Lee prooves to be junk again

[dragon813gt]

I guess I'm the odd man out. I have never had a problem with Lee customer service. On several occasions they have sent me small parts on their dime. I'll continue to use Lee.
OB

You aren't. I've had no issues w/ their CS. I have had bad experiences w: another companies CS. I still use that brand but I pray I don't have to ever use their CS again.

And as someone pointed out earlier you pay upfront for a no BS warranty. The cost is averaged into all their products. Nothing is ever free.

Their are enough choices to keep everyone happy. Lee shouldn't be in business anymore if you're to believe all the bashers claims. I realize they have a higher failure rate but I'm betting that's also due to volume. They sell more due to their pricing.

[pdumont01]

Lee works for me! No complaints yet, only been casting for 2 years though...

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Zthomps]

Same story with me the last couple days bought a lee sizer .356 for the 9mm recently got the molds and went to size them sized to .354-.355 ok I contact lee they said the same thing why should I have to pay shipping on a defective product I could see if did something that broke it then I'd pay but seeings how it left the factory like that then it's obviously there fault but long story short I said whatever and took some sandpaper and honed it out to a perfect .357 which is the size I needed anyway after I slugged my stuff

[dkf]

Peter strikes again. They need to FIRE that guy or give him Dillon's and RCBS salesman of the year award. He is Lee customer service and he SUCKS.

I sent in a .308 Win sizing die that was unfinished, the neck never got polished out to final diameter and finish, I TOLD them this was what was wrong with it, they sent it back saying it is correct, and sent the case that I sent them, after they ran it through the rough finished die, they sent it back WITH A BUCKLE in the shoulder!

I ebayed a used Lee die, same die, it came polished in the neck and .001" bigger than the die I sent them, and it sized and decapped cases perfectly where the other one was SO rough it dang near broke the handle off an old Lyman cast iron press trying to resize cases.

If I had Peter's supervisor name and could make SURE the die and my letter got to him and didn't get sabotaged by Me. Peter, I would cut the die in half and SHOW him that the die is indeed unfinished and rough drilled, and file a formal complaint against Peter for derelicting his job duties.

Yep that is guy I had the misfortune of dealing with. I'm sure the machine shop at Lee could use someone to sweep the floor, I'd put him at that instead of his current position.

I've had issues with Lee products but way more good products than bad. With Lee you have to figure with the price that you just throw it away or fix it yourself if it doesn't work. About the only thing Lee can comprehend for warranty is a broken part.

[Whiterabbit]

Didn't read the thread, but when I clicked on the title, I was thinking in my head "I bet it's a thread about dies"

Lee makes GREAT stuff! And a reloading die (IMO) is yet to grace that list. How can a company that makes such great presses, accessories, handing equipment make the dies they do? makes no sense.

[Juan Jose]

I've good luck with Lee here. I don't care for some designs but others, for me, are right on and a good bargain to boot.
I think any manufacturer can have something out of spec slip through the cracks just as they can have poor customer service reps,
and having both happen at the same time is more than frustrating!

[Ola]

IMO there is 2 specific markets for Lee dies. The reloaders that don't have the money, well for them, Lee is the natural choice. I have been is this group at the beginning of my reloading career.

The other market are re-loaders that don't know / care what the dies should do. Those are the same people who have lower expectations f.e. in accuracy department (because they can't shoot, or their guns are rubbish, or they just don't need the extra accuracy the hi-quality tools can provide).

[jmorris]

I have quite a bit of Lee stuff. Some of it is just fine and other stuff I would have been better off burning the money.

You don't always get what you pay for but you always pay for what your get.

[HangFireW8]

I've had issues with Lee products but way more good products than bad. With Lee you have to figure with the price that you just throw it away or fix it yourself if it doesn't work. About the only thing Lee can comprehend for warranty is a broken part.

That has not been my experience. I have sent back several molds with sample boolits and/or diagrams, and got a new or repaired mold back in every case.

[Tackleberry41]

Guess customer service varies alot w Lee. I bought their dies for using 32-20 in a Nagant revolver. The sizing doe would not size enough for a .314 bullet to work, just fell inside. Sent it back sent me a new one, still had to pay the couple bucks for shipping. Had one of the plugs for a neck sizing dies strip, they just sent me a new one.

BUT casting equipment they seem to be less helpful. I bought one of their REAL molds, and the bullets would just drop in the barrel, paid to send it back, they sent it back said nothing was wrong, but now it casts right. I didn't do anything different so who knows. I had some issues with another mold and they sent me a long email saying there was nothing wrong with their product, had to be me. It wasnt their use of cheaper aluminum or anything. I have had to Leement way to many of their molds. A sure way to have issues, a mold casting under size and a sizer compounding the problem. My .430 sizer was actually .428. I went to the NOE sizer, all those problems went away. I own a lathe, my dad was a tool and die maker, its really not that hard to make stuff right.

I know in some business model the math works out that cutting corners and making hit or miss molds at the price they sell for, will still make them money. But how many of us have switched over to more expensive molds? If we could expect to buy a Lee .452 mold and it would cast .452 bullets, we would still buy them. Some do, most seem to be undersized, when over would be way better. We can always size em down, not up. My NOE molds tend to be a little over, so its possible to simply set the machine a little different, cant cost that much.

[mold maker]

I've had only a few LEE disappointments, and each was handled professionally. Not to say I'm a LEE fan, but not bashing them either.
I'd recommend that if you're a perfectionist it might be to your advantage to spend the extra bucks. If you are an average John Q Shooter you most likely will be very happy with their equipment and a fatter wallet.
Over my shooting lifetime, I've used all brands and found none, that if properly used, wouldn't produce useable results. I'm definitely not a brand snob.

[MnSpring]

Peter strikes again. They need to FIRE that guy or give him Dillon's and RCBS salesman of the year award. He is Lee customer service and he SUCKS....

I Wonder if the same, 'Peter' still works their?

Several years ago, Got a Lee, 'Pro-1000", for 45C.
Had a old, wore out Star, which tweaked and tweaked, and could get to reload .38's.
Then got a RCBS, 'Green Machine', again a little, 'tweaking', and it worked well with .38's.
Then the Lee, Pro-1000, tweaked, tweaked, tweaked, tweaked, tweaked, tweaked, etc.
It, JUST, would NOT work !!!!!!!!!

Called Lee, CS. Spoke with a, 'Peter'.
Told him the problems, told him what I did.
HE SAID: "Well you are New to Reloading, and know nothing about it.
Send it back to ME, Put my Name on it, and I will fix it."

I did, I Got it back, A, 'STRIPED, Pro-1000", (It is now just a turret press)
with a bag of the, parts.

I called LEE CS again, had to wait, then finally got to talk to, 'a, Peter'.
He said, (AGAIN), "You know nothing about reloading, and anyway, that press was built to load nothing larger than a .44 mag".

(This was Long before, 'King Bamma', but the 'PC' was kicking in.)

I Promptly sold it, and bought Dillon.

NOW, as to, LEE. No, they are not a bad company. Have and Use about 50% Lee items.
85% are good. Lee Probably outsells the other companies, so they make a LOT of stuff.

BUT, (If it is the Same, 'Peter'), they Really need to get a handle on,
WHO, is Sweeping Floors, and WHO, is advising people !

[Ithaca Gunner]

I've bought a lot of LEE stuff over the years and have only had reason to cuss and toss one item, one of their "perfect" powder measures. Now I've only dealt with their customer service once, and I agree, they ain't RCBS! They were fair enough I guess, replacing a decapping pin that broke. I paid for a new one, plus shipping where RCBS would have just sent one free of charge. I still buy LEE stuff, no problem, haven't had a bad die, mold, press, or anything other than that "perfect" powder measure. I don't think much of their shot shell loader, but that's because of design.

[cpy911]

I have .223 RGB LEE dies. I get MOA with a low cost cheap built AR-15 and cast boolits. Good enough for me.

IMO there is 2 specific markets for Lee dies. The reloaders that don't have the money, well for them, Lee is the natural choice. I have been is this group at the beginning of my reloading career.

The other market are re-loaders that don't know / care what the dies should do. Those are the same people who have lower expectations f.e. in accuracy department (because they can't shoot, or their guns are rubbish, or they just don't need the extra accuracy the hi-quality tools can provide).

[HangFireW8]

IMO there is 2 specific markets for Lee dies. The reloaders that don't have the money, well for them, Lee is the natural choice. I have been is this group at the beginning of my reloading career.

The other market are re-loaders that don't know / care what the dies should do. Those are the same people who have lower expectations f.e. in accuracy department (because they can't shoot, or their guns are rubbish, or they just don't need the extra accuracy the hi-quality tools can provide).

Which market would you say Robert Frey falls into?

[jcwit]

Regarding products, back in 1972 I ordered a new Corvette, within six months one rear fender had a crack at the glue joint.

Guess all Chevy products are ****, or at least all Corvette's are!

As far as Lee products go, cheap is not the word, economic is.

I'VE reloaded since the 1950's, never have had a problem other than when I tried sizing 30/06 and missed lubing some cases. Broke one of their cast aluminum presses. They replaced it with nothing more than a phone call even though I told them it was my fault.

Do I like Lee? You figure that out!

BTW I still like Chevy products, especially Corvette's!

Almost forgot to mention, I reload something like 50 different calibers.

[jcwit]

I've bought a lot of LEE stuff over the years and have only had reason to cuss and toss one item, one of their "perfect" powder measures. Now I've only dealt with their customer service once, and I agree, they ain't RCBS! They were fair enough I guess, replacing a decapping pin that broke. I paid for a new one, plus shipping where RCBS would have just sent one free of charge. I still buy LEE stuff, no problem, haven't had a bad die, mold, press, or anything other than that "perfect" powder measure. I don't think much of their shot shell loader, but that's because of design.

Check out what the tests conducted by the Bench Rest folks say about the Lee Perfect Powder Measure!

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Most LEE parts and small stuff work fairly well. Their custom shop is a great place to talk to. I have a .425 Westley Richards bolt action rifle. My Accurate mold casts to my specs, but the PC took them .003" over. The custom shop asked me to send them two boolits and a desired diameter. I did, and they made me one of their push thru sizing gizmos. Works perfectly!

I would probably not buy reloading dies or a press. Too inconsistent in quality.
My favorite color there is blue.

RE Cars: I however, own a Jaguar convertible, and sixteen years after it left the factory, none of the body panels have cracked.

Rich

JC,

tell the entire story. The LEE works for them, because the measure quality does not matter. They simply throw the charge slightly under the desired weight and trickle to the desired weight. They are, however, moving to the RCBS ChargeMaster based on quality, consistency, and speed.

[jcwit]

RE Cars: I however, own a Jaguar convertible, and sixteen years after it left the factory, none of the body panels have cracked.

Rich

Does you Jag have a fiberglass body?

[jcwit]

JC,

tell the entire story. The LEE works for them, because the measure quality does not matter. They simply throw the charge slightly under the desired weight and trickle to the desired weight. They are, however, moving to the RCBS ChargeMaster based on quality, consistency, and speed.

Did you even bother to look up any of the tests? The Lee is by far the most consistent and accurate when it comes to throws. I'VE yet to see a RCBS ChargeMaster being used on the line.

Check out Bench Rest Central!