Which presses have most effective compound linkage?

[Naphtali]

I am uncertain whether to acquire a single-station press or one with multiple stations.

Among single- and multiple-station non-progressive reloading presses which are the ones whose compound linkage allows least force to operate when full-length resizing and necking cases down?

[Pressman]

RCBS, Redding, Lee and Lyman all use a version of the RCBS swing arm linkage. It is the best on the market. If you want easy operation avoid the older presses based upon the original Pacific style linkage. C-H "H" presses and Hollywoods are not that great either as they use a variation of the Pacific linkage.
Ken

[James C. Snodgrass]

Lee Cast Classic . The New RCBS are cast in China the Lee is made in the USA . Also it is cheaper and I prefer it to the RCBS . JMHO James:brokenima

[shooter93]

The Redding Ultra mag is probably the strongest single stage press out there.

[mikenbarb]

A Herters Super 234 and Super 81 ARE THE STRONGEST out there if you can get your hands on one.:wink:

[Bullshop]

I vote for the wallnut hill

[beagle]

I've used RCBS Rockchuckers for years and found them adequate for about all operations.

Just on a "wonder if I can" hunch one time, my buddy ran a LC NM .30/06 case down to .22-250 in one pass. There were a lot of wrinkles and buckled shoulders and a lot of neck was sticking out of the die but it did it./beagle

[scb]

The Redding Ultra mag is probably the strongest single stage press out there.

+1 for the ultra mag. Virtually impossible to "spring".

[Naphtali]

Are RCBS presses that are made in Red China marked?

CH4D multiple-station presses have less effective compound linkage?

Bonanza-CoAx press?

When you refer to "strength," I should infer linkage effectiveness?
***
The reason for my concern is the "reloading table" I just moved from my back porch is not nearly as sturdy as I would prefer. I will not acquire a different table. So I'm willing to trade handle movement for less stress on the table. I have no idea how much actual stress occurs -- that is, how much weight is required to complete the handle's downward cycle. It may be that I am concerned needlessly. But some of the operations I will be doing, for the first time, require more force than I can do with my hand press.

[1hole]

Both the Forster Co-Ax and Redding Ultra Mags have great linkages with high mechanical advantage. All the rest, including my RC II, are pretty well tied for second place. But, all our presses have very powerful compound toggle link actions and each has plenty of power for common reloading chores. The compound linkages contain most of the pressure within the frame, the pressure transfered to the bench is fairly low with all of them.

You would find the Lee Classic Cast to be a powerful press. It's primer catcher works much better than most. The operating lever is adjustable for angle and length. And it's totally made in the USA with a cast steel frame, not like the much weaker cast iron frame of the Rock Chucker, etc.

My Rock Chucker's top deflects about .003" when FL sizing .243 cases so it's NOT the last word on rigidity! In fact, a friend's Lyman Crusher press deflects a little less than my RC under the same load. Haven't tested a Hornady but suspect it's about the same as mine.

[utk]

You would find the Lee Classic Cast to be a powerful press. It's primer catcher works much better than most. The operating lever is adjustable for angle and length. And it's totally made in the USA with a cast steel frame, not like the much weaker cast iron frame of the Rock Chucker, etc.

What's the difference between cast steel and cast iron? The carbon contents?

Anyway, Lee says "cast iron" for the Classic Cast in their 2008 catalog, not cast steel.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Having owned a USA made Rock Chucker back in the past, I bought a Lee Classic cast and did a side to side comparison for a couple months. Sold the Rock Chucker, kept the Lee. It's newer design features (in particular, the excellent used primer disposal system) made the nastiness of the RC very old very quick. Linkages and strength was about even, but the Lee has a smaller footprint and is just a very very nice press for the dollars spent.

You can get better presses, but not until you get into the Bonanza Coax range and I'm not sure even then it's better, just "nicer." And yes, the linkage is very very strong. Not a monster, but strong enough for most calibers one wants to resize.

Regards,

Dave

[Bullshop]

How bout the RCBS ammo master? You can set it up as a fully progresive, or manual index progresive, or single stage. You can even set it up for 50 bmg. It is an extreamly powerful press with enough leverage to flatten a case if it hangs up on the sizer die with little effort to do so. The draw back to this typ press as with the wallnut hill is it takes a long stroke of the handle to get all that power. I have both the wallnut hill and ammo master among others but those two must be operated while standing. The handle stroke is too long to operate while sitting. We have rock chuckers and Jr's and other smaller RCBS presses set up and all can be run sitting. We have a Bonanza coax set up but doesnt get used much. The press I use the most is a Lyman T-mag. Possible not because of any superiority but because it is mounted where the softest chair resides.
BIC/BS

[jmorris]

I have loaded and or owned just about every brand of press at one time or another. If the same brass, lube and dies are used most single stages feel about the same, despite the fact that some are built much stronger than others. It has been my experience that different brands of lube effect required effort more than the brand of press.
Progressives are performing all operations at once, so they seem to require a little more from your arm. The only exception that I can think of would be the Dillon 1050; it requires the least effort of any machine I’ve used, even though it performs operations others don’t (expander/swage station).
I just installed an auto drive on my 1050 that requires nothing from your arm except loading hoppers but you really have to load and shoot many thousands a year to justify the cost.

[1hole]

"What's the difference between cast steel and cast iron? The carbon contents?"
"Anyway, Lee says "cast iron" for the Classic Cast in their 2008 catalog, not cast steel."

1. It's that but more. It's been a LOONG time since my metalurgy classes and I don't remember all it involves. For one thing, iron is remelted, the carbon plus other metals can be added and treated to make it into high grade steels.

* Iron is often used for inexpensive castings because it is easier to work.

* Steel is more difficuly to cast so the cost of casting with it is higher. Or used to be. (Today...??? Probably still is but I dunno.)

* Steel is, usually, more wear resistant.

* Steel is less brittle, much more elastic than iron and therefore resists shock loading much better.

* Steel is more flexable. Bend iron much and it breaks.

* Steel has much more tensile strength. Meaning, cast iron will pull apart - break - before it stretches much.

Of course, iron castings can make excellant loading press bodies and linkages but they must be a good bit more massive to equal the strength of a simular press made of steel.

2. Don't know what all of the various advertizing and catalog blurbs say but the one I read said cast steel was being recycled from old railroad rails. It included a photo of a pile of cut up rail sections waiting to go into the furnaces so I think steel is the material actually being used. (Advertising copy writers often get "technical" data wrong!)

[GabbyM]

Do us unemployed machinist a favor and buy something made in the USA.

I just mailed four boxes of junk to RCBS for warranty. Earlier today. Plus one to Lyman.

Just a bunch of made in India junk. RCBS used to have a good product but have gone down the out source path.

To answer a question posted above. No RCBS products are not marked as to place of manufacture. At least the ones I've purchased of late.

The story Ive received is they get parts so cheap they can afford to scrap 40% and still be money ahead. Problem is I just paid out $21.50 in shipping their scrap back to them. If they replace all the items with new I'll nave a 60% or less chance of getting something I can use or pay more shipping back to them. Life is to short for this BS. Any item I get back from them is going up on auction block with rants as to what foreign made junk it is. :(

[utk]

Thank you 1hole for the information. Yes I've also seen the pic with old railway rails cut up and been wondering since.

As to RCBS, a year ago I bought their 750 electronic scale and the new primer seating tool, the one with universal shellholder jaws.
Both are marked "Made in China" on their boxes. So far they both work ok, there were some chips in the threads of the seater punch but once that was removed it worked fine.
But I definitely distrust China as compared to the USA. I have even lower trust in anything coming from India...

[Geraldo]

The reason for my concern is the "reloading table" I just moved from my back porch is not nearly as sturdy as I would prefer.

I'd say my Co-ax and my Redding turret press are about equal. The Rock Chucker was in second place, I think mostly because it only mounted with two bolts, which tended to give it a bit of a rocking effect. As someone stated, my Dillon 550 requires a bit of force because it's doing four things at once.

That said, my current reloading table is an old rectangular wooden kitchen table top that I mounted on 4"x4" legs (reinforced by 2x4" rails and a plywood shelf underneath). The legs have castors on them so I can move the table in my small workspace and use both sides of it. It's not the steadiest of arrangements, but I've used all the above mentioned presses on it without any trouble.

[utk]

How about putting an adjustable support leg directly under the press? When using the press, you can screw down the leg hard against the floor...
Or having a permanent support leg to take the main load from the press...

[Toobroke]

No one has mentioned the CH-4D Heavyweight Champion press--so I will.

From their website:

The Champion press body is a heavy duty 'O' type that cannot be sprung like other reloading tools. Our gigantic ram (largest in the industry) is 1.185" in diameter and has almost 16 square inches of bearing surface continually supporting alignment during the operational cycle. We worked over 2 years with several leading engineers from a major university to develop the new toggle system. Our computer designed toggle system is based on a proven compound leverage system and develops more force than any other hand operated reloading press - making the Heavyweight Champion the most mechanically efficient press in the world. This new toggle system allows you to swage the very heaviest bullets with ease !

The Champion also has a removable top bushing which allows you to use 1 - 14" dies for large caliber's such as 577 Intro, 577-450, 505 Gibbs, etc.


I have one that gets used mostly for swaging, but occasionally for heavy resizing; I have some RWS 375 H&H brass that my Co-Ax just doesn't like. It is one heavy duty press; best things I like (other than the 'heavy duty" part) is the hollow ram for primers and the way it is set up--for right-handers anyways. Getting your hands and/or brass in/out is a treat compared to some presses I've used.