with just a phone call.
    I am not sure what Amazon's policy is either but they may do an exchange for you.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by onelight View Post
    I would call lee and explain the problem , they may fix you up with just a phone call.
    I am not sure what Amazon's policy is either but they may do an exchange for you.
    That ^^^ bolded, is what I would probably do myself, so I think it is a good idea & advice. I have called them before about some minor things & they were quite cooperative.
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  5. #5
    Banned
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    Amazon has a free replacement policy for Prime members, Benn a Prime member so long I don't know about regular purchases. Go to your orders section and start a return/exchange. they will send you a shipping label for the return.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

    mdi's Avatar
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    Being a lifelong machinist/mechanic I see a lot of stuff like this, and certainly not just Lee tools/equipment. Normally I like to fix the minor glitzes, sorta making my tools more "personal". When I first got out of High School I got a job as a multi-spindle screw machine operator. I made millions of small parts from eye glass screws to skateboard bearing races to hand grenade parts and I can see how easily an OOPS! can get passed the operator, the line inspector, final inspection and shipping and reach the consumer.

    Sounds like the threads are tapered and chasing them would fix it or even a thread file on the last few threads and a shell holder could have easily gotten into the wrong bin and mis-stamped. I'm sure Lee would make it right......
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  7. #7
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    Call Lee about the shell holder , I will admit their shell holders , both for press and priming tool , are not the best...the tolerances can get "loose" . That's one of the very few negatives I have with Lee products ...but they do Give you the shell holder with a set of dies so that makes up for having to send one back every now and again .
    The die threads just need cleaning up and should be easy with a Swiss file and abrasive paper .
    If threads are not fully cut...tell them , that's a matter you can't easily fix .
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 11-12-2019 at 02:47 PM.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I would be cautious with the snig threads on the die. Any roughness or sharp edges will wear the press threads much faster, especially the aluminum framed models with out inserts. This can be remedied with a die and lots of oil or a thread file. Another way would be to pick up a 7/8 14 nut and split it thru one side. coat die threads with a fine abrasive polish. run nut on and when close to tight area clamp nut in vise squeezing to a light snug fit and work for a few minutes.
    The shell holder is another thing this isn't hardly fixable by any means, short of welding up and recutting. If the slot that's off is for the body dia you might try a piece of .006 brass shim stock wrap around a case and glue in place. trimming after glue has cured good.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    I called LEE this afternoon. They're sending me a replacement shell holder. They agreed that it was probably a loner that got mis-stamped since they haven't had a rash of complaints. As for the bullet seating die, LEE said they'd replace it if I sent it back, but I made a couple passes over it with a die and it now threads in pretty easily. The threads looked perfect before and after, and I didn't see anything glaring when I put the micrometer on it. Unlike 'mdi', I'm limited to a pair of reading glasses and a flat bastard when it comes to machining. Thankfully they had a large set of dies at the shop.

    I hope y'all don't think I'm bad mouthing LEE for this. Yes, things fall through the cracks. And I'm past the age where I'd want to pony up the big bucks for top shelf equipment, so I'm very pleased with their stuff. Red is definitely becoming the dominant color on my bench.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Glad to here you got it all worked out .

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    actually the die was probably the easiest quickest fix for the die, hand fiking takes time and a lot of control and setting it up in a lathe and recatching the threads for a couple thou is a pain to do

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

    mdi's Avatar
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    Hint; for cleaning up threads, not recutting, from the hardware store get a grade 8 steel nut or bolt. Run the nut/bolt through with a bit of oil a few times to get smooth threads. Most of the time the threads will be loosened up, without making them sloppy.
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Awesome !
    I needed to hear a story with a happy ending...
    Gary
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  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    If your bench is like an add for Lee than you are in for a lot more problems going forward.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy sparkyv's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Chambers View Post
    If your bench is like an add for Lee than you are in for a lot more problems going forward.
    I don't know about a lot more, but some tinkering makes Lee products pretty darn good performers. Plus the tweaking is part of the enjoyment and results in pride for a job well-done!

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Chambers View Post
    If your bench is like an add for Lee than you are in for a lot more problems going forward.
    Yeah, OK. That make yon feel better bashing someone else's gear?

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    40 years ago all my equipment was Lyman or Rcbs I still use some of those tools but now I buy mostly Lee and just like my Lyman and Rcbs some of it I like and some of it I don't I am glad we have so many choices in equipment.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duckdog View Post
    Yeah, OK. That make yon feel better bashing someone else's gear?
    Many years (50+) of heavy duty including commercial casting/reloading has kept my bench free of cheap equip. made from inferior materials, just saying.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Commercial grade equipment is rarely needed for non commercial normal use.
    You don't need a 12000.00 Grasshopper mower to cut a city lot , You may want it , and enjoy it nothing wrong with that , but it is not needed to get the job done .

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
    Ed in North Texas's Avatar
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    I have a lot of Lyman and RCBS equipment and a lot of Lee, particularly for those calibers I don't load a lot (e.g. 6.5x50 Jap). No equipment manufacturer is error/failure proof. All the reloading equipment manufacturers will "make good" on their equipment when the odd failure does occur. I bought a set of Lyman dies for .50-70 some years back. Long story short I don't know for sure what caliber the sizing die was, but it started turning the first case I put in the press into a bottleneck case. An obvious case of the wrong die body getting into the bin as it was marked as a .50-70 die. Lyman replaced the die with the correct die.
    Last edited by Ed in North Texas; 11-21-2019 at 11:16 AM.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check