Has anyone used Lee's Power Quicktrim for .223 brass?

[chutestrate]

I'm on the fence about this tool, and wondered if anyone has some experience or advice for me. I've followed the included directions, and spoken with Lee techs a couple of times, but it hasn't helped.
I'm coming from using the lee trimmer with a power drill which was easy, but sllllloooown to this.

I am getting varying case lengths after trimming. The majority of my trim lengths are 1.747 to 1.753.

My problem, and perhaps it isn't one and I'm just being anal retentive....

I'm not loading for matches, but I would like to make sure that the varying case lengths have minimum effect on accuracy. I'm loading for an AR15.

I have a big pile of mixed headstamp 223 brass. I'm using the powertrim with a cordless screwdriver so the rpm's aren't too fast for the trim and chamfering blade. I've also removed the spring loaded ball in the trimmer per Lee's suggestion.

The instructions say to run the quicktrim until you feel it stop cutting. One of the techs at Lee told me to only run the quicktrim cutter for a few revolutions because the cutter will continue to chamfer the case as long as it's running. I've run the quicktrim both ways, and receive the same results.

[trixter]

I have the same set-up, and I knew about the minimum rotation and try to observe it carefully. I run mine by hand, because that is how it came. Granted, 223 brass is a lot of work and here is how it goes for me. I drop the day's empties into the tumbler and get them clean, then measure them to see if they need to be trimmed (seems to be less trimming needed all the time. then trim the ones that need to be trimmed. The plastic adjuster ring doesn't seen to do anything. So I set it as long as possible, and it just barely gets the length I want. The ones that didn't need trimming, I just chamfer in and out on my RCBS Trim Mate. Then all into a container till I'm ready to fire up the press. I usually wait till I have 800 to 1000 pieces to do before I do that. All in all I like the quick trim system, but I chose not to power it.

[bangerjim]

I do not bother with wrestling around with a drill on top of my press with the trimmer in it!

Just crank with the nice big knob it came with. I do lots of 223/556 brass with minimal effort manually. 6-8 turns and it is over. Why mess with a clumsy drill balanced up in the air?????? Power is not always what you want or need.

banger

[farmerjim]

+ 1 on the two above. The hand crank is easy. For large production quantities of 223 i use a WFT trimmer chucked in my lathe. For a small lot for my 223 handi rifle I use the Lee.

[Maximumbob54]

If you really have a pile of .223 brass then the WFT is the way to go.

[David2011]

If you really have a pile of .223 brass then the WFT is the way to go.

Yup. I've tried most of the trimmers and the WFT was the winner until I got a deal on a Dillon Rapid Trimmer.

David