Hornady vs Dillon

[Bret4207]

I see Hornady has a sale of their progressive on. Anyone care to comment on a comparison of the Hornady vs Dillon 550?

[imashooter2]

Both are robust and reliable designs. The Hornady has auto advance, a valuable safety feature in a progressive press. (My opinion, respondents may save their shrieks of outrage.) The bad news is they have a comparatively small market share and have historically changed their design regularly. I would be concerned that when the press goes TU in 10 years there may be no parts available. (Again, my opinion.)

[Cayoot]

I've owned a Hornady LNL AP since the 2nd year (I think it was about12 or 14 years ago) they were produced. Can't even begin to tell you how happy I am with it. Hornady does not talk about their customer service, but they should! I have called them for several things (each was my fault). Sometimes a broken part (I dropped the press a couple of times while moving to new reloading rooms over the years).

Hornady always gets new parts out to me the next day at no charge.

Don't worry about Hornady not having parts for your press. If they can't supply you with the parts to repair your press, they will replace the press. It is that simple.

However, they DO continue to manufacture parts for their older press designs.

2 years ago I was moving some equipment in my reloading room when a shelf I over loaded (by a long shot) collapsed and fell on my Hornady LNL AP press. It broke the primer feed system. The horror of it was that it was 8 days before the opening of hunting season and I was just getting ready to load my ammo!:(

Well, I called Hornady the next morning and explained what happened. The technicial talked me through examining the press so I could describe exactly what was damaged. In the end, he even through in some extra parts that he thought I might need (just in case). Then he overnighted the parts to me (because hunting season was coming so soon). All of this was done at no charge. Even the overnight shipping costs were covered by Hornady!

Now I've used a friends Dillion XL 650, and it is nice. In fact, except for the powder measure adjustments and the primer change (from small to large primers), it is as nice as my Hornady, but not any nicer. The only thing I like on the Dillion, (more than on the Hornady), is the "locater" buttons. I think they are a bit more convienent to use than Hornady's retainer spring (for removing cartridges in the middle of the cycle). Don't get me wrong, the Hornady system is easy, really easy, to remove a cartridge in mid cycle, I just like the Dillion Locater buttons a little bit better.

However all progressive presses are a pain to change the primer size system on (or maybe I'm just getting spoiled and lazy as I get older). To change the Hornady takes me at least 3 or 4 minutes....(actually, now that I read what I just typed...I do sound pathetically lazy!).

I own a Hornady LNL AP, RCBS Turrent press, Lee Turrent press, RCBS Jr and now, I just purchased a second Hornady LNL (so I can leave one set up for small primers and one for large primers). I have all of the presses set up and use them all for different things.

The Hornady is, by far, the least expensive in the area of taking advantage of the quick caliber change. The powder measure is much easier to adjust (IMO) the charge amounts (over the Dillion).

That being said however, I must confess that I have Lee Auto Disk Pro powder measures set up for my handgun cartridges. They are reasonably cheap, easy to adjust, and never, EVER come out of adjusting (because they use pre-sized cavities to dispense powder). So I keep an auto disk set up with the dies for each handgun caliber I reload.

Well, I know this is long winded, but I hope it helps. I don't think you can go wrong with either Dillion or Hornady, however I do like the Hornady a bit more, and it is much cheaper to both purchase and change calibers on. So I can reload more with the Hornady than I can the Dillion for the same amount of money.

[dromia]

How! Bret marra! Thou'd mak a row in a empty hoose. :-D

Me I'm a L-n-L man. Also I'm probably the Dillon exception having found them as a company absolutely abysmal to deal with, albeit 14 years or so ago.

Got to agree with everything Cayoot has said, the Hornady does as advertised as no doubt the dillons do. I reckon the Hornady L-n-L AP and the Dillon 650 are on a par with no doubt their own strengths, weaknesses and individual foibles. The Hornady has more modern features. The 550 is a diferent level of machine so really you are comparing apples and oranges there.

However the Hornady costs a lot less so really its a no brainer, the L-n-L wins hands down on value without giving up anything to the 650 on performance.

Now let the fur fly. :mrgreen::castmine::mrgreen:

[garandsrus]

Bret,

What is the sale price? Keep in mind that Hornady will send you 1000 jacketed bullets with the purchase of a LNL press also, so that reduces the cost of the press by about $200. You do need to pay $20 or so for shipping, and are limited in the bullet selection that they offer.

I personally have a Dillon 550 and 650 and have not used the Hornady press. I saw one at Perry a couple weeks ago and it looked to be well made.

John

[August]

I have owned both, so I'll comment.

First off, one cannot compare the LnL to the 550, since the LnL is automatic and the 550 is manually progressive. Every squib I've seen at a cowboy match was prepared on a 550. I'm not saying every squib that ever happened was prepared on a 550, just the dozen, or so, that I've personally witnessed. My buddy had a very close call with a 44-40 load this weekend, as a matter of fact, and would have had serious problems if the bullet had not stuck close enough to the chamber to prevent the next round from going in. He's one of the guys that always gets pissed when people mention this fact about the 550, but I suppose his tune will change after this weekend.

You must compare the LnL to the Dillon 650, and now you're talking a very steep differential in price. Not that money is everything, mind you.

I personally find the LnL retention spring a lot easier to use than the indexing pins on a Dillon. Mistakes are much easier to recover from on the LnL in my experience. I also find the LnL to be much sturdier, has a better powder measure (by far), and a safer and more straight-forward priming system than do the Dillon's.

The Dillons are faster machines when they're set up properly. So, if production rates are a real high factor on your list, consider the Dillon. Dillon customer service is excellent and their documentation is first rate.

On that issue, Hornady has the worst documentation of anything I've ever purchased. They make Wal-mart Chinese Bar-b-que assembly instructions look like fine literature. The instructions provide no over-view, so you're flying blind as you learn to use the press. The instructions are often contradictory. The manual is horribly incomplete and does not explain fundamentals well, nor does it touch on the many options that make the LnL a superior press.

Having gone through the 'teething' period with the LnL, I can say it is a wonderful press. Slow, but wonderful. The powder measure alone is reason for using it IMHO. Caliber changes are a snap, compared to the 650.

I think both companies are excellent, and my experience with each has been top notch.

[Cayoot]

Actually, on the Hornady LNL AP that I just assembled (last night), the new manuals are head and shoulders above the old manual. Still seems sparse in the volume of information provided, but it is much better than it used to be.

[Willbird]

I have owned both, so I'll comment.

First off, one cannot compare the LnL to the 550, since the LnL is automatic and the 550 is manually progressive. Every squib I've seen at a cowboy match was prepared on a 550. I'm not saying every squib that ever happened was prepared on a 550, just the dozen, or so, that I've personally witnessed. My buddy had a very close call with a 44-40 load this weekend, as a matter of fact, and would have had serious problems if the bullet had not stuck close enough to the chamber to prevent the next round from going in. He's one of the guys that always gets pissed when people mention this fact about the 550, but I suppose his tune will change after this weekend.


More or less I think this is a guns vs murder kind of issue. The round loaded with no powder was produced by the OPERATOR not the press. You CAN load rounds with no powder in a press that has an auto index :-). It IS more difficult :-).

I like the Dillon because if my house burns down they will give me a new one to replace the burned up one.........I'm gonna guess Hornady will NOT :-). I also like the fact that the cost to do a caliber conversion is lower with the RL550B than with the Hornady.

Bill

[joedapro]

when i was searching for a progressive press i looked hard at the hornady. i liked the press alot. that said, i bought 2 dillon 550b's. one for .45 one for 223. and i kept the rcbs for rifle case prep.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I owned a Dillon 550B and wasn't happy with customer service. I replaced it with a Hornady many, many years ago now. I've been extremely happy with the Hornady and with their customer service (always excellent). I also load on a buddy's 650, which is pretty much even with the Dillon. I've found my LnL always beats his 650 when reloading rifle cartridges (runout/powder measure/extruded powders), but his is a tiny bit easier to load pistol cartridges on, but not enough to cause me to want a 650.

As a side note, you can put anybody's powder measure on anybody's press, so that shouldn't be a deciding factor necessarily, unless your first cartridge is a rifle cartridge. In that case, the Hornady measure is tough to beat and comes with the press. Having gotten lazy, I started using Lee dies and Lee Pro Auto Disk measures for pistol cartridges.

Both presses are great, both companies have great customer service. If I had it to do over again, I personally would buy the LnL. If it wasn't available, I'd buy a RCBS Pro 2000 with auto advance, now that they're out. But that choice is Dillon's fault for providing me a bad customer experience on the 550, not the 650's fault.

BTW, when it comes to double charging a case, the Hornady doesn't go backwards and has a shell eject spring that blocks the case from going back around a second time. Combine this with case activation and you don't have double charging accidentally.

Regards,

Dave

[Shiloh]

More or less I think this is a guns vs murder kind of issue. The round loaded with no powder was produced by the OPERATOR not the press. You CAN load rounds with no powder in a press that has an auto index :-). It IS more difficult :-).

I like the Dillon because if my house burns down they will give me a new one to replace the burned up one.........I'm gonna guess Hornady will NOT :-). I also like the fact that the cost to do a caliber conversion is lower with the RL550B than with the Hornady.

Bill

This post says it all. Well done. I'm a Dillon 550 guy and have been for about 16 years. I'm sure the Hornady is fine, I just never saw a reason to look beyond Dillon.

Shiloh :castmine:

[anachronism]

Wow! I must be the only person who's had problems with Hornadys customer service, or lack thereof. I had a problem with a "New Dimension" sizing die scratching cases. The woman on the phone asked me what I did to it, then badgered me on the phone for a while until I threw the dies away and bought RCBS. My bullet puller broke, they did replace that, after having it for over a month, I was told over the phone that they would inspect it, and bill me if it looked like abuse. I managed to wear out a 007 press. It had problems from about the one year mark, and was toast within 5 years. It's a hundred & twentyfive dollar press new, and I had bought it because of Hornadys reputation for quality & service. I called customer service, and explained my dilemma, and was quoted $80.00, plus shipping for parts. I asked about the warranty, and was told the press is warranted for the life of the press (doubletalk). Mine's worn out not broken, so it's past it's lifetime. Would I like to put this on a credit card? I went out and bought a new Redding Big Boss with a real warranty for an additional $30.00. I live an hour & a half from the Hornady plant and believe in supporting local business, but Hornady made it impossible for me to support them. I have an early 550 Dillon (not 550B) that's about 2 years newer than the 007 was. I've loaded a phenomenal amount of ammo on it, managed to break a few parts along the way, but Dillon always had me going again in a couple of days. RCBS? All it takes is a phone call. I've actually had more problems with Hornady than I did with LEE, and now consider both of them to be in the same (low) class.

[Lloyd Smale]

there both good presses. Ive got 6 dillon presses and will probably stick to them as its eaiser to keep spare parts and keep them running when they break and if you use any progressive press enough it will break. Hornady has some neat features but i like the ergonomics of the dillons a tad better. Like was said there a tad eaiser to really crank out ammo on and when im loading im loading to make ammo not to have fun. I have to admitt the free bullet deal from hornady has had me thinking though. It sure would be nice to have a progressive press set up in 500 linebaugh. Ive got a buddy who is going to make me a carbide sizing die for it. Sure could crank them out easily then. Between lubing cases and loading on a slow 550 its almost to much of a bother to load and the guns sit more then they should.

[AzShooter]

I started out on a RCBS turret press and then went to a Dillon 300 many years ago. Reloading was an adventure back then. Since, I've upgraded to the 450 and finally to the 550 B as well as a 650 which I use for my .38s.

I use the 550 for everything with large pistol primers so I don't worry about changing out the priming system.

I was loading .45 ACP, .223, .45-70, 38-55 and now 7.62 X 54 on the 550.

Last week I bought the new shell holder for the 7.62 X 54. When I got home I learned that it's the same as the 45-70. I called Dillon and they told me to bring it back. Heck you can bring back anything within the first month even if it's just that it rained one day. Any reason you want to give them.

While I was there I had them replace my powder dispenser since the little white plastic piece was loose and it had the old style Large dispenser on it. Since there were two things wrong they gave me a new one, no charge.

I also lost my hanger on my Dillon ballance scale....as well as the dribbler. Again, a free new scale. It must have been 20 years old but that didn't matter to them.

I love Dillon service and the machines have worked reliably for me for years. I load about 40K .38s a year and close to 30K of .45 ACP. I was going through a few hundred 45-70s a month and really put my presses to good use.

Dillon wins out in my book.

[cajun shooter]

And now we know why Baskin Robbins has more than one flavor and us GMC fans think Ford suck!! I have two Dillons and can not say nothing bad about the customer service. I broke the powder resvoir on one and told them I did so. No problem; sent me a new one at NC. Be happy with what you have and let the other guy do the same. Maybe some day he will come over and maybe he won't. Now you really want to open up a hornets nest ? Let's talk about football. Take care and ejoy life; and agree to disagree. Later

[Southern Son]

Big + 1 on what Willbird said, I have had a Dillon 550 formore than 12 years and NEVER had a squib. Since I got the case feeder, I feel even more confident that I will never get a double charge. If you try and crank the handle without turning the shell plate, the case that the feeder just put into place is going to crash into the side of the sizing/decapping die and will stop you, cold.

I have only ever seen one bloke with the Hornady. He said that he was happy with it then, but when he got it he had to do a heap of work on the case feeder (I think that his exact words were "I am @#$%^& if I know how you could get the case feeder on this to work without using a lathe to make some adjustments." Luckily he was a gunsmith.)

[Bret4207]

Thanks for the comments guys. Graf has a big ad for the Hornaday and you get a couple hundred dollars worth of bullets with the press. I'll have to think on this one.

BTW- The new full size Graf catalog has got to be the worst layout of a catalog I've seen. Thye not only split things up by manufactuer, they grouped dissimilar items together. I'm to old to learn new systems!

[Cayoot]

.......I'm gonna guess Hornady will NOT :-). I also like the fact that the cost to do a caliber conversion is lower with the RL550B than with the Hornady.
Bill

Sorry Buddy, I think the Dillion is a great machine, but even the RL550B costs quite a bit more for caliber conversion than the Hornady.

[Cayoot]

Last week I bought the new shell holder for the 7.62 X 54. When I got home I learned that it's the same as the 45-70. I called Dillon and they told me to bring it back. Heck you can bring back anything within the first month even if it's just that it rained one day. Any reason you want to give them.


Now THAT is probably the best customer service I've ever heard of! WOW!!!:drinks:

[prs]

Regarding the new auto index Hornady L'nL; will it accept Lee dies -- I think Lee has started making thier dies longer -- right? This is a wierd question; but black powder folks are a bit off the beaten path; will the Hornady accomodate two powder measures (again Lee Pro-Auto Disc) so that powder and filler can dropped progressively?

How about the case feeder? Is it reliable? It is costly.

prs

[Heavy lead]

Regarding the new auto index Hornady L'nL; will it accept Lee dies -- I think Lee has started making thier dies longer -- right? This is a wierd question; but black powder folks are a bit off the beaten path; will the Hornady accomodate two powder measures (again Lee Pro-Auto Disc) so that powder and filler can dropped progressively?

How about the case feeder? Is it reliable? It is costly.

prs

I use older Lee dies (yes it would be nice if they were longer) but they work. As far as two measures, yup, it would work, I don't use the Hornady measure, I use the Lee Pro Auto Disc with a powder thru expander die and the Lee crimp die and there is an extra station, so yes it would work fine for that. Wow imagine if you were into duplex loads! BOOOOOM

[Cayoot]

I use about half and half, Lee dies and a mixture of RCBS, Hornady, and Lyman dies, all seem to do fine in my LNL.

The case feeder is expensive. My sweet wife gave me one for Christmas about 5 years ago. It was easy to hook up, except I had to purchase a "retro-fit" kit, because my LNL was made in the 2nd year they were manufactured (serial number is 0030XX). Once on, it has worked trouble free ever-since. Although I do only use it for .38s (cuz that's what I reload 80% of the time).

Like I said earlier, I just purchased a new LNL to compliment my old one. This (new) one will be used for large primer reloading. Looking at it, I can see that it would be a breeze to hook up the case feeder with no additional parts needed.

I use the Lee Pro-Auto Disc for alot of my reloading (I have several, and I keep them set for designated loads), however I don't know about 2 fitting on at once...maybe if they were spaced with at least one station between them.

[Willbird]

Sorry Buddy, I think the Dillion is a great machine, but even the RL550B costs quite a bit more for caliber conversion than the Hornady.

OK lets see

Dillon RL550B 9x19 conversion $41 from Brian Enos, $24.50 for a powder die and tool head....total $65.50

The Hornady shellplate is $29.99 retail at grafs, the lock and load bushings(you would commonly use 4 I think?) are $3.63 each...total...$44.51


So ya I guess the RL550B is 32% more expensive to convert, it's not strictly apples/apples because your buying die parts to convert the Dillon, the Dillon shellplate is about the same price as a Hornady shellplate.

For some things like 45 colt ON the RL550B if you already have 45 acp and 44 magnum conversions all you need IS a shellplate as you use the powder funnel from 45 acp and the buttons from 44 magnum(as I recall)

Bill

[Heavy lead]

And now we know why Baskin Robbins has more than one flavor and us GMC fans think Ford suck!! I have two Dillons and can not say nothing bad about the customer service. I broke the powder resvoir on one and told them I did so. No problem; sent me a new one at NC. Be happy with what you have and let the other guy do the same. Maybe some day he will come over and maybe he won't. Now you really want to open up a hornets nest ? Let's talk about football. Take care and ejoy life; and agree to disagree. Later

Now you're talkin'

GO BLUE

[Willbird]

When a Lock N Load owner has their press that was destroyed in a fire replaced by Hornady, I'll take my fingers out of my ears :-).


Bill

[dromia]

When a Lock N Load owner has their press that was destroyed in a fire replaced by Hornady, I'll take my fingers out of my ears :-).


Bill

Yes no issues there, but thats why you pay the extra for Dillon.

I'm already paying for that cover in my house insurance so I don't want to pay for it twice with Dillon.

[Heavy lead]

If you have a fire that destroys your press, you've probably got a lot more to worry about that getting a replacement press. Not, nor ever will be a concern for me.

[Cayoot]

OK lets see

Dillon RL550B 9x19 conversion $41 from Brian Enos, $24.50 for a powder die and tool head....total $65.50

The Hornady shellplate is $29.99 retail at grafs, the lock and load bushings(you would commonly use 4 I think?) are $3.63 each...total...$44.51


So ya I guess the RL550B is 32% more expensive to convert, it's not strictly apples/apples because your buying die parts to convert the Dillon, the Dillon shellplate is about the same price as a Hornady shellplate.

For some things like 45 colt ON the RL550B if you already have 45 acp and 44 magnum conversions all you need IS a shellplate as you use the powder funnel from 45 acp and the buttons from 44 magnum(as I recall)

Bill

It's not a big difference, but for the record, you only use 3 LNL bushings for handguns and 2 for rifles. However, if you wanted to really economize (and give up the quick change advantage) then you would not need to purchase any LNL bushings, because you can swap them between dies.

Then your cost to change calibers would only be $29.99 because you would only need to purchase a shell plate.

Of course, then you have to re-adjust your dies each time you change them, just like you would if you were operating on a single stage press.



For some things like 45 colt ON the RL550B if you already have 45 acp and 44 magnum conversions all you need IS a shellplate as you use the powder funnel from 45 acp and the buttons from 44 magnum(as I recall)
Bill

Wouldn't you need to purchase the die plate/carrier (I'm not sure of the terminology here)? If you don't, then you would have to re-adjust the dies each time, just like on a single stage press.

Or am I missing something? (Sure wouldn't be the first time!)

[Willbird]

It's not a big difference, but for the record, you only use 3 LNL bushings for handguns and 2 for rifles. However, if you wanted to really economize (and give up the quick change advantage) then you would not need to purchase any LNL bushings, because you can swap them between dies.

Then your cost to change calibers would only be $29.99 because you would only need to purchase a shell plate.

Of course, then you have to re-adjust your dies each time you change them, just like you would if you were operating on a single stage press.



Wouldn't you need to purchase the die plate/carrier (I'm not sure of the terminology here)? If you don't, then you would have to re-adjust the dies each time, just like on a single stage press.

Or am I missing something? (Sure wouldn't be the first time!)



The dies all screw into what they call a "toolhead"(costs 16 bucks)...I did calculate that into my price for conversion, but like the LNL bushings you COULD do without it if you were willing to reset the dies each time, I did think about doing that using a height gauge and a surface plate...or making a jig that used a 1" or 2" travel indicator for setups that are not used as often. Just write down the projection amount from the tool head for each die.

The nuts and bolts of what I was getting at is that Hornady and Dillon RL550B SHELLPLATES are just about the same price....and the other parts of the conversion kit make it more expensive....buttons and a powder funnel (actually an inside neck expander, but Dillon calls it a powder funnel).

I was mistaken about the prices, it was good research to look it up, I'm thinking now that I had priced maybe RCBS piggyback caliber conversion once and it was more than RL550B ??

Used conversions sell quite readily on Ebay if they come in blue boxes, not sure on the red box stuff, it might do just as well maybe.

Bill

[quasi]

The L-N-L is comparable to the 650 Dillon, in everything except price. Don't forget the free bullets deal that comes from Hornady.

[deltaenterprizes]

Hornady is a licensed copy od the Dillon!

[Bret4207]

I found a bunch of videos on U-tube showing the Dillon and Hornady in action. I can't see much real difference in speed and ease of operation. Either one works fine from what I see. At this point the Hornady is a far better value price wise. We'll see if I can make a decision.

[dromia]

I found a bunch of videos on U-tube showing the Dillon and Hornady in action. I can't see much real difference in speed and ease of operation. Either one works fine from what I see. At this point the Hornady is a far better value price wise. We'll see if I can make a decision.


You've got the the bottom line there Bret. :castmine:

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

"Hornady is a licensed copy od the Dillon!"

You Sir, obviously do not have a clue. The only thing similar between the two is the primer system and that only because they're both tube feed. Other than that, the two brands share practically nothing in design of the presses. Different auto advance mechanism, different shell holding mechanisms, different cartridge ejection, different powder measures, different powder measure systems and different methods of die change out systems.

Regards,

Dave

[Cayoot]

Used conversions sell quite readily on Ebay if they come in blue boxes, not sure on the red box stuff, it might do just as well maybe.

Bill

Now that you bring up Ebay (which I had not factored in, but it is an important component of cost for most people), I do believe the Dillion 550 would be less expensive. So I think, over all, you were correct in your first assumption.

The Dillion is much more prevalent than the Hornaday, and all kinds of parts (for the Dillion) are easily available on Ebay. Including some very interesting custom made parts and gadgets.

That is something that should be considered when someone is trying to make a choice.


Really sort of levels the playing field

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Ebay doesn't really level the playing field. Most reloading equipment on Epay goes for about as much or more used as it is sold for new. You won't find any bargains there. Looks good, until you follow a few auctions to the very end and see the results. I did so trying to buy several items. Never could find a bargain over six months. Most stuff can be bought from dealers cheaper than what it goes for on epay.

On the plus side, any brand of reloading equipment sells really well there.

Dave

[Willbird]

Honestly I price shop a LOT on Evilbay.

I just bought a Smith oxy-acet torch set on Ebay new in the box for $215.00 that was on SALE at a local welders supply place for $264.00(normal price $299). And that was a buy it now price with FREE Fedex shipping from an Ebay store. There ARE some good deals on buy it now stuff.

I guess what I was saying on the press conversions is that they hold their value, I shopped Ebay for a 45 colt one one which is a popular caliber right now and the used ones sell like hotcakes. I will probably just buy a new one from Brian Enos or Grafs (actually all I need is the shellplate).

I do not consider I paid a dime extra for my RL550B.

I bought mine from Brian Enos actually because he is a BIT cheaper than MSRP and I could call him on the phone and talk about the options. Found out he was originally from Dayton, OH while I was talking to him. Some of the Ebay stuff may be cheaper, but you really have to be an INFORMED buyer and make sure you know what you are bidding on, Ebay was the first place I ever saw Dillon RL550B packages that did not include (1) conversion with the press.

I bought (2) sets of Hornady New Dimension dies when I bought the RL550B...44 mag and 9x19....they suck in my opinion, first pistol dies I ever saw that you cannot readily remove the expander plug to measure it or alter it ??

I think I will stick to Hornady BULLETS, and stick to BLUE(Dillon) and GREEN(RCBS and Redding) reloading equipment :-).

Bill