new furnace

[27judge]

hey guys ive got a 51 year old lyman lead furnace but im afraid its gettting a little rough im thinking of a new lee one of thier larger production models. the wholesale houses have the new lyman at about 360.00 and the lee at 64.00 quite a difference i think the lyman is out whats your input on the lee pot many. the lyman still works melting wise its just all the handels and mold fill attachments are shot tks for your time ken

[Ed in North Texas]

The Lee Pro-4 20 lb pot works. I have one and other than having to put some extra weight on the handle of the operating rod so it doesn't drip, it works fine. I like the 20 lb capacity better than my old Lyman and Saeco pots, especially when I'm casting boolits weighing over 400 grains.

Your pricing on the Lyman new 20 lb pot is a bit high. Optics Planet has it for $295.00 with free shipping. They also have the RCBS for $370 delivered. I can't say which is the better furnace, though the RCBS is highly touted.

On my old Lyman and Saeco pots (the same pot, Potter IIRC), the only "handle" which could disintegrate is the knob on the thermostat. The lever for the bottom drop is steel as is the knob on the lever. I replaced the thermostat knob on a Lyman one time with an 8x57 or .30-06 fired cartridge case. Still there, still works, just don't touch it with bare fingers when she's working.

Obviously the Lee pot is far, far less expensive than either the Lyman or RCBS. Will it hold up as well? I doubt it, but can't say for sure.

[engineer401]

You can buy some replacement parts for the Lee pots should they break. Also, you can buy several Lee pots for the price of one Lyman. People complain about the drip problem which is real. It is a matter of what you can put up with. My Lee pot works for me in spite of the problems.

[leadman]

I have an RCBS and a Lee. The RCBS is said to hold #22 of lead and the Lee #20. I am gonig to check on the weight of the Lee because the pot is a couple of inches than the RCBS.
One thing I don't care for is the position of the spout on the Lee pot. It is too far back and I have to raise the pot up so I can see the spout easily. Don't have this problem with the RCBS or the Lee #10 pot. I do have medical issues with my neck so I am more aware than some of issues like this.
Lyman just came out with a pot with a digital temp display on it. It is a PID temperature controller which means it should hold the temp. of the lead to within a couple of degrees. See the other threads here on the PIDs. The standard for an RCBS pot is 50 degrees from on to off. I was told this when I asked RCBS tech support last week.

[nhrifle]

My Lee Pro-4 20 works great for me. Heats up the melt fast and when topping off the melt it heats back up quickly too. The capacity is great when casting a bunch of boolits at once. Yes, it does drip, but that's what the slot in the spout rod is for. give it a little twist once in awhile and no more drip. Honestly, I think most people make a bigger deal of it that it really is. When it starts dripping, I stop the drip, and whatever has dripped out goes back into the pot. Mine has been going strong for a number of years now and just keeps soldiering on.