550 happiness?

[Love Life]

Stop thinking about it, and buy it.

[dragon813gt]

The truth is the 550 is not real friendly when loading multiple calibers. If they are such a great machine why do you need 2 or 3.

You don’t need two or three of them. I have one and have no issues changing it to load another cartridge. Even if this involves changing primer size. None of it is hard and it takes a few minutes.

About the only thing I don’t like is the powder measure fail safe. The press isn’t smooth because of how it operates. But removing it and going back to two springs on each measure fixed everything. I don’t have a fail safe on any other press and I don’t need it on the 550B. Looking at powder level before seating a bullet is part of the process.

[mvintx]

I've had my 550 since the late 80s. It's loaded everything I shoot up to .308. I like the fact that it does not auto index because when you've got any kind of problem, you don't have to worry about the shell plate indexing that problem to the next station. I had an older friend who bought a 650 as his first reloading machine and I helped set it up for him. When everything was working in order, it was his best friend. But when a problem occurred at one of the stations, it was difficult for him to correct. I'm not bashing the 650...it's a great machine. But for the money, you can't go wrong with a 550. Just my opinion.

[tstowater]

It's hard not to like a 550 due to it's versatility. It won't be as fast as a 650 or a 1050/1100, but it wasn't designed to or cost as much. I have two like others here. I could easily get by with one but it is nice to be able to leave each set up for different primer sizes. I load a fair amount of large primer so it is nice to have one set up for that.

Once you get comfortable with operating a 550, you can assemble a quantity of ammo fairly quickly. If I was going to load large quantities of ammo, I would look at a 750 or 1100 at that point. I have a pretty good quantity of 45ACP and 223 to load at some point and somewhat dread the process of going through the brass prep and loading process. That's when you consider going to a CP2000 and either a 750 or 1100.

Would I buy a 550 again? Absolutely. Unless you are a Jmorris and have all the room, toys and skills, a 550 will likely meet most of your needs.

[tominboise]

You don’t need two or three of them. I have one and have no issues changing it to load another cartridge. Even if this involves changing primer size. None of it is hard and it takes a few minutes.

About the only thing I don’t like is the powder measure fail safe. The press isn’t smooth because of how it operates. But removing it and going back to two springs on each measure fixed everything. I don’t have a fail safe on any other press and I don’t need it on the 550B. Looking at powder level before seating a bullet is part of the process.

I agree with your comments about the fail safe - where did you get the springs for the measure? The older SDB's had springs on them that worked pretty well. I want to go to springs on my 550.

[dragon813gt]

I agree with your comments about the fail safe - where did you get the springs for the measure? The older SDB's had springs on them that worked pretty well. I want to go to springs on my 550.

They came on the extra measures that came in the lot that I bought. There were even a few extra. Dillon was selling them. Don’t know if they still are. Part ##14036. Contact them to see if they are.

Now that I think about I’m pretty sure I have two of them. But only one is a 550. The other is a 450 w/ a solid frame. Operation of primer feed and powder measure are both manual. I don’t think I ever sold off this press or accessories. I bought it specifically for the solid frame to load 223 and possibly other rifle cartridges.

Guess I have to many presses since I don’t know what I currently have

[tominboise]

OK - I will get ahold of Dillon and see.

[trebor44]

OK - I will get ahold of Dillon and see.

In Boise, "Cliffs Guns and Safes" stocks Dillon parts etc. and may have springs or a source. Hawktech has some Dillon but not much in parts.

[Dale53]

I started out, regarding Dillon, with the 450. It was a good press and was able to load both rifle and pistol. I was raising a family and competing in IPSC in both rifle and pistol as well as other local competition. When the 550 hit the market, I traded up (sold my 450 to friends). I immediately took to the 550. I had a chance, years later, to get another 550B at a good price and added it to the stable. One for large primers and one for small. I really appreciated the lower cost of out fitting for a different calibers as I was loading and shooting eleven different calibers at the time.

I have loaded a couple of hundred thousand (not an exaggeration) rounds of both rifle and pistol (match grade) ammo on the 550B and I am truly a fan. I have compared it to other brands and I am sold on both the 550B (now 550C) AND Dillon. Dillon has the best customer service EVER!

I am a feeble old man, now, and I still use and enjoy my 550B's just like always. Frankly, I appreciate the mechanical movement of the powder slide compared to springs. Mechanical is fail safe, springs, "Not always"... These days I only shoot pistol and revolver but run .32's (both Longs and Mags), .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44 Special/Magnum, .45 ACP/.45 Auto Rim and .45 Colt.

Did I mention I am a BIG Fan of the 550B (and 550C) as well as DILLON!!!

FWIW
Dale53

[curiousgeorge]

I know I'm coming in late on this thread, but put me down as a huge fan of the 550B. I have 2 permanently mounted to one of my benches, one in small primer and one in large primer. The third one is on the strong mount attached to a board and is portable.

I load .32 s&w long, .32 h& r mag, 9mm, .38 s&w, .38 spl, .357 mag, .357 max, 40 s&w, .41 mag, .44 russian, .44 spl, .44 mag, .45 acp, .45 auto rim, .45 colt, .223, & .308 on these presses. Each of the cartridges listed are permanently set up in their own marked tool heads. I have other rifle conversions but have not gotten around to using them yet. I have 7 powder measures, so a couple of them stay set up with the large powder bars and the others with the small bars.

For me, these have been excellent machines.
I have loaded thousands and thousands of rounds on each of them. The reliability and ease of caliber change is excellent. I have found the powder measures to throw very consistent charges of ball powder & most flake powder. I have had the 2 mounted on the bench since the late 90's and the third one for about 15 years. I actually had a 4th 550b but sold to a shooting buddy about 10 yrs ago. Maybe just a little too much of a great thing.
Steve

[Scrounge]

That was me two weeks ago. Except for a brief fling with a Lee Pro 1000 25 years ago, I've used nothing but a single stage for 40 years. Being retired now I have more free time for the range, but also more free time to reload. I thought and thought about a Dillon SDB or 550 and kept thinking "that's a lot of money when I have all this free time". I went so far as to do a build sheet for a 550 on Dillons site to tally the prices and pieces I would need.

My wife took the decision away from me. Without saying a word to me she went to Dillons site and using my sheet as a guide she ordered it. It arrived Saturday and I've been stockpiling ammo since then. Like many above have said, I wish I had done this sooner, like decades ago. I'll keep my old trustworthy Bonanza press but it's now semi-retired.

Methinks you need to keep her. And pray she wants to keep you! Never used one myself, but have watched my brother run his a couple of time, IIRC. I've got a Lyman SPAR-T I've been storing or dragging around for decades, and for the reloading I've done to date, it's fine. Just recently retired myself, but I think I'm going to be fixing her house for a while yet. It got to be pretty shabby, and now I have time to fix some of that. Maybe after a bit of that she'll do something like your wife did for me.

[HCH]

Nope. I got a great deal on mine, and if I had paid full price I still would think the same.

I have considered a 650, but I load/switch calibers quite a bit and I like the quick change overs on the 550.

[jsizemore]

Every time you pull the handle a round is produced. Except for the first 3 times. Would you rather be loading or shooting?

[Burnt Fingers]

Nope. I got a great deal on mine, and if I had paid full price I still would think the same.

I have considered a 650, but I load/switch calibers quite a bit and I like the quick change overs on the 550.

The 650 is almost as quick. The only difference is you would be changing case feeder parts. Ya were going to get a collator with the 650, right?

I can do a caliber change in just a couple of minutes.

[HCH]

The 650 is almost as quick. The only difference is you would be changing case feeder parts. Ya were going to get a collator with the 650, right?

I can do a caliber change in just a couple of minutes.

I’d get all the goodies I could with a 650.

The reality is, for the amount I shoot (more than the average cat, as I shoot USPSA and 3gun) I feel like the 550 does a fine job. I load 9mm, 40, 45acp, 380, 38 special, 223 and 308 on it. 300 rounds per hour is very easy; I’ve timed myself several times and it takes me about 13 minutes to load 100 rounds and pickup primers.

[Lloyd Smale]

id about as soon pull the power line off my house as give up my 550. I even have three Hornady lnl progressives. Id give up all three of them before id give up my 550.

[derek45]

I love mine so much, that even after several years running a Dillon XL650, i keep using my old 550b

I love them both

650 for larger batches, like 9mm, 223, 550 for smaller batches, like 6.5 grendel etc

[pull the trigger]

Fantastic responses. Thanks folks. I love reading the stories.

[Garyshome]

I got my 550 when clinton was potus. Pretty much my first reloader, I think I paid about $250.00. Ed's gun shop steered me in the right direction. Since then I have acquired other re loaders all ss, they serve other purposes, help to keep the dillon clean. Glad I went that way in the first place.

[iomskp]

I have a 550B and love it I only load 9mm, 38 super and 44 mags with it, I do all my rifle calibres on a single stage press I looked at the 650 but I went with the 550B and I am still happy with my decision