110 or 220 volt lee pot?

[plinky56]

Guys, it's time to get another lee pot and was going with the Lee pro 4 20. Question is, should I buy the 220v or 110v. My rational is that 220v will use less amps and heat quicker. So, placed it on order, along with some dies and a sizer, and it's on hold waiting for the pro 4 220v to come in from lee.

Now, get this, I sent an email to customer svc at Lee to ask the lead time and here's what the rep came back with, "the 220v pots are meant for international distribution and not for use in the USA. They won't attain the same high melting temps as the 110v pots."

Now, i'm paraphrasing, of course, but it has me rethinking my choice and wondering if I should change my order to a 110v pot. Anyone else use the 220v pot here in the USA? Pros and cons of 220v vs 110v?

[mold maker]

I can't imagine that.
Does lead melt at a different temp in Europe?????
Your thoughts were the same as mine. If you have a 220V outlet I would have done the same.

[dkf]

Don't sound remotely right to me. I would love to hear their explanation on how a volt, a watt and lead is different in the US vs other places in the world. According the Lee the 220v version does not come with a plug so you will have to put on a plug.(which is no big deal) Both the 110v and 220v version are listed to have a 700w element. Lee lists the same manual for both the 110v and 220v models and the manual says the temp range is 650-900 degrees F. Either will do the job. If you have a 220v outlet close by and don't mind putting a plug on it go with the 220v version.

Also the 220v pots are indeed sold here in the US. Many different retailers sell them.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Won't heat faster.

Sad fact: Watts are watts. The 4-20 uses 700 watts for either voltage. Doesn't matter whether that's 220 volts and three point something amps or 110 and six point something, watts are what melt the lead.

Worse than that, your house meeter measures watts, so it won't care either.

The only advantage to a 220 unit is that you just MIGHT (maybe, but probably not) have less voltage drop in your system, but the difference won't likely be noticeable unless you run a timer.

If you have a convenient 220 circuit, then that's good, but I honestly don't see a real advantage, otherwise everybody would be doing it.

dale
(who plays with watts, kilowatts and megawatts for a living. Latest project needs 50 MEGA watts.)

[plinky56]

No, didn't think it would, but won't heat slower either. I wanted the 220v because i'm using it near the two outlets I have for the welder and the compressor. It's just more convenient for me. Do you think that this can be hooked up to a pid control?

[Bzcraig]

USA uses 115v/60hrz, Euro uses 220v/50hrz. So if the Lee pot is designed to operate at 50hrz on 220v and you plug it into a 220/60 you are inviting problems.

[Racenviper]

USA uses 115v/60hrz, Euro uses 220v/50hrz. So if the Lee pot is designed to operate at 50hrz on 220v and you plug it into a 220/60 you are inviting problems.

Please explain , I would likt to hear this one.

[Randy C]

You've raised my curiosity because I ordered the Lyman mag 25 in 220 volt. My gray hair may fall out before I get It.

[dkf]

USA uses 115v/60hrz, Euro uses 220v/50hrz. So if the Lee pot is designed to operate at 50hrz on 220v and you plug it into a 220/60 you are inviting problems.

These days most things are made to operate on both 50 or 60Hz. Being just a heating element and a simple control and not a motor or sensitive electronics I would say it don't matter. I looked up some tubular elements from the supplier I usually use they don't even mention the cycles per second in the listings. Just wattage, max voltage, bend radius and etc.

Again Lee sells these 220v pots here in the states also.

[Bzcraig]

Lee Pro 4 Melter
20 Lb Furnace 220 Volt for countries outside of the USA

220 Volt unit comes without a plug so the user can attach the 220 volt plug of their choosing to work with their 220 volt outlet

The above came from the Titan Reloading Website.

I am not an electrical engineer and with regard to electronics this would be a huge problem but as mentioned above not as much so with a heating element. But, as I understand it and am able to verbalize, hertz is the speed of the electricity moving through the circuit. 60hrz is more efficient in that it takes less time to do what it is asked to do than 50hrz. So, again, as I understand it, if you were to plug 220/50 into 220/60, you could cause the wiring and/or coil to overheat (current is moving 20% faster than the wiring/coil were designed to handle)with all the resulting possibilities that go along with it. Kinda like having an 8000 rpm tach in your car designed to redline at 5500 rpm. You will get away with over revving your engine a few times but it will eventually break. Lee falls short of saying don't do this but it may cause warranty issues. And as mentioned above there is very little to gain. But if it is a 220/60 'plug & play!'

Watts are a measurement for heat
Voltage is a measurement of potential difference between two points in a system
Amperage is a measurement of the amount of electric charge passing a point in an electric circuit
Hertz is the frequency (speed/cycles/sec) of the current

[bangerjim]

Frequency will make no difference to a resistive load. Inductive loads are a whole different thing! You should not use inductive 60hz stuff on 50hz and visa versa (motors, transformers, etc). Modern electronics have "switching power supplies" and will take normally 85-265vac at 50-60hz.

220 inductive loads are more efficient than 120 vac.

A load designed to do a certain amount of BTUs or jules of work at 120 will be built just that way. One that is designed to operate on 220 will be built just that way.

Your electric meter will never see the difference on a resistive load like the pot element. And the Lee pot temp control is just a mechanical thermal bi-metallic switch, not an electronic control device.

bangerjim - I am an engineer I=E/R

[Bzcraig]

Frequency will make no difference to a resistive load. Inductive loads are a whole different thing! You should not use inductive 60hz stuff on 50hz and visa versa (motors, transformers, etc). Modern electronics have "switching power supplies" and will take normally 85-265vac at 50-60hz.

220 inductive loads are more efficient than 120 vac.

A load designed to do a certain amount of BTUs or jules of work at 120 will be built just that way. One that is designed to operate on 220 will be built just that way.

Your electric meter will never see the difference on a resistive load like the pot element. And the Lee pot temp control is just a mechanical thermal bi-metallic switch, not an electronic control device.

bangerjim - I am an engineer I=E/R

Thanks for bailing me out and giving us a definitive answer Bangerjim!

[el34]

I see the watts and hertz subjects have been well addressed. I'd add a perspective- a typical hair dryer (1200 watts) uses almost twice the current (amps) as the Lee 700 watt pot and that it's not anywhere close to being a "heavy" electrical load. I'd get the 110V version just for its plug-it-in-anywhere versatility.

Another applicable part of ohm's law-
P = IE, power (P) in watts = amps (I) * volts (E)

[el34]

BTW Cheaperthandirt had the 4-20 110v in stock a couple of days ago but you have to wiggle through their site to find it.

[Frozone]

The only real issue between 110V and 220V for a LEE pot is the Infinite Control, and of course the convenience of where to plug it in.
Because of how the Infinite Control operates, the 110V unit is slightly more accurate as to temperature regulation.

[dkf]

BTW Cheaperthandirt had the 4-20 110v in stock a couple of days ago but you have to wiggle through their site to find it.

I would melt lead with a Bic lighter before I by anything from CTD. They are far better places to buy from than them.

[Dale in Louisiana]

USA uses 115v/60hrz, Euro uses 220v/50hrz. So if the Lee pot is designed to operate at 50hrz on 220v and you plug it into a 220/60 you are inviting problems.
Uh, not necessarily. If we were talking about something with a motor, then yes, there's an issue, although it usually can be overcome.

In the case of this thing, though, we're talking a straight resistance element with a simple bimetallic thermostat, neither of which care about frequency, and RMS values of AC voltage is the important factor. That element would be just as happy running on 220 volts DC.

In days past, line frequency was used as a timing standard, but that seldom applies any more in that most controllers use microprocessors with built-in time standards. The Lee pot doesn't use these, either.

AC induction motors are frequency-dependent and RPM is a function of input frequency, so a 50-Hz motor on a 50Hz system will run at, for instance, 1500 RPM, but when fed with 60 Hz, it will try to run at 1800 RPM. This usually causes problems. I have had to change pulley ratios or fan impeller sizes to compensate for European equipment sent to the states.

dale in Louisiana

[Springfield]

For what it's worth, I ordered a 220 V 40 lb Magma pot but they sent me a 110 v pot instead. Being the impatient person I am when it comes to new casting toys I fired it up and it worked fine. I used it for 3 years, and then while on vacation in Arizona I visited the Magma plant. I mentioned the mix-up with the owner and he said no big deal, said they use the same element and gave me the simple changes I needed to do to the wiring. So I changed it, and it works exactly the same, except for the cord doesn't get warm now. My RCBS pot is also 220 so I had already installed a 220 outlet. And yes, a PID works fine with 220, built mine and I love it. I'm no electrician but if you want a 220 pot go ahead and get one, both of mine work fine.

[plinky56]

Thanks for all the good info, guys. I'm certainly no electrical wizard. Asked my brother in law, who is an electrician for industry and large equipment, and he said, basically, what springfield said. I don't know how to hook up a PID for a 220v pot, but i'm sure i'll try and do it over next winter when i'm stoking the wood stove after hunting season has finished. I do know that I re-wire all my convertible electric motors for 220v because they last much longer and start/run much easier, less amps, etc.

I'm going to have to search for the posts where guys cast using a thermometer to keep temps close and see if it is difficult to do, or more worth it to spend the extra 100 or so for a PID. I only cast about 4 times a year as it is, about 300-400 boolits a session, so I don't know if it's worth the added expense. I do know the signs of too hot, too cold, so it might be more of a hassle to use a thermometer while casting; however, it is good to learn new thing as they open up your knowledge base and lead to new understanding and questions.

The 220v is still waiting for backorder to be filled!

[shell70634]

I have a Lee 220 10 pound pot and a controller from Frozone. I used it for the first time last night and it worked great.

[40-82 hiker]

Guys, it's time to get another lee pot and was going with the Lee pro 4 20. Question is, should I buy the 220v or 110v. My rational is that 220v will use less amps and heat quicker. So, placed it on order, along with some dies and a sizer, and it's on hold waiting for the pro 4 220v to come in from lee.

Now, get this, I sent an email to customer svc at Lee to ask the lead time and here's what the rep came back with, "the 220v pots are meant for international distribution and not for use in the USA. They won't attain the same high melting temps as the 110v pots."

Now, i'm paraphrasing, of course, but it has me rethinking my choice and wondering if I should change my order to a 110v pot. Anyone else use the 220v pot here in the USA? Pros and cons of 220v vs 110v?

I use a 220V Lee pot. There is not an advantage or disadvantage using the 220V. Being resistance heat there is no difference between 50HZ and 60HZ. The element does not know the difference. Each + and - 50Hz pulse will last a little longer than the 60HZ, but the overall effect is the same. There are so many used in the US that if problems were to be expected it would be known. There is nothing to worry about , short of putting a plug on it. This is not hard to do, as the green wire will be the ground, and since this is AC, the other two wires will go on either of the other connections on the plug. One or both wires are probably red, but it does not matter. If you are not comfortable, have an electrician wire the plug (take it to them, it will not cost much that way). A 220V 20A plug is way more than needed, but recommended. At 220V the pot will use barely more than 3 amps. The wattage used is the same.

I like my Lee pot, but the 220V had nothing to do with the purchase of it (I could get the 220V, but not the 115V - just dandy with me). The 110V is equal in every way, and actually better as it does not require the installation of a plug. BTW, if you already have a 220V outlet, you'll need to make sure the plug matches the outlet. I do not know how many possible plugs exist, but it is my impression that there might be different ones (especially if you circuit is 15A instead of 20A).

Hope this helps.

[Dale in Louisiana]

I will happily install a plug on your 220-volt Lee cord.

I need:

1. Thirty bucks (parts and labor and little something for me.)
2. You pay round trip shipping and send me the pot.
3. A photo of your receptacle

dale in Louisiana
(Much cheaper to use a local guy. Most of us know somebody who knows somebody)

[gimling]

I accidently ordered the 220V lee pot and just went ahead and installed a 220V receptical for it, It works great I don't know if the 110V does the same thing as mine but im at 700 degrees on setting 3. and I peg out my lyman thermometer at setting 5, and at setting 7 the pot and the lead glow red.

as far as 50/60 HZ debate its a heating coil, not a motor so HZ really doesn't apply in this case. had my melter for 4 months no issues, its a possibility the coil wont last as long but I wont know till I burn It out.

[Idlplumb]

Frequency will make no difference to a resistive load. Inductive loads are a whole different thing! You should not use inductive 60hz stuff on 50hz and visa versa (motors, transformers, etc). Modern electronics have "switching power supplies" and will take normally 85-265vac at 50-60hz.

220 inductive loads are more efficient than 120 vac.

A load designed to do a certain amount of BTUs or jules of work at 120 will be built just that way. One that is designed to operate on 220 will be built just that way.

Your electric meter will never see the difference on a resistive load like the pot element. And the Lee pot temp control is just a mechanical thermal bi-metallic switch, not an electronic control device.

bangerjim - I am an engineer I=E/R

I was going to reply, but this is pretty much what I was going to say. A heating element is about the most basic, raw load you can have electrically. It's not at all finicky or temperamental and will work just fine. That, and most stuff is 50-60hz.