Thinking on buying new pot

[henry8734]

Thinking Lee precision magnum pot, 20 lb. What do you guys think? For about 60 bucks, it seems worth it.

[Loudy13]

I bought one a couple months ago and I am very happy with it. The volume and the heating ability is so much better than the old 10LB lyman that I had. It heats up fast and I haven't had any issues with the bottom pour spout yet. I am thinking about buying a second one just so I don't have to change back and forth with different alloys.

[LakeviewBulldog]

I was also looking at the bottom pour Lee pot. I also looked at the RotoMetals 20lb bottom pour. Anyone have experience with the RotoMetals pot? Is it worth the extra $20?

[lightman]

I don't personally know anything about the Lee pot except that you read a lot about the spout leaking. It would be nice to have a couple of pots for different alloys. The cost of two ProMelts or Magmas would sting! 20 pounds is a good choice if you cast larger bullets or use gang molds.

[TexasGrunt]

I was also looking at the bottom pour Lee pot. I also looked at the RotoMetals 20lb bottom pour. Anyone have experience with the RotoMetals pot? Is it worth the extra $20?

The Rotometals pot is a Lee pot.

[georgerkahn]

Two friends have these pots, and swear by them! One fellow has a PID in-line with his, while the other uses his as it came. To the best of my knowledge neither has a "dripping" problem, either. I'm quite happy with my (main pot) RCBS Pro-melt, but if one thinks about it, the purchase of one Lee to use and two spare pots for back-up -- you're still way $$$$ ahead. I'd go for it.
BEST!
geo

[VHoward]

http://www.magmaengineering.com/cast-master/
The cadillac of casting pots. 90lb capacity, bottom pour and does not leak. You can also get a dual pour nozzle for it so you can fill a 6 cavity mold in three lever presses.

[g17]

I used that same pot for the last year and despite all the horror stories you'll read concerning the Lee, if you use a little common sense it will serve you well. I also have a Pro-Melt and for the money, I'll take the Lee every time and buy a pile of lead and maybe a mold with the savings.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Like many things Lee's makes, The Lee 20lb pot is made with cheap parts, but is actually well built considering that. There are many stories of hobby casters successfully using Lee pots for decades with proper care. But, if a heater element or thermostat quit working (or whatever?), the parts are cheap and the pot is easy to fix. The lee thermostat is surely not the best temperature control, but it's easily up-gradable to PID control, which is better than needed, but very nice to say the least.

[376Steyr]

If you are willing to abandon the bottom-drippers, do a search for "Waage K4757" casting pots on the forum. I have one and I love it. Get a Rowell #1 ladle too.

[runfiverun]

I still use the 20 lb pot I bought back in the 1980's
I don't use it too often anymore it has my second alloy in it and is mostly used for 223 boolits but it still works just fine.
I augmented it with a 10lb version for casting soft lead.
and upgraded to a couple of the magma 40 lb pots for the bulk of my casting.

I fired up the master caster this weekend and run off a couple thousand boolits.
I wasn't sure it would still work since it hasn't been plugged in for almost 10 years, but it did just fine and once warmed up it run just like it was new.
had to blow a lot of dust off it though.

[OptimusPanda]

Been happily using the lee 20# for 4 years and it shows no signs of failing yet. If it broke tomorrow I'd just go get another one. My only complaint is if you use a 5 cavity noe mold you hve the put the sprue plate hinge forward on the handles.

[Geezer in NH]

For the drip haters I put an ingot mold under the spout when casting and heating let her drip is my feelings. So what it is not neat mine was under $70. I am not spending a couple hundred not to worry about it.

[Avenger442]

Lee 20lb bottom pour is all I've ever used. So I probably can't comment except it has worked fine for me. It will drip sometimes. But a quick adjustment with the screw driver and fixed. For the money would buy again if ever needed.

[mikeyd499]

I have been using my Lee for at least ten years. Still working great. If I had to buy a $200.00 unit, I would have never cast a boolit.

[Messy bear]

I have one that I use regularly. I have had to open the pour spoot up a few thousands to get fill on the big molds I use.
The other thing with these as has been mentioned, the therm doesn't read the melt. Its in the tower behind the pot and reads nothing but air. Its very easy to overheat the melt with these which is dangerous. Get a therm and verify its accuracy to guard against this. Mine will just keep on cycling and heating even if set low.
I wish there was a 40 to 60 pound bottom pour with a good therm available.

[Messy bear]

Just realized as run said- there is a 40 lb magma. 600 dalla! Ouch!

[Eddie Southgate]

I have Lee, Lyman, RCBS , and an old SAECO . They all work and they all drip . After 50 years of dripping pots this does not bother me as long as it is just a drip and not a small stream . The SAECO is the oldest and leaks the least . The Lee can be adjusted (occasionally ) to the point that it does not drip but requires near constant attention to keep it that way and I find it not to be worth the effort . If it drips put a ingot mold under it and let it drip.

Eddie

[Phlier]

I have a vintage Saeco and a Lee 4-20, which is only two months old. The old Saeco is relegated to sprue melting while I cast from the Lee. The Lee drips a bit from time to time but never enough to be bothersome.

[mold maker]

Is your tolerance for perfection determined by the boolits or the drips?
Do you intend to cast professionally or just for your fun and giggles?
I've done both and the LEE does everything required.
If ya feel like ya need a Cadilac when ya park in the middle of The WalMart lot, by all means, have at it. If ya cast for fun and to enjoy saving money, the LEE is the ticket.
They all occasionally drip, and almost none have accurate thermostats.
Our forefathers cast with an open fire and didn't starve because of it.

[Moonie]

I've had the 10lb Lee, the 20lb lee and have been using the 20lb for about the last 8 years or more and I do like it very much. I recently purchased the Lyman Mag25, I highly recommend it over the 20lb Lee, but it is more money.

[kmrra]

I bought a Lee 4-20 pot back in November , think it was 66 bux, Just got back into casting myself, Use to have a Saeco pot years ago, But the lee has done a good job so far, haven't had any dripping problems per say except for getting it adjusted right , I think most of the people that have problems with them dont have any mechanical ability. If you read the reviews on all the diffrent makers of pots you will see that they all have their problems.

[Doggonekid]

I got a RCBS Promelt pot. The thing that I like best over the old Lyman pot I still own is the size of the pot. 20 LBS is great. The problem with the smaller pot is once you get your grove on you hate to stop to put more lead in the pot. If your choice is 10 LBS or 20 LBS get the 20 every time.

[CGT80]

The Lee 10 is way too small. The lee 20 is better, but the spout likes to freeze up and the pot doesn't heat up fast enough when I add sprues or more ingots. It has good head pressure from full to half empty, and then it sucks. A PID makes it much better. It drips as much as my coffee pot.

I built my own 100 pound pot with a 2500 watt element. What a difference in performance. So far, I have only played with it and I am turning it into a master caster, but if you have extra money or are really serious go with a bigger pot. The lee is appealing because it is much less than the rcbs and lyman and it will get the job done. You could always use it and sell or just upgrade later.