My take on this question is that unless you are going to do batches of ammo of more than 100-200 rounds frequently a progressive machine is pointless.
A while back I loaded 200 ea. .30 cal. Carbine rounds in 2 hours with my Hand Press. They were loaded for a friend and he will never shoot them all.
The vast majority of people who shoot, don't shoot enough in one year to justify the expenditure for a Progressive Machine like a Dillon. If you are loading in batches of 20-50 you can get by quite nicely with a Lee Classic Loader, a Plastic Mallet, and a small tool bag with a few other tools to make loading easier. You also don't need a dedicated reloading bench taking up room in your garage or spare bedroom.
All I use my D550B for is loading .45 ACP, 40 S&W and .223 rounds because they are the only ones I shoot a large enough volume of to justify using the progressive. I'm loading upwards of 1000 rounds each of those on each run and only will do it maybe once a year.
Everything else I load is done on my Hand Press at the kitchen table. It is as fast as any other single stage press, and it is a helluva lot more comfortable to use sitting at the table watching TV.
I load .308, .30-06, .30-30, .303 Brit, .45-70, .44 spec/mag and really anything else that comes up because it is doubtful there will be more that 50 to do of any given caliber at any given time.
There is a practicality component here as well, and just because you want something doesn't mean you need it .
However,,, if you are needing to load for High Volume Pistol or Rifle shooting then the Expense would be warranted. It would also be the right tool for the job. A Progressive Machine is NOT the right tool for loading 20 rounds for hunting next year, a Lee Loader is the right tool for that job!. A Single Stage Press is a luxury for that type or reloading and the cheapest one you can find is the best one for the job. Lee has one for $57.
However all Lee Reloading Presses are currently out of stock! So that should tell you something about the current status of Reloading in this country and the world. I am shipping one of my tools to an Island in Norway that is so far North that the sun doesn't shine until late March! Apparently they have the internet there, cuz that's the way they got ahold of me..
My .02
Randy