Why Knock Lee Equipment??

[sheepdog]

This morning I called Lee while on the way to work, hands free don't you know, gal answered and said she'd handle the request for a new lever on my auto prime and get it out same day.

Never once was it suggested I was inept or a retard and I appreciate that!.

I've broke two! One on a friends auto and one on mine trying to switch primer sizes. You got to wonder is 98% of all auto prime parts replacements aren't from abuse of those levers. They got to make that a little more "abuse" proof

[grumman581]

I've broke two! One on a friends auto and one on mine trying to switch primer sizes. You got to wonder is 98% of all auto prime parts replacements aren't from abuse of those levers. They got to make that a little more "abuse" proof

What are they made out of? Cast aluminum or something? The window latches on the windows at my house are made out of that and I've probably broke each of them over the years and replaced with another brand. If something breaks, then it is time to re-engineer it to be stronger. It's not like we're all that worried about weight on reloading equipment.

As far as I'm concerned, for a part to have a history of breaking and the manufacturer not to look into redesigning it to make it stronger, it is total .

[jonk]

They are my go-to brand. I only go to someone else if Lee doesn't have it.

For many years Lee dies held the world record 1000 yard benchrest tightest group. I love their decapper/expanders... they are far heavier duty than the rods and pins on ANY other company's dies I know.

My Rockchucker and Classic cast are both monsters that will outlive me and my as yet unborn children and grandchildren, if I ever get married. The lee press just has some features I like more and so i use that a bit more than the RCBS.

They have things I don't like- their scale is one. Not overly fond of their zip trim either (though their case lock and pilot system that turns every drill into a trimmer is a treat). Their molds are acceptable but not better and usually slightly worse in fit and finish than lyman.

It's about value for the dollar. If I have to pay $100 to get 4 sets of Lee dies or $200 to get the same from Dillon or whoever, I look to Lee first.

[sheepdog]

What are they made out of? Cast aluminum or something? The window latches on the windows at my house are made out of that and I've probably broke each of them over the years and replaced with another brand. If something breaks, then it is time to re-engineer it to be stronger. It's not like we're all that worried about weight on reloading equipment.

As far as I'm concerned, for a part to have a history of breaking and the manufacturer not to look into redesigning it to make it stronger, it is total .

Agreed. This and the plastic powder dish on the autodisk are known failure points (in that case wood screws into plastic, which you have to unscrew every time you change disks). When I called about it they replaced it for free but stated I needed to upgrade to some new do-dad to get the one with metal screws and inset nuts.

But I think Lee builds their stuff strong enough to do the job but cheap enough to make constant replacement at below cost possible. This is kinda like Harbor Freight hand tools. You know its not a Craftsmen but for the price who cares and they'll also replace it forever on their dime.

But not to get off subject. When I first started reloading, not so long ago, I bought a set of RCBS 762x39 dies for $50, thinking my God I better start casting cause I'll never be able to afford projectiles at this rate. The store I bought them at didn't stock Lee. When I asked he said "cause I'll be the first one they come back to for replacement when that **** breaks". I later found out this guy considered RCBS "entry level" and Dillions "standard". When I heard about Lee and seen the prices it was like someone telling you where to buy gasoline for 50 cents a gallon. I was stunned literally, that someone found a niche I could afford (because I shoot no less than 15 calibers and wanted dies and mounds for them all).

This is because I want lil' Sheepdog to have all the ammo he wants /needs to shoot once he gets his big boy hairs. I knew the way I shoot and the variety of calibers I keep I would never be able to keep up (though I've got a coffin-sized german flak shell locker full of surplus ammo at the moment). Now I havent bought a box of ammo in Lord knows how long and not sure I ever will. For that I will always be a Lee customer, even if they go penny for penny in price with Lyman or RCBS.

[jimkim]

Well, they did redesign the powder hopper on the new Auto Disc. I'm pretty sure they will eventually phase the old model out. As far as the lever on the Auto Prime goes, I've broken one. Just one. I guess after twenty years it finally gave way. I do wish they would make it out of steel or a better alloy though.

[anachronism]

So. The people who tried Lee, and didn't appreciate their tools are ham-fisted, elitist tool snobs. I lost a lot of money by buying tools that didn't last, and It's my fault, even though the tools I replaced them with have worked perfectly, some for 20+ years. I must ponder the logic in this.

[sheepdog]

So. The people who tried Lee, and didn't appreciate their tools are ham-fisted, elitist tool snobs.

I kinda wondered this myself. Like how much abuse do you put on a mould that aluminum just wont cut it. So much so you'd rather deal with rust and flaky heat issues.

[dudel]

Like every company, Lee has some good products, and some that are not so good. Ever hear of anyone wanting an RCBS Green Machine? Lee equipment has it's place. It let's people get into reloading or casting without spending a ton of money. When I started casting, I'd rather mess up a Lee mould than an NEI one. The Lee mould is still churning out boolits just fine, and I haven't had a need to upgrade.

Their LCT, lasted only a few months here before that plasticy thing was replaced with a Dillon 550b. Their single stage Classic however, is a good deal if you are in need of a single stage press (isn't everyone).

[DLCTEX]

Sheepdog: I'm trying to picture how you break the lever while changing primer sizes? I have several that have done thousands of rounds without a break.

[Cowboy T]

I fail tosee any positive purpose to this thread. Looks to me like a fellow with time on his hands who just like to stir things up and sit back and watch.

On the contrary, we get to see a great example of Dillon fanboy snobbery. And personally, I find it hilarious.

But hey, if you've just gotta have that Mercedes S500 to commute to work every day, good on ya! I'll stick w/ my Honda and save a bundle, thanks.

[Cowboy T]

Like every company, Lee has some good products, and some that are not so good. Ever hear of anyone wanting an RCBS Green Machine? Lee equipment has it's place. It let's people get into reloading or casting without spending a ton of money. When I started casting, I'd rather mess up a Lee mould than an NEI one. The Lee mould is still churning out boolits just fine, and I haven't had a need to upgrade.

Their LCT, lasted only a few months here before that plasticy thing was replaced with a Dillon 550b. Their single stage Classic however, is a good deal if you are in need of a single stage press (isn't everyone).

If "LCT" means "Lee Classic Turret", it's not made of plastic. Matter of fact, it's built like a tank. Are we thinking of the same press?

[jeff423]

IMHO: Lee molds and lead melting equipment are very good and an excellent value. Their single stage presses are also very good and I like their FCD's for both rifle and straight wall pistol cartridges. The rest of their dies are adequate.
For a lot of the rest of their equipment it seems like they bought a piece of RCBS, Dillon, Lyman, or Redding equipment and then tried to see how they could make it cheaper. Their beam balance, hand priming tools, and powder measures all work but are clearly inferior to others. (Although they are probably about 1/3 of the price so they represent a good value.)
I think Lee equipment can make perfectly good ammunition, but just not as quickly or easily as RCBS, Dillon or Hornady.
I started with Lee equipment but as time goes by I have less and less. I've never regretted replacing a piece of Lee equipment.
For me, if I'm driving across country I'd rather drive a Lexus LS series than a Toyota Corolla, but both of them will get me there.


Jeff

[quasi]

Lee has made getting into reloading much cheaper than it used to be.

[grumman581]

Lee has made getting into reloading much cheaper than it used to be.

Agreed, but as far as I'm concerned, the thing that made it worthwhile to seriously get into reloading was being able to use progressive presses. If I still needed to weigh out each and every powder measure, I don't think I would reload as much. Definitely, I wouldn't be reloading as much for the semi-autos where I am more likely to shoot a lot of rounds. I kind of wish my Dillon had more than 4 spots in it though. Redding makes a 7-head press, but it's a turret instead of a progressive.

[jcwit]

Agreed, but as far as I'm concerned, the thing that made it worthwhile to seriously get into reloading was being able to use progressive presses. If I still needed to weigh out each and every powder measure, I don't think I would reload as much. Definitely, I wouldn't be reloading as much for the semi-autos where I am more likely to shoot a lot of rounds. I kind of wish my Dillon had more than 4 spots in it though. Redding makes a 7-head press, but it's a turret instead of a progressive.

Why do you need a progressive press to avoid weighing out each and every charge?

Only time I weigh is for a check to veirfy, or when shooting at the bench. Other than that all charges are thrown with either an auto disk or powder measure.

[grumman581]

Why do you need a progressive press to avoid weighing out each and every charge?

Only time I weigh is for a check to veirfy, or when shooting at the bench. Other than that all charges are thrown with either an auto disk or powder measure.

I guess I was thinking more about the guys that I know that shoot benchrest who weigh each and every charge. Some of these guys aren't even satisfied with having charges that match to the nearest 1/10th of a grain. I'm pretty sure that the powder measure on my Dillon varies at least 1/10th of a grain between pushes of the lever.

I guess the thing that I hated most about the single stage press was that if I wanted to load up a couple hundred rounds and not be switching between dies more than necessary, I had to do each stage in sequence for however many rounds I was going to be making. With a progressive (or a turret for that matter), it is possible to do as many or as few as you want and even take a break and go shoot some of them.

For the most part, I guess I like the Dillon press, although I'm not crazy about having to pick up all the primers one at a time and fill the primer tubes with them. Originally, I didn't like the fact that you didn't know how close you were to being empty of primers, but I fixed that by taking a brass brazing rod, cutting it slightly longer than the primer tube, and putting a right angle bend in the last 1/2 inch. That way, when the bend is getting to the top of the primer tube, I know I'm really close to being empty. I also think that I'm more likely to damage cases with the progressive press than I would with a single stage or turret system. Oh well, that's the price you pay for being able to load ammo at a faster rate, I guess...

[Bill*]

Well....I was just about to defend Lee when I remembered something. My new mold is dropping ingots about 2 thou. undersize
HeHeHe......Bill

[sheepdog]

Sheepdog: I'm trying to picture how you break the lever while changing primer sizes? I have several that have done thousands of rounds without a break.

Not reading the directions first helps.

The other one was broke when I thought I had all of a military crimp removed but the primer handle thought otherwise.

[grumman581]

Well....I was just about to defend Lee when I remembered something. My new mold is dropping ingots about 2 thou. undersize

Your ingots are 2 thousandths undersize? Yeah, I can see how that could get one all bent out of shape... <snicker>

[Bill*]

What can I say, I'm happy with my Lee stuff and couldn't find anything else to complain about