Dillon SDB Broke

[warren5421]

I have several SDB's and one broke New Years Eve, the lever arm broke on top. I think it was made about Ab Lincon's time , it is a very old machine. Called Dillon and they are sending new parts to fix at no cost to me. Second one too break like that.

Was not a good week as my 550B #7 shell plate also broke. That one cost me $8.50 to ship back to be replaced.

Over the years they rebuilt an SDB that I was given that went through a flood and sat in a outbuilding for a year. That one cost shipping there only.

All I have ever used is Dillon and one single stage RCBS. Don't know if the other presses carry as good a fix/replace polices. I don't fill that customer service is as good as 10 years ago as it never cost me shipping till about 2010. They have changed polices on what carries life time and what will not. Before if it said Dillon it was fixed or replaced free.

[LAH]

Broke the lever on my SDB. They sent me one no charge. That was a few years ago.

[dverna]

Curious, how does a shell plate break?

[gnostic]

Curious, how does a shell plate break?

It cracks vertically so when you reload primers, they fall on the floor. When the press is cycled without a case in the number one position, sizing die, the crack doesn't show. I wound up double charging a case after starting and stopping the process about ten times before figuring out what the problem was. Good luck was with me and the double charge of 3.9 grains =7.8 of titegroup didn't damage my S&W 686...

[warren5421]

The lip that holds the case came off the shell plate (#7). When cast it had a big void and when sizing a .38-55 case and pulling back out it let go. Just two tiny bright spots and a very long gray area under where it broke. It was used so don't know history.

Two new arms and bushings came in the mail today so SDB is up and running again.

[edp2k]

I'll bet that, when you compare the arm that broke and the new arm,
you will notice that the new arm has had a design change so that it won't break in that spot anymore.

[yobohadi]

Gotta love the Dillon warrantee. I sent in an old SDB that was flipping primers out of the primer cup even after a good cleaning, they replaced most of the old parts and sent it back to me working perfectly.

[David2011]

The lever on my very old SDB broke as well. The free replacement was a noticeably different design.

[imashooter2]

I’ve broken the lever and the press body. They wouldn’t send me a new press body... I can’t blame them for wanting the old one back. If not folks would just build presses with free parts instead of buying them. I never did send it back though... an old Chevy distributor clamp has worked for many years now.

[LAH]

The lever on my very old SDB broke as well. The free replacement was a noticeably different design.

Mine was different also.

[Livin_cincy]

They charged you for a broken shell plate ? That is not the "No BS" warranty they sold you !!!

[Burnt Fingers]

They charged you for a broken shell plate ? That is not the "No BS" warranty they sold you !!!

Do you own a Dillon?

On some parts they want the broken part back to see how it failed. Shell plates rarely break. This also prevents scammers from requesting free parts to then turn around and sell on eBay.

[GBertolet]

I have had lots of things break on my SDB, over the years. The front mounting tab broke, just like on post #9, the handle broke also, and the cam bracket broke on the powder measure. Dillon, must have had other instances of these parts breaking, as all the replacement parts were beefed up. Anyhow, other than the shipping cost of sending the press back to them, these repairs cost me nothing. The other parts, Dillon just took my word that they broke, and sent me the replacements without question. Great service. I have been told, Dillon keeps track, of requests for replacement parts, and if you go the well too often, they will balk at sending out replacement parts, without verification.