Lyman Mag 20 Furnace

[Sundogg1911]

My Company gave me a $750.00 bonus yesterday. I was pretty excited about it, thinking I was going to buy a new Bass amp since I started playing in a band again, until I found out it's an American Express gift card that only is good in certain stores (About 20 and they're mostly womens clothing) Cabela's is the only store that has anything I can use (I know....dont look a gift horse in the mouth, but they told me it would be $1000 and cash) Cabelas is about an hour and a half drive, and if I take my Harley I can't get big stuff. [smilie=1: I need a new casting pot for the hand moulds. I'm tired of rigging up the master caster for the purpose. Cabela's has the Lyman Mag 20 Furnace, looks decent, and i'm just tired of the drip-o-matic that i've been using. Is it worth $230? I had a Saeco for years and it was great, but this is the one that Cabelas offers. Worth the long drive? Of course if they have the CZ RAMI in .40 S&W, that will be going home with me. (I think....it is a different state.) :???: Wow....i really ramble on sometimes! :roll:

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got 2 of them and theyve been good pots.

[Sundogg1911]

Lloyd,
I thought that's what you used. I still have some smaller pots that i'll keep for feeders, but it looks like i'll at least be able to get something usefull. I can't use anything at Macys or Speigals.....I don't really look that good in a dress! [smilie=1:

[imashooter2]

No pistols from out of state unless they ship it to an FFL in PA. How far is the Cabela's in Hamburg from you? Might be worth an extra half hour or so to get what you want, and a nice long ride on the Harley isn't the worst thing that could happen to you...

[454PB]

Welcome back to music, Sunndog. I've been playing bass in the same band for 18 years now.

When I still had a "day job", we received gift cards as safety awards. They were initially for Cabelas, but the employees began to complain since everything from Cabelas has to be shipped, we are a long way from them. They changed it so we each got a choice of four different gift cards, and most of us choose Wal*Mart. Our Wal*Marts carry a lot of shooting and outdoor related products.

I'll bet that Lyman pot would fit in the trunk of my 1800 Goldwing!

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive kept a lyman 10lb pot and a lyman 7lb pot that came with the first casting equiptment i bought. Ive had a number of lees too but gave them as gifts to friends that wanted to start and didnt know better. By the way that old 10lb lyman pot has got to be 30 years old and has casted i dont know how many thousands of bullets and still works like new. I wish they still made the 20lb version of that one!

[dubber123]

I bought my Mag 20 in well used condidtion, and it has been very good to me, with no complaints. I actually prefer the larger opening in the Lyman to the narrower, deeper one in the RCBS.

[Marshal Kane]

I got mine used too and it was in excellent condition. Been casting with it for 3 years without a hitch. Was going to go for a new RCBS after I had learned casting but the Lyman has worked so well that I put that idea on a back burner. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

[crabo]

Bass Northwest takes American Express. They generally have some of the best prices going. They also take American Express. And they ship. You can sometimes get them to throw in the shipping if you dig 'em enough. 206.622.2277 I have bought a ton of stuff from them.

I'm playing a 5 string Sadowsky through an Eden with Bag End cabinets. They might be able to do something with the gift card.

Crabo

[sagamore-one]

I am reduced to two electric pots. First is the Lyman mag 20. It has served very well for many thousands upon thousands of pours. Only problem ever encountered was when I tried to clean out the spout , per factory instructions,with a drill bit. Bubba would have been proud of the results. Lyman provided replacement parts quickly. On installation of new parts I got something wrong. Sent pot back to Lyman. Repaired as good as new. Cost was reasonable. Service was GREAT !! Absolutely GREAT !!
I use the Mag 20 on a weekly basis and back it up with the RCBS. I find the Rcbs to be somewhat "clumsy" to use. But it has never broken down and if it does the repair parts are free !! (lifetime warrantee).
In my humble opinion............. both work great. both have super customer service. The Lyman is more user friendly.
I use quite a bit of Linotype and other hard alloys, never softer than # 2 alloy. Temp of the pot is usually near 850, or more. I fill pot - pour till empty- adding an occasional ingot- leave empty .
Molds are all H&G . Nothing smaller than 4 banger.

[lurch]

Wow...a truly milti-talented group we have here. Another bottom dweller here as well. How many on this thread...4 so far. We just came back from a gig where we used our new homebuilt sub for the first time - a folded horm 18 with ~500W into it (any more and the walls would have come down I think :twisted:). Low D made the whole stage feel like it was undulating. I almost wanted to hold on to something solid...[smilie=1:

[monadnock#5]

I've had a Mag 20 since the mid 80's. Not knowing what I was doing, it didn't take me long to hang it up in frustration with the whole process.

I tried it again a few years ago, and with much greater patience and the help of the members of this Board, I'm casting boolits that I'm proud to call my own.

The Mag 20? Since I cleaned it up and don't smelt wheel weights in it any more, it's doing fine. I may pick up a Lee pot to keep the Lyman supplied with melted alloy, and as a hedge against the day when I have to send the Mag 20 back to Lyman for a refurb.

[Nardoo]

I have just aquired a s/h Mag 20 cheapish as it would not heat up sufficiently. I posted a question here recently and thanks to Arnie and Marshal Kane I have adjusted the thermostat. (Turn the little adjusting screw clockwise.)

First casting session afterwards and I am a convert. What a lovely machine to use it is. I still have a leaky Lee pot but fear it may never be used again.

I even cast up 300 "00" buck shot from my little Lyman .330" RB mould and loaded a packet of cartridges for the lad to shoot pigs with.

The adjustable mould rest and stop are a great benefit on long runs, too.

Nardoo

[Sundogg1911]

well....after the hour and 40 minute drive (each way), and then an hour wait at the gun counter, the guy working there said "We don't do special orders, I don't know what to charge you" and then He asked who was next. So I didn't get the CZ RAMI I wanted. (and I almost jumped over the counter) :???: good thing I called ahead and aked before driving there huh? I went to the half shelf of crap casting supplys they had to find out you have to order the Lyman furnace as well. :twisted:I spent about $300 on a digital pistol safe, Gammo pellet rifle, deer food, and some cleaning supplys. I did get a Lyman thermometer, and 3 more ingot molds, but I wont go back. The place isn't worth the drive. Prices are high too. I'll spend some of the gift card at Linens and things on cooking gadgets, and give the rest to my Wife. How disapointing. I'd rather go to Gander Mountain. At least there's one near by.

[rmb721]

You can tell that the prices at Cabela's are way too high before you go in.

Who do you think pays for the fancy buildings?

I rarely buy anything from Cabela's. If there isn't anything in the bargain cave that I need, I usually go home empty handed.

I only get to the one at Hamburg about twice a year, and that is when there is a gun show at Leesport ( about four miles down the road from Cabela's).