Broken Lee hand press

[RoyEllis]

Has anyone ever seen a Lee hand press break? I have....got stitches in the bargain too. D@&% thing broke between the 2 pin bosses straight across the handle lever today & tried to cut my pinky finger off. Guess I'll call Lee tomorrow & see what they have to say on it, was only a cheapy "take to the range for changing loads" press but I never expected it to break in 1/2 like this.

[nhrifle]

I've broken both of the cast parts on mine before, but I never did go so far as to injure myself! That's gotta smart! I bought new frame parts from Lee after they broke, since I do alot of decapping and sizing on mine while watching tv. Not sure I could live without it.

[dromia]

Handy tool but like a lot of Lee kit it is made from cheaper end materials to meet a price point so won't withstand much force being applied to it before letting go. From the sounds of your injuries, which I hope are healing well, you were giving it a bit of foostle.

[FLHTC]

They're cheap cast junk metal with very little strength or resistance to wear. If Lee would cast them out of iron, they'd do everyone a favor.

[blikseme300]

They're cheap cast junk metal with very little strength or resistance to wear. If Lee would cast them out of iron, they'd do everyone a favor.

Dillon and Hornady use cheap cast metal as well. No problem with them or the products from Lee if used correctly. Anything can be broken if forced. Rare occurrences of failure occur due to material defects no matter the brand. Rants against a manufacturer adds no value to this forum.

[mongoosesnipe]

I don't think it is nesisarily the materials used as much as the design it is designed to be a light portable press for light use either mild reloading or taking to the range with you while working up a load or something not so much full length sizing magnum cartridges I am sure if the used billeted or forged high grade aluminum it would last a lifetime in its current configuration but it would also cost as much as a bench press.... Out of curiosity what were you sizing when it let go

[bruce drake]

And had you dropped it recently?

[RoyEllis]

Ok, here's the really hilarious part... I was using it with the sizing die, sizing & decapping .308 cases lubed with Imperial wax. Press broke on the out-stroke & lever flipped up, cutting left hand pinky. The real kicker? I'm disabled, only have use of thumb & first 2 fingers on Rt hand, and have spinal injury as well. I doubt I can put all that much strength into it, at least not enough to reasonably expect to break something like this. Press hasn't been dropped, hammered on or otherwise mistreated, and looking at the break, I can't see any obvious weakness in the casting (no voids etc.) so I dunno. If I can figure out how to post pics I'll throw some up.
I hope nobody takes this as a rant against Lee products either, almost all my gear is from Lee & this hand press is the first thing in over 25 yrs I've had a problem with, I was just curious whether it might be a fluke or what.

[bruce drake]

Roy,
I'm glad it wasn't serious injury, I'm sure we've all had a few stitches in our time on earth. Have you had that LEE Press for 25 years? If so, they ought to be sending you a new one out of shear brand loyalty! I've had a LEE Hand Press for nearly 15 years and I will tell you I still use it on occasion when I want to do some priming or a few odd loads when I don't want to mess with my two other presses.

Bruce

[RoyEllis]

HUGE thumbs up to Lee & the extremely nice lady on the cust. svc phone!!!! They're shipping me a new handle in today's mail. Looks like I'll have my range press back in service before my grandsons get here for our regular saturday jaunt (helps to con the youngsters into running out to set & change targets LOL). Great service like this at an affordable price is why I keep checking Lee's line 1st when I need something new. Out of the 5 presses I own, 3 are Lee, one a MEC shotshell press and the other is my uncle's Rockchucker I inherited.

[r1kk1]

Has anyone ever seen a Lee hand press break? I have....got stitches in the bargain too. D@&% thing broke between the 2 pin bosses straight across the handle lever today & tried to cut my pinky finger off. Guess I'll call Lee tomorrow & see what they have to say on it, was only a cheapy "take to the range for changing loads" press but I never expected it to break in 1/2 like this.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. It would have pissed me off. It sounds like it may have been porous around the pin bosses when casted. I have seen that only once in a powder measure body. I have had my Lee "knuckle buster" since the 80s. I have done cases up to 375 H&H in length. Sure I lack the upper body strength to do full length sizing in one pass. It takes me several passes taken in small steps. Someone on this forum directed me to the HDS compact. I'm still testing it out.

I think you got a bad casting. Could you post pics when able to?

I've seen posting on this thread that Hornady, Dillon and Lee use aluminum but that is the only similarity. The materials used are as different as the companies themselves. I have not owned the CC series of presses as they would not replace anything I own. I have owned everything press wise from Lee with the exception of the LM. I bought factory direct and returned everything except the hand press. I've had good luck with mine so far.

I have seen two threads where the frame has broken on Lee presses. The other was the C-press. My problem with Lee has been the linkage not the frames. People speculate but now Lee has upgraded the linkage on the Challenger. Too bad and too late. I called Lee and told them what I was doing and was assured that it would do the job plus 30 day money back guarantee. I got my money back, it didn't work. No speculation. I have reformed brass and the frames held up. Skip ahead in time and it seems like I wasn't the only one. Too bad and too late.

I hope Lee does you good in resolving this issue. Injury can be a costly thing to the manufacturer and the consumer on many levels.

Take care,

r1kk1

[FLHTC]

Dillon and Hornady use cheap cast metal as well. No problem with them or the products from Lee if used correctly. Anything can be broken if forced. Rare occurrences of failure occur due to material defects no matter the brand. Rants against a manufacturer adds no value to this forum.

My post wasn't a rant against Lee, i was stating a fact. Dillon uses high grade aluminum but i can't speak to Hornady. I have used a Lee press and their small single stage press including the hand press is cast from cheap metal. Its not steel or iron or aluminum, its pot metal. Its quite easy to melt with a propane soldering nozzle. Call it inexpensive, easily cast or low budget but however you say it, the strength of zinc alloy doesn't change. Lee competes by using low cost materials and that equates to premature breakage. The airline industry is constantly advertising cheap flights, are they bashing themselves? How about cheap hotel rates? They're bashing themselves too? If lee stands behind their products and replaces broken products, that's great but there are products available of higher quality than Lee with Dillon being one, hands down..

[mdi]

My post wasn't a rant against Lee, i was stating a fact. Dillon uses high grade aluminum but i can't speak to Hornady. I have used a Lee press and their small single stage press including the hand press is cast from cheap metal. Its not steel or iron or aluminum, its pot metal. Its quite easy to melt with a propane soldering nozzle. Call it inexpensive, easily cast or low budget but however you say it, the strength of zinc alloy doesn't change. Lee competes by using low cost materials and that equates to premature breakage. The airline industry is constantly advertising cheap flights, are they bashing themselves? How about cheap hotel rates? They're bashing themselves too? If lee stands behind their products and replaces broken products, that's great but there are products available of higher quality than Lee with Dillon being one, hands down..

Hmmmm, sounds like Lee bashing to me. My Lee hand press is ALUMINUM.

[wonderwolf]

I like my lee presses but with the lee hand press there are times i use it and it does feel like I'm forcing it, I've never broken any of my presses before, when I feel like I'm putting too much force or effort into it I always go to the next step up in press, like the rockchucker or walnut hills press

[FLHTC]

Hmmmm, sounds like Lee bashing to me. My Lee hand press is ALUMINUM.

The stuff i saw was cheap alloy. The casting on the hand press is awfully thin to be cast from aluminum. I think you'll find the aluminum presses to have castings that are nearly 1" thick. The Lee Reloader single stage press i once owned was a zinc alloy. The ram started wearing through the bearing surface it traveled in, pushing the cartridges up on an angle. A Lyman All American and my Dillons are the only presses I've ever saw made of aluminum. Maybe you have an anomaly?

[jcwit]

Where's that magic word "pot metal".

[FLHTC]

Where's that magic word "pot metal".

How many metal alloys do you think are used in manufacturing? If its not iron, steel, titanium, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, lead, what is it?

Ahh haa! !!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_metal

[Bwana]

I own two of the hand presses, oldest one is at least 10 years old. Never had a problem with either one. Then again I just prime and seat bullets/boolits with them. Sizing is why I have two RCs.

[jcwit]

How many metal alloys do you think are used in manufacturing? If its not iron, steel, titanium, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, lead, what is it?

Ahh haa! !!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_metal

I was being sarcastic.

I've only had 1 break with Lee Equipment and it was my fault, I returned the broken part telling them what happened asking for a replacement and that I would be more than happy to pay for it. Lee sent me a replacement at N/C, plus I told them the item was way over 10 years old. Obviously I have no bad feelings towards Lee.

[FLHTC]

I can't dispute their warranty service since i heard many good stories, its the materials used i avoid. Their engineering is clever but rudimentary and unequal to the competition.

[mdi]

How does one determine whether a product is made of a "cheap alloy" rather than cast aluminum?

[1hole]

Dillon and Hornady use cheap cast metal as well. Ditto RCBS in some of their old JR presses, and their "Partner" which a lot of BR shooters use for FL sizing at the range even tho they tend to break off at the base flange. But it's all a high grade alum alloy that is more rigid than cast iron so it's not "cheap" stuff, and it's certainly not "pot metal."

Any casting process, including iron, can have a bubble in it, even in precision die castings like Lee's. All we can rightly ask the maker to do is replace it .... and they all do.

[jcwit]

Add the RCBS Partner press to the cast alu. or whatever line of less than cast iron/steel presses.

[FLHTC]

Come on folks, do some research before stating what is more rigid or stronger than other metals. Pot metal has a brittle failure and will break clean without bending like more ductile metals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE8tNswWng0

[FLHTC]

Dillon and Hornady use cheap cast metal as well. Ditto RCBS in some of their old JR presses, and their "Partner" which a lot of BR shooters use for FL sizing at the range even tho they tend to break off at the base flange. But it's all a high grade alum alloy that is more rigid than cast iron so it's not "cheap" stuff, and it's certainly not "pot metal."

Any casting process, including iron, can have a bubble in it, even in precision die castings like Lee's. All we can rightly ask the maker to do is replace it .... and they all do.

I believe i did state that lee does stand behind its warranty but id rather not have my press break AT ALL.

RCBS made their old presses from aluminum? Are you sure? Im guessing this debates is with Lee owners so im expecting the arguments but add some facts to the debate.

[GT27]

I'm going to take your word for it and trash my 35 year old RS2 ...:roll:,please lets move on and ditch the troll ranting,or hemorrhoid flare-up ,after all it's the OP's stage,and we are all glad his injury didn't require a hospital stay which we can all agree on...[smilie=f:

[FLHTC]

I'm going to take your word for it and trash my 35 year old RS2 ...:roll:,please lets move on and ditch the troll ranting,or hemorrhoid flare-up ,after all it's the OP's stage,and we are all glad his injury didn't require a hospital stay which we can all agree on...[smilie=f:


Couldn't have said it better. I almost began to second guess myself on the matter.

[uscra112]

Buy one of these and none of this will be an issue:

[1hole]

"RCBS made their old presses from aluminum? ....add some facts to the debate. "

Some of them and one current; there's no debate, those ARE the "facts". Another fact is no one makes or has ever made a press from pot metal.

[mdi]

Buy one of these and none of this will be an issue:
What? Those handles look like cast pot metal! (even though I don't have one in my hand, I can condemn it just because). What a goofy design, it'll never work! :kidding:

[r1kk1]

We use high strength ASTM 380 Aluminum Alloy on presses such as the Hand press, Reloader Press, Breech Lock Challenger Press and the Value turret press. From a engineering stand point, Zinc is not strong enough for a reloading press application. All cast aluminum bases/frames are made in Wisconsin at a local foundry/molder, that only pours aluminum.

Thanks,

Andy

Lee Precision, Inc.
4275 Highway U
Hartford, WI 53027
phone: 262-673-3075

Take care

r1kk1

[jmort]

Regardless of the facts, some dumb-a$$es will still deny that Lee Precision Hand Press is made with ASTM 380 Aluminum Alloy.

[1hole]

"Regardless of the facts, some dumb-a$$es will still deny that Lee Precision Hand Press (and all others) is made with ASTM 380 Aluminum Alloy."

True. It's a web-expert artical of faith that proves how 'knowlegeable' they are!

[mdi]

"Regardless of the facts, some dumb-a$$es will still deny that Lee Precision Hand Press (and all others) is made with ASTM 380 Aluminum Alloy."

True. It's a web-expert artical of faith that proves how 'knowlegeable' they are!
Unfortunatly, Lee bashers are like anti-gun liberals; they have no logic and don't confuse them with facts...

Thanks Andy for clearing that up.

[r1kk1]

I find it best to send emails to manufacturers to get answers. It may be one sided, but I try to state what information I need specifically. Lack of facts can be found to extend to both bashers and fanboys of Lee. It's amazing how simple homework is not done. I've seen postings of the Lee CC having exclusive primer through the ram disposal as something only Lee does. Not true. The 2nd edition as well as 1st edition of Modern Handloading defines equipment bashing. Amazing. I've never seen more self promoting hype in print than anywhere else. These are just a couple of examples. Innovation it seems as regurgitation of past inventions. All manufacturers it appears has done it somewhere from the LNL bushings where on one thread on this forum, was called something else and appeared around 1970. We find primer through the ram disposal appearing on presses from around 1950s to present. CH4D, Redding, old A2s, etc., are just those that come to mind.

Ignorance can be found on both sides of heated debates. I do quite a bit of research before purchasing anything. I have seen it stated that price trumps quality. I believe this is true. Sometimes it can be found in both quality and price in certain items that I have purchased:

Lee Universal Decapper - great from 22 caliber to 45, I use CH4D for everything else like subcalibers.
Lee Custom Bullet Sizers
Lee Custom Bullet Moulds
Lee Rifle Factory Crimp Dies both custom and production for those I need a crimp for. Redding profile crimp dies for heavy pistol applications.
Lee Primer Shellholders and Possum Hollow. I use these for my K&M primer seater/gauge combination.

I have experience with the above products that combine price and quality equalling value. When I buy equipment or services needed, I use the manufacturer directly. It saves a lot of headaches in the long run. I believe in buying direct. If you have a C&R license, Lee will honor that and the prices are lower than what is advertised on their website. Lee has not really had a good reputation with quality of equipment over the years. I have used products of theirs from the 70s on. There are some great products Lee does do well. I do hope they address the quality issues of the CC series of presses. Too many threads are appearing on this forum as well as others. Too bad. I do not own one of these but I hear the early series was truly something to own. I see many threads on Leementing or tools described in kit form. They sell because of price. I won't buy semi finished or have to resort to Leementing to have a servicable tool.

If I had a wish list for Lee it would be a CC version of the Load-All. Something where a fellow could control the length of shotshell by just moving a pin from 2-3/4" to 3" to 3-1/2" on the ram. Shotshell die sets that go from 10 ga to 410 that screw in and out of the toolhead just like a metallic die. I believe their 1-1/4" dies would allow for this, although I could be wrong.

Lee has updated the linkage for the Challenger. That is a great thing. I have noticed on this forum that if a part bends or breaks it seems to always point to the user. I believe a reloading press should be capable of doing everything short of swaging. I don't understand why a press would be on the market that would fail to do simple case forming, use small base dies, etc. This is not only directed at Lee. On this thread, I bet the casting was porous around the pin boss. I was a little dismayed that Lee did not ask for the press back, no matter that it was 25 years old, if anything just to study it.

My current presses are not fragile. I like solid handles, rock solid links and tight presses. If I have a rant, it would be that Lee is viewed as beginner tools to upgrade later if you want. Lee doesn't sell beginner tools. Lee doesn't advertise beginner tools. Lee is a reloading tool company. For example, I have a single stage, later I ADDED a progressive to the bench, it didn't replace the single stage but complemented it.

I deal with Lee directly. I call them, email, snail mail them directly to see if X tool does what I want. If it doesn't, it goes back before the 30 day money back guarantee is expired. Honestly, I don't get semi finished tools, or have to Leement something. I wonder if it's a distributor thing where returns are recirculated back into sales. I don't know. It saves me aggravation and headache with whatever company I'm dealing with.

Most questions can be solved dealing with the manufacturer direct. Once I have these answered, I look to people's experiences for their facts or opinions about the tool, not the company. There isn't one company out there who has an entire line of tools to fill my needs. Over time I've collected barrels from subcalibers to shotshell from 10 to 410. That explains why every manufacturer has a place on my bench, albeit some do certain things better than others.

take care,

r1kk1

[3006guns]

I've owned two of the little Lee hand presses over the years and never had a problem with them. I think this is because I tend to think of them as a "field expedient" tool and not something for forming 8mm Nambu from a .416 Rigby or some such. If it was made from say, a good quality cast bronze, it would be a really rugged (and heavy) tool....but it would also cost around $300.

No, I just accept it as it is and enjoy using it. I would suspect a faulty casting which can happen with any mass produced product.