Are Lee Pots just garbage?

[curioushooter]

I've always had Lee pots. I am on my third, having had a production pot and two 4-20s. None of them have ever held steady temp for me. This is not so much a problem with iron or aluminium solid molds, but is frustrating with brass hollow-point molds. I have a lot of lee molds but guess what I hardly use any of them anymore because they simply do not bring me the satisfaction that comes with a top quality bullet from a better mold.

Also, they have the absolute worst spouts. Endless problems with dripping or freezing up. A torch has been a companion for a while. They are fine when the pot is new but the longer it goes on the worse it gets before you just want throw the thing through a wall.

That said are the Big Lyman or RCBS bottom pours actually better? They seem to have a built in temperature controller so I expect that to be a vast improvement? Do they hold up better? Is the spout better? Does the mold warming tray actually work?

I cast a few hundred bullets about every weekend, so I use the thing. Maybe lee molds are just not up to that?

[Winger Ed.]

About the only pot nobody seems to complain about is the ladle dipper folks.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have two Lyman bottom pour and they both work very well. I also have two dipper pots, a Lyman 20 pound and a SAECO ten pound but I find the bottom pour much easier to use. A friend gave me a Lee 10 pound bottom pour but I sold it without ever using it.

[curioushooter]

Anybody have thoughts on getting a used pot vs new?

[jonp]

I've got both a Lee bottom pour and a ladle pot. Can't for the life of me understand the hate for Lee pots. Yes, the bottom drips but it's a minor inconvenience. Both hold temp, both have casted thousands of boolits and probably thousands more in the future. Not the best in the market but good, solid casting tools at a reasonable price Lee is known for.

Both are used and if needed, pot parts are reasonable.

[metricmonkeywrench]

I am relatively new compared to most folks and have only 3 pots (so far) a Lee 20lb, Lee 10lb and a Potter 3lb. Each has its own character. The two Lee's are manually temp managed with a thermometer.

The 20lb runs great in the 675-725 deg range and when my range scrap is clean enough it pours real well. Yes a small propane torch is at hand till the mucky lead passes. Drips occasionally (old style valve)

The 10lb has a cleaner alloy and pours well at the 650-700 deg range. Doesn't freeze up often, but will dump the load of lead if not watched while heating up due to the way the valve sits. Pours real well once up to temp.

The little Potter eats everything and pours real well both drop and pressure pour. As it is on/off with no adjustability I don't bother with the thermometer. It is my go-to for pressure pouring .38 hollow points.

All were second hand and had the usual issues found here on the site.

All in all the 3 do exactly what I need them to do- melt lead and fill moulds.

[curioushooter]

I've got both a Lee bottom pour and a ladle pot. Can't for the life of me understand the hate for Lee pots.

It's not that I hate them, it's just that they aren't that good. I finally decided to ditch my 4-20. I am not fighting with it anymore. It has run out the entire pot on the floor one too many times, it drips too much, and I've got better things to do than fart around with a pot. About half of what I cast are hollowpoints, which are very demanding and exacting in what they need to cast well, and shoot well (it is even harder to get a good HP than a good solid since there are additional ways a bullet may become non-concentric).

My personal standards for cast bullets are near-perfection. If the bullet isn't basically excellent then it doesn't meet my standards and it goes back into the pot. I feel like my Lee pot, the only Lee thing I use other than their dies, is holding me back.

My lee "perfect" powder measure was terrible. Their scale is an absolute joke. Their molds are notoriously mediocre. Why should it surprise me that their pots are not that good?

My worry is that the Lyman/RCBS pots are not much better and just cost a whole lot more.

[Conditor22]

Are Lee Pots just garbage? --- They may not be as sturdy (bulletproof) as other pots, but; if you treat them right they will last a lifetime.

I've had 2 4-20's and 5 production pots for years. After I put a PID on my 4-20 I've found no need to "upgrade"

With Lee pots (and any other pots) the trick is keeping the pot clean. Only use clean alloy and clean regularly even if not needed as a preventative measure
https://i.imgur.com/pioGL3X.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/J3MnC8Z.jpg

I flux everything I smelt at least 4 times ( 2 with pine sawdust and 2 with wax. )

I flux again with pine sawdust then wax when I put alloy in the pot leaving a grainy layer on top of the pot that stops oxidation, keeps the heat in and prevents splashing when I return the sprues

https://i.imgur.com/XnGx1hQ.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/iVILHTi.jpg

[Winger Ed.]

Anybody have thoughts on getting a used pot vs new?

If you can find a deal on a old, but gently used Pro-Melt with the big black knob on the side, you'll probably like it.
I've got one from the 90's, and it's had probably 5 tons of Lead go through it, and the thing is still on the job.
At least it was a couple nights ago.

[pworley1]

I don't know about the new ones, but I have three from 15 to 40 years old, that have served me well.

[MOA]

I've always had Lee pots. I am on my third, having had a production pot and two 4-20s. None of them have ever held steady temp for me. This is not so much a problem with iron or aluminium solid molds, but is frustrating with brass hollow-point molds. I have a lot of lee molds but guess what I hardly use any of them anymore because they simply do not bring me the satisfaction that comes with a top quality bullet from a better mold.

Also, they have the absolute worst spouts. Endless problems with dripping or freezing up. A torch has been a companion for a while. They are fine when the pot is new but the longer it goes on the worse it gets before you just want throw the thing through a wall.

That said are the Big Lyman or RCBS bottom pours actually better? They seem to have a built in temperature controller so I expect that to be a vast improvement? Do they hold up better? Is the spout better? Does the mold warming tray actually work?

I cast a few hundred bullets about every weekend, so I use the thing. Maybe lee molds are just not up to that?



curioushooter, this is a topic that comes up every once in a while. Like so many products in the reloading sport, some are low dollar and some are high dollar products. Most fall somewhere in between. I've never had a Lee pot, or one from RCBS, or Lyman. I've sold lots of these brand pots while working in the retail end of the business over the last thirty years, and cannot say that any were being returned on a regular basis due to functioning problems. I'm sure they all have had issues of one sort or another. I think to a large extent is just how much to you plan on casting over the foreseeable future, thousands, or just hundreds every few weeks or so. Also, how much do you want to spend, cause to some measure, a few more dollars usually buys a higher quality piece of equipment. When I decided to start casting I already had a number different calibers that I shot and therefore new i would be casting for a number of molds and likely lots of boolits on top of that. So for me I wanted a pot that would hold lots of lead, was able to hold and keep a good temp without great fluctuation, have the ability to get back up to casting temp after adding more lead to the pot without waiting for a long period of time, it also had the ability to pour one or two cavities at the same time depending on the design of the mold and had quality design and engineering built into the product. After lots of research I decided on the master caster from Magma Engineering out of Arizona. Now, why I mention this product is because the very same pot that is used on the master caster is also used on the master pot. Since I had the master caster, and the company sells the stand that is used on the master pot I was able to just move my 40 pound pot off the caster base and secure it to the new base so I now have a master pot for hand pouring those molds I have that are not setup for the master caster. I think for all intents and purposes it's hard to go wrong with Magma's master pot. It's not cheap, but it has for me been problem free. And I very much like being able to swap a orifice plate for either one or two pours from the pot bottom. Nice to pour a two cavity mold in one shot, and to have a pot that will hold up to 40 lbs of lead so lots of boolits made without even having to add more lead.

Here's my set up.

https://i.postimg.cc/5NNBLnnN/Photo0459.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/d0Q41wpn/20180324_144416.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nX5vSbHQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/Hxjcfk2r/20150125-114605.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zbZGh54N)

https://i.postimg.cc/h43cd3HZ/Photo0752.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Texas by God]

I’m on my second Lee bottom pour pot in 40 years. The first one moved away, it didn’t quit. It drips so I keep a designated screwdriver handy to reset the valve with- not a big deal. I turn it upside down when empty and bang it on a soft cedar bench to knock out molten slag every 5th pot or so. Otherwise happy casting.

[pacomdiver]

mine is just junk. i have a new lee production pot i bought last year since my ancient lyman had the bottom nozzle broken falling off a low shelf onto the floor. it has dripped from day one, from a slow drip to almost a constant drip, have tried cleaning the spout area many times, has never helped. i have gotten to the point, i drilled a 1 1/2 hole in the base and moved it to the edge of my bench to drip into a 5 gal bucket of water . when im done casting, i strain the lead out and put it in a tupperware container to add to the pot when i first plug it in

im saving my money for a rcbs pro melt

[jonp]

It's not that I hate them, it's just that they aren't that good. I finally decided to ditch my 4-20. I am not fighting with it anymore. It has run out the entire pot on the floor one too many times, it drips too much, and I've got better things to do than fart around with a pot. About half of what I cast are hollowpoints, which are very demanding and exacting in what they need to cast well, and shoot well (it is even harder to get a good HP than a good solid since there are additional ways a bullet may become non-concentric).

My personal standards for cast bullets are near-perfection. If the bullet isn't basically excellent then it doesn't meet my standards and it goes back into the pot. I feel like my Lee pot, the only Lee thing I use other than their dies, is holding me back.

My lee "perfect" powder measure was terrible. Their scale is an absolute joke. Their molds are notoriously mediocre. Why should it surprise me that their pots are not that good?

My worry is that the Lyman/RCBS pots are not much better and just cost a whole lot more.

Molds " notoriously mediocre"? If you say so. Mine seem to cast fine

[gwpercle]

I gave away a Lee bottom pour Production Pot IV that I battled with for several years and got a Lee Magnum Melter and a long handled Lyman dipper .
Getting a 20 lb. capacity and doing away with the bottom pour feature was the best thing I have done in a long time ... Sometimes you just got to go back to basics and do it the old school way .
Gary

[GhostHawk]

Winger nailed it. I had no issue with either of my 4 lb small ladle pots, and I adore my magnum melter 20lb ladle pot.

Bottom pour, yeah I had one, gave it away after a month. Never wanted to see that thing again.

[Ateam]

curioushooter, check your inbox for a PM.

[richhodg66]

I started with a Lee ten pound pot and finally got tired of fighting with it. Got a used Lyman (Saeco also sold the same pot, model 061 I think) and it made a huge difference in how easy it was to make good bullets when you aren't fighting with equipment.

Not a Lee basher, but I'll never use one of their pots again.

[bangerjim]

3 Lee pots here.................for years....................two bottom pours and one ladle. Never any problems. No PID controllers here, just the good old dial which I know where to set every time. Perfect pours since the 1st one years ago. Perfect melts every time.

Any bottom pours you guys want to give away...I'll take them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have friends looking for some.

Great casting tool.

banger

[tomme boy]

The Lee 4-20 can be very good. Lap the rod into the hole and add some weight to the top of the rod. Never leaks.

[chumly2071]

I have a pro 4-20, and with my PID I put on it, it will hold +/- 3 to 5 degrees, at least until I put to much cold lead in and "freeze" the melt. Mine occasionally drips, but I just keep a Lee ingot mold under it, and every so often dump it back into the melt. For the cost, and the additions, I am more than happy with it.

[curioushooter]

After I put a PID on my 4-20 I've found no need to "upgrade"


I just keep a Lee ingot mold under it, and every so often dump it back into the melt.

I looked into the PID. For what the guy on here wants for a PID upgrade to your Lee 4-20 you will have spent nearly what it costs to get a Lyman Mag25. I also keep Lee's cheap ingot mold under it. Is it too much to ask for a valve that works correctly...that is doesn't drip and allows the lead to flow at the proper speed and temp?


It drips so I keep a designated screwdriver handy to reset the valve with- not a big deal.

Yes it is a big deal to have to break your handle on the mold to mess with the valve screw. It is an even bigger deal when you are casting HPs.

Look, if you are not casting HPs, or have pretty low quality standards, I'm sure a Lee pot will work. I've been getting the thing to work for 10 years myself. It does get lead up to melting temp a little easier than a cast iron pot and a camp fire would. Native Americans used to use hollowed out rocks to cast bullets I am sure they thought they were great, too.

And a $1100 Magma is a bit ridiculous. There should I think be something between that and a Lee pot.

As for keeping pots clean I always use smelted alloy. I never put raw material into my pot. I flux with sawdust or oatmeal and tallow...as good as anything I've found. I smelt alloy in big batches in an iron pot and then adjust it to the proper alloys I use for casting. I then pour this into ingots and then label them with what I alloy they are.

I clean my pot after every other casting session, it looks almost as clean as it did when new. But I can't fix the fact that the well where the valve screw goes in is either too big or has a bad finish on it or something else and it likes to accumulate reside and begin to malfunction. A pot should cast for at least the weight of its contents before it begins to malfunction IMO.

[curioushooter]

The Lee 4-20 can be very good. Lap the rod into the hole and add some weight to the top of the rod. Never leaks.

Yes, the problem is that the rod is not good. It has poor fit in the well and doesn't weigh enough. The lee production pot, which uses a lever to put more pressure on the rod, doesn't leak as badly. That iron knob on the rod just doesn't weigh enough either.

Just like Lee used that dumb alignment system forever on their two cavity molds and finally went to a proper one on the last few years. Lee seems to take a few decades to figure out how the make stuff right.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I don’t know. Maybe I just got lucky, but my lee 4-20 has been good since the beginning. I do have a pid hooked to it, but that is just for convenience. I also have a noe mold guide on it that I like.

[Bloodman14]

I have had 2 Lee pots over the years, and simply keep them clean. I put a chunk of paraffin wax in the pot when finished casting, and the lead is solid but still warm. The wax melts down into the pot between the lead and steel, to prevent any possible rust between casting sessions. I also took a wire gauge drill bit (can't remember the size), and drilled out the spout a bit. This helps the flow, in my opinion. Works for me, anyway. When I rebuild them, I abrasive blast the interior of the pots, and coat them with WD-40. Also picked up a few heating elements to replace the burned-out ones. They have always done well for me.

[toallmy]

I like mine just fine , I know it's going to drip so I put a little pie pan under it .

[popper]

Only have the Lee pot, not going to get another. Did build a PID for it. Did some mods. Worked fine for 10 yrs, hpe it continues for the next. Tried ladle, nope.

[glaciers]

I admit, I'm a lowly ladle caster.
Some people are just fussy. I understand not wanting to fuss around, but as other poster have pointed out, there are different remedies for the Lee bottom pour pots.
I bought a Lee bottom pour 20 pound pot back in the 70's I believe. I never used the bottom pour at all. It did drip from time to time, but seem to heal itself. Then I started using it in earnest, and tried using the bottom pour. Never should have woke the beast. Dripped like no tomorrow. Well I am a confessed ladle caster, so I plug the spout permanently and removed the hardware the was in the way of ladling. About 10 years ago I bought a second Lee 20 pound ladle pot. Both work well, melt, hold temp reasonably well, and I can have two different alloys ready for casting. I am looking for a third pot, it will be a Lee as I can't afford the other brands and don't see the need.
LEE products have allowed me to enjoy this hobby on a budget I can afford. LEE has provided that affordability for many folks.
I have about a dozen Lee 2 cavity Moulds and about the same in 6 cavity. The 2 cavity Moulds can be a pain, but they work. The 6 cavity Moulds are quite nice to cast with.
The Lee Classic Turret Prees is a good affordable unit. I also use a lot of there dies and other products. If you need commercial quantities then you need to be ready to pay more.

[glaciers]

Really wished someone would offer a PID setup for sale because It's Greek to me.

[MOA]

Buy one and be done.
Order it with the PID.


https://i.postimg.cc/j5fbrHL7/MasterpotSm.png (https://postimages.org/)


MAGMA MASTER POT.

[tmanbuckhunter]

Their molds are terrible, bar none, you won't convince me otherwise. To say their molds are as good as my vintage 50's, 60's, 70's lyman molds or my custom accurate molds is a bald face lie. NOW, with that out of the way. I have been running a Pro 4-20 for I think 10 years or so, maybe a little less. I won't bother to post the round count because it would unbelievable to most, but it's cast a whole crap ton of bullets. Does it drip? Here and there. Does it hold consistent temperature though? Sure does. I'm about to get a standard 20lb pot and go to ladle pour here soon as my interest in boolits is shifting towards the larger heavier side, but for production, that 4-20 is a good value. I can't speak to anything made in the last few years though.

[Conditor22]

Buy one and be done.
Order it with the PID.


https://i.postimg.cc/j5fbrHL7/MasterpotSm.png (https://postimages.org/)


MAGMA MASTER POT.

https://www.magmaengineering.com/masterpot/

Master Pot
Masterpot

Steel frame features adjustable mold guide for accuracy when casting molds with handles.
Pot can be removed from frame and mounted to Master Caster base when a manual casting machine is desired.
40 lb. alloy capacity.
Specifications:
120v/240v
13/6.5 amps
1500 watts.
Price: $600.00 :groner::killingpc

I'll stay with my 4-20's

[Dapaki]

No.... Lee pots are not junk. I have been running 2 of them for 35 years and apart from replacing a coil, they have served me well.

If your bottom pour is dripping or leaking, it's your metal. Buy any of the expensive bottom pours and you will get the same results with them if you run dirty lead through them. I give the stem a twist with my fluxing spoon and the drips stop. I also only use bees wax and a very tiny amount only, never a flame up.

[John Boy]

Two 20 lb ladle pour - digital thermometer holds temp on both ... After many years with both ... Zero issues ... ergo, they are not “crap” for me. So sorry the OP has issues, could be the caster

[Ranger 7]

I have two lee 20# pots, purchased in Sept. 2009.
These two have processed over 1,000 pounds of range scrap into clean ingots.
Both are STILL operating, producing very nice bullets!
Can NOT be beat ! It can be a big help to reseat the bottom pour nozzle, using valve grinding compound.
I remove the rod and put it in a hand vise, put a gob of the compound on the tip and pressing downward, rotate in one direction for a dozen or so times.
No more leaks! I do this after I have processed range scrap. I clean the pot and reseat the rod. No problems! AND sure are a heck of a lot less costly! Have yet to replace anything!

[Dapaki]

Nice!

[Retumbo]

Really wished someone would offer a PID setup for sale because It's Greek to me.

Pay for the parts and shipping and I will build you one

[44magLeo]

I don't think Lee pots are just garbage.
They are not expensive, some of their features are the way they are to keep the price at an affordable level. Could they build a pot costing two or three times as much, yes. but that would keep a lot of people out of casting.
I bought the 10 lb. Pro pot in about 78. It worked ok. I didn't like the way the rod went at an angle. Interfered with stirring while fluxing. It did drip even with added weight to the handle. I lost in in a move after about ten years.
I kinda got out of casting for a few years. About ten years ago I got a place of my own, No room mates.
I got back into the casting with the 4-20. A much better pot than the Pro pot. Larger capacity is the big thing. It still drips but not nearly as much as the Pro pot.
I think with a bit of a redesign on the handle to be more like the RCBS or Lyman pots would make it a much better pot. The extra leverage of that style handle would probably stop the dripping.
I have seen mods on RCBS pots where adding a spring and rearranging the pivot points looked like a good idea.
I have been thinking of how I could mod my 4-20 to that style of handle.
I did build a new rod. I used 1/4" rod, cut it about 3/4 of an inch longer than the stock rod. Threaded it at 28 threads per inch as well as the hole where the rod goes. This way I eliminated the adjusting screw the stock rod used.
With the bracket and rod threaded adjustment was easier. I plan on adding a handle to the top of the threaded portion to add weight and not have to keep track of the screwdriver.
I got the idea from looking at the new Lee pots.
I have a cut off propane tank and turkey cooker for smelting. Get the lead well cleaned there then the Lee pot stays much cleaner.
If I found another or Lee 4-20 Lee pot for a good price I might just buy it and mod it like I did this one so I could keep different alloys in each pot would be nice.
Leo

[glaciers]

https://www.magmaengineering.com/masterpot/

Master Pot
Masterpot

Steel frame features adjustable mold guide for accuracy when casting molds with handles.
Pot can be removed from frame and mounted to Master Caster base when a manual casting machine is desired.
40 lb. alloy capacity.
Specifications:
120v/240v
13/6.5 amps
1500 watts.
Price: $600.00 :groner::killingpc

I'll stay with my 4-20's

This is exactly my point. While I'd love a Magma Master Pot, I don't have $600 to spend for a lead pot, when I can spend $75 for a Lee and had reliable operation for 40 years. If I have the 600 bucks, I'll buy the Lee and $525 of other casting reloading equipment.

[Hickory]

My first Lee 4 lb pot lasted me 31 years before the heating element quite working. I wrote Lee and explained the situation wanting a new heating element instead they sent me a new melting pot.
No complaints from me about Lee produces.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Got no problems with my Lee 4 20. Heats up quick and easy to regulate the temp using the knob and a lead thermometer. Gonna buy a spare for when this one craps out.

[cuzinbruce]

My first pot was a Lee. I worked but temps varied and it was always dripping. I bought that one new. Later bought an RCBS, used, at a gun show that I have been using for years. Also bought a used Lyman Mag Dipper (or something like that, just for a ladle, no bottom pour.) on eBay. Also used. That has been fine as well. So, for me, the used pots have worked out better than the new one. Imagine that.

[4570guy]

I bought the smaller pot when I first started casting. I still have it but bought the large pot a couple years ago just to extend casting sessions between having to add metal. Never had a problem. I have quite a few Lee products. Great products and the one time I've called for service... excellent results! Only product I would not recommend is their hand priming system. Too much slop results in high primers.

[Targa]

I just ordered mine for my first attempt at casting. If leaking is the big issue I am good with that.

[Rich/WIS]

Have had Lyman 10# and 20#, Saeco 10#, and Lee 10# and 20#. Only have the Lee 20# now, probably 5 or 6 years, and cast an easy 25K bullets with it. Holds temp, drips sometimes (they all did), and do keep it and my alloy clean. While there are certainly better pots it works fine for me and in within my budget. My experience with Lee molds has been good, when I started casting I could afford them and later when I could afford better bought Lyman and RCBS, but now have gone over to NOE 5 cavity for rifles and Lee 6 cavity for handguns. Lee products, at least the ones I have used, are not garbage but are not the "gold standard" either.

[onelight]

I have been using a ten lb and 20lb Lee pots for for 30 to 40 years I have not cast near as much as many here do but I have never had a problem with the pots that did not correct with what I would consider to be routine maintenance , I did add a pid and that was a big help with casting.
But if my 20lb pot quit tomorrow I would buy another Lee for my use I see no reason to pay 3 to 4 times as much for one of the better built pots.
It's basically a choice of what you choose to spend your money on unless your casting volume is much higher than average.

[abunaitoo]

I started with a Lee #10, and still have it.
I did some modification through the years.
But it still works great.
I've been using a Lyman 20 because of the larger pot, but it makes no better boolets than the lee.
I was going to get a Lee #20, but two of the Lyman #20 fell in to me for the price of $35.
Couldn't pass them up.
I think I got the Lee in 1989 or some time around there.

[curioushooter]

Does it hold consistent temperature though? Sure does.

This is a bald faced lie methinks. Do you actually have a thermometer? I do and the thing swings all over the place and the thermostat on it doesn't measure the temperature of the metal, it measures the temperature of the pot...or something. The ambient temperature and any cross breeze can wildly effect the pot. This is my main criticism of the pot. They DO NOT HOLD TEMP. They also take about a half hour to get the metal up to a consistent temp throughout the pot. You can find this out with a themometer where you change the position of the sensor in the pot. I've seen differences of up to 50-70 degrees from bottom corners to top centers.

The other criticism is the pouring mechanism is faulty. Yes, it sometimes works if you spend more time cleaning, and fussing, and valve grinding and all that. You end up fussing with your pot more than making bullets. Seems like most of you have the same problem, which confirms that it is not just me or my pot. It's just that some of us are more demanding than others when it comes to performance of a pot.

$600 is not a really unreasonable amount to pay for a pot IF it works flawlessly and IF it lasts a lifetime. After all any decent gun is going to cost that.

[bangerjim]

The temp control of the Lee pots is a bi-metallic switch that measures the temp of the pot, not right in the liquid metal. That is called inferred measurement.....it may be off a bit, but it is ALWAYS off the same amount. A few years ago everybody jumped on this bandwagon of PID controller-based temp control because of the super dirt-cheap CHI-COM controllers flooding the market. Does digital control work accurately? Yes, if configured and applied correctly. Do we need it on a simple lead melting pot? That is up to you. I design and sell digital control systems (quality 1/4 & 1/2 DIN, that means no magnifying glass needed to read them) and industrial-grade Proportional Integral Derivative controllers sell for $600 to $1800 each and I do not see the need to have ±3°F control on a simple Pb pot. I get perfect pours with my Lee bottom pour pots ever time (for YEARS) with a dial setting of 6.5! No digital temp control or thermometer needed here. I pre-heat all my feed ingots on my electric hotplate to almost casting temp for quick cycling.

If you desire to build and put a digital controller on your pot, more power to you. It is just not really needed for such a simple process.

Good luck out there and be safe and healthy!
banger

[dragon813gt]

I would not say there junk. I will say they are priced correctly. The other brands are over priced IMO. I realize it’s a small and they will charge what the market will bear. And more power to them.

I’ve been able to make my Lee pot work by using only clean alloy in it and changing out the valve rod if it does start leaking to much. At $3 it’s not like to breaking the bank. And normally when it starts leaking there’s a bunch of oxidization that’s formed on the bottom of the pot that’s causing the rod to not seat completely. At that point I’m tearing the pot down for a cleaning so the rod is already removed.

My issues are almost always spout freeze and not leaking. But this is due to casting in an unconditioned garage in the colder months.

[tmanbuckhunter]

This is a bald faced lie methinks. Do you actually have a thermometer? I do and the thing swings all over the place and the thermostat on it doesn't measure the temperature of the metal, it measures the temperature of the pot...or something. The ambient temperature and any cross breeze can wildly effect the pot. This is my main criticism of the pot. They DO NOT HOLD TEMP. They also take about a half hour to get the metal up to a consistent temp throughout the pot. You can find this out with a themometer where you change the position of the sensor in the pot. I've seen differences of up to 50-70 degrees from bottom corners to top centers.

The other criticism is the pouring mechanism is faulty. Yes, it sometimes works if you spend more time cleaning, and fussing, and valve grinding and all that. You end up fussing with your pot more than making bullets. Seems like most of you have the same problem, which confirms that it is not just me or my pot. It's just that some of us are more demanding than others when it comes to performance of a pot.

$600 is not a really unreasonable amount to pay for a pot IF it works flawlessly and IF it lasts a lifetime. After all any decent gun is going to cost that.

After roughly 10 years with my Pro 4-20, with an RCBS thermometer, and very likely approaching somewhere around deep 5 digit numbers of bullets dropped, I'm confident in its ability to hold temperature. I can't speak for yours. The rheostat on top obviously has no bearing on temperature. I crank mine up to 11 to get things going and once the alloy has reached my desired temperature, I turn it down to 6 or 7, and it stays there until I add alloy or the pot starts getting low. It's a simple design and pot at a budget cost, and one can't expect it to have a top notch PID. Does the burner on your stove have a PID? As far as my 10lber goes, I ditched it after the first month once I figured out how to play with the silver dragon. It's in my cabinet in the garage but I don't use it anymore. Like I said, I have no clue about anything they make now. The little bit of Lee equipment I have bought in the last year I have been extremely dissatisfied with it, except for my 577 Snider dies. I can only imagine that maybe their pots aren't that great anymore either. If I were to recommend a bottom pour today it would be a Lyman or RCBS unit, or the new RCBS Easy Melt for the ladle pour crowd. I'll likely pick one up for myself.

Speaking on time to get alloy melted, it is slow. I have nothing else to compare it to.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I get really nice boolits with my Lee Pro 4-20. See no reason to spend 3 times as much for a pot that will not give me better results.

[elmacgyver0]

Lee makes a lot of inexpensive stuff.
To do this they use inexpensive materials and use innovative methods and shortcuts to produce a product that virtually any one can afford.
There are many companies that produce a high quality product that carries a high price tag, are they a good value?
Some are and some aren't.
I can buy a Chevy or a Ford to get me from point A to point B or I can buy (I wish) a Jaguar and do it in style.
Is the Jaguar worth it? I'm sure all the doctors and lawyers think so.
So far the Lee crap that I own have served me well.
The Lee stuff gets a lot of people into the hobby that normally would be scared away from the high prices of the "good" stuff.
Lee has done more for reloading than all the other companies put together.
Lee gets people's toes wet then they move on to the more fancy stuff.
If a company like Lee was not there many people would never even enter the hobby.

[white eagle]

never had a issue with my Lee pot,...ever
I use a ladle
might want to rethink your process

[farmbif]

I keep my eyes open for an old Lyman or rcbs pre digital, that's been sitting on someones garage shelf or basement for decades in the meantime a dipper on the propane heated cast kettle and small lee bottom pour get the job done

[megasupermagnum]

This is a bald faced lie methinks. Do you actually have a thermometer? I do and the thing swings all over the place and the thermostat on it doesn't measure the temperature of the metal, it measures the temperature of the pot...or something. The ambient temperature and any cross breeze can wildly effect the pot. This is my main criticism of the pot. They DO NOT HOLD TEMP. They also take about a half hour to get the metal up to a consistent temp throughout the pot. You can find this out with a themometer where you change the position of the sensor in the pot. I've seen differences of up to 50-70 degrees from bottom corners to top centers.

The other criticism is the pouring mechanism is faulty. Yes, it sometimes works if you spend more time cleaning, and fussing, and valve grinding and all that. You end up fussing with your pot more than making bullets. Seems like most of you have the same problem, which confirms that it is not just me or my pot. It's just that some of us are more demanding than others when it comes to performance of a pot.

$600 is not a really unreasonable amount to pay for a pot IF it works flawlessly and IF it lasts a lifetime. After all any decent gun is going to cost that.

Here is my take

The Lee casting pots have one, and only one flaw. That is the thermostat they use. They do not hold a super consistent temperature, as you have found. For most people, it is consistent enough, at least as good, or better than casting over a fire or turkey fryer. Ladle casting seems to make it even easier.

There is no design flaw with the bottom pour spouts. I'm sure a rougher one gets through now and then, but mine have been great. I own a 10 lb, and three 20lb pots, none of them leak at all. If you get a rough one, the fix is to smooth it out with polishing compound. It's not that hard to do. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE IS LIKELY TO BE DIRT TRAPPED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE POT. This is no fault of the pot.

Now you ask about consistent temperatures, and longevity. I'll just say this, My 10 lb pot was my grandpa's, bought in the late 70's-early 80's. It still works. I'm no commercial caster, but my main 20 lb pot has likely cast 40,000 bullet in the past 3 years, no problems at all. The other two 20lb pots are low use. This is another thing to consider, is that emptying and remelting alloy is a royal PITA. I now have a pot dedicated to the three alloys I use, pure lead, 20:1, and range scrap/COWW. The 4th for experimenting. It's a lot easier to spend $65 each on a 3 Lee pots.

Now the temperature stability is an easy answer. Get a PID. That's how every good casting pot gets consistent temperatures, the difference being some are built into the unit, which is not a good thing. I built my own PID, something like $40, which I already had half of the parts. This one PID works on all pots, I also used it for my shot maker, and I even loaned it out to someone to make beer.

The PID controlled Lee 4-20 is a great unit. The next equivalent I can find would be something like a Lyman Mag 25. Those are over $350, and reviews are mixed. A Magma pot is certainly as good or better, but $600! And that's not including parts. Knowing Magma, an element is no cheap matter. A heating element for a Lee 4-20 is a hefty $9.00 from Titan reloading. There really isn't anything else to fail unless you burn/rust through the liner, which is $8.00.

Lee pots are all made in the USA.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

If you use a lead thermometer with your Lee pot regulating the temperature is very easy. I got an RCBS one when I got my pot and would be lost without it.

[robg]

my lee 10lb pot has worked fine for the past 20 years.did have to clean it out once ,my fault for smelting ww with it .cast 1000s of boolits with it from 55-500gn .i would stick with a ford over a jaguar and spend the difference on my hobbies/fun.

[WILCO]

Richard Lee will always get my money.

[1hole]

;) If I bash Lee stuff while saying I'm not a Lee basher should amuse everyone.

Lee's "junk" casting pots - and molds - have been selling very well for what, some 35+ years now? Maybe everyone will finally get the "junk" message pretty soon now?

Maybe self proclaimed "perfectionist" people should know what they're doing and buy what they want right off? I mean, it's kinda hard to sympathize with dissatisfied people who really want a Rolls-Royce but only spend enough to get a Chevy ... then knock Chevys for what they ain't instead of enjoying them for what they are ... but I try.

[Dapaki]

Yupper, LEE is all junk! Please send it ALL to me for proper disposal!

I love LEE, I can get anything fixed or repaired if need be, they are inexpensive, I can have custom work done for less than a custom set from a one man shop. Best of all, I dont have to worry about it, if I screw up a mold by dropping it off the shelf, 8' off the concrete, I just box it up with a note and send it off to LEE and 2 weeks later I get a new/refurbished one.

The only thing I have ever paid for when sending it in is a single stage press where I put a breaker bar on the handle to 'size' some .357 boolits to 308. Broke the base, told them what I did, $23.00 later and I was back in business.

Cant hate on that.

[murf205]

Well they might not be an older Pro Melt or a Magma but you don't have to get a loan to buy one either. Junk? No they are not, I have an old 10 pounder that has cast a kazillion boolits and it's now my dedicated fishing jig caster. I bought it in 1980, 40 yrs ago. That's just the other day in geezer years!

[onelight]

Well they might not be an older Pro Melt or a Magma but you don't have to get a loan to buy one either. Junk? No they are not, I have an old 10 pounder that has cast a kazillion boolits and it's now my dedicated fishing jig caster. I bought it in 1980, 40 yrs ago. That's just the other day in geezer years!
Man do you think you are gonna get your moneys worth out of that.[smilie=l:

[murf205]

So far it is as durable piece of casting equipment I own.

[mvozz]

This thread cracks me up. I started casting a couple of years ago, I bought all of the equipment from someone that just thought casting was a waste of time so he was selling his stuff for about 1/2 price. It came with a Lee 20# bottom pour pot that I just absolutely hated. Dripped like crazy so I decided to just get a new RCBS Pro Melt. Just before I ordered it I need to do a little casting and was reading a few of the threads on here and saw some fixes for the Lee pot. I thought what the heck and lapped the rod and valve, made sure there was no dirt in the pot at all and filled it up. It has been over a year with little or no dripping at all!! One thing I did discover though is that I never let the pot go empty period and I haven't cleaned it since. When I fill it I skim and flux with sawdust then pour away till it gets down to about 1 to 1/2 inches of alloy then fill it again and start over. I am just going to keep my Lee pot and may someday add a PID control but it has been a joy to use since I cleaned and lapped the valve. I did run across an old SAECO 10# bottom pour I may buy just to cast pure lead round balls for my neighbor. That way I won't have to switch my pot over to pure rather than alloy from time to time. If I don't end up with the SAECO I will probably just buy another Lee!

[OS OK]

I think the 'quality in casting' is 'directly proportional' to the amount of effort you put into it...
I use a spring for quick adjustment on the valve & added some weight to that assembly, built a more versatile, adjustable mould rest & added a PID...I am quite satisfied.
LEE always leaves a little to be done by the purchaser, otherwise they'd cost what a Cadillac furnace would...
Like Conditor22 said in post #8, you have to keep them clean & flux correctly.


https://i.imgur.com/cN5vZ5O.jpg

[onelight]

This thread cracks me up. I started casting a couple of years ago, I bought all of the equipment from someone that just thought casting was a waste of time so he was selling his stuff for about 1/2 price. It came with a Lee 20# bottom pour pot that I just absolutely hated. Dripped like crazy so I decided to just get a new RCBS Pro Melt. Just before I ordered it I need to do a little casting and was reading a few of the threads on here and saw some fixes for the Lee pot. I thought what the heck and lapped the rod and valve, made sure there was no dirt in the pot at all and filled it up. It has been over a year with little or no dripping at all!! One thing I did discover though is that I never let the pot go empty period and I haven't cleaned it since. When I fill it I skim and flux with sawdust then pour away till it gets down to about 1 to 1/2 inches of alloy then fill it again and start over. I am just going to keep my Lee pot and may someday add a PID control but it has been a joy to use since I cleaned and lapped the valve. I did run across an old SAECO 10# bottom pour I may buy just to cast pure lead round balls for my neighbor. That way I won't have to switch my pot over to pure rather than alloy from time to time. If I don't end up with the SAECO I will probably just buy another Lee!
It is funny if you buy the SAECO pot you may have to clean and lap the valve on most brands that is called maintenance and is expected but if you need to do that to a Lee it's a defect in the pot.:roll:

[Conditor22]

"It is funny if you buy the SAECO pot you may have to clean and lap the valve on most brands that is called maintenance and is expected but if you need to do that to a Lee it's a defect in the pot."

[smilie=l::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::redneck::h olysheep:drinks:

[Dapaki]

"It is funny if you buy the SAECO pot you may have to clean and lap the valve on most brands that is called maintenance and is expected but if you need to do that to a Lee it's a defect in the pot."

[smilie=l::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::redneck::h olysheep:drinks:

Spot on!

[pacomdiver]

mine always constantly dripped from brand new, i lapped the rod and spout a while ago when i first got fed up with it dripping, didnt make a difference. use clean alloy, dont put any dirty lead in the pot, clean it every time i use it, still dripped. after seeing some of the replys on this thread this week, i went out and looked at mine and decided to flip the rod around (only thing i did) so it sits on top of the wire instead of the bottom. plugged it in and it didnt leak a drop in the 45 minutes i had it plugged in, cast about a dozen rounds on a mold i had sitting at my station to see if it was a fluke , but it didnt drip a single time, so im thinking mine was a wire that wasnt bent quite right. ill give it a thorough test this weekend and make a couple thou just to put my mind at rest

[fcvan]

I bought my first Lee 10 lb pot in 1985. The heating element failed 5 or so years ago so I bought a new pot, but also bought a replacement heating element. I think a flaw in the design is that the heating element basically holds up the pot. So, I bought a 3" x 3" angle bracket which was screwed on the housing to support the weight more effectively. I modified 3 pots with the brackets.

A buddy from college used to reload with me, I'd bring my gear and we got after it. I gave my buddy the newer pot and he bought some molds, yes, Lee. I moved the family to Colorado about 12 years ago, I didn't want my youngest daughter finishing high school in California. I basically doubled up on a press, dies, another 10 lb pot, and some molds. My neighbor in Colorado bought some molds and dies for calibers he shoots so I didn't have to re-buy everything. I didn't/couldn't retire for a few years so we kept the house in California (mile from the beach) and my older daughters and their children are still out west.

Yes, the Lee earned the name 'drip-o-matic' because a dirty pot will clog and drip. A member here suggested a brilliant suggestion or two. Don't smelt in your casting pot is an obvious start. Second suggestion was: 1) empty the pot and let it cool, 2) while cold, pour water in the pot and turn it on and let come to a boil then empty the boiling water. Just that simple. I haven't had to keep a bent safety pin to clear the spout ever since.

I could always use Dad's Saeco pot which is great but it is in my brother's garage along with Dad's reloading equipment. He doesn't reload anymore unless he's visiting. My brother and I keep him 38/357, 41, and 45 Colt. I tried to gift him a S&W 639 as he admired it, he declined stating he would only go shooting when visiting his boys. He's almost 81 and still walks/works out every day, Mom is 81 and she walks about half as much as Dad, then he walks home for the car. I don't think she has shot her S&W M27 in 30 years but man could she shoot!

[hollywood63]

"it is funny if you buy the saeco pot you may have to clean and lap the valve on most brands that is called maintenance and is expected but if you need to do that to a lee it's a defect in the pot."

[smilie=l::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::redneck::h olysheep:drinks:


x2 :razz:

[smithnframe]

I've never owned/used one and I doubt if I ever will!

[iomskp]

I have had m Lee pot for 20-30 years without any problems, I think I have had my monies worth.

[mozeppa]

when i cast , i may do it for 6 or more hours...i bought the magma pot and a pid....yeah $600. (saved long time) i'm not rich.

never have any problems...holds 90 pounds of lead. almost never drips. ain't looking back.

[onelight]

when i cast , i may do it for 6 or more hours...i bought the magma pot and a pid....yeah $600. (saved long time) i'm not rich.

never have any problems...holds 90 pounds of lead. almost never drips. ain't looking back.
A pot that holds 90lbs would be wonderful :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

[robg]

my 10lb pot is 20years old had to clean it out once but i was smelting ww in it so my fault .im a ford type guy.

[eveready]

Lee should rename the casting pots The Trump Pots. No matter how good of a job it doesn't get any credit for anything from some people.

[1hole]

Smelting means using heat to extract metal from ore; we don't do that. For some reason many of today's cast bullet shooters (wrongly) call the melting of stray bits of lead based alloys in a pot "smelting".

Are Lee's simple melting pots the mechanical equals to those costing several times more? No, but that doesn't matter at all to most of us.

I've been bullet casting for about 55 years and have happily used one of the original Lee bottom pour melting pots for some thirty of those years; if it falls apart today I'll sigh, smile and get another one tomorrow. It appears I'm not the only one who feels that way about Lee's comparatively inexpensive pots; are we just too stupid to know what we're doing??? ;)

[JerryCan]

I just plain find them convenient. I have several big bore moulds with 4-6 cav. I set my keep bottom pour up, and git r dun

[high standard 40]

I don't consider Lee products to be the best on the market but many of their products do fill a cost effective alternative to better engineered offerings. I like their 6 cavity molds for my guns with a larger appetite. I have a few other assorted Lee products that I use and like, especially my older Auto Prime. As far as Lee pots, I have a Mag 20 that is dedicated to COWW alloy. After I lapped the control rod and spout and added a PID, it functions just as well as my RCBS pot.

[mtnman31]

I've got a Lee and an RCBS Pro-Melt. I got the Lee when I started out and now use it for nothing but pure lead. I got the RCBS used not too long after I got the Lee. While the RCBS works better, the Lee is still reliable and I haven't had any real problems. It drips a little bit more than the RCBS but not enough to consider it junk. I don't keep a thermometer in the melt so can't comment on how well either of them hold a steady temp. I keep both my pots clean and NEVER smelt in them. Only clean alloy goes in either of my pots. A clean pot will work better, regardless of what brand it is. Like has been mentioned, Lee is at one end of the spectrum on price point. Someone buying a Lee shouldn't expect it to work like a pot costing 3-4 times as much. If an affordable Lee is what gets a new person started in casting, fantastic. If someone's been at it a while and doesn't like the Lee or can't make it work well, save those pennies and get a better furnace.

[lightman]

Quote; Are Lee pots just garbage; Quote

I wouldn't call them garbage. I have 2 and sometimes 3 buddies that come over to cast in my shop. We'll set our pots up on my work bench and cast together while we visit. The guy with the Lee pot tinkers with his pot more than the rest of us. He keeps a small pile of tools next to him like a screwdriver, allen wrench and a bent paperclip.He's constantly poking and probing at the spout. We also melt our scrap lead together so we're all casting with the same quality of lead. He also keeps an ingot mold under his pot while he is refilling it or waiting on the lead to melt. At the end of the day he has slightly fewer bullets than the rest of us have.

The Lee guy has less money invested than the rest of us and he is happy to tinker with his pot, for the price difference. He's probably melted hundreds or maybe thousands of pounds of lead in his pot. So is it garbage? No its not! It is lesser expensive than our pots and has lesser performance.

[bangerjim]

Smelting means using heat to extract metal from ore; we don't do that. For some reason many of today's cast bullet shooters (wrongly) call the melting of stray bits of lead based alloys in a pot "smelting".

Are Lee's simple melting pots the mechanical equals to those costing several times more? No, but that doesn't matter at all to most of us.

I've been bullet casting for about 55 years and have happily used one of the original Lee bottom pour melting pots for some thirty of those years; if it falls apart today I'll sigh, smile and get another one tomorrow. It appears I'm not the only one who feels that way about Lee's comparatively inexpensive pots; are we just too stupid to know what we're doing??? ;)

2nd's on that! We do NOT smelt anything! All we do is simply remelt already smelted/processed metal products in our teeny little pots. I have said that for years, but nobody ever changes.

And when one of my 3 Lee pots dies, I will just by another one just like it. They are excellent products, if properly maintained, for the very small price they cost.

If it were not for Lee and their cost-effective pots, many of us on here would not have been casting for years! I certainly would never melt and cast Pb over a Coleman stove or wood campfire.

banger

[bangerjim]

Quote; Are Lee pots just garbage; Quote

I wouldn't call them garbage. I have 2 and sometimes 3 buddies that come over to cast in my shop. We'll set our pots up on my work bench and cast together while we visit. The guy with the Lee pot tinkers with his pot more than the rest of us. He keeps a small pile of tools next to him like a screwdriver, allen wrench and a bent paperclip.He's constantly poking and probing at the spout. We also melt our scrap lead together so we're all casting with the same quality of lead. He also keeps an ingot mold under his pot while he is refilling it or waiting on the lead to melt. At the end of the day he has slightly fewer bullets than the rest of us have.

The Lee guy has less money invested than the rest of us and he is happy to tinker with his pot, for the price difference. He's probably melted hundreds or maybe thousands of pounds of lead in his pot. So is it garbage? No its not! It is lesser expensive than our pots and has lesser performance.

I have never done any of the things you describe above. I keep my pots clean of any debris in the bottom and have only had maybe a few drips over the years. The amount of service is equivalent to the knowledge and common sense the user has.

I would put my many thousands of perfect cast boolits over the years up against anyone running a $600-800 pot any day.

After all, they all go splat on the other end! Who cares what pot they came from?

banger

[pacomdiver]

i tried mine last weekend, well it started dripping again after about 1/2 hour of casting and it progressed to a drip about every 3 seconds, so it will sit over a bucket like before. i completely drained it after i was done, no junk or debris in the spout since it never was fully run down

[Stephen Cohen]

I fail to see the problem with Lee Pots and to some extent their moulds. I have had a Lee 20 LB pot for some years and have put over 400KG of lead through it in that time. The price we pay for Lee products should reflect that they may need a bit of a tickle up at times, I give all my lee moulds the attention they need to bring them up to par, I also do the same with my Lee pot and keep it clean and well serviced. I just spent two days casting a variety of projectiles which used up over 50KG of lead ingots with no problems. If one uses clean lead one should have no problems in my view. I agree that a Lee mould is not an RCBS or Lyman but my firearms dont realise that. In this world we get what we pay for and must not expect a Ferrari at a Ford price. I for one am thankful that a company like Lee is out there for us financially disadvantaged old guys. Regards Stephen

[Mal Paso]

This is the Energizer Bunny of threads, keeps going and ...

I would still be using 2 Lee 4-20s but they weren't fireproof (not the pot's fault). I never liked the temperature control so I brazed thermocouples into the bottom and used PID control. I was casting about 15,000 a year then and got a 2nd pot on sale for backup. I probably cast 100,000+ between the 2 with no big problems. If I had a drip issue I'd set that pot aside, keep casting and clean later. The Lee 4-20 is a very good deal especially on sale.

I am running Pro Melts now 1 old, 1 new. I finally got the drips fixed on the new one LOL. That extra capacity (25LBS) is really nice and it's my favorite now. I bought the old one while waiting 6 months for the new one and have it for backup.

If I had to start over and with Pro Melts off the market I would probably get Lee again. I spent way too much time finding, buying, waiting, then fixing Pro Melts. I coulda been casting. LOL

[luv44mag]

5 months ago i added my lee pot to the garbage bin...used it for a few years..... bottom pour rod always messed up .. I have seen some that are threaded but mine had a stupid round head screw that fit into a slot on the rod and it never stayed put it was a bad design ... have the new Lyman Mag 25 now and love it

[murf205]

I remember 40 yrs ago when I ordered my Lee 10 pounder, I had just gotten married to MamaMurf and I had a Midsouth catalogue on my coffee table that I was thumbing through when I noticed the casting section. I had had a lot of trouble with a Lyman pot burning elements out and I remarked to her that I was going to order one of the Lee pots and to be on the lookout for the UPS driver. She said "what in heavens name are you going to do with that thing?" Poor girl, if she had only known what she was in for 40 yrs later!

[toallmy]

5 months ago i added my lee pot to the garbage bin...used it for a few years..... bottom pour rod always messed up .. I have seen some that are threaded but mine had a stupid round head screw that fit into a slot on the rod and it never stayed put it was a bad design ... have the new Lyman Mag 25 now and love it

I picked up a older lee 20 with that stile valve and it was horrible , but Lee does sell the parts to upgrade it .

[kenblacksmith]

Use my Lee pot to make ingots from WW. works awesome for that.

[Walks]

I have a Lee 10lb #4. Drip O'matic. It's somewhere out in the garage. it dripped faster then i could pour lead out of it. Lee C.S. was no help.
maybe someday I'll come across it and give it to some one I hate.

[Alferd Packer]

I have LEE, and Lyman bottom pour.
If your melt gets anything in it, it will find it's way to the spout and interfere with the needle reseating to close off spout.
When you flux a bottom pour, you have to stir the top and skim with a spoon or skimmer tool.
NO deep stirring. It's ok to deep stir when first melted and before you flux.
But once you flux clean mix, no more deep stirring.just light stirring and pour the molds.open the spout full open, then close the same way.Don't let the spout dribble at the start nor at the close.
You have to start with ingot metal that you heated and deep stirred and fluxed and poured out for casting later in a bottom pour pot.
Now casting with a ladle, you can ignore all that and melt wheel weights, lead with dirt and crap in it and flux with oily sawdust and skim off the drosss and start casting dipped bullets.
But a bottom pour will not tolerate any trash and that wire whip sitting in there just contributes to making the pot leak.
You need to baby a bottom pour by cleaning out the pot and the needle and the spout after every casting session.
With dipped bullets. You can let the pot harden and leave it full. Bottom pour needs to be babied.
Yep, dipped bullets are a lot less trouble, but when you get a bottom pour going your way, you can cast bullets all nite long and make a million of them.
You will poop out on dipped bullets long before that happens.
Start with lead ingots that have been previously cleaned and fluxed and skimmed in another pot.
The LEE will pour with the best of them.
But the Lyman, and RCBS will start leaking with dirty melt clogging the spout. The only thing when its clogged is to finish moulding or dump that pot into ingots and clean the pot.
But save those ingots to be fluxed and cleaned.
You can contaminate a pot of clean metal by letting it get hot and fluxing and deep stirring the flux.
The commercial fluxes can keep the pour spout clean on a bottom pour, but that oily sawdust will combine with the dross and clog up the spout. It only takes a small stubborn chunk that will drive you nuts.
This is just imho.
I am still learning and do not claim to know too much . Just passing along my pitiful opinion. Hope it helps..🐥

[murf205]

This discussion reminds me of the Chevy-Ford thing. I cant get one of them to get me out of sight and some others put 400k miles on the other. One thing everybody seems to agree on. The Old RCBS Pro Melts were/are the best furnace for the $.

[rintinglen]

The Lee 4-20 can be very good. Lap the rod into the hole and add some weight to the top of the rod. Never leaks.

+1. I have had three, 2x 20# and 1 10 #. The 10 lb'er was the only one that I had trouble with leakage, that angled rod would jam open if the least bit of refuse got in there. The 20 lb'ers more vertical set up works better, especially if you do as described above. .

[gnappi]

I have a very old RCBS pro melt that's still working after some 25 years. When it goes belly up I'll try the newer model but I won't like the silly price.

[1hole]

I know for sure that Lee's lead pots are junk. Ditto their presses, dies, scale, powder measures, case trimmers, molds, etc. I know it because I've read it so often.

Of course I must admit that all of my own Lee stuff works fine (When used correctly, but then nothing works very well when used incorrectly does it?) but I'm still quite sure Lee's stuff is all junk because I've read it so many times on line and all those web gurus couldn't be wrong, right? ;)

[Drm50]

I have no use for Lee products. I’ve had many most I got on trades and think they are mostly cheap junk. Having said that I have a Lee pot that I bought new in 1976. I did put a new element in it about 15yrs ago. I run through a lot of lead in period from 76 to 92. Was in business and made fishing tackle and bullets constantly. When slow in shop I was pouring something. Meanwhile I went through Lyman & RCBS pots. They were repaired several times. Since I’m no longer in business and selling off most of my loading tools and molds, ect. The old Lee is only pot I’m keeping. So Lee pots are the only product they make I give thumbs up on. The 357 mold I bought same day as pot was junked out in the 80s. I would say their stuff is for beginners or guys not really in deep. The Lee stuff is inexpensive but most items can be picked up used as cheap as new Lee tools.

[curioushooter]

I know for sure that Lee's lead pots are junk. Ditto their presses, dies, scale, powder measures, case trimmers, molds, etc. I know it because I've read it so often.

Of course I must admit that all of my own Lee stuff works fine (When used correctly, but then nothing works very well when used incorrectly does it?) but I'm still quite sure Lee's stuff is all junk because I've read it so many times on line and all those web gurus couldn't be wrong, right?

I started with 100% lee stuff. Because I was poor and like 23 years old and didn't know better than to buy quality stuff once instead of buying garbage once then something quality once. Human lifespans being what they are it pays to buy one good thing once that lasts unless you are an octogenarian or something.

Lee's dies are alright. Their collect neck sizing die is brilliant if if the madrel is ground to the right diameter. I still use their lock-stud and pin case trimming system as it is the best out there in terms of design and is cheap and works. Their 6-cavity mold handle works alright.

But their powder measures are total junk. They spill Win 296/AA1680 and other fine ball powders all over. They are quite simply a joke. I've gotten the plastic and the zinc and the brass ones. That "eastomeric wiper" is a joke. Bough a Hornady Lock-and-Load about a decade ago and never looked back. Their scale is similarly laughable. If you like taking 5 minutes to get something to balance it is fine but my time is worth more than that.

Their molds are junk too. I have about 20 of them. They are better now than they used to be finally accepting that you need real aliment pins on the 2-cavity types. But they are still made of an inferior very soft (chewing gum I call it) aluminum. Still use thin warpy sprue plates that get loose. Still use janky cheap handles on their two cavity models. The cavity finish is OK...not great. Often they are undersized. And many of their designs are just dumb IMO. They'd be better off just copying Lyman's or RCBS's or SAECO's.

I have their pot because I figure its job is to heat up lead. It does do that. But really there is more to it. A good pot heats lead rapidly to a precise temperature under a variety of external conditions and holds it there. It also dispenses lead neatly and rapidly for good mold fill. The lee pot only accomplishes the first job here reasonably well--it does get up to about 800 degrees if you give it enough time.

If you screw around with the pot and modify it and work out all its kinks it works reasonably well provided you clean it after every use. I gave mine a good cleaning and removed pin from the pocket and scrubbed out the "well" that the pin rides in. Why Lee uses a conical pocket for a half-sphere ended rod is beyond me...probably cheaper to make it that way than use a properly sized round well. But whatever.

When the thing finally dies I will not be getting another.

Regarding using a dipper. Many of my mold are 4 holers or more. And I like to cast hot because most of my molds are brass and some hollopoints. I've tried dipping with that stupid Lee dipper (I don't have a good dipper like Lyman's) and it was infuriating and miserable making me wonder how it works for anybody. Maybe with one or two cavity molds of small or medium bores it is fine but not with much else.

[redhawk0]

I have the 10# bottom pour. I made the mistake of trying to clean WW's in it years ago and never got it truly clean after that. I contacted Lee and ordered up a new pot, handle...etc to rebuild it. (all parts and shipping were free) I bought some high temp wool off ebay and wrapped the pot with it, put the covers back on, added a homemade PID and its now a dream to use.

It always held a temperature, but now with the PID I know what that temperature is....before with the 1-10 dial it was a guessing game.

I'd buy another one...its only about $75....I've gotten my money's worth several times over.

redhawk

[Hootmix]

Only if you put " Garbage " in'm . I Like mine ,, and will soon have a PID hooked to it too ,, also . ( i'm w/ redhawkO )


coffee's ready ,, Hootmix

[Mike W1]

Might as well throw my 2¢ in here. Been using the 10#ers since about 1975 and have added some things over the years of course. Long ago wanted something besides the screwdriver slot so had a 1/4" bolt brazed on and tapped a piece of aluminum stock to fit on along with a couple holes in the sides of that for handles. Always wear gloves so the heat wasn't a problem. Last thing I did relatively recently was tap a 1-1/4" piece of cold rolled steel in place of the aluminum. Then for the "handles" used 2@ 3/4 copper pipe couplings filled with lead and drilled thru for the bolt handles. Now that "stuff" on top of the rod has an additional 21.5 ounces of weight up there. Seems to be no downside to it after using it for awhile now.

Another tip from a fellow "gunarea I believe his user ID is", was to tweak the tip of the valve rod slightly. I believe both these things have "usually" reduced the drips. If I get them now it's likely something that got thru my fluxing process on initial melting for my ingots. I'll stick a couple photos on which might better describe my stacked pot system.

266244
266245

[Texas by God]

I’ll let you know later if mine still works perfectly like it has for 25+ years. That drip don’t bother me, I keep a screwdriver nearby. I plug it in and dial it about 3/4 throttle and go. Not junk.

[Drm50]

Drip don’t bother me either. Yanked tap assembly off and pitched. Plugged nozzle and run it with a bullet ladle.

[1hole]

What's "good" is something we actually need for the task at hand.

Many people need trucks. One guy needs a Peterbilt with sleeper, another needs a diesel F-350 4x4, most only need a common F-150 2x4. So, which is the "best" truck? I'd say the one that best serves it's purpose for the owner; it would be silly to buy an F-150 when a massive Peterbilt is needed, and vice versa.

I find it amusing when someone says he first bought Lee tools but then his reloading became an obsession and now recommends others people buy what he now prefers. No offense intended fellows but that's B.S., few people need what some of us need.

The task matters. Some guys own multipul Dillons but most of us only need, and therefore only buy, medium strength single stage presses. IF we ever get where we need the output volume of a progressive we'll get one then, but that doesn't mean our first press - of any color - was a waste of money.

Thing is, few people get as deep into reloading as a few of us do. So, suggesting all new guys start with much more costly tools than they actually need really isn't very helpful. And, as others state above, and by decades of personal use, many of us can say that all of Lee's tools work and some of them work exceptionally well.

Like, Lee's inexpensive little plastic "Perfect" powder measure is excellent, especially for tubular powders, but only IF it's properly set up. And Lee's lightweight "Safety Scale" is fully as accurate and sensitive as any powder scale on the market but it IS very susceptable to clumsy handling so it's certainly not the best choice for fumble-fisted users like me. Etc.

Bottom line; knee-jerk tool suggestions that don't match the guy's actual needs - and his means - may be good for our "web expert" egos but are often worse for newbies than no suggestions at all. (IMHO of course. ???)

[curioushooter]

Since people are PMing me, I'll just reply publicly. They know who they are.

The Classic Cast is the only press I have and it is excellent. A great press. Then again it costs about the same and is made of the same material as everybody else's stuff. My father in law has a Redding press that costs like $400-500 or something. It is a little nicer for really big cases but that is a good example of where Lee delivers good value/performance. I bought if for $72 bucks about 14 years ago when I moved to Ohio. Now they are over a $100. It isn't made of pot metal or other cheap material like Lee's other presses. I was smart enough at 23 to know not to bother with that rubbish.

I have almost every .357 mold lee makes. I have most of their 30 calibers. I have a few 44s including custom one (a 265 grain RNFP). Their 12 gauge slug and many of their round balls. I never said they don't cast or that I can't get them to work. I basically learned to cast with their molds and shunned more expensive iron molds (foolishly) for a decade.

Then I actually got a few old Lyman molds, then some RCBS, and some SAECOs. I have some Arsenal, NOE, and Ohaus too. I now have a brace of MP's outstanding and gorgeous molds. I haven't used a Lee mold in years now. Why? Because they are inferior in every way to the better molds. It's not that they don't work, it's just some of us appreciate superior results. I have some 4 cavity MP molds (the 503 clone) that will hold less than a half a percent weight variation in 44 caliber. NO LEE MOLD has even approached that level of consistency. The sharp corners, the the perfect outside finish, perfectly square, round, and flat bases I get from my brass MP molds once seasoned and treated right is incomparable.

I basically gave up casting for a spell (from about 2012 to 2016) because I reached a plateau where I just couldn't get the desired performance. I went back to buying jacketed, mostly Hornady XTPs. Turns out it was basically Lee's stuff holding me back. I am finally after a decade getting performance comparable to jacketed bullet from cast, and it has not been from Lee molds. I find myself using lee stuff less and less as my capabilities improve. Even their dies aren't as nice a Hornady's or Redding's.

Except for a few products...the case trimmer lock-stud/pin gauge...their cast iron presses...and collet sizing die I've lost interest in their offerings.

Virtually everybody that says they like their Lee pots has either modified it or really knows no alternative (like myself). I was really wondering if Lee's pots are just inferior to RCBS/Lymans, which are the other pots I'd consider. I'm not spending a grand on a Magma. But it seems lots of people get defensive over lee stuff.

I don't know if it is a production variation or something but my pot has a round nose pin in a conical hole. Apparently some have a cone pin in a cone hole (which makes sense). This may explain why mine is aggravatingly drippy.

Saying your Lee pot is great after you've reground the pin, added weight, installed a PID (that costs $100), made a little shelter for it, and then sprinkled it with holy water is a waste of time. If you are able to compare a STOCK 4-20 to a STOCK RCBS or Lyman I'd be interested.

[Springfield]

I have a LEE 20 lb, 2 RCBS Pro-Melts(old style) and a 40 lb Magma pot. And a few older Saeco's that I have not used in a while. All will melt lead. All will pour lead. The LEE drips a lot of the time, the RCBS's not so much, and the Magma never. The LEE has the worst temp control, especially if you do large batches like I do and go through a couple of pots every session, as the temp control is not attached to the pot, but in the tower in the back. The RCBS and the Magma do much better as their temp probes are attached to the pot.. The LEE has a 600 watt heater, the RCBS more like 800, and the Magma has a 1500. I do mostly Cowboy Action with my family, so the Magma is full of softer bullet lead, one RCBS is set up with pure lead for lead balls for my Cap and Ball pistols and the lee if full of hard lead for some of my rifles. Works for me. If I was made of money I would have 3 Magma's, due to the larger capacity, the higher wattage, plus it has a dual pour spout, which is a bit faster and saves me time.But I just can't justify that. Everybody has their own needs and priorities, so buy the best for your needs and be done with it.

[Hardcast]

"Are Lee Pots just garbage?"

Mine is. Waited for a long time for it to completely die, but it refused, so I gave up on waiting and bought a new Pro-Melt. Way better pot. Wish I had done it years before. This was probably in the 1990s. Have not cast for probably 20 years, but tommorw morning I plan to plug in that Pro Melt and hope it still works. Have a brand new mold to try.

[talon7825]

I can't complain, it is the first pot I got and have used it for over 10 years casting over 100k plus. It drips a bit and I have to monitor the temp. but it does the job.

[gimling]

I have a lee 20lb but i bought it back in 2008 and at the time there was a shortage i was only able to get the 220V version. Other than having to install a special plug Its been great!

[pcmacd]

I read a comprehensive study in Precision Shooting magazine (now out of print) years ago, likely by M.L. McPherson, that compared all of the old and new powder measures by the precision/consistency of the loads they dropped. I can't recall the propellant that was used, but would guess it was such as an IMR long grain propellant, as that style of propellant is the most difficult to dispense consistently.

The only problem with the study was that the author used a conventional scale of +/- 0.1 grain accuracy. When making comparisons such as this?

-----> One should use a scale that is 10x the precision of the units under test, not of the same or comparable precision.


Still, the results were telling.

---->>> All that being said, the LEE measure was better by about 2x than the most expensive measure money can buy.


LEE stuff is highly underrated. And their customer service is the best you will ever receive, anyplace.

...

[TNsailorman]

I had a 4-20 lee pot and I really like it. Years ago I had a Lyman and I like it except for the spout was always plugging. When I bought the Lee I had heard a lot about it being a "drip o matic" but the dripping never bothered me that much. I simply added the drips as they hardened back to the pot. Worked for me and not much trouble. I like the Lee 4-20. my experience anyway, james

[rbuck351]

I'm still using a 10lb drip o matic that I bought in the mid 70s. I added a weight to the stopper rod which helped a lot but it still drips a bit now and then. I have since got another 10lb and a 20 lb, both of which work ok but I have never used any other pots so I don't have any to compare with. Probably not the best pots but good enough for me.

[Wag]

I'm a Lee basher. Unapologetic, too.

When I started reloading about 20 or 25 years ago, I bought the Lee starter set for reloading. It was all I could afford. Along with it, bought some Lee carbide pistol dies in 9mm and 45acp. After loading about four thousand rounds, the so-called "Perfect" Powder Measure was constantly dumping powder all over my workbench from the sides of the cylinder. So much for "Perfect." So, I bought an RCBS powder measure which was and still is, perfect.

Next was the press itself. I'm not the most gentle of souls and pretty clumsy to boot but that press handle started having all kinds of problems. You could even see the press itself flexing while resizing some of the bottle neck 30-06 and 30-30 cases. (Someone gave me the steel RCBS dies for those.) Eventually, the handle's wooden knob was just toast and the threads where the handle screws into the cylinder of the press was just not able to hold it all together. Someone had given me some reloading stuff at some point and one of the items was, you guessed it, a Lee three station turret press. I bolted that to my bench and lo and behold, it actually turns out to be pretty decent. It's ancient but it works well. The only real exception to the rule in this case. So far.

I guess the older Lee stuff works but not the newer stuff.

But wait! There's more!

The Lee hand held primer tool came apart. Went back to the old box of stuff I had received and it had a Lee press-mounted primer seating tool that worked well but again, after only a couple thousand rounds, it came apart too. Bought an RCBS hand-held primer seating tool. Still using it with no difficulties. It's kind of a pain to set it up is the only thing but dang, it's just sturdy.

I don't trust Lee products. I'm in the mind that I shouldn't have to baby my tools. They are meant to do hard jobs and should work as advertised. As a result, I have been gradually replacing my Lee stuff with RCBS gear and thus far, have had no issues with any of it.

Later, as I was making noise about starting to cast, my late wife bought me a Lyman 10 lb dipper pot for Christmas and so far, after about three or four thousand cast boolits in 45acp, I have had no problems with it. My molds are all Accurate molds.

Lesson? As mentioned before, buy good quality at the beginning and you won't have to buy it again.

The good thing was, the inexpensive Lee starter kit made it possible for me to get into the hobby and to get hooked. At least the products lasted long enough that I didn't get frustrated immediately and give up so there's that. But I won't put money into any more Lee items.

--Wag--

P.S. I need to get back to reloading and casting. I've been away from it for too dang long! :)

[pcmacd]

I had a 4-20 lee pot and I really like it. Years ago I had a Lyman and I like it except for the spout was always plugging. When I bought the Lee I had heard a lot about it being a "drip o matic" but the dripping never bothered me that much. I simply added the drips as they hardened back to the pot. Worked for me and not much trouble. I like the Lee 4-20. my experience anyway, james

Every once/while when the pot is empty I scrape it down (with a fan blowing the dust out the window, away from me), pull out the plunger, put it on a wire wheel to clean it up. Put some fine valve grinding compound on the business end, chuck it into a drill, and "re-seat" the plunger. Tidy up with brake cleaner. If I ever wear out the valve seat, LEE will send another for free.

[OS OK]

Lee had the right idea on the 10 pound pot....leverage and weight pushing against the valve stem.
The 4-20 was not so fortunate.
Weight is your friend on that valve assembly...

https://i.imgur.com/cI4KB7r.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cN5vZ5O.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gqC2XKJ.jpg

[Oyeboten]

About the only pot nobody seems to complain about is the ladle dipper folks.

I have the el-cheapo LEE smaller size Electric Pot, has a Thermostat, and is meant for use with a Dipper, and I have had it about three years now, and it has been 100 percent good and a joy to use.

It was on sale form Midway or Mid South or whom-ever, and I thought "Lets try it and see..." and I am happy with it!

[Oyeboten]

I'm a Lee basher. Unapologetic, too.

When I started reloading about 20 or 25 years ago, I bought the Lee starter set for reloading. It was all I could afford. Along with it, bought some Lee carbide pistol dies in 9mm and 45acp. After loading about four thousand rounds, the so-called "Perfect" Powder Measure was constantly dumping powder all over my workbench from the sides of the cylinder. So much for "Perfect." So, I bought an RCBS powder measure which was and still is, perfect.

Next was the press itself. I'm not the most gentle of souls and pretty clumsy to boot but that press handle started having all kinds of problems. You could even see the press itself flexing while resizing some of the bottle neck 30-06 and 30-30 cases. (Someone gave me the steel RCBS dies for those.) Eventually, the handle's wooden knob was just toast and the threads where the handle screws into the cylinder of the press was just not able to hold it all together. Someone had given me some reloading stuff at some point and one of the items was, you guessed it, a Lee three station turret press. I bolted that to my bench and lo and behold, it actually turns out to be pretty decent. It's ancient but it works well. The only real exception to the rule in this case. So far.

I guess the older Lee stuff works but not the newer stuff.

But wait! There's more!

The Lee hand held primer tool came apart. Went back to the old box of stuff I had received and it had a Lee press-mounted primer seating tool that worked well but again, after only a couple thousand rounds, it came apart too. Bought an RCBS hand-held primer seating tool. Still using it with no difficulties. It's kind of a pain to set it up is the only thing but dang, it's just sturdy.

I don't trust Lee products. I'm in the mind that I shouldn't have to baby my tools. They are meant to do hard jobs and should work as advertised. As a result, I have been gradually replacing my Lee stuff with RCBS gear and thus far, have had no issues with any of it.

Later, as I was making noise about starting to cast, my late wife bought me a Lyman 10 lb dipper pot for Christmas and so far, after about three or four thousand cast boolits in 45acp, I have had no problems with it. My molds are all Accurate molds.

Lesson? As mentioned before, buy good quality at the beginning and you won't have to buy it again.

The good thing was, the inexpensive Lee starter kit made it possible for me to get into the hobby and to get hooked. At least the products lasted long enough that I didn't get frustrated immediately and give up so there's that. But I won't put money into any more Lee items.

--Wag--

P.S. I need to get back to reloading and casting. I've been away from it for too dang long! :)


My own experience has been that I do not like LEE Molds, Lee Dies, Lee Loading Tools, Lee Presses, or anything else "Lee", other than that I have been happy with my small electric Melting Pot, and I use a very old "IDEAL" Dipper.

[fal_762x51]

They have worked for me. I have been thinking about a diy PID.

[pcmacd]

My own experience has been that I do not like LEE Molds, Lee Dies, Lee Loading Tools, Lee Presses, or anything else "Lee", other than that I have been happy with my small electric Melting Pot, and I use a very old "IDEAL" Dipper.

I have a dozen or so LEE molds.

They are AWESOME VALUES!

They make EXCEPTIONAL PROJECTILES!

A few things to note:

Clean the mold with brake or carb cleaner to get any mfg. residue off the mold faces.

lubricate the points that the directions instruct (you did read the directions?)

spray some conventional graphite in a 100% evaporative carrier across the mold faces before you even begin.

---> Something like "Blaster Industrial Graphite DRY Lubricant" that you can get from Home Despot.

It MUST have an evaporative carrier such that no residue except the graphite is left on your molds!

Screw this "smoking the cavities" stuff.

Do it as I have described and you will nothing short of a _delightful_ time with these economical and well made molds.

292049

[gambler2200]

Lee pots are OK just a pain at times!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Patrick L]

I have both a 20 lb and 10 lb Lee. Both have worked just fine, although yes there is a little dripping. Nothing to cause me fits. The 10 lb is easily 30 years old, the 20 lb is approaching 20. I think they are an adequate pot, certainly not the best, but adequate. And if you figure the price differential, I think even more so. Last I checked, an RCBS was about 4x the cost of a Lee. It is certainly better, but is it 4x better? You would have to work hard to convince me. But then again some people want the best and will pay for it. That's their right.

[white eagle]

Are Lee Pots just garbage?

if they are I should be thankful mine has only lasted for the last 10 years
now I don't use the bottom pour models, being a ladle man, however mine is still a Lee

[Polymath]

I have two, about 8 years old and close to 800 lbs run through including melts from COWW. Most folks problems are from zero maintenance and poor casting habits, like leaving the pot full and letting it freeze. Never cleaning the pot after a run, never cleaning the pin or valve hole, not paying enough attention to using clean lead. (that is : zinc WW). I don't have even half the issues that some seem to have. Just been doing it enough to know how I guess. Sorting your WW is the best answer to most problems.

[imashooter2]

I’m happy with them. If you aren’t, you should spend more.

[slim1836]

I gave my 10 lb LEE pot to a friend after I got their 20 lb pot and never looked back, works for me. I'm a simple man and they are simple to use. As previously stated, modifications help and can be done by anyone.

Slim

[Hahndorf1874]

Had 2 pro melts since the 70s still as good as ever!! Only adjustment ever made was to adjust the temp control with the aid of a pyrometer. Cheers Mal.

[Cast_outlaw]

Well I have a lee dipper pot and a lee drip-o-matic I got from my dad he used his for probably 20 years now I use it but I built a P.I.D. For it and temperature controls is easy now the little one is only used occasionally when I’m making duplex Boolits

[45-70 Chevroner]

I've got both a Lee bottom pour and a ladle pot. Can't for the life of me understand the hate for Lee pots. Yes, the bottom drips but it's a minor inconvenience. Both hold temp, both have casted thousands of boolits and probably thousands more in the future. Not the best in the market but good, solid casting tools at a reasonable price Lee is known for.

Both are used and if needed, pot parts are reasonable.

I have gotten parts free several times. I am on my second 20 ponder bottom pour. The first one lasted a very long time, I bought it when they first came out. I rebuilt it once, free parts. I have two 10 pounders that I.bought before the 20 came out. I'm still using both. One is set up for pure lead only.

[GhostHawk]

I have 3 lee pots, one 4 lb dipper pot bought here used, very reasonable. 4 years later still works, no problems.

Then I bought a new 4 lb dipper pot, this one had a thermostat. Worked fine. Still used from time to time to melt pewter.

Then I bought a 20 lb magnum melter, man that pot is awesome! No runs, no leaks, no drips, gets the lead melted faster.

With 5 x as much lead I can pour till I get tired. Then refill and shut it off. So next time tis ready to go.

I'm a believer, love my lee pots. But won't have a bottom dump in the house. Just my preferences.

As to molds, I have yet to have an issue with a Lee 6 cavity mold. Or my 7/8ths oz slug mold, or my 20 ga pumpkin ball mold.

Call me a happy Lee Camper.

Without Lee I would have about a third as many guns as I have. Because I could not have afforded the gun, dies, mold.
And you need all 3.

[Finster101]

Common theme in the Lee bashing threads is when the OP has trouble using the product it must be junk because they could not possibly be doing something wrong.

[414gates]

No they are not junk.

Lee make budget equipment, They are well worth the little that they cost.

There are some Lee products that nobody does better :

1. Lee sizing dies
2. Lee collet neck sizers
3. Lee quick trim system - this does a better job than competitor products costing ten times more
4. collet bullet sizing system
5. Lee single stage cast press - as good as the most expensive units
6. bullet moulds

These are just the ones I use and am familiar with, and have compared to competing products myself. You can go buy much more expensive, it won't be better.

The APP and bullet sizer press are interesting little units, brilliant concepts, but the reliability issues bother me. The same way the Lee progressive press priming bothers me. I want things to work all the time, and not have to fiddle between sessions.

For people on a tight budget, Lee is fantastic.

[BattleRife]

None of them have ever held steady temp for me.

Lee pots are reasonably well built and offer great value, but the temperature control is a notable problem. The control design involves a bimetallic switch mounted in the switch housing. Heat must transfer from the pot housing to the switch housing, then to the air around the switch, before the switch can react. This lag time is about 3 minutes. Worse, the warm switch responds with only partial power, flicking on and off rather than full on like it would if it was cold. This mode is okay if you have a pot at temperature and are simply trying to compensate for atmospheric heat losses, but it is frustratingly inadequate if you are trying to recover from upsets, such as adding a fresh ingot of cold lead to the pot.

Bypassing the factory switch and going to a PID is a massive improvement.

https://ballisticrecreations.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/major-recovery.jpg

[Ithaca Gunner]

My 10lb. LEE pot is over 30 years old and still chuggi'n along.

[Carrier]

I would guess that there have been more bullets cast from Lee pots than all others.

[Bmi48219]

I bought a Lee 10 lb bottom tap along with 7 like new Lee molds, two tubes of ALOX, a can of some magic flux, a pan of lube, a Lyman ingot mold and 100 lbs of range lead for $50.00. I sold 3 molds I didn’t need and got my $$ back. Between casting balls, boolits and sinkers I’m well past the original 100 lbs of lead.
Once in a while when the flow gets weak I have to run a SS needle up through the spout.
I’m sure there are better pots out there, I’m happy with mine.

[BunkTheory]

The best way to describe it is....

would you rather melt your lead in a tuna can or spoon held over a camp fire?

[BunkTheory]

;) If I bash Lee stuff while saying I'm not a Lee basher should amuse everyone.

Lee's "junk" casting pots - and molds - have been selling very well for what, some 35+ years now? Maybe everyone will finally get the "junk" message pretty soon now?

Maybe self proclaimed "perfectionist" people should know what they're doing and buy what they want right off? I mean, it's kinda hard to sympathize with dissatisfied people who really want a Rolls-Royce but only spend enough to get a Chevy ... then knock Chevys for what they ain't instead of enjoying them for what they are ... but I try.

If a person is just going to stand 5 yards from a pie plate and shoot,, they will be happier with a taurus or ruger or heritage then with a Korth

[RogerDat]

I only worry about drips when making ingots of nice clean lead. My Rowell 9# ladle tends to drip. My Lyman little dipper ladle used for casting doesn't drip. Yep you ladle pour and all those drip issues just go away. I imagine if one has limited time and needs high production for say competition shooting then one gets the bottom pour and deals with the steps required to control drips.

Clean lead, some rubbing compound to seat the valve well, regular cleaning, including the occasional twist of valve back and forth. Plenty of mods people have posted to increase the weight on the handle to pull valve down tighter. I might think that bottom pour would be more susceptible to cool lead from adding ingots. Spout being a bit more inclined to clog and not seal if lead isn't hot enough.

PID by all accounts are great but they cost more than the Lee pot. Might be a fine addition but not really a fair comparison to compare bottom pour with built in PID to a $70 Lee pot.

Lee molds are Lee molds. At the price point they are a good value. The 6 cavity seem better made than the 2 cavity but ability to get some bullets in a weight or profile for $25 is the only reason some of my family can have cast bullets. I'm not going to spend $100 on a mold in a caliber I don't use to make a few boxes once in a while for one of the kids. Comparing a $25 Lee to an $80 - $120 premium mold is hardly apples to apples.

I have bought Lee as first mold in every caliber I cast for except .22 where I needed a heavy weight they didn't have so went with NOE. I follow that original mold with some higher end mold after I find some idea of what firearm and myself like. Can't beat a nice brass mold or a heavy aluminum 6 cavity from MP or NOE but they are too expensive for a trial run mold. Accurate molds also gets mentioned a lot as a premium mold. I even have a couple of Lyman iron molds that I love (and one that annoys me like the devil). But I didn't start with those, they were added to the Lee mold in that caliber over time. Lee SWC in .38 gets followed by a used Lyman WC in 38 which is followed by a brass HP mold from a group buy. All three still get used all three provide good value.

I still have all my Lee molds, most have worked and continue to work after a decade of use. I do modify the 2 cavity Lee molds to have a set screw that locks up the sprue plate pivot bolt. Drilling a hole and tapping it take little time or effort and man do they improve the casting experience. Higher price molds seem to often have that set screw already done.

[trapper9260]

I had wear out my Lee 10lbs bottom pour . I had changed the heater coil a few times . Now it is to the point that I will need to replace it. and just save the old one for parts. I had cast alot with it. I do not remember how many years I had it . I am usen a Lyman pot with a ladle now till I get another Lee 10 lbs one .

[Bnt55]

I've had my 4-20 Lee pot for quite some time and she is dripper. Sometimes it drips every 2 seconds other times its every second or more....makes a big mess and can start splattering if im not careful. I went through the cleaning process and even lapped the plunger to the spout but that did nothing. Still drips horribly. I've got the old style that uses a pan head screw to hold the stopper rod in place, I may check with Lee to see if I can upgrade to the newer handle configuration.

[wksimple]

Are Lee pots garbage? Not the two I have. Both are 4-lb ladle types. I use the infinite heat model for 2 and 4 cavity molds, and the old single heat for 1 and 2 cavity molds. I keep the single heat filled with WW's plus 2% tin for rifle bullets. Everything else gets the infinite heat. The single heat was purchased (believe it or not) in 1972 and is still going strong!!! Looks well-used, but works.

[1hole]

If a person is just going to stand 5 yards from a pie plate and shoot,, they will be happier with a taurus or ruger or heritage then with a Korth

I've been trying to understand what you mean with that.

I've never seen a Korth but I have a .357 Blackhawk and a Smith Md. 29 that I used to sink beer cans bobbing along about 80 yards away in a mountain stream. Using my own boolits while standing, two hand grip; few cans escaped before going 'round the bend.

I'm 45 years older now. I hate to admit it but my 81 year old eyes aren't as good as they used to be, my back often hurts and my grip has weakened so I'm not as accurate as I was back them.

I no longer sink already half sunk beer cans in cold mountain streams but, best I can tell, my old revolvers and same reloads still work as good as ever.

Now, after that, I have two questions for your experience:

(1) How much better shooting do you suppose I could have done with a Korth (whatever that is and whatever it costs)?

(2) Is it your honest belief that my common factory made, iron sighted revolvers shooting my common hot loaded hard cast SWC bullets are too inexpensive to be anything but junk and therefore only suitable for trying real hard to pop an occasional pie plate at 15 feet? :)

[1hole]

Some folks say all of Lee's tools are junk but Lee has been happily selling stuff to a lot of reloaders since the mid-60s so maybe the problem really isn't the tools.

I've known a few hopeful "reloaders" who would do well to stay away from pliers because they really don't know much about machinery with rapidly moving parts.

[Hootmix]

I use my LEE 4# pot to make experimental ammo, and checking out a new mould or to make a mix of experimental lead components .
Some of the time i use it (4# pot) to preheat and add to my 40# pot, it's just handy.

coffee's ready, Hootmix.

[SteveM54]

293179

Hope not, while I am new here I just figure all my problems is just the learning curve

[Baltimoreed]

Have a ‘Lee’ky bottom pour and a lee ladle pot. Use the ladle pot when I mess with it. Go through spurts with casting. I do need to build some HB RN 265gr Webley boolits but it’s too much trouble.

[DAVIDMAGNUM]

I have been using my Lee 4-20 for over 10 years. I try to keep the spout clean and have to spin the rod a few times during a casting session. This is a very minor inconvenience. As far as keeping a constant temperature , a PID controller is the way to go....for any pot. The Lee thermostat does NOT set the temperature of the melt. It sets the temperature of the bi-metallic spring that opens and closes the switch, thereby controlling on/off time. This type of control will keep the wattage or temperature of the heater fairly constant. This type of control will not keep the temperature of the melted lead alloy constant. As the level of the melt changes, with the same amount of heat being applied, the temperature of the melt changes. At the very least a good thermometer is needed.

[John Boy]

Are they garbage? No in my opinion and have 3 for a few decades The others are overpriced

[meeesterpaul]

Lee 20 for 10s of 1000s: Pretty usable. Can barely imagine using a ladle, at least not at a volume oriented pace.
Been regulating the melt temp by dunking 'lead ice cubes' in as needed.
Getting drippy!
Ah! More soup...er...cold lead for you. Give the pin a twist.
I expect a PID is going to be nice.

[Eddie Southgate]

I'd say generally they are not junk . I have one I bought in 1990 to replace the SEACO and Lyman pots that were stolen from my shop . I am still using it even though I have bought SEACO and Lyman pots to replace the ones that grew legs . So far I have never had it fail to do just exactly what I bought it to do . I also have 4 of the cheaper Lee pots that my dad used when he made and sold hand pored bullets at the State range where he was a range officer . They have probably made 4 times more bullets than an average pot would ever make in it life time , that's each not as a group . 3 of the 4 work just fine and one needs a element replaced .I probably do 8-10 thousand bullets a year on the 1991 pot and it works perfect . I much prefer the SEACO/Lyman 10 lb pots and use them for anything I cast but dead soft lead which is what I use the Lee pot for now days . I also have a 20 lb Lyman I bought a few years ago that I hardly ever use , it's more expensive than the Lee but I don't notice that it works better . I think the Lee cost me about $49.00 in 91 and the asking price on the Lyman was a hair over $300 when I bought it . I caught a closeout and got it for $175.00 nib is really the only reason I bought it.

[Jtarm]

They seem to be hit or miss.

Mine was a miss.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I would never pay $200 when the Lee pots work just fine.

[Rick R]

Well after 12+ years my Lee 10# olde drippy gave up the ghost today. Something in the spout obstructing flow, tried to punch it out and the punch broke. Finished up using an RCBS ladle for the first time and made some pretty bullets then it started leaking someplace other than the spout. Came back in the house and ordered a Lee 20# dipping pot from Midway. I’ll probably order a Lee 4 20# bottom pour pot when they’re back in stock. I can see the utility of having options.