Lee Classic cast?

[dromia]

Is this the Lee Classic Cast Press being sold under another brand name?

http://www.smartreloader.com/smartreloader-mark-xvi-reloading-press-with-idr-system-included-p-3799.html

[Heavy lead]

Kinda sorta, but with the new quick change interupted thread system the new Challenger has.

[EMC45]

Looks just like mine at the house. Mine is red though[smilie=1:

[Firebird]

Looks like a cross of the new Lee Breach-Lock Challenger (http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1222897039.5380=/html/catalog/rlpress1.html) aluminum framed press with the Lee Classic Cast press. I guess Hornady's L-N-L patent ran out, or someone designed a way around it.

[jawjaboy]

It's an Italian website. Who knows? :confused:

No reflection on Italy at all. Prolly LEE making the presses for them.

.

[1hole]

I believe that's a cheap Chinese rip-off of Lee's press.

[lathesmith]

It may be a rip-off, may even be Chinese, but it ain't cheap. Check out the price--$100Euros, or, in terms of our badly eroded currency, around $160 dollars give or take.
lathesmith

[DLCTEX]

Looks like they painted Lee blue and put in Lock-n-load conversion kit and marked the price up dramatically. DALE

[Reloader06]

Well it does say it's "casted steel"

[dromia]

Its the weak dollar, that press costs £82 the Lee Classic Cast costs £73.79 from the same source and a whopping £102.43 from Midway UK.

Shipping costs are around the same from both shops.

[PatMarlin]

We even brought that press to the attention of LEE and they didin't care. Makes me wonder if LEE is truly the manufacturer of the classic press, or is the so called knock off company the real fabricater that's making the press for LEE?

Something doesn't smell right with this one.

[MT Gianni]

Going from machining aluminum and steel to pouring for cast iron would involve quite a set up.

[BustemAgain]

Lee says that they are cast locally in Wisconsin. They even have pictures of some of the process on their website.http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1223071612.4048=/html/catalog/classic.html Middle of the page.

[NuJudge]

"The new Smartreloader Mark XVI press is a strong steel casted press . . . "

Boy, you can tell who ever wrote that was never in a foundry.

I've been using the Lee for awhile, and am very pleased with it. I have not used it for heavy sizing or case forming, but it does an excellent job.

CDD

[quasi]

I am not a big fan of Lee stuff, but must admit this press is an incredible value. As I have posted elsewhere here, Lee makes their lead melting pots for other companys as well.

[1hole]

"Going from machining aluminum and steel to pouring for cast iron would involve quite a set up. "

Very few small, low volume makers of anything do their own castings. Almost all of it is farmed out to others and then the machineing is finished in house. Not suprised at all that the castings are made "locally in Wisconsin".

RCBS is now getting their press castings from China, and they are using cast iron instead of Lee's stronger cast steel. I believe both brand's presses are plenty strong enough but still....China? IF my old RCBS Rock Chucker II ever does break, I will replace it with a Lee Classic Cast! :mrgreen:

[Steve E]

1hole,
I believe Lee's are cast iron also, the following is from the above link to Lee's site.



"A rigid cast iron frame, cast and machined with pride in the USA, baked powder finish and all steel linkage make this one of the most attractive and sturdy presses made".

Steve E...........