Pretty sure this has been aksed before . . . . but

[Mk42gunner]

Lee 4-20 is a good pot! I use 2 of them with no problems......including dripping. Others are extremely overpriced for just melting lead.

It is a nice pot and you will not have to mortgage the house to buy one. If you decide in the future to change.....it's always nice to have a 2nd pot for other alloys!

bangerjim

Thermometer is unnecessary overkill. I cast for decades without one, use it occasionally
for fun, but never really need it. A techno-crutch of limited value, IMO.

Bill

These two quotes sum it up pretty well, in my opinion.

I started with a cast iron pot over a Coleman stove. It was uncomfortably hot, even wearing gloves.

I couldn't justify the cost of an RCBS Promelt, so I bought a brand new Lee 4-20. Wow, I could now cast in comfort. It dripped a lttle, but no deluges.

I stumbled across a Promelt at an estate sale for $80.00, now my Lee is the back up, and only used for casting snagging sinkers.

I did buy a thermometer, I really don't think it is necessary for 90% of the boolit casters, same with a hardness tester.

Robert

[6bg6ga]

The Dillon XL650 for a first press isn't a good idea in my mind. Like mentioned in a prior post starting with a single stage press is the way to go.

[Echo]

A Lee will do fine.

Am I the only one who gets a chill when someone says a Dillon 650 will be their first reloading set up? Scares me, a progressive is not a learning tool.

A big Plus One! OP should get a single-stage (RCBS RC from eBay, or some such) and use it for at least a year, loading hundreds, if not thousands, of cartridges, so they more fully understand the principles, plusses, and minuses, or metallic cartridge reloading. I have spoken...

[RoGrrr]

papagee
Welcome to our little forum/man-cave/or whatever you'd like to call it. Ask as many questions as you want to ask, either on the board or by PM. The only stupid question is the one you're too embarrassed to ask.

I have a 650 and love it. It was my first metallic progressive, but I've loaded many a shotshell on a TEXAN.
While I tend to agree about a newbie starting on a progressive, his choice of a 650 is far better than starting on, say, a 550 ! Even when I was starting to load on a single stage press, I won't admit HOW MANY shells got a projectile stuffed into them WITH NO POWDER. Murphy's pet named "DISTRACTION", you know....
The 550 requires you to advance the turret.
I'd much rather have my old shells with no powder then a newly loaded one with a DOUBLE CHARGE ! Just sayin'.
I would think that papagee will pick up the fully automatic 650 fairly quickly. My hat's off to you and good luck, papagee. Keep us in the loop.

By the way, get your wife and daughter involved in loading. They need to know and understand what we're doing/suffering FOR THEM.

The Dillon XL650 for a first press isn't a good idea in my mind. Like mentioned in a prior post starting with a single stage press is the way to go.

[Petrol & Powder]

I would recommend a single stage press to anyone starting out and it's a tool you'll keep forever. Not paying attention is a totally different matter. Failure to pay attention is just irresponsible, the type of press is an irrelevant to that matter.

[6bg6ga]

papagee
Welcome to our little forum/man-cave/or whatever you'd like to call it. Ask as many questions as you want to ask, either on the board or by PM. The only stupid question is the one you're too embarrassed to ask.

I have a 650 and love it. It was my first metallic progressive, but I've loaded many a shotshell on a TEXAN.
While I tend to agree about a newbie starting on a progressive, his choice of a 650 is far better than starting on, say, a 550 ! Even when I was starting to load on a single stage press, I won't admit HOW MANY shells got a projectile stuffed into them WITH NO POWDER. Murphy's pet named "DISTRACTION", you know....
The 550 requires you to advance the turret.
I'd much rather have my old shells with no powder then a newly loaded one with a DOUBLE CHARGE ! Just sayin'.
I would think that papagee will pick up the fully automatic 650 fairly quickly. My hat's off to you and good luck, papagee. Keep us in the loop.

By the way, get your wife and daughter involved in loading. They need to know and understand what we're doing/suffering FOR THEM.

I'll have to disagree. A 550 is far more forgiving than a 650 is. With a 550 you can check your progress before you manually progress to the next stage. The main reason I keep the Lyman T-Mag turret press is for taking care of the mistakes that can happen with the 650 when your setting up. The 650 however is capable of more rounds per hour than the 550 but still its easy to make mistakes with ANY progressive even after loading for many years.

[RoGrrr]

6bg
I did a lot of research before I bought my first progressive (Gawd, I HATE that liberal word). My short list choice was between the 550 and 650. I recalled the many problems my clay target shooting friends had with their new progressives so I had some idea what to look for/expect in a metallic machine. I finally decided on the 650 bcuz of the auto-index (I had that on my TEXAN shotshell loaders so I was educated on the feature).
So far, I've never loaded on a 550 but it's easy enough to check everything on the 650. Plus, having the powder check at station 3 (not that it's a necessity bcuz of the auto-index) it tells you if a shell is empty or double-charged.
You talk about setting up, and it's just that - setting up. Do one case at a time to adjust all your settings and once that's done, turn it on and let the case feeder dump the cases in and you're off to the races. While I never try to set speed records, I run consistent loads at a healthy speed.
And once you have each caliber set up (I also recommend a complete set of tools for each caliber, INCLUDING the powder measure on each tool head 'Spensive/extravagant but makes it a lot easier/safer to set up/change calibers), when you change to that other caliber, you're ready to go. Put in the tool head, change the primer feed and shell plate and GO ! Nothing to check if you have a dedicated powder measure for that tool head. Pass GO and collect as many loaded rounds as you have time to load.
Granted, papagee is biting off a big bite to chew but I doubt he will ever look back and lament his decision. And I do appreciate your hesitation to see him pull the trigger on the 650.
If I were him, I would start with about 10 empty cases and with the primer cam removed (that black thing on the front vertical support in front of the shell plate) and load one round at a time to learn/understand what each station is supposed to do. Pull the primer feed lever (that silver lever between the primer post and feed mechanism) to advance only one primer, advance a shell out of the sizing station and press a new primer into the case. Pull the handle to fill the case with powder and advance to the next station. Look into the case to assure there is powder. Pull handle and advance. Insert boolit and pull. Pull one more time and eject your first reloaded BOOLIT !
I'd also opt for Dillon's DVD teaching you how to load on their stellar machine.

I also highly recommend the automatic case feeder. It makes things a lot easier, not to mention speeding things up a bunch.

[dikman]

Bit off track here, guys, the OP was actually asking about melting lead, not re-loading cartridges. I just bought an RCBS Pro-Melt. Not cheap, as I had to buy the export version (dearer) + shipping ($80 or so) but I have absolutely no regrets, it melts quick and works very well. Having said that, I'm sure I would have been very happy with the Lee, it was just that after many unsuccessful days chasing both of these down to find someone who actually had both in stock was somewhat unexpected. So I took it as an omen and plumped for the dearer one.

Of course, nothing's perfect (!) so I made a top cover for the pot, an extractor fan that clips to the rear and a shelf to rest the molds on while pouring (I found the simple support rod they use unsatisfactory). But then, I like modding things......

[whelenshooter]

I ladle dip so I bought a Lee Magnum (actually my wife bought it at my suggestion for Christmas one year). Before that I cast out of a cast iron pot and a turkey fryer burner. I really like the Lee. Most of my equipment is Lee. Someone earlier said that folks think their Lee stuff is fine till they use something else. That's probably true.

I've driven Fords most of my life but have occasionally driven my grandfather's Lincoln. Boy it was nice, power, ride, etc. But I could buy several Fords for what the Lincoln cost and the Ford's last a long time.

[Dave C.]

After all is said and done, all brands of pots will cast the same quality boolits.
Buy what makes you happy and fits your budget.

Dave C.

Good health and good shooting.

[harley6699]

Here are my two cents.. I have had Lee pots for 30 years.. I bought and wore my first Lee bollom pot and bought another.. I like the other pots as do others here.. I have not be able to justify the cost.. also I only have one eye and it was getting more difficult for me to align the mold to the spout so one of the members here showed me how to add a Lyman mold guide to my Lee pot and now I great results.. I don't think I could do the same with the more expensive ones.. I say buy the one that best works for your situation.. it is like buying a press.. I run a Dillon and other run Lee, RCBS, etc.. so think about your needs..