Lyman Crusher Press

[Jason30-30]

Im Really Interested In This Press Anybody Has It? Pros, Cons.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz14/JASONf22/3516db15.jpg


Thanks For The Help

[cdet69]

I have one. It is not bad for a single stage press. Realy no cons other than having to change out the priming head when you go from large rifle to small. It can also be easy to launch the spring to who knows where when doing this to.

[Jason30-30]

Does It Over Cam Too Much?

[williamwaco]

I had one.
Didn't like it.

Machining quality was somewhat rough.

It took significantly more effort to resize rifle cases than my Hornady lnl or my RCBS

See: http://www.reloadingtips.com/reviews/lyman-crusher-reloading-press.htm
for more detail.

More detail about the Hornady LNL here:


http://www.reloadingtips.com/reviews/hornady-classic-reloading-press.htm



.

[Reload3006]

Please explain to me how "Cam over too much" is a bad thing?

[Casting_40S&W]

Many cons when you compare it to the cheaper priced competition. Spent primer catcher is an engineering afterthought, no quick change die feature, no/nonexistent stops on the toggle linkage. Take a serious look at the Lee classic cast or Lee breech lock classic cast. Made in America, thru ram primer disposal, quick change breech lock die feature. You would be taking a step forward with the cheaper priced Lee.

[catboat]

I don't remember all the details, but I've had a couple of single stage presses. RCBS Reloader Special (worked fine). Sold it, and swapped for a Bonanza Coax (worked fine, but I didn't think it did anything much better than the RCBS RS). Sold it and tried a RCBS aluminum frame O-ring ("Partner press"?). Didn't like it.

Came across a used Lyman Crusher (black finish like your picture). I still have it. I like it. Works fine. I think it has more camming power than the RCBS RS. It is smooth, and does the job. I just wish it had a "hollow" (drilled) ram, so the spent primers could be collected at the bottom of the ram (like the Bonanza Coax design-which is a great idea).

It's a single stage press. There hasn't been a lot of changes in them for decades, from a practical point. Even the older "C frame" presses will work fine.

If you like the one you are thinking about, and the price is good, get it. There really isn't "good or bad" in this area, until you get into the Lee or Lyman aluminum presses. They are ok, but in a different league-but still do the job. Many used presses on the market. Don't be afraid to try one or two.

Take it apart once a year. Clean the ram, and lube it. It gets things back to "smooth" mode quickly and easily.

[katch1]

i bought a used crusher back in '88, used it up till last year, prob averaged 2-3k loads a year along with forming cases, couldnt have been happier.
went to a redding turret press for the everyday loading since we prob load 3-4k rounds a year now, but the crusher is still with us
after using the redding where the spent primers go thru the ram into a container, i gotta admit that is a weakness of the crusher, youll lose your fair share of spent primers

[max range]

I won an orange painted orange crusher in the late 70's. The price was right. I won it in a pistol match. I have loaded many thousands of rounds through it. I later bought a Dillon but sold it when I didnt need heavy volume. I used my orange crusher just this evening. Its a good press and does everything I want. Lots of room to work in. Solid as a tank, Three mount flange bolt slots. I will never get rid of it but I do want another press as a back up and may go with an older C type just to have extra hand room.

I agree with the other gentlemen who suggested getting a LEE press. If you are buying a new one, that would be the way to go. If this crusher is used and you get a good deal on it, I wouldnt hesitate.

I would like to change the handle over to a ball like the others, or maybe a horizonal roller handle like Dillon, but other than that, I have no complaints about it.

[curiousgeorge]

I have one of the older (late 70's, early 80's) orange Crusher presses. A good press, but does not compare with the RCBS rock chucker. The "ears" that are supposed to provide the positive stop broke off of mine shortly after I got it, which created the "over-cam" that you mentioned.

I also had one of the newer gray Crusher presses. In my opinion, not nearly as well made a press as the older orange version, but to each his own opinion. I traded it off in a very short time.

If you can buy the press at a bargain, probably O.K., but don't overlook the Lee presses. Good value for the money.

Steve

[mazo kid]

Im Really Interested In This Press Anybody Has It? Pros, Cons.

I bought my Orange Crusher press in the '80s and it has worked fine through the years. I don't do a lot of volume loading with it, but have formed many different caliber cases with it. Only down side I see, as others have mentioned, is the fact that a lot of spent primers do "escape". I put a large pan or bucket under it and catch most of the primers.

[John Guedry]

I like mine.Maybe I'm luckey but mine seems to catch most of the spent primers.

[Pigslayer]

I like mine just fine. I've had it for ten years. I load 7MM Belted Mag cases with it without a problem. I've loaded thousands of rounds with it. It's a good choice. As far as the primer catcher losing spent primers . . . so does the Redding, RCBS JR & the LEE Challenger . . . they bounce out from time to time. So big deal . . . mine's a man cave!! Over the years I've had RCBS & Redding. They are good stuff but I've found them to be no better than the Lyman.
I use a little Lock-Eze on the ram once in a while . . . once or twice a year. I have a LEE challenger press for the light stuff & I hit that with the Lock-Eze often due to the steel against aluminum ram.

[41 mag fan]

Bought mine in '90?? Somewhere in that time frame. Mines loaded more than I can imagine.
Still gets used, right now resizing 223's to swage.
Only con I have is my pins want to work their way out. Push them back in and keed going.

[o6Patient]

Lyman sometimes gets overlooked because they are not at either end of the price
spectrum but in my experience they seem to offer great value for what you pay.
I have under appreciated some of my Lyman stuff in the past and bought some thing
more pricy just to discover the Lyman hadn't really been deficient in any way and
generally gave the same or better performance and very good, if not better value for
the buck.

[Pooch]

I've owned RCBS, Redding & Lyman. I have Lyman Crusher
at present. Been using it for 13 years. Lot's of power for the
big stuff. Never had an issue with it. As good as any other "O"
Frame in it's class.

[wildwilly]

All the cons about it are valid, but mine's been ticking for twenty+ years & thousands of rifle and pistol rounds. It's used mostly for resizing, while I use an old C-H "C" press for seating duties. They still command good prices on ebay.

[joec]

I considered one but was looking for a press to handle a 1 1/4x12 die (RCBS Cowboy shot shell die) as well as a way to handle the standard 7/8x14 dies. After comparing prices I went with the Lee Classic Cast and picked up a Hornady Lock-N-Load Press and Die Conversion Bushing Kit that gives the same basic quick change capabilities of the breech lock version but still will take the larger dies. Pictures below are of it set for doing Magtech brass shot shells I load with black powder. They didn't make the breech lock version when I got mine but it still won't fill my needs. This thing is built like a tank too.

57923
57924

[1hole]

Any press, or whatever, looks the same as others it will work the same as others. The Lee Classic Cast works as well as others but has the best user features of any press in its class.

Cam-over in a press is greatly misunderstood. When we depress the lever the toggle block rotates and drives the ram up. At some point the ram is up as far as it will go - that's Top Dead Center (TDC). Depending on the design, the ram may have a hard stop right there OR it may allow the toggle to continue to rotate a tad further - camming over - and passing TDC a little, but that matters not a bit for what's being done. Thus 'camming over too far' has no effective meaning, going passed TDC simply drives the ram down a tad from it's highest point of travel.

[r1kk1]

The breech lock version does not have the primer through the ram disposal.

http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-classic-cast.html

http://leeprecision.com/classic-cast-press.html

r1kk1

[FergusonTO35]

I have a new Crusher that I bought for a very good price from an overstock sale. Its a great press and I have no concerns about it breaking or wearing out with any reloading task. Oddly it seems to have about the same amount of leverage that my old Lee Challenger had, I was expecting the effort to be reduced, not that its a big deal or anything. I actually prefer the primer catcher design of the Crusher. The primers don't ricochet out as much or get stuck inside the ram, which happened all the time with the Lee. I love the very solid feel of the Crusher, really the only thing I would change is make the handle a few inches longer. I don't think the Crusher really gives you any kind of advantage over the Lee Classic Cast unless you prefer the older style of priming system it comes with. Still I really like mine and would recommend it to anyone.

[Reverend Recoil]

When I got my new 9.3x74R rifle I needed a reloading press with a large frame opening and ram stroke length. I got a new Lyman Crusher press for that reason. It works great. I have several other presses but I use the big Lyman to resize 30-06 and larger cases. I bought a Lyman Spartan and a Redding C-presses off of eBay several years ago. They are still great reloading presses.