Adios Dillon 650. Hello Dillon 750

[TheDoctor]

Looks like Dillon just discontinued the 650, and now has a 750. Not much info have I seen on the differences, except the 750 has a different priming system, and comes with a roller shellplate indexer that it should have had to start with, that I put on mine aftermarket. And the new adjustable speed case feeder. Tool heads look the same.

[jmorris]

Step backwards, the 650 has the most reliable primer feeding system out of any progressive, putting the 550 priming system on one will just make it less reliable.

Putting the 650 system on the 1050 would have been a better use of their engineers time.

[georgerkahn]

I'd question an "adios" for the SB, 550 series, as well as 650 series. To my way of thinking, it's too expensive for a new-be, with one Dillon pictured @ $1,318.00 -- and persons like me may very well have tooooo much divested in -- in my case -- a 550b and ten caliber conversions.
Dillon's page URL for this is https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl750-reloader_8_1_26745.html , and I'm surely NOT going to "dis" it.
I don't think the 750 will cause any tremblings in the ground where Mike is interred.... ;)
BEST!
geo246117

[TheDoctor]

Not saying I'm trading my 650 in, far from it. It already has the most reliable priming system I've ever had on a press. Might ought to buy a spare or two just to have on hand in case they start getting scarce.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Ya got yhe introduction email earlier this evening. Don't see much difference really. I don't think I want the 550 style priming system. Ive already upgraded the snot out of my 650 and it works very well. They might have drawn me in with some landmark differences but I cant see enough to justify it. If anything I'll get a Mark 7 Evolution.

[rcslotcar]

I agree my upgraded xl650 runs great and no need for the 750.

[sigep1764]

How much more reliable can priming get over the 550? I have never had a problem or thot it cumbersome on the 550. How is the 650 better? Not being smart or sarcastic, really asking about the 650 system. I have no experience with the 650.

[jmorris]

There is no plastic orifice tip on the 650, that’s the Achilles heal of the SD, 550 and 1050 priming systems.

The complaint you hear about the 650 is that it always feeds primers, not a bad thing if you have ever dealt with primer feed issues on others.

For set up it’s better to not fill the primer tube until you are ready to load but some don’t. All Dillon needed to do was add this feature.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZDT63UZVVE&app=desktop

[6bg6ga]

Step backwards, the 650 has the most reliable primer feeding system out of any progressive, putting the 550 priming system on one will just make it less reliable.

Putting the 650 system on the 1050 would have been a better use of their engineers time.

I absolutely agree with this post. The 650 priming system was far superior than the 550's. Dillon, really? You cheapen up a good design rename it in the hopes of generating more sales? Its going to bite them in the butt. A step backwards for sure. I guess you have to listen to the bean counters.

[6bg6ga]

How much more reliable can priming get over the 550? I have never had a problem or thot it cumbersome on the 550. How is the 650 better? Not being smart or sarcastic, really asking about the 650 system. I have no experience with the 650.

Spend 1/2 hr on a 650 and you will understand. I started with a square deal and then purchased a 650 and recently purchased a good used 550 simply because it was a deal. The 550 generally sits on the table like a young lady at her first prom waiting for someone to ask her to dance. The Square deal priming system is like the 550's and God knows I had enough trouble with my priming system on the square deal. The 650's is reliable with the ONLY problem being having primers that as a result of operator error don't get used and they rest upon a ski jump shaped piece of plastic. To make a long story short they end up on the floor unless you equip your 650 with a different primer collection system in which case they can end up in a plastic bottle to be once again put into the primer tube for use.




The 650 always has a primer ready to be used. If you happen to screw up/ collator runs out of brass for example the primer wheel continues on around/rotates and the primer isn't used and thus falls upon the ski jump where it will generally end up on the floor never to be found again. When equipped with an aftermarket primer catcher the unused primer goes into a collection container(small plastic bottle) to be used in a future round.

The problem with the Square Deal/550's is the plastic piece on the end of the primer tube. This piece can wear, get bent, or somehow get distorted which results in primers being lost on the floor. Unless you have a number of these ends on hand it stops your reloading session.

[Walter Laich]

The problem with the Square Deal/550's is the plastic piece on the end of the primer tube. This piece can wear, get bent, or somehow get distorted which results in primers being lost on the floor. Unless you have a number of these ends on hand it stops your reloading session.

I learned to order multiple of them when calling Dillon for the no-BS warranty.

[jmorris]

They send 3 spares of each with the SD’s, 550’s and primer size on the 1050 and won’t even charge me for extras for my 1050’s (they don’t have the lifetime warranty but I’m honest). Its not a “deal breaker” if you have dealt with priming issues on other presses but it’s not uncommon for me to change a plastic tip every year (again they are free) but I have never had to change anything on my 650’s, they just keep going.

[M-Tecs]

I will be keeping my three 650's specifically because of the primer system.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I’ve heard Dillon was trying to eliminate primer chain explosions in the rotary priming system. The XL650 seems to have more than all the other presses. Personally, I have always liked the RL550 priming system. But that’s just my preference. An XL750 might be in my future, but I may wait a year or two...

[6bg6ga]

I've never had a primer explosion with my 650 and to be honest I really think you would have to be treating it poorly in order to arrive at an explosion. I think if your capable of setting off a bunch of primers in your 650 then maybe you shouldn't be reloading on any machine.

[JeepHammer]

There are a few upgrades you can do to a 650 that help, primer catch, primer disconnect, rollers on friction parts, the priming system works great and I'm keeping mine.

While I have 1050, I use them to process brass, I do progressive loading on my 650s, they simply load (in particular rifle rounds) better than a 1050.

Mr. Morris hit the nail on the head, the priming system is as close to 100% as possible, and without 'Plastic' parts. There are very few wear parts, so the priming system lasts a LONG time.

The biggest failing of the 650 I can think of is the plastic indexing ring (an aftermarket roller bearing helps) which Dillon tried to address with a change of material, but it really needs a metal ring...
This won't be cheap, there is quite a bit of delicate machining will have to take place, but I think worth it if you load thousands and want to keep your machine working continuously for decades.

I better start buying up 650 machines & parts...

[David2011]

I'd question an "adios" for the SB, 550 series, as well as 650 series. To my way of thinking, it's too expensive for a new-be, with one Dillon pictured @ $1,318.00 -- and persons like me may very well have tooooo much divested in -- in my case -- a 550b and ten caliber conversions.
Dillon's page URL for this is https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl750-reloader_8_1_26745.html , and I'm surely NOT going to "dis" it.
I don't think the 750 will cause any tremblings in the ground where Mike is interred.... ;)
BEST!
geo246117

Yeah, even the base price at $649.95 without a case feeder it's pretty pricey. Another $299.95 just for the case feeder brings it to $949.90, well above the price of the competition. I considered selling my 550 at one time and replacing it with a second 650 to have a large and a small primer machine. Like you, I have ten caliber conversions. When I looked at the additional cost to replace those caliber conversions with 650 conversions, I figured it would cost an additional $400 after selling the 550 conversions I had. That didn't include selling the 550 press and buying a 650 and case feeder. I decided to be happy with the 550 as is. It is a very solid machine capable of producing very high quality ammunition.



How much more reliable can priming get over the 550? I have never had a problem or thot it cumbersome on the 550. How is the 650 better? Not being smart or sarcastic, really asking about the 650 system. I have no experience with the 650.

You can get a LOT more reliable. My 550 was purchased new in 1991 so I know it well. I've had a 650 since 2006 and have loaded many tens of thousands of rounds of .40 and .223 on it. The biggest problem I have with it is the slide hanging up and not coming back into place with a new primer. It is IMO the biggest flaw of the machine. An aftermarket plate is available that supports the slide fully through the entire range of travel. I just found out about it recently and haven't tried one yet. Keeping the slide and everything it contacts clean and burr free is the only solution I've found. Sometimes I have to stop in the middle of a loading session just to maintain the primer slide. The 650 delivers primers in a rotating disk that is positively operated. The only times it has not worked perfectly are when I failed to empty the spent primer cup and primers backed up all the way to the primer disk and hung it up. Can't blame the press for that!


I've never had a primer explosion with my 650 and to be honest I really think you would have to be treating it poorly in order to arrive at an explosion. I think if your capable of setting off a bunch of primers in your 650 then maybe you shouldn't be reloading on any machine.

I've had two or three primers pop in my 650 while loading .40 S&W. It was NEVER a surprise, though. I was having trouble with one brand of primers flipping and entering the primer pockets sideways. A primer would get stuck in the pocket and the case couldn't be removed because the primer was occupying space in the priming system and the cartridge at the same time. Sometimes I could squeeze the primer down enough that the case could be removed. Those two or three times that a primer popped I had applied a lot of pressure, hence the fact that the pop was no surprise. I still jumped a little.


The biggest failing of the 650 I can think of is the plastic indexing ring (an aftermarket roller bearing helps) which Dillon tried to address with a change of material, but it really needs a metal ring...


That part does look like it's just waiting to break. I bought a 550 and a 650 spare parts kit to minimize down time. So far, the indexing ring has not broken. I bought the 650 used and I've loaded over 90K on it.

[JeepHammer]

Good cleaning & lube, along with a roller bearing helps keep the plastic ring alive, and I picked up extras.
When I broke one Dillon sent me three, and along with the spare parts kit it's covered for a while.

I just ordered another XL650 off eBay, ($650) just to make sure it's not like the Dillon 1000.
If it stays in the box I won't loose anything...

[dillonhelp]

No worries on XL650 parts. While the large majority of XL750 parts interchange with the XL650, the parts that are unique to the XL650 will remain in full production for warranty support.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I just got the new format Dillon Blue Press. It advertised the 750, but gave no details. I would have thought that the Press would include an in-depth article about it.

[JeepHammer]

No worries on XL650 parts. While the large majority of XL750 parts interchange with the XL650, the parts that are unique to the XL650 will remain in full production for warranty support.

And you post this AFTER I buy another XL650 :oops:
I don't figure it's wasted money, just another tool in the box...

As for case & bullet feeders, I've made several of my own and if you have ANY skills with basic tools, it's just not that difficult.
Case feeders in particular are stupid simple, anyone that can navigate a Dremel tool and hand drill can knock one out in an afternoon for well under $100, mine come in more like $25-$30 since I don't care if someone recognizes the 5 gallon bucket or water heater catch pan I started with...

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Sorry but if we are going to talk about the most reliable priming system, don’t forget the Star Universals/Progressives. Beats the red, blue, and green presses hands down IMO.

[biffj]

I slipped the large primer feed tube from my 650 in to my my Square Deal B setup for 45 auto after the plastic tip on the original pissed me off for the last time. This is the tube with the brass flow-through tip. I suddenly had a reliable primer feed system in that press for the first time in years. I gave the SDB to a friend once I had my 650 running full bore but I pulled the primer tube out and told him to buy his own. He did and no problems with primers in the SDB. Wonder if swapping to the brass tipped tube in the 550 would help?

I was surprised to see the 750 announced especially after seeing the display at SHOT in january where the 1100 was the big star. No 750 at SHOT so what the hell? In addition the 1100 seems to be stillborn as the 1050 that was supposed to be retired is still being advertised and friends who ordered the 1100 or its processer version are still waiting.

I like my 650 just fine and I've got a real old RL1000 that works very well too. Don't think I'll be looking to buy a 750 but its out there for those who will. I'm sure there were guys ******** at the 1050 when it replaced the 1000 too. Both have some great features but progress will continue. With the ebay and other upgrade guys it won't be long before the 650 is a dinosaur and the 750 is the new baby.

Frank

[jmorris]

FWIW the “new” 1100 linkage isn’t like the current super 1050 linkage, rather more like the “dinosaur” RL.

[M-Tecs]

FWIW the “new” 1100 linkage isn’t like the current super 1050 linkage, rather more like the “dinosaur” RL.

Yup the RL 'dinosaur" didn't have the failure issues the Super has with the crank and link arms. I don't know if it's still the case but awhile back clean RL's were selling for more than the new Supers. The commercial loaders claimed they held up better than the Supers. For me to upgrade to a RL1100 they would need improve the primer system.

[JeepHammer]

The 1050 linkage isn't all that strong, I call it 'Mystery Metal' when I replace it with something known & stronger.

[jmorris]

For me to upgrade to a RL1100 they would need improve the primer system.

Agreed, I wish they had their engineers put the 650 priming system in it.

[Syntax Error]

The new primer system looks nice but not sure if it's solely worth upgrading to a 750 for.

[rbt5050]

went to dillions to check out the new 750. it is one nice press. a lot of upgrading and is smooth as butter. I might sell off my 650 and go for it.

[fast ronnie]

I'm kind of puzzled about the comments about the priming system on the SDB. The only problem that I've had on mine was loading 44mags, the primers sometimes weren't seated all the way in. Talked to Dillon, they sent me a new mechanism and it fixed the problem. The primers were about 30 years old, and I don't remember the brand, but they were a lot harder than I normally use.