Lubesizer Recommendations

[War Eagle]

I am about to purchase a lubesizer and have been weighing the options. I know the reputations of the RCBS and Lyman units. I am leaning toward the RCBS for the lack of issues I have had with any of there equipment. I also think they may have a better support base and availability of parts. Obviously just opinion. However, I have the opportunity to buy an older Saeco unit at about half of what I could get any of the new units. It's one of the early, black paint models. Am I going to be able to purchase parts, dies, and punches for this? Do current Saeco dies and punches fit it or is there some level of interchangeability?

Go with the old Saeco or buy a new RCBS?

Recommendations?

[94Doug]

I do not have a Saeco, but it would probably be my preference if I didn't have several others. I think they have more of a pressure reservoir so less cranking on the lube wrench. I am not positive, but I think the design is the same.

Doug

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Once upon a time I had an RCBS unit and it got the job done ok. I never liked the system of using hollow sticks of lube and/or pouring lube into molds to make them. I also had ongoing probs with lube pressure control and subsequent leaking. As well, the little black balls that were on the pressure screw never wanted to stay put and I spent a lot of time chasing them around my shop. I bought a Saeco-the old black crinkle paint version and it worked very well. I still have it after decades and its going strong. Solid stick lubes and much better pressure control. I later bought another Saeco (green crinkle paint) and that one is still with me too. All parts are interchangeable....they have never changed the specs. Top punches are for Saeco only; are pricey and don't fit anything else. You can get an adapter on line for about $20 if you want to use Lyman or RCBS punches. Sizer dies also fit only Saeco...are pricey, but well made and precise. All sizer dies and punches ever made for Saeco are interchangeable regardless of how old. All parts for it are still made and available. Tolerances are tight and unless you overdo it with the lube pressure you won't have leaking. If you go to far a very thin ribbon of lube will appear at the bottom of the sizer die and that can be picked off with a small stick or screwdriver....and then back off the pressure screw/let the pressure go down. I recommend that you go with the Saeco and if you have any regrets/second thoughts later on, you can always sell it...probably for more than you paid to start with. LLS

[Artful]

Well, I own RCBS (earliest model) Lyman 450 and STAR lube sizers - sort of toss up with Lyman and RCBS to me both work well and have for 30 years - O ring replacement for RCBS and productions is similar - I would say the STAR had it all over for both of them in production - I have never used SAECO so can't address that. But if you want production get a STAR other wise the RCBS will do you well as I'm sure SAECO will as well.

[NoZombies]

If I was going to make the choice between an RCBS and a Saeco, I would pick the Saeco every single time.

[alfloyd]

If you are starting out, and have no size dies or top punches, get the Seaco.
You will need to get Seaco top punches and dies as they are different than RCBS and Lyman.

Later you will probley want to get a Star, if your production needs are great. You can then keep the Seaco for small runs or sell it and recoup your money.

Just my $0.02 worth. :)

Lafaun

[David2011]

If you will cast a lot of calibers the Star may ultimately save both time and money. The Star doesn't require a different nose punch for every mold because it pushes the boolits through nose first, requiring only flat base punches. Lathesmith on this site makes dies for the Star at a great price. The Star is faster than others as well since you drop the boolit in, press down and repeat, letting hte sized and lubed boolit fall into a bin. With the Lyman or RCBS you have to remove the boolit and do something with it before you put another in. I use a Lyman 450 for boolits I don't make a lot of like .44 Mag. The .40 S&W, .45 Colt and .45 ACP without gas checks go through the Star which will size about 1000/hour without adding any of the nice accessories. It is capable of putting on gas checks but I don't normally shoot gas checks in the calibers for which I have Star dies. I bought the Lyman from a buddy who shot a lot of GCed mag pistol and rifle boolits boolits so have continued to use it for the lower volume stuff. It's slower but it gets the job done as well as the Star.

David

[Suo Gan]

By all means use the SAECO. The dies and punchs are more expensive but you can find them here and there for much less. Its a quality machine and better than the RCBS or Lyman units IMO. As a matter of fact anything with the SAECO name has worked beautifully for me.

[War Eagle]

Well, I bought the Saeco. Decent shape, black finish, not the worst for wear, it came with a .452 sizer die and a top punch...all for $85 shipped to my doorstep. I think I did alright. I played around with it and some .45 bullets for my 1911. I can't wait to get a few more dies and punches so I can really get cranking with it.

Those of you that have run these units for a while now, any tips or tricks that you think I should know about since I am new to this unit (and lubesizers in general)?

[Iron Mike Golf]

I bought a used SAECO (black paint era) in Feb of this year. I have never used any other sizer, so what follows may be general lubrisizer tips and not SAECO specific. Here's what I have learned:

1. If your lube seal is the leather washer, stick with that as long as you can. The new seals are thing neoprene and can tear if you try to up the pressure instead of warmiong the harder lubes. Replacements are $7. I am testing using a rubber washer from Lowes as a replacement. Need to cast some boolits up, first.
2. You can't get every size of die you might find you need. I am not talking calibers. I am talking when you get to the point of tuning your boolits for a particular gun. Example: .44 dies are .430 or .431. My revolver throats are .432. I had to hone a .431 die to get .432 boolits.
3. You can get an adapter to use Lyman and RCBS punches in the SAECO. I just use a pinch of lube to hold those top punches in place.
4. There are no O-rings to seal the die top and bottom. make sure the surfaces on the sizer casting where the die and retaining ring meet are clean and smooth.
5. If you get a leak, it will look like mini ribbon candy and is easy to clean. Back off the pressure and it goes away. If you don't get lube groove fill on the front side, the add heat.
6. Redding will tell you that reassembling the guide rods requires a factory trip. I disagree. As you tighten the nuts, work the lever. When things are well aligned, the sizer will operate up and down real easy and you will need the detent to hold the lever up. 1/8 of a turn on a nut will make it start to bind. Not hard to tune, even the first time.
7. I do wish the bottom punch was longer. Keep a bullet next cal smaller handy. When you get to where you want to wipe off the bottom punch, put the smaller bullet under it atop the ram so you can raise the top punch flush with the top of the sizer die for cleaning.
8. Pay attention to the gas check seater. You can knock it over in place and forget about it and wonder why you can't get the boolit to get deep enough to get lube.
9. When you go to load more lube, pulling the plunger free can take some elbow grease, especially with hard lube. Some lube may migrate past the seal and stack up above the plunger if you use too much pressure. Heat the resevoir a bit and the plunger will come loose a lot easier.
10. When you want to change lube, you need to melt out the old lube. I am frugal, so I capture the current lube (except that ancient stuff in it when I bought it). Pull the die and run the plunger all the way to the bottom. Recover the extruded lube. Warm the resevoir and pull the plunger. I (gently!) use a propane torch to melt out the remainder. I hold it at 45 degree with the tube pointed down into a container. Takes all of 2 minutes to melt out the lube. Wipe down with paper towel and load her up.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. Hope it helps.

Jeff

[War Eagle]

Wow, that seems like a lot of details. Thanks. Some of it I picked up on yesterday while fooling around with it initially. I did notice how the bottom punch was just a touch short when I went to clean it off. I found something and managed to get it up but I will have to come up with something specifically for that.

I haven't played with the plunger much nor have I replaced the lube yet so those were some helpful hints. Kinda get me up to speed for when I get to that in a week or so.

:castmine:

[Salmon-boy]

I have to agree on the Star..

I just got mine set up last weekend and already I've been using it so much I've got blisters.

That is my ONLY complaint with it..

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have to agree on the Star..

I just got mine set up last weekend and already I've been using it so much I've got blisters.

That is my ONLY complaint with it..

Get the "L" shaped roller handle from Lathesmith
a big improvement
Jon

[KohlerK91]

I started with the Lyman 45 (Two of them). Then Picked up a few of the RCBS sizers. One day I discovered STAR and soon after sold all of the the lyman and rcbs lube sizers I had. Its an awsome machine and I can appreciate that. If you look at the prices on some of the NEW RCBS and lyman lube sizers prices (someone is paying for the new retail prices) for another 50 of so dollars you can find a USED star. Look at the prices for the sizer die at midway 22.99 for a lyman die and about 35 for a RCBS die. I am sure you can get a star die for under 40 bucks. Its not easy but can be done. Patience.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am sure you can get a star die for under 40 bucks. Its not easy but can be done.

It's very easy, Lathesmith can make you a custom Star die for less than $40,
unless his prices increased recently. ?
Jon

[Old Caster]

I have one of Lathesmiths dies for a Star and it is excellent. I expect the next one will be also. Once you have a star, it never seems to be worth less and the designs of the others are continually changing. -- Bill --

[blikseme300]

I have to agree on the Star..

I just got mine set up last weekend and already I've been using it so much I've got blisters.

That is my ONLY complaint with it..

I made my own handle but it is not as neat as the ones Buckshot makes. It is simply a stainless steel rod bent to be the same shape as a shovel handle.

How imagine this: I am an over-40 dude with a belly and I wear one glove, ala MJ, on my right hand. No blisters after more than 2000 boolits per session. (I use an electricians glove from GreenLee, but without the fingers cut off.)

Git 'er done!:redneck:

Bliksem

[bslim]

I just started casting this spring. After reading all of the comments in this forum, I decided to go with a Magma 40# pot and a Star lubesizer. I never will regret this decision, I am keeping the session to around 1,000 bullets which gives me enough work after the sizing has been completed. Lathesmith made my dies and they are right on the money. Thanks to all of the information available on this site, casting has become a pleasant hobby.