Thoughts on Progressive Reloading Machines

[Livin_cincy]

The OEM's are Dillon, Hornady, Lee, and RCBS. Per the internet experts at The NYT Lee sells 3x as many as Dillon, Hornady, & RCBS combined.

Dillon is typically stated as the best so I will compare others to their design.

When you watch YouTube Channels you observe things. A long time Hornady LNL guru abandoned his Hornady hear in lieu of sending it to Hornady to have it repaired under warranty for primer bellow flush issues. He has replaced his (1) Hornady LNL with 5 or maybe 6 Dillon Progressive Presses. He is very happy having dedicated Dillions to his calibers and loads instead of caliber changes.

There are exceptions to buying a Dillon for each load. These are resolved thru complete toolhead assemblies and dedicated primer size presses. Cost is significant. A rare few operate (1) Dillon 550 with (1) powder measure and multiple toolheadS of dies only.

Why are there so many upgrades for Dillon Presses ? Why are they needed. If the press needs that many upgrades to meet the expectations of the market place you have to add these to the cost of purchase.

When you watch Hornady LNL on YouTube you see the owner has (1) one. Even in forums people own (1) typically. So evidently those that buy this press load multiple calibers on their press.

Are there upgrades other than a light for The Hornady LNL ? It seems they are run stock. No after market fixes for a very old press design.

The RCBS ProChucker 5 &7 are great designs with poor marketing. It is like RCBS does not want to sell them. You can find more Bigfoot sightings than ProChucker videos. Nobody can evaluate this press against other brands. As far as I can see, no after market fixes.

Lee sells many Loadmasters. Many videos exist showing the press works, how to get it to work, and how to correctly set it up. It is as if Lee does not want people that cannot figure out the directions to use the press. The LM is a very old press design. The current version has factory improvements to the Shell plates, timing, and priming system.

The Dillon 6/750 is virtually unusable without a case feeder. The press " as shown " on the Dillon Website at this time is over $1300. This will give you 800 per hour. This places it in a production level all its own. Add a bullet feeder and 1,000 is doable per many reports.

The Dillon 550, basic Hornady LNL, and Lee Loadmaster are in the 4-500 per hour range. Yes, the LNL can be configured as the Hornady Ammo plant to rival the Dillon 800-1000 per hour for the same price. The other presses can reliably be used as a hand/ manual fed case & bullet press.

Nobody really knows the RCBS production output without case & bullet feeders. I guess the 4-500 basic and 800-1000 automated output numbers would hold.

The warranties are similar. They all have a clause to require you to send, at your expense, the part needing replaced for a free one shipped to you. Lee only gives a (2) year warranty like Dillon does on the 1100. After (2) years Lee will charge you shipping. With computers, people that routinely wreck their press get treated differently.

If you load, time at press not prep, (1) hour per week at 500 per hour you make 25,000 per year. The same time on higher output press is 50,000. So, honestly you need to honestly define your need. Many progressive presses are chosen based on time available to reload. Others are chosen to maximize time away from wives...

So while every brand has zealots they all have weakness. Dillion was the most likely to come out of the box tuned & ready to run. They changed from doing as much factory set up & verification on 550 & 750. The caliber chosen shell plates are not installed and 1st time users are having issues. The other brands are known to require mechanical aptitude, some more & some less, to set up. So you must place a monetary value on your time.

The best press for you is different than the best press for me. Many Dillon customers get talked down to a 550 by the technician on the phone. Like wise Lee states in print not to get a LM unless you shoot 500+ of that specific caliber each week. The take away is simple is often better. If your press is down waiting for free parts for (1 or 2) weeks you gained little in higher output.

Just have fun and do not form an ideology and dogmatic arguments about a brand as being best !!!

[trebleplink]

I have had two 550s for years and have been very satisfied. No need for more expensive models unless you shoot a lot (like 25k+ rounds per year).

[farmbif]

5 or 6 dillons to replace 1 LNLAP? theres a bunch o money in 5 or 6 Dillons . it all depends what your wanting to do, if you go out every other day with your binary trigger AR and blast off 1000 rounds and shoot cowboy action on Saturdays and three gun on Sundays I get it.
ive got a few presses ive accumulated over the years, single stage, turret, hand press and a lnlap. from what ive read there must be two grades of LNLAP or problems with quality control.
I went with the red press rather than blue because of cost of caliber change stuff on Dillon. I reload for more than 40 different calibers and just the cost of Hornady shell plates, I don't have every one they made but I think I have about 25 of em the value is more than twice what the press cost is. if I had gone with Dillon 650 caliber change kits are much much more cost and they didn't make em for some calibers back when I got a progressive.
I must have gotten lucky and got a good one because ive probably loaded 20000+ rounds with it, I keep it cleaned and greased and have only had to replaced springs and a primer slide. but I'm pretty careful with my stuff. ive thought about getting a new Dillon 750 because I want a press that's easier to use my Dillon rapid trimmer on but its just a thought as I no longer have plenty of cash to play around with.

[rcslotcar]

I used a RCBS single stage press since 1973. It is still in perfect working condition. About 6 years ago I decided to buy blue, a xl650. I wasn't looking at reckless speed but to reduce single individual stage set ups. I am totally satisfied with my choice. The Dillon is expensive for all the different options but I've spread out the calibers over time while I still use the RCBS. I go at a medium speed and watch each step as the press rotates thru each function. I would recommend the Dillon and have had friends use mine prior to their buying one for them-self. Again there are a lot of great manufactures every one with a following, mine is "Blue" with RCBS dies.

[BK7saum]

I also have a red press. I don't have a case feeder or bullet feeder. I can run it well and never have to take my right hand off the handle. Cases and bullet are fed with the left hand on the left side of the press. Pick a case and a bullet. Set the case, pull the handle halfway, set thr bullet, and finish the stroke while reaching for another pair of components. Number of rounds per hour is more than satisfactory and quality of powder measure and loaded ammo is sufficient. I mostly load pistol calibers. I can load other rifle calibers if I choose, but mainly stick to 556 and 300BO. I want the utmost accuracy out of my other bolt guns and load their ammo on a single stage with powder charges to the nearest 0.05grain or less. I load primer tubes with a FA primer tube filler. Just a couple of minutes or less and primers are refilled. My system works for me. I don't want or need the case and bullet feeders and the LNL works very well without those.

[Sig556r]

Took me a while to upgrade from Lee classic single & turret presses to my 2 550s (1 setup for SP & another for LP) mostly due to "value" as I perceive it back then. I still use my Lees for rifles (other than 223, 300BLK, 277WLV) but all pistols now run thru the Dillons. I like the simplicity of the 550 (with autoprime & powderdrop) & let you be in control compared to the 650s, 750s & 1100s. I shoot IDPA & club matches regularly & have never needed to ramp up production from my current setup.
YMMV.

[retread]

I have two Dillon 550. One set up for small primers and the other for large. I have shellplates, pins and toolheads for all my handgun calibers. I load rifle on turret or single stage presses. Works well for me.

[Idz]

My Lee presses work fine for me. However, the Lee presses require some tweaking and observation when operating. I can see where a mechanical klutz would be incapable of operating a Lee.

[dverna]

At one time I had 6 (maybe 7) progressive presses set up. I am down to three with one being for 12 ga.

I do not like to fiddle around "tweaking" stuff and back then I worked very long hours. Time was important so the investment was worth it.

Too many factors for one size fits all so it is good we have choices. The production numbers quoted are unrealistic JMHO. My experience is about 2/3 to 3/4 what is advertised or some people claim if you have prefilled the primer tubes.

At one time I was gong to buy a Lee Loadmaster to evaluate it so I could bash it or praise it without prejudice. J Morris proved it can be made to work...but I wondered if a normal guy would do OK...but then I realized I might not be normal...LOL What I have worked for me. My search was over.

[Txcowboy52]

Two Dillon 650's an RCBS Grand and a Forster co-axial .

[Burnt Fingers]

There is some aftermarket support for the Hornady.

The Dilon 650/750 was designed to be used with the case collator.

The reason there's so much aftermarket support for the Dillon is there are always people who want to improve things. If Dillon incorporated all these "improvements" the cost of the press would go up another $300-$500. However for most people a stock Dillon 650/750 works right out of the box. I've added many of these "improvements" to my presses.

Inline Fabrication Ergo roller handle
Quick release powder measure part
Different spent primer handling
Primer shutoff
A couple of bearing upgrades
Ski jump fix
EasyDial for the small powder bar.

Everyone of them make the presses easier for me to operate and use.

My first progressive was a Hornady LnL...I bought it because it was less expensive than a Dillon 650. In hindsight it was money I basically threw away.

I now have a pair of Dillon 650 presses. One for small primer and one for large. I load over a dozen different cartridges on these two machines.

[Kevin Rohrer]

This question has been asked and answered hundreds of times.

The Search feature is your friend.

[fast ronnie]

I enjoy my XL 750. I change it over from one setup to another somewhat frequently and don't have issues doing the changeovers. It is much better doing primer changeovers than the 650. That was a much-needed improvement in my opinion. I do use different tool-heads, but use the same powder measure as I change powders and loads nearly every time I set it up. Someday I may get another powder measure for switching from the small powder insert to the large one, but for now I will just use the one.
I still have three Rockchuckers on the bench. One is used for bullet pulling when necessary, another that I use for de-capping small quantities and a third for whatever I happen to need it for. For larger amounts of de-capping,primer pocket swaging and for bulge busting, I have a Lee APP press. Between them, I can do pretty much what suits me.

[curiousgeorge]

I have 3 Dillon 550 presses. One in LP & 1 in SP permanently mounted. Third one in SP on strong mount attached to plywood that can be moved. Really like the Dillons but also have an RCBS Piggyback 2 and a Star Universal. Have used a Lee Load Master and don't have anything bad to say about it, but preferred the other progressives.

I enjoy loading ammunition, and much of the time use other presses than the progressives mentioned, but with age and stiffening hands, setup time is not what I look forward to.

[drac0nic]

I own both the LNL and the 550. The 550's priming system is far superior to the Hornady. I've heard people say that the 750 would have come out a lot sooner had Hornady had a decent priming system and I'm inclined to believe it based on my experiences. I have an earlier model and got the "fix" parts (that I paid for btw as a non original owner) and it still sucks. A lot of people have stuff up where they tinker with em. If I wanted that I would have bought a Lee tbh. I am also of mixed opinion on the bushings that Hornady uses. You want locking rings when you twist them out because some times the dies twist loose of the bushings and you lose your settings. Lee at least has an option to buy rings that you can lock your dies into which is a superior method IMO. You absolutely need their metal ring or some other retention method for the powder measure too since I've had it work its way out and cause me some bad lots. If I was doing a bunch of calibers and wanted to swap individual dies (e.g. have a seater for say 80gr and another for 100gr for instance) the LNL would be awesome. I will say I am not as much a fan of having to push back on the handle with the 550 to seat primers but that's a muscle memory thing.

In terms of the Dillon, I could easily do with 2, just set one up with large primers and the other with small primers. I have 2 measures and 2 calibers and am overall okay with that. The next setup I'm doing is actually 1 caliber with 2 tool heads (getting into some weird sizing territory for rifle) and I will probably be trickling loads instead of having a measure.I could also see some people having a few 550s because they load a crapton of ammo.

[Texas Gun]

I’ve had Lee turret press and the load master something would always break. I have a Hornaday now All been good with it And they gave me five boxes of bullets with it as a rebate

[Winger Ed.]

I've got a LNL progressive. I was happy with the old pro-jector version but sold it when I thought I was done reloading.

I like the improvements on the LNL- except the bushing thing.
It's made to compete with other company's quick caliber change features.
For me, its a solution to a problem I really don't have, and I don't like the rubber O rings they have.
Except for the powder measure spot, I took off the O rings and JB welded the bushings.

When I get it set for one caliber, I'll load all of them I plan to shoot for at least a year or two.

[monkey wrangler]

I started with lee classic cast and found out fairly early that was kind of slow for some of my ammo that I shoot a lot of. Then went with lee loadmaster and decided I could by 3 presses. One for each of the main calibers I like to shoot a lot of, for the price of one XL650. Then in one night I had all 3 lee presses go down because of a .05 piece of plastic. That was the night I ordered a new XL 750 because they finally improved the primer function in my mind. Besides Dillon is the home town brand for me. Still haven't decided what to do with the loadmaster's. Not saying Lee makes bad things just the Dillon is the Cadillac I wanted, and fewer important things made out of plastic, and you can buy an entire parts kit from Dillon instead of piece mill with Lee. Yes I change tool heads on the Dillon and it takes a little time but I over run what I need right away and that helps take that sting away a little. Cant wait for things to calm down a little then I will buy more powder dispensers and speed that part up on the setup. Just my opinion. Do what your wallet can afford or makes you happy.

[GARD72977]

If it ain't Blue throw it out..........

[jmorris]

The 650 comes from the factory with a tube and all of the mechanics to take a case from the tube and insert it into the shell plate, with the base model, from the factory. The part they sell as an option is a case collator or case feed, feeder.

Add a collated bullet feeder and 100 round can be loaded in under 4 minutes with everything ready to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl63cR9Y_Y0

[jmorris]

Depending on how you refill one, mostly primer tubes, you can be in the 1000-1500 per hour range without difficulty.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WTZ-_v6Mks

[jmorris]

I have modified the Loadmaster using collated case and bullet feed too. If you can keep one running they will match the speed of any of the others.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9pjmuHAkBU

I have lots of the Dillon’s, had a couple LNL’s, RCBS Pro 2000 and the Lee above. The Dillon’s are simply more reliable. Add in the swage station on the 1050’s and things just get better.

The pro chucker presses had priming issues (parts breakage) right from the start. The new owners had less than useful progressives because they couldn’t get replacement parts in a timely fashion, then those too broke. You only get one chance to make a first impression and that’s why you don’t see a huge following.

[dansedgli]

Those in the IPSC clubs I shoot with who started off on something other than a dillon have a dillon now.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got two lnls. I call them the biggest mistake i ever made. I bought them when they were giving away a 1000 bullets with each press. Add to that they were still cheaper without the bullets then 650s were. Well the bullets were gone the first year and now im stuck with those headaches. Primer problems all the time and one goes out of time about every 1000 rounds you load on it. Seems even switching calibers many times requires tweaking of the timing. Case feeder? Pure junk. I bought them for both presses and havent used them in 5 years. A 650 was designed out of the box to run a case feeder and they work great. The lnl case feeder is more of an add on. Nothing but problems. I found that with all the troubles and stoppages im better off loading on my 550. Its slower but runs like the energizer bunny. Id bet in 8 hours of loading i can crank out more ammo on my 550 then a lnl. For the most part those presses today are reloading room decoration. Buck up and go with a 650 (750 now). If thats to much money get a 550. Dillons just work and are what the press the others are allways compared to. Even a square deal if you just load pistol rounds is a great press and with its shorter stroke can pump out ammo as fast as a 650 with a case feeder. But for 90 percent of the shooters out there a 550 is THE press to own.

[onelight]

I think the large number of upgrades available for Dillon equipment can be attributed to the quality and cost of the base machines it would be a hard pill to swallow to spend 2 to 3 times the cost of a Lee progressive to add a case feeder or other addition . I like Lee equipment and have had all the progressives they have offered and they are an option if you don't want to spend more money , and the output of the Lee progressives will meet your production needs . The Lee ABLP is the simplest and cheapest press in the Lee line to run with out a lot of tinkering but the output is only 3 to 400 per hour for me , the only thing I have to mess with to get running smooth is the case feeder and output serves my purpose.
All the machines have a setup learning and adjustment curve and this forum has members that can help with any of them. But the Lees are not the same quality machine as a Dillon If I only loaded a few different cartridges or had more disposable income I would buy a Dillon probably a 550.
Many here have and use multiple presses on a regular basis I use a single stage a turret and a progressive and have one of each permanently mounted I also have the new Lee app mounted . If you load a lot of different cartridges the cost of the press will be the smallest part of your investment .
Don't sell your single stage or turret if you add a progressive you will miss them :)

[Land Owner]

Wow! Just wow - in the presence of Xerxes of Persia and his Machines!

I, in my humble RCBS Piggyback II simplicity, have no response for this topic.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I run two LNLs...one set up for large primer and set up for small primers.
My son and I reload all of our semi auto pistol rounds and most of our .357Mag loads as well as .223 on our LNL presses.
We load rifle and .375 SuperMag on a RockChucker Supreme press.
All of our big bore revolver cartridges and .38Spl are reloaded on my RockChucker II. I just enjoy loading on that press and since I am retired time isn't much of an issue.

I have two Dillon 550s that I bought at auction that I just haven't gotten around to setting up...mostly because we are doing just fine with the LNLs.
FWIW...the Hornady's have run great for us. We decided the case feeder isn't worth the trouble and I sold the bullet feeder for the same reason. Just not worth the hassle...we still manage to run at 4-500 rounds per hour placing cases and bullets by hand.

[Slugster]

I have never learned to like the Dillon presses. Never needed that much ammo that quick. Have a Lee Pro 1000 (yeah, I'm that guy) that I bought in about 1990 or so. Still use it. Used to fire 200 to 400 .44 magnums per week and this press kept up with my voracious appetite for ammo. The only part that I have had to replace is the little plastic gizmo that turns the shell plate.
As others have said the Lee progressives are a bit fiddly to get started, but will turn out quality ammo. I have turned out tens of thousands of rounds on the Lee Pro 1000 and have never had a double charge or squib.

[tazman]

I need a certain amount of ammo ready to shoot each week. I am also in the group for maximizing time away from wife(at times anyway).
My Lee Classic Cast Turret gives me enough ammo and enough time away to keep me shooting and relatively sane.
It is also simple to operate and pretty foolproof.
Best compromise for me.

[Texas Gun]

Bottom line is you get what you pay for

[Land Owner]

I can make excellent, quality ammunition, one at a time, with a Lee Loader! I have done it. It takes a while. I may get tired. It is even sustainable in a "for as long as I live" mentality. Atlas rolled his burden uphill every day, only to have it roll down again at night, to start over again at dawn the next day. Would I do this on purpose and in the face of "automation"? Not hardly. NECESSITY drives purchasing - if one's personal finances allow. One can "make do" with a VW even though there are Porche's.

[onelight]

I can make excellent, quality ammunition, one at a time, with a Lee Loader! I have done it. It takes a while. I may get tired. It is even sustainable in a "for as long as I live" mentality. Atlas rolled his burden uphill every day, only to have it roll down again at night, to start over again at dawn the next day. Would I do this on purpose and in the face of "automation"? Not hardly. NECESSITY drives purchasing - if one's personal finances allow. One can "make do" with a VW even though there are Porche's.
That is exactly right , lots of good choices we choose how we want to spend our money and time.

[Kenstone]

Wow! Just wow - in the presence of Xerxes of Persia and his Machines!

I, in my humble RCBS Piggyback II simplicity, have no response for this topic.

Yep, I have 3 PBs and have Franken'pressed them all with a Lee Auto Disc and a tube fed Hornady bullet feeder.
So it's place a case-pull the lever, repeat...
I have other presses too, and have managed to get them all functioning reliably.
All on diy common mounts, as I only have 1 press on the bench at a time and the rest stored on a shelf:
268537
works for me,
:lol:

[rbuck351]

I have several different progressives. First you have to decide the volume of ammo you shoot. I don't shoot a lot of ammo but I don't like to spend a lot of time loading for rounds I have only one load for such as 45acp, 9mm, 38spl and such. I have a 550b with a few tool heads set up. The tool head is quick to set up but the shell plate and primer each take a couple of minutes to change. Hand setting bullets and cases and refilling primer tubes I can load around four hundred an hour at an easy pace, about five hundred if I push it.
I also have a star in 38spl ( no bullet feeder ) that will load faster than the dillon if there are no malfunctions. If a malfunction occurs it can take ten minutes to clear.
I have 3 pro 1000s. I don't have much good to say about them unless you like tinkering with them to keep them running. They have the worst priming system I've ever seen.
I've never ran a lnl or a rcbs progressive so no comment.
The Dillon came with very good set up instructions and was easy to set up. The only problem I have had is it will rarely spit a primer out of the primer cup on the way to the shellplate. Maybe 1 in 1000 with small primers. Doesn't happen with large primers. I prefer the manual index over the automatic. There are definitely faster presses but the 550b is actually faster than I need.
If you can only afford one progressive and don't shoot thousands of rounds a month, the 550 is my choice. Also you can save a few bucks by using lee dies and the lee disc powder measure if you want a powder measure for each tool head. With this you can swap a tool head with dies and powder measure in about ten seconds.
I understand Dillon has a no BS warranty but I don't know as in twenty years I haven't had to use it for anything.

[David2011]

Livin_cincy, there is one bit of confusion in your original post. You do not have to return parts to Dillon. You just give them a call with your problem. They will help diagnose and sometimes even send extra parts that they find tend to fail along with the primary part. This is not to say that there are lots of failures; just an example of their excellent service.

Accessories for the Dillons are like automotive accessories. The popular ones are the ones that have accessories available. Not too many for a Ford Fiesta.

[ascast]

good read - I would like a progressive for rifle, like 45-70, 30-06. Soiunds like the 550 or next gen is it. I have a pile of Stars and a Pro1000 for the pistol stuff. Having owned both, I would take the VW over the Porche about any day.

[drac0nic]

I will say oddly I would not in the least thumb my nose at a Lee Classic Turret even though this is a proggy thread. I could be overall content with one.

[Pete44mag]

I learned how to reload on RCBS Rockchucker, moved up to a Dillon 550 after about a year. I shot USPSA, IDPA and Bullseye matches. I also load several rifle calibers for hunting, and have never been short on ammo. Dillon's no BS warranty is just as I says, when I have called with a problem they trouble shot to find the answer and have sent me replacement parts no question asked, no postage in two to three days. Would not think of buying another brand of press, only Dillon for me.

[osteodoc08]

Everybody has their preferences.

I had a LnL and I had frustration after frustration with it, mostly centering around the primer slide design and then the ezject design. Initially Hornady was easy getting repair parts from but when the repair parts are out of spec and don’t fix the problem, or they aren’t redisigned and you get the same pressed in wheel that pops off; it becomes aggravating. Once the rep told me I used my press too much and the part had a wear that was considered being “used too much” and a regular wear item (base plate integral to ezject) and they refused to send repair parts without overcharging for them. I found the Repair part cheaper online. I repaired the press and passed it off to a friend of mine. He’s been happy with it last I checked. That soured me on Hornady (along with out of spec dies, broken and inaccurate scales among others) and I placed an expensive order to big blue to replace all my set ups with their 650 lineup and haven’t looked back. I had a SDB and 550 prior to the 650 order so I knew what I was getting.

I swore off everything red and replaced most my dies, but as the years have gone by I’ve let them back into my life some and use their bullets, some loading tools and Concentricity gauge.

YMMV from mine but that was my experience with Hornady

[Lloyd Smale]

I can make excellent, quality ammunition, one at a time, with a Lee Loader! I have done it. It takes a while. I may get tired. It is even sustainable in a "for as long as I live" mentality. Atlas rolled his burden uphill every day, only to have it roll down again at night, to start over again at dawn the next day. Would I do this on purpose and in the face of "automation"? Not hardly. NECESSITY drives purchasing - if one's personal finances allow. One can "make do" with a VW even though there are Porche's.

I loaded many thousand rounds on a lee hand press. My first loads were made with lee loaders. I guess it comes down to how much you shoot and how much you value your time. I load to shoot. Shooting is my hobby and loading allows me to do it as much as i do. If i shot 50 rounds a month id be happy with a single stage. Then i agree that your budget has to allow for better tools. Some cant afford it. But most of the guys i know that say they cant afford it have 20 guns and for the price of one of those guns you could have a 550.


Many others say they cant afford it but have a nice camper, tractor, boat, motorcyle, atv ect ect. If shooting isnt your main hobby and you prefer motorcycles then thats great. But dont tell me you cant afford a 500 dollar press when you bought some chrome trinket for your bike that cost that much or a new leather jacket. Heck ive got friends that claim they could never have a loading room like mine but spend 200 dollars a month on beer and another 200 on cigarettes. Or they go on a vacation every yearShooting IS my hobby. IT COMES FIRST on my priority list. Yup I own atvs a sports car a new truck and a jeep but If it came down to it the other toys would go down the road before my loading gear and casting gear.

My idea of a day at the range is 300 or so rounds of ammo and in the summer probably do that at least twice a week many times much more. Id have to sit up all night to cast, coat and size bullets and then wade in mud on a single stage press or some progressive that i spend half the night tweaking to run right. It all comes down to how much time you spend on your loading bench. Me? id rather spend an hour and get 300-500 rounds without a headache dealing with inferior crap and the shoot for 3 hours then spend 3 hours on the bench getting a couple hundred rounds and only having a hour of spar time to shoot.

I guess for some even casting a one cavity mold using a sauce pan and a dipper makes sense. If a guy only needs 50 bullets for the month it might be just fine. But when i cast i usually run 20-40 lbs of lead. Im all about making that good quality ammo as fast as possible so i have more time for shooting. Yup like onelight said its all about how we want to spend our money. You go camping or riding your harley and ill stay home and shoot. I worked a hard physical job that paid enough to allow me to buy the loading gear i have and not compromise. heck my wife spends more money on shoes in a year then a 550 costs. If you ask me id hands down take 19 guns and a 550 over 20 guns and a pro 1000. It wouldnt even rate 30 seconds of thinking about it.

[Land Owner]

lloyd, it isn't that I'm cheap, broke, or stingy. You know about me. You know I have safes that are full from purchases, estate sales, and inheritance. It is, I think, that I am SCARED WITLESS to go to a Dillion. That I might LIKE IT TOO MUCH. That it won't at all be compatible with my complete line of RCBS dies, shell plates, presses, and accessories. That STARTING OVER with a Dillon probably is past, now in retirement, with the non-competitive and zero demand shooting that I do. I didn't find, nor look for, the firing range friendships many fostered in their lives. I had my own, anytime range to 300 yards, a single good time hunting and shooting friend (now passed), and I took full advantage of those in the time we had together. Do I need a better progressive than the PBII today? Convince me...I am thinking I am past my prime.

[rbuck351]

I think a guy should be happy with what he likes if it works for him. I should follow my own advice but I don't. About 25 years ago I loaded everything with a Lyman AA which I still have and still use for rifle and load work up. Wanting more speed I bought a Dillon 550b and it is fantastic up to about 400/500 rounds per hr. Since then I have picked up a CH single, a CHIII, two RCs, a rcbs jr, three Lee Pro 1000s, a Bonanza co-ax, a lee hand press, two Lyman proline jrs, a Star universal, a Herters #3 and a Lyman Spar-T. Probably I should have stopped with the Dillon and one of the RCs but I like tinkering with different machinery. The Pro 1000 is a tinkerers dream. It's the only press that I have managed to pop a primer with and blow the primer assy off the press. I bought three of these,one new,and they all have the same many problems. Yes they can be made to work with enough tinkering. I'm not really a glutton for punishment, I just really like a challenge fixing machinery.

[Geezer in NH]

I have had two progressive's loading presses. One for 12 gauge by Possness/Warner and a Dillon SQ deal B in 9mm and a swap kit for 38 special.

The Possness went away when I stopped shooting trap. Loaded over 200K by the counter with no problems requiring any parts. I recommend them highly.

The Dillon Sq Deal B is fantastic in both calibers but Gee they have gotten expensive. Mine works great in both calibers.

Now for centerfire bottle neck cartridges the way I load does not fit a progressive to me. I de-prime on a single station then wet tumble with SS pins and oven dry.

Next I Single station SB size most 223 and 308 then trim in a power trimmer by Dillon. Even my 8mm gets the same treatment except the small base part. All get a little chamfer. Add primer pocket work.

Prime on an RCBS bench primer. Powder is from my Reading measure and then trickled on an electronic scale and measure. Dumped into a case. The case is given the projectile and seated in the single stage press after seeing powder in the case.

If a crimp is to be given it is done in the single stage press in a separate step.

I cannot due that in a giving 1 pull per cartridge. Been told all can be done like that on the progressive's in several passes of the press but why spend the money for the press in the first place.

I have a lot of single station presses set up on the bench, one de-primes only, one trims and sizes, one seats bullets. Batches are done by the coffee can holding the brass.

A Spartan turret press also de-primes, sizes, expands and flares then seats and then crimps my 30/30 stuff. However each step is done in batches turning the top only to the next step of the batch.

I load many calibers none that need 10K per loading. If I shot reloads through the NFA items I have owned I could see a big processive but reloads through a gun worth so much is chancy. I always shot mil-surp through them to me safer than re-loads in most.

I did shoot the 9mm made in the SQ deal B in the Sten and Mac's as I had loaded it.

[Burnt Fingers]

ive got two lnls. I call them the biggest mistake i ever made. I bought them when they were giving away a 1000 bullets with each press. Add to that they were still cheaper without the bullets then 650s were. Well the bullets were gone the first year and now im stuck with those headaches. Primer problems all the time and one goes out of time about every 1000 rounds you load on it. Seems even switching calibers many times requires tweaking of the timing. Case feeder? Pure junk. I bought them for both presses and havent used them in 5 years. A 650 was designed out of the box to run a case feeder and they work great. The lnl case feeder is more of an add on. Nothing but problems. I found that with all the troubles and stoppages im better off loading on my 550. Its slower but runs like the energizer bunny. Id bet in 8 hours of loading i can crank out more ammo on my 550 then a lnl. For the most part those presses today are reloading room decoration. Buck up and go with a 650 (750 now). If thats to much money get a 550. Dillons just work and are what the press the others are allways compared to. Even a square deal if you just load pistol rounds is a great press and with its shorter stroke can pump out ammo as fast as a 650 with a case feeder. But for 90 percent of the shooters out there a 550 is THE press to own.

I spent more time fiddling with the Hornady than loading with it.


Livin_cincy, there is one bit of confusion in your original post. You do not have to return parts to Dillon. You just give them a call with your problem. They will help diagnose and sometimes even send extra parts that they find tend to fail along with the primary part. This is not to say that there are lots of failures; just an example of their excellent service.

Accessories for the Dillons are like automotive accessories. The popular ones are the ones that have accessories available. Not too many for a Ford Fiesta.

I have had to send a part back to get a replacement. It depends on the part. If it's a major part that doesn't have a lot of breakage they want to see it.


Everybody has their preferences.

I had a LnL and I had frustration after frustration with it, mostly centering around the primer slide design and then the ezject design. Initially Hornady was easy getting repair parts from but when the repair parts are out of spec and don’t fix the problem, or they aren’t redisigned and you get the same pressed in wheel that pops off; it becomes aggravating. Once the rep told me I used my press too much and the part had a wear that was considered being “used too much” and a regular wear item (base plate integral to ezject) and they refused to send repair parts without overcharging for them. I found the Repair part cheaper online. I repaired the press and passed it off to a friend of mine. He’s been happy with it last I checked. That soured me on Hornady (along with out of spec dies, broken and inaccurate scales among others) and I placed an expensive order to big blue to replace all my set ups with their 650 lineup and haven’t looked back. I had a SDB and 550 prior to the 650 order so I knew what I was getting.

I swore off everything red and replaced most my dies, but as the years have gone by I’ve let them back into my life some and use their bullets, some loading tools and Concentricity gauge.

YMMV from mine but that was my experience with Hornady

That Hornady priming system will drive a man to strong drink. I don't think I ever got 100 primers through it without problem. I had over a dozen different replacement parts and none of them would work.

My Dillon 650 priming systems work.

[David2011]

lloyd, it isn't that I'm cheap, broke, or stingy. You know about me. You know I have safes that are full from purchases, estate sales, and inheritance. It is, I think, that I am SCARED WITLESS to go to a Dillion. That I might LIKE IT TOO MUCH. That it won't at all be compatible with my complete line of RCBS dies, shell plates, presses, and accessories. That STARTING OVER with a Dillon probably is past, now in retirement, with the non-competitive and zero demand shooting that I do. I didn't find, nor look for, the firing range friendships many fostered in their lives. I had my own, anytime range to 300 yards, a single good time hunting and shooting friend (now passed), and I took full advantage of those in the time we had together. Do I need a better progressive than the PBII today? Convince me...I am thinking I am past my prime.

Your dies will be compatible with the Dillon. The heads are threaded 7/8x14 like all modern dies. You’ll still need the single stage press so the RCBS pieces will continue to get used. You WILL like the Dillon very much. Load development is a complete pain on a progressive press IMO. Once you realize how much you love a Dillon we will deny any responsibility.

[Static line]

Been handloading since 1970. Still using my Rock Chucker and Redding T-7. Had a Dillon 650 while loading my bullets for SASS. Sold it and would never buy another one. It put a bad taste in my mouth for Dillon.

[blikseme300]

I have had all of the major presses but standardized on Hornady for the most part. As I prefer to set up a press in a single caliber I currently own a mix of 18 progressives which include the Pro7, Projector and AP. Attachments include case and bullet feeders and 2 Dillon RT1500’s. Yes they need to be set up correctly but I’m capable of this so it is not a deal breaker for me. The exceptions are the 2 007 presses for single stage work such as short run sizing or decapping some of the rarer cartridges I reload, ie 45-75.

Yes I have other presses on hand that I may use from time to time but as I don’t shoot pistol as much as before so the SDB’s are gathering dust. Reliable machines all but not in much demand currently.

[Lloyd Smale]

lloyd, it isn't that I'm cheap, broke, or stingy. You know about me. You know I have safes that are full from purchases, estate sales, and inheritance. It is, I think, that I am SCARED WITLESS to go to a Dillion. That I might LIKE IT TOO MUCH. That it won't at all be compatible with my complete line of RCBS dies, shell plates, presses, and accessories. That STARTING OVER with a Dillon probably is past, now in retirement, with the non-competitive and zero demand shooting that I do. I didn't find, nor look for, the firing range friendships many fostered in their lives. I had my own, anytime range to 300 yards, a single good time hunting and shooting friend (now passed), and I took full advantage of those in the time we had together. Do I need a better progressive than the PBII today? Convince me...I am thinking I am past my prime.

ya im kind of the same way. I stupidly bought two lock and load prgressives and extra powder measures, measure bushings. quick attach die bushings. All the shell plates case feeder plates and and on and on. Id dearly love to toss them and buy a 650 to go along with my 550 but id about have to give the hornady junk away so i soldier on using my 550 for the most part. Figure at my age i dont know how much longer i will be at it and cant really justify another 1500 bucks in press and accessories. But that said if you ran a 650 one time youd want to toss your rcbs in the pond. So dont do it. There that good and if you really want the hands down best progressive made stand behind a 1050 for a couple hundred rounds. Every time i go to my buddys and run his 650s and his 1050 i need a roll of paper towel to wipe the droll off my face. That 1050 compared to my lnl is like comparing a pinto to a ferrari. The 650 would rate a new vette in that comparison. By the way your dies will work fine with a dillon. Only problem is some of them dont have enough thread to lock them down in the shorter rounds with shorter dies. But most of that problem is with lee dies.

[Lloyd Smale]

I spent more time fiddling with the Hornady than loading with it.



I have had to send a part back to get a replacement. It depends on the part. If it's a major part that doesn't have a lot of breakage they want to see it.



That Hornady priming system will drive a man to strong drink. I don't think I ever got 100 primers through it without problem. I had over a dozen different replacement parts and none of them would work.

My Dillon 650 priming systems work.

yes sir to everything you said. thats not even talking about the case feeder that would be more at home on a pro1000.

[Lloyd Smale]

Been handloading since 1970. Still using my Rock Chucker and Redding T-7. Had a Dillon 650 while loading my bullets for SASS. Sold it and would never buy another one. It put a bad taste in my mouth for Dillon.

if you cant run a 650 you should stay with a single stage. Ive heard alot of people saying they couldnt afford or justify a 650 and the idiots try claiming there lee press is as good. but your the first one ive seen that actually used one and bashed it.

[Static line]

if you cant run a 650 you should stay with a single stage. Ive heard alot of people saying they couldnt afford or justify a 650 and the idiots try claiming there lee press is as good. but your the first one ive seen that actually used one and bashed it.

Yep, that's my story and I am sticking to it. I know it goes against the grain and might ruffle some feathers, but I don't care. It's simply the way I feel and I respect how other's may feel. My experience with the 650 and Dillon's CS is less then desirable.

[1006]

For a new loader looking for a progressive press: Dillon 550.


I Started with a used Dillon SquareDeal B, then a used 550, then a used 650, sold those and went with two new 650’s. One case feeder gets shared with both presses-swapped back and forth. I initially tried to keep a large and small primer designation for each press, but now I just set them up for a caliber and leave it until I need to change it. Most pistol cases of mine use small primers, and most of the rifle loadings are for 223. So, small primer dominates the order of setup.

I still do most rifle priming on a Lee Classic Cast.

I do not advise buying a used Progressive with a lot of wear on it. The savings is not worth it, unless you know it is in almost like new condition, with limited or no modification.

[BK7saum]

I think I would like to clarify a bit on my observations of the presses based upon experience and a few comments by others.

My experience with the Hornady has been favorable. I do not run any case feed or bullet feed attachments. I have the basic press and load by hand. The LNL is set up well to do this with one hand from the left side of the press.

If I wanted to run a progressive with case and bullet feeders, I would not choose the LNL, but would likely go with the Dillon 650/750.

When I purchased my press, I knew that I did not want to spend $1000+ when I could not justify the added expense for cases and bullet feeders. For me, the Hornady was the best bang for the buck at $350ish and 500 free bullets ($150). So for a little over $200, I have a pretty good progressive that has always done what I needed it to.

I have never had any issues with the priming system on my press, except for some tight primer pockets. I believe I changed primer mfgs and solved that problem easily. The ergonomics of the LNL are great for me. I did add an INLINE FAB roller handle. As said, I load case and bullet from the left side and never remove my right hand from the handle. I don't load and shoot hundreds of rounds a week, but when I do load up a batch of pistol ammo, I like to get it done quickly. No way would I try to load my ammo single stage except for maybe some magnum hunting ammo.

For a progressive without the intent to add a case and bullet feeder, I like my LNL. It works flawlessly as a basic press when hand fed.

If I wanted a progressive that had all the extras, I would go with the Dillon.

It seems that most complaints on the LNL are with the case feeder and/or bullet feeder. I think the LNL was designed to compete with the 550 and that the case and bullet feeders are/were designed after the fact to work with an existing press, whereas, the Dillon 650/750 are designed around using the feeder attachments. These are just my perceptions.

[dragon813gt]

Bottom line is you get what you pay for

Sometimes you get more that what you pay for. The Lee Classic Turret is the prime example. It is not a progressive but it’s also not a single stage. It’s a good middle ground for those wanting to load a moderate quantity of ammo in a short amount of time. I use mine quite often because the turrets are setup and I don’t want to setup the 550.

Haven’t had time to read the entire thread but the OP left out the MK7 machines. They certainly had teething problems at the start. The customers getting all the parts needed was one of them. And I haven’t had time to follow the threads to see if the problems are worked out. But the design of those presses are a step above the Dillons. They aren’t for someone that shoots a box ever now and then. But for a competition or high volume shooter they have everything you could want.

[jmorris]

It is not a progressive but it’s also not a single stage.


If you have to stroke the handle once for each die, it’s a “single stage” operation. You can have a turret full of dies and even automatically rotate it with each stroke of the handle but it is what it is. Multiple strokes for each round loaded.

Likewise people that state the 550 isn’t really a progressive are also wrong. Having to index the shell plate by had doesn’t remove the fact that it performs 4 separate operations all at the same time with a single stroke of the handle. Giving the operator a loaded round with each pull of the handle.

[Budzilla 19]

DillonRL-550, two Dillon Square Deal B's, RCBS Rockchucker,( never going to sell that thing), Pacific 007? RCBS RS, Bonanza, and a set of old Pacific reloading equipment, scale, powder measure, press, but to only have one progressive press? Dillon 550 B all the way. Just my humble opinion.

[dragon813gt]

If you have to stroke the handle once for each die, it’s a “single stage” operation. You can have a turret full of dies and even automatically rotate it with each stroke of the handle but it is what it is. Multiple strokes for each round loaded.
I understand and you’re correct. It’s still faster than a “single stage” because you aren’t handling the case before and after each die. Like for like, four dies, you go from handling the case eight times to two. This is why I said it’s a good middle ground.

[oldhenry]

I shot IPSC starting in '80 & loaded everything on a Lyman Comet (SS). The RCBS Green Machine came out & I bought one . It was absolutely the biggest piece of junk imaginable. I could not believe RCBS would put something like that on the market. It had one good point: the case feeder. The priming system was a perfect solution to a nonexistent problem. The auto advance caused more problems than it solved.
A shooting acquaintance that was not a reloader heard about Dillon. He bought one & brought it to me in the box to setup & I was to later teach him the process. I don't remember if it was a 450 or a 550, but I do remember that I kept waiting for it to mess up & it never did. After the GM I was amazed at the primers actually appearing under the de-primed case instead of falling on the floor. I loaded .45 ACPs with abandon. Another friend called & ask how many .45 ACPs I had & I answered "7 gallons". The manual advance was beautiful: I'll never own an auto advance.

I now have a 550B ('95) & a 550C (recent): one for LP & the other for SP. My rifle shooting days are over so my Redding SS is used for de-priming. My AA is rarely used. I have 7 quick change setups for the 550s & I couldn't be happier.

Everyone says Dillon CS is great & I assume they are. I've never needed them.

BTW I like their dies above all others for pistol cartridges with cast boolits.

[Lloyd Smale]

Yep, that's my story and I am sticking to it. I know it goes against the grain and might ruffle some feathers, but I don't care. It's simply the way I feel and I respect how other's may feel. My experience with the 650 and Dillon's CS is less then desirable.

as to there customer service ill give you two examples of what you call "poor" When my barn burned to the ground i lost 5 square deals and a 550. Dillion has no bs warantee and one of my buddys jokingly said to call them and see what they would say. I called and he told me to email him a picture of the barn burned. i did so and called him back. he said he couldnt replace them all but would give me a free 550 or square deal. I picked a square deal. It came with a strong mount a 357,44 mag and 06 family conversions and three tool heads. Second one actually happened years before that. I was on ebay one day and a guy had a bare square deal frame for sale. I allready had 4 and for 50 bucks i figured what the heck. I called dillion when i got it and said i wanted to buy some parts and he asked what. I read off a whole page of parts i needed to make it whole and when I was done i asked him, how much? He said no charge they will be in the mail today. I told him "you know i bought the bare frame and im not replacing broken parts" he said "i figured that because nobody breaks that many parts." Only company in ANY industry that even comes close is rcbs. I bought a power trimmer from them many years ago and have wore it out twice and sent it back for a new power head and both times they sent me an entire new trimmer. Wear out your car or buy a car with no drivetrain and see if ford will take care of you like that???? How many companies offer a lifetime no bs warrantee on anything these days?

[dragon813gt]

Everyone is going to have unique CS experiences. I’ve never had to use Dillon’s but I have had to use RCBS. I’ve found theirs to be inconsistent. Sometimes they charged me for parts and sometimes they didn’t. The irony of that is that one of them was a rebuild of a LAM1 where I was expecting to pay and the parts for free. The other was a legitimate breakage and I had to pay. The kicker to that one was that the part didn’t fit, machined incorrectly. Ended up using one of the spares I had on hand.

My point is that just because one person had a good experience doesn’t mean everyone will. If I ever do need to use Dillon’s CS I have high hopes they will take care of me. But if they don’t I work be surprised either.

[jmorris]

I’ve found theirs to be inconsistent. Sometimes they charged me for parts and sometimes they didn’t. The irony of that is that one of them was a rebuild of a LAM1 where I was expecting to pay and the parts for free.


I’ll admit to having said, “OK, thank you.” When told a price before and calling back later to get another employee that shipped the parts to be for free.

Truth is all of them, even the cheapest, Lee are better businesses to deal with as far as customer service than most others areas in life. Dillon has really set the bar pretty high. A 35 year old press still has the same warranty as it did the day it arrived. I could sell my oldest Dillon’s for more than twice what I paid for them new, after loading hundreds of thousands of rounds on them.

I wish they made cars or pretty much anything else that drops in value just by taking possession of it...

[dragon813gt]

Truth is all of them, even the cheapest, Lee are better businesses to deal with as far as customer service than most others areas in life.
Absolutely, and it’s because the companies are run for the long term and not quarterly profits. Maybe not RCBS since they’re part of a conglomerate but their warranty is still well beyond most.

I personally like Lee’s warranty procedure. Take some pictures and submit the claim online. They respond quickly and You end w/ the parts you need. You don’t pay for warranty up front like you do w/ Dillon so it may cost you. But they don’t claim a lifetime warranty either.

[farmbif]

dillon has always been a stand up company, they are into more than just reloading machines, don't they make mini guns and custom mounts for govt contracts too?
reading all this thread makes me want to sell a gun or 2 and get a new shiny 750

[slam45]

i have a rockchucker from the 70's and a 550 from the 80's... i worked in a commercial casting shop in the 90's where we sold Dillon stuff and had all their presses working... the case collator noise drives me nuts so i never enjoyed using the 650 or 1050 and found the 550 to suit me fine... Dillon has replaced any part i managed to break quickly with no fuss... I've collected perhaps a dozen tool heads and cal conversions... the only falling out i have had with Dillon is their inability to stop sending me the blue press catalog every month... to stop it i had to make them delete me from their customer data base, and at that, i know it will start again when i buy something from them again... small problem, but i totally hate junk mail, shop online, and don't want or need printed catalogs... i can load 50 perfect rifle rounds in less than an hour on the RC after spending time with it for close to 50 years...

[Burnt Fingers]

i have a rockchucker from the 70's and a 550 from the 80's... i worked in a commercial casting shop in the 90's where we sold Dillon stuff and had all their presses working... the case collator noise drives me nuts so i never enjoyed using the 650 or 1050 and found the 550 to suit me fine... Dillon has replaced any part i managed to break quickly with no fuss... I've collected perhaps a dozen tool heads and cal conversions... the only falling out i have had with Dillon is their inability to stop sending me the blue press catalog every month... to stop it i had to make them delete me from their customer data base, and at that, i know it will start again when i buy something from them again... small problem, but i totally hate junk mail, shop online, and don't want or need printed catalogs... i can load 50 perfect rifle rounds in less than an hour on the RC after spending time with it for close to 50 years...

There are some good articles in the Blue Press.

[nicholst55]

dillon has always been a stand up company, they are into more than just reloading machines, don't they make mini guns and custom mounts for govt contracts too?
reading all this thread makes me want to sell a gun or 2 and get a new shiny 750

They make Mini-guns, mounts, and I believe that they install the mounts into vehicles for .gov (and possibly other) contracts. Have you seen the video of the Chevy Suburbans that have hidden Mini-guns in them? The top of the cargo compartment opens up, and the gun raises up from the vehicle! I have seen a video of a similar setup for the GAU-19B .50 3-barrel Mini-gun. That one is quite impressive!

[jmorris]

The M134D is their improved version of the GE minigun, they have been making them for the last 18 years or so. Before that they modified older GE units.

[derek45]

I have Dillons, 550b and XL650

they are like old reliable friends

I really enjoy them both.

I've heard a lot of USPSA/IPSC and IDPA shooters say something like-

" I replaced my brandX with a Dillon and couldn't be happier"

I have never heard anyone say-

""I replaced my Dillon with brandx and couldn't be happier"

Here's a survey from the USPSA/IPSC Nationals a few years ago.

DILLON dominates

https://i.imgur.com/JZkMH4f.jpg

[gnappi]

I'll go back to the OP's question... "Thoughts on progressive loading machines"

To me there's several paths a loader can take and much relies on available time, accuracy / quality / quantity needs, and available bucks.

For me, if I'm loading my .308 for accuracy, I load on my RCBS Big max. I weigh and prep every case, and throw and weigh every charge. I am really fussy with the .308's feeding habits.

I have two 550's and a 450 as well, and never used any of them with my accuracy needs in mind. For .40, .38, .357 .223, .222 etc, I pretty much accept what I get with the variability of mixed cases, a minor variation in charge weight and appreciate the speed. Funny I ran my Lee turret presses for a LONG time before I upgraded to a Lee 1000 and finally to Dillons (by chance finding a 450 and 550 in a garage sale) and when back then I needed 1k pistol loads per week the progressives were just the ticket.

With trap, skeet and International skeet, I started on the conservative side, but quickly moved on to a hydraulic MEC.

Nowadays I could be satisfied with all turret presses, but the Dillon presses are not eating anything so they, the Big Max and MEC get to stay.

[Lead pot]

With regards to the lee pro 1000.
There are more fixes on the U-tube with this press and to get it to work, mostly with the prime feed and other tinker fixes. I have one and it's not worth the price of gas to take it to the scrapyard for recycled aluminum change you would get for it.

[poppy42]

With regards to the lee pro 1000.
There are more fixes on the U-tube with this press and to get it to work, mostly with the prime feed and other tinker fixes. I have one and it's not worth the price of gas to take it to the scrapyard for recycled aluminum change you would get for it.

If ya think it’s that bad, send it to me I’ll pay the shipping lol

[David2011]

I just did a YouTube search for “Dillon press repair.” Nothing found.

[derek45]

i just did a youtube search for “dillon press repair.” nothing found.

lol

right on !

.

[Kenstone]

I just did a YouTube search for “Dillon press repair.” Nothing found.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dillon+press+mods

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=dillon+press+upgrades&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=dillon+press+accessories
;)

[gnappi]

I just did a YouTube search for “Dillon press repair.” Nothing found.

Hang on, I had a problem with one of mine, years ago now what was it??? Oh I remember now, my powder measures were getting stuck in the "dump" position and they redesigned the powder measure by adding a bushing on the "L" shaped arm on the measure and added a linkage to pull the powder slider back, they sent me new measures and parts all free of charge. Since then all of my problems have been operator error, I could fill up youtube with fixing those :-)

[dogmower]

I have two projector presses from Hornady. I literally wore one out, between sizing and trimming with the Dillon case mounted trimmer, and general reloading over 30 years, that press has been operated at LEAST one million times. That is no exaggeration. In a 3 year timespan in the early '90's I trimmed and loaded 100,000 .223's alone (I load for 62 different calibers).
When the press finally would not hold tolerances to consistently turn progressively, I called Hornady. They had me ship the press to them to "see what we can do". They completely refurbished it with new internal parts, free, and even covered the return postage!
I still have the press today, and I'm still using it to size, trim and reload. I recently ran an accuracy comparison with my favorite 6.5 Creedmore loads (same rifle, ones loaded in Projector vs. ones loaded on my Rockchucker). I could not see any significant difference in accuracy between the two.
Nothing against RCBS, Dillon, or Lee, but Hornady gets my vote as the best progressive press, hands down.

[Huskerguy]

I agonized over what to get several years ago. A friend has a Square B, a 550 and a 650. None were without some issues at times. I went with the LNL for several reasons. I like the fact I could use the dies I already had. I too can keep my right hand on the handle and use my left for brass and bullets. I could never get comfortable with the B and 550. I did have some issues at first with the priming on the LNL but a quick polishing and it runs like a champ, just keep the powder and other things out of it. I did go with a universal powder die and that works very well for me. I only load 8 calibers.

A couple years ago the same friend picked up a used Square B and gave it to me, it was set up for 45 which I load but not a lot of. It costs $100 just for new dies, no tool head. I can change my LNL from 38 to 9mm in just a few minutes.

The 550 is a good way to go if you want to get a bunch of tool heads set up and you don't mind turning it. I just find the LNL does all I need it to do and more.

As far as his 650, it took a long time and some additional parts to get running well. Once set up, he leaves it set up for 223, too much of a hassle to change.

Bottom line is they all work to one degree or another. I have and have used the ones I listed but I am perfectly happy that I don't have a permanent place on my bench for the Square B at this time. It sets in a cabinet and we pull it out when we both want to load some 45's.

[David2011]

The only Dillon past or present that doesn’t use standard dies is the Square Deal B. The 450, 550, 650, 750 and 1050 all use 7/8x14 dies. Advancing the stage on a 550 is a non-event after using it for a few minutes. I’ve been using one since 1991 and it’s as automatic as using a brake pedal in an automobile.

[Lloyd Smale]

With regards to the lee pro 1000.
There are more fixes on the U-tube with this press and to get it to work, mostly with the prime feed and other tinker fixes. I have one and it's not worth the price of gas to take it to the scrapyard for recycled aluminum change you would get for it.

theres one at the bottom of my pond out back if someone wants to go swimming;)

[mjwcaster]

Livin_cincy, there is one bit of confusion in your original post. You do not have to return parts to Dillon. You just give them a call with your problem.

I love my Dillon 550 and lust after an automated 1050 but I have to disagree on all the free parts.

Small parts they are still good for, but not everything any more.
I finally called for some parts for my 20+ year old 550 last year and they wouldn’t provide powder bars. But they would sell them to me at $30 each.
All the other parts I requested were sent free of charge.
Dillon has been burned by people getting warranted parts and selling them on evilbay, so I can’t blame them.
And the parts are worn due to my lack of maintenance, missing plastic bushing caused excessive wear in the actuation slot of the bars, plus accelerated wear from lack of cleaning.
Piece of junk only lasted 20 years :-)

I might have gotten better service from another rep, other people have posted about warranty issues that were resolved by calling back and getting another rep, but it didn’t bother me that much and I didn’t reload much in the last year, just really getting back into it in the last few weeks

I just ordered another complete powder measure (can never have too many toys) and when the current madness ends I will send in my 2 old measures for repair/replacement. Or maybe pay the ~$90 and send the whole press in for some TLC.
I figure the measure only cost me $30, $90 - 2x$30 (price of bars).
I still might buy one more small bar, that way I can just switch bars instead of taking a few minutes to readjust powder throws for my most loaded calibers.
The older I get, the lazier I become, plus I have a tool addiction.

Still can’t beat the performance for the price.

I still love Dillon, but things aren’t quite like the stories of the good old days due to people’s ethical greed, stealing basically.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MT Chambers]

I do not have or use a metallic progressive press, I've seen a Star in use and was impressed, my P-W 12 ga. reloaders are solid and slick, but when i see clips on here using some other reloaders they look like they are ready to fall apart. They are swaying and flopping from side to side and don't look like they will survive and I don't see how they could produce accurate safe ammo. They operate like they are set up on springs, I'll just keep doin' what I'm doin'.

[Burnt Fingers]

I love my Dillon 550 and lust after an automated 1050 but I have to disagree on all the free parts.

Small parts they are still good for, but not everything any more.
I finally called for some parts for my 20+ year old 550 last year and they wouldn’t provide powder bars. But they would sell them to me at $30 each.
All the other parts I requested were sent free of charge.
Dillon has been burned by people getting warranted parts and selling them on evilbay, so I can’t blame them.
And the parts are worn due to my lack of maintenance, missing plastic bushing caused excessive wear in the actuation slot of the bars, plus accelerated wear from lack of cleaning.
Piece of junk only lasted 20 years :-)

I might have gotten better service from another rep, other people have posted about warranty issues that were resolved by calling back and getting another rep, but it didn’t bother me that much and I didn’t reload much in the last year, just really getting back into it in the last few weeks

I just ordered another complete powder measure (can never have too many toys) and when the current madness ends I will send in my 2 old measures for repair/replacement. Or maybe pay the ~$90 and send the whole press in for some TLC.
I figure the measure only cost me $30, $90 - 2x$30 (price of bars).
I still might buy one more small bar, that way I can just switch bars instead of taking a few minutes to readjust powder throws for my most loaded calibers.
The older I get, the lazier I become, plus I have a tool addiction.

Still can’t beat the performance for the price.

I still love Dillon, but things aren’t quite like the stories of the good old days due to people’s ethical greed, stealing basically.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The powder bar isn't something that breaks.

[mjwcaster]

The powder bar isn't something that breaks.

Define breaks.
My small charge bars are worn out and not working properly nor safely. They hang up and get stuck at times, even after a good cleaning.
As stated above, the actuator slot is worn, mangled, no longer square, along with the whole bar is worn.
One is serviceable, barely, the other is not.

They do not perform the function for which they were designed, they are broken.

Not Dillons fault, I take the blame for lack of maintenance, but indeed they no longer work properly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[David2011]

I do not have or use a metallic progressive press, I've seen a Star in use and was impressed, my P-W 12 ga. reloaders are solid and slick, but when i see clips on here using some other reloaders they look like they are ready to fall apart. They are swaying and flopping from side to side and don't look like they will survive and I don't see how they could produce accurate safe ammo. They operate like they are set up on springs, I'll just keep doin' what I'm doin'.

I have a Ponsness Warren Duomatic 375 so I understand what you’re saying about how solid they are. I also currently have two Dillons and have owned a total of four of them. They would only sway and flop around if not securely mounted, just as with a P-W. The Dillons are smooth precision machines capable of producing very accurate ammunition in the hands of a capable user.

[dverna]

I do not have or use a metallic progressive press, I've seen a Star in use and was impressed, my P-W 12 ga. reloaders are solid and slick, but when i see clips on here using some other reloaders they look like they are ready to fall apart. They are swaying and flopping from side to side and don't look like they will survive and I don't see how they could produce accurate safe ammo. They operate like they are set up on springs, I'll just keep doin' what I'm doin'.

Please do not be offended but your opinions are incorrect. Every competitive pistol shooter I know uses a progressive. I doubt anyone can shoot a pistol better than the accuracy of ammunition produced on a good progressive press. But I have only owned or used Stars, Dillon’s and a Camdex.

[SweetMk]

Define breaks.
My small charge bars are worn out and not working properly nor safely.
Not Dillons fault, I take the blame for lack of maintenance, but indeed they no longer work properly.


Hey, mjwcaster, I have a Dillon, and I have never seen anything that implies the charge bar needs maintenance,,

What should be done to the powder feeder?

I thought the graphite in the powder acted like a lube,, so I just have run my 550B,,
It has never been serviced,, on any part of the press,,

For a decade, I loaded at least a 1,000 44 MAG per month,, my neighbor and I would shoot a lot,,,
We destroyed a LOT of steel targets,,
(I thought that was a lot... Hmmmmm,,)

[Petrol & Powder]

Going all the way back to the OP;

There's an AMAZINGLY strong human tendency to self-validate your own decisions, particularly purchasing decisions.
Once someone has made a decision to purchase something, they tend to view that purchase as a wise decision.
It's not a flaw, it is just something we must recognize.

It can also be very difficult to fit other people's criteria to your criteria. For example, one person may value durability over all other aspects, while another person may see cost as the primary factor. So when someone highly recommends something, it may be wise to ask why they hold it in high esteem.

Some people are just more mechanically inclined than others. I have a friend who is highly intelligent but he thinks a screwdriver is a drink that contains orange juice and vodka.

How long has the person owned the device? Did they have an opportunity to replace it and decide to hold onto it? Or did they only recently acquire it?

Did the person buy another identical item to supplement the first one?

Did the person buy the item? Inherit the item? Was it a gift? Did they pay a lot for it or was it inexpensive? - All of these factors can affect how they perceive the quality of the item.

Is it just shear brand loyalty? I've seen people struggle with products but refuse to switch brands.

In the end, only you can decide what is best for you.

[Lloyd Smale]

Define breaks.
My small charge bars are worn out and not working properly nor safely. They hang up and get stuck at times, even after a good cleaning.
As stated above, the actuator slot is worn, mangled, no longer square, along with the whole bar is worn.
One is serviceable, barely, the other is not.

They do not perform the function for which they were designed, they are broken.

Not Dillons fault, I take the blame for lack of maintenance, but indeed they no longer work properly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dont have a fail safe rod on your powder bar? Dillion will give you one for free and theres no way your powder bar can hang up with a fail safe system. Only ones ive ever seen hang up were the old square deals with the springs for return. Ive loaded hundreds of thousands of rounds on those square deals and the springs can get tired. that said ive loaded hundreds of thousands on a 550 with a fail safe rod and dont even know how a powder bar could possibly hang up. If it did its would surely stop the machine cold. i dont know how much you load but i load A LOT and have never wore out a powder bar. Ive wore out carbide dies. Wore out the plastic bushings on square deals, but the only thing thats ever "wore out" on a 550 has been primer return springs.

[Lloyd Smale]

Please do not be offended but your opinions are incorrect. Every competitive pistol shooter I know uses a progressive. I doubt anyone can shoot a pistol better than the accuracy of ammunition produced on a good progressive press. But I have only owned or used Stars, Dillon’s and a Camdex.

yup ive used dillons, hornady lnls, stars, and even lees and have never seen anything flopping side to side even on a cheap pro 1000. Like was already posted. About 99 percent of competition handgun ammo is loaded on progressive machines and ive load TONS of rifle ammo on 550s and lnls and with the rock chucker sitting there too. Same load same gun loaded on any of those machines groups size variations would need to be measured in .001s. Show me a guy that claims he will only load on a single stage machine because his ammo is more accurate and ill show you someone that doesn't shoot enough to aquire the skill to take advantage of it. Either that or he sleeps 3 hours a night because between shooting and loading and casting (some say you have to use single cav and a ladle to get good bullets too) and sizing he spends 12 hours for every hour he can spend shooting. I reload to shoot. I reload so that its is cheaper to shoot so i can shoot more. I buy equipment that allows me to spend the least amount of time loading (and still getting quality ammo) so i can spend more time doing what i love! SHOOTING!!! I was the guy who got up at 4am so i could cast a pot before work. Come home and go shooting for an hour then stay up till midnight sizing bullets and loading ammo on my rock chuker so i could do it again the next day. Then it got to the point that rounds like the 556 i had to take a lee hand press to work and a lee primer and size and prime brass on breaks and at lunch to keep up. When i bought my first 550 i thought i died and went to heaven. Went there again when I bought my star sizer. Then added 5 square deals set up in pistol calibers so if i wanted ammo they were set to go. Lost all that in a fire and before my new barn was even done i had a new 550, three lnl progressives and a rock chucker set up on a new bench in the garage. Only mistake i made was not going with 650s or even back to square deals instead of those lnls. Load with what you want but if i had to go back to a single stage press id sell everything but a 44 mag and an 06 to hunt with and find a new hobby. you can have my wobbly 550 when you pry my cold dead fingers off of it. Hands down the best 500 bucks a guy that actually shoots can make. Cant afford it? Sell a gun.

[mjwcaster]

Hey, mjwcaster, I have a Dillon, and I have never seen anything that implies the charge bar needs maintenance,,

What should be done to the powder feeder?

I thought the graphite in the powder acted like a lube,, so I just have run my 550B,,
It has never been serviced,, on any part of the press,,

For a decade, I loaded at least a 1,000 44 MAG per month,, my neighbor and I would shoot a lot,,,
We destroyed a LOT of steel targets,,
(I thought that was a lot... Hmmmmm,,)

All my issues with the press have been operator error.
Lack of cleaning, and checking for loose/missing parts.
The plastic bushings (bell crank cube #13871) on the bell crack #97034 cracked/went missing and I didn’t notice and kept running them. So the round nub on the bell rank wore the channel out on the bar.
Plus one bar/measure corroded/wore to the point that powder would escape between the bar/measure and my efforts to clean/polish it made things worse.
The press was also improperly stored in a high humidity environment for some years and rusted/corroded.
As far as I am concerned Dillon owes me nothing as far as the powder measures are concerned, it was my fault.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mjwcaster]

dont have a fail safe rod on your powder bar? Dillion will give you one for free and theres no way your powder bar can hang up with a fail safe system. Only ones ive ever seen hang up were the old square deals with the springs for return. Ive loaded hundreds of thousands of rounds on those square deals and the springs can get tired. that said ive loaded hundreds of thousands on a 550 with a fail safe rod and dont even know how a powder bar could possibly hang up. If it did its would surely stop the machine cold. i dont know how much you load but i load A LOT and have never wore out a powder bar. Ive wore out carbide dies. Wore out the plastic bushings on square deals, but the only thing thats ever "wore out" on a 550 has been primer return springs.

There is a failsafe rod, but it only works the bellcrank and only pulling the powder bar out.
If the problem is where the bellcrank meets the powder bar.
So sometimes the powder bar won’t move enough to get a charge or if it does it hangs up long enough for the shell plate to be down far enough so that when it finally breaks free with a jolt powder just dumps everywhere, some of it making it into the case.
Yes it is broken really bad, and no it did not happen overnight, years of neglect caused this.
This particular bar/measure was worn and finicky but when the above issues started happening it was downed from service and I just used the other measure and small bar, which while worn is still in somewhat serviceable condition.

Dillon did send out new plastic bushings for the bellcrank, but this particular bar is too worn out for that to fix it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Smale]

why dont you replace the worn bars! It makes me shake my head. I load more the 90 percent of the people here and my bars dont look like new but theres not wear or gouges in them anywhere. I would think if anything would wear first it would be the cast measure body the slide rides on. Bottom line is there a mechanical tool. They need to be kept clean and lubricated where needed. Absolute only trouble the dillion measures have given me is they dont meter stick powder real well. But then ive yet to find one that did. Honestly if mine was wore out after all the rounds ive loaded i sure wouldnt be ashamed to admit it here. Round count is in the hundreds of thousands and anything mechanical wears out. Its a testament to dillion that they dont wear out. Now like ive said. Im a big fan of square deals even though i dont own them anymore. But i will tell you that all 5 of the ones i had had to have new (plastic) bushings after a couple hundred thousand rounds. i always kept a spare set in the drawer so i could rebuild it and call dillion for a new set to keep in the drawer. Ive wore out square deal carbide sizer dies but id bet if a guy did the liquid pin type cleaning instead or walnut like i use that would have never happened either. If you can snap a couple pics of those wore out bars. Id like to see where they were wore.

[mjwcaster]

Lloyd read my responses, no need to shake your head.
I have multiple powder measures, not just one broken one.

I have another new powder measure on order and will send the powder measures or maybe the whole press back to Dillon after all this madness is over.

I am replacing the bars, just in my own way.

Full explanation-

I was initially just going to send the whole press back for the $90 rebuild instead of paying $60 for just two bars. Seemed like a better deal to me, spend a few more bucks and let the factory rebuild everything.

And one of the powder measures/small bars still works Ok with a new bellcrank bushing, even if it is worn a bit.

I just didn’t cast or reload much last year or most of this year and never got around to sending the press in.
No sense in spending money on something I wasn’t even using, I even toyed with the idea of selling the press, then buying a 650(now 750) when I got back into reloading.

I just really got back into reloading in the last month but it is not the time to send anything in to Dillon, they are too backed up.

It was hard to even find a powder measure in stock, actually all I could find was a kit with extra tool head and stand included. Sad thing is I wanted an extra tool head just for sizing until I got the Lee App, now I don’t really need it.

I might even buy 1 more powder measure so I can just leave all my most used calibers setup, whenever I can find just the powder measure by itself.
If I didn’t want to upgrade to a bigger Dillon it would be easier to justify more accessories for my 550.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mjwcaster]

Lloyd here is a pic of the bad bar where the actuator rides.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/64e062b591fc0645c7aee63c7a4cbb47.jpg

And I suspect the cast body might be worn, hence the powder escaping the bar. Another reason I didn’t just spend money on a replacement bar.

Taking a straight edge to things, the spacer isn’t flat either.
Who knows, but I still attribute it to improper storage and operator error, the wear pictured from the missing actuator bushing was nothing but operator error. That just didn’t happen in one reloading session.

Dillon did send me new primer slides and primer track bearing.
They were worn and sticking no matter how clean/polished I got them.
New ones worked fine, no priming issues as long as I keep things clean.

Did I mention this press was not stored/maintained the best.

To give you an idea I had kept my reloading setup in totes in an unconditioned shed when I lived in southern Illinois.
I opened a tote one day and found the bottom filled with water. Took me a while to realize it was just from condensation, building didn’t leak and the tote had a lid on it.
While I have owned the press for 20 years it was in storage for at least 10 of those years.
When I really got into reloading 7 years ago I did a lot of rust removal and lubing, should have just sent the press in then.
But a testament to dillon, even after all that abuse, with a little cleanup the press was in working condition, as things got bad a few small replacement parts got it back fine.
All except the powder measure, which just got worse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Smale]

man thats beat up and gouged up. Almost looks like it seized in the body and someone beat it out. Never seen anything like it. But for sure that measure and those bars are all junk. Im sure dillion would replace them for free if you sent them in. That sure doesnt look like normal wear from loading. Something happened to cause that. Like i said mine have MANY MANY thousands of rounds and dont have a single scratch on them and that said im not some anal guy who is constantly cleaning it. Matter of fact ive never once cleaned a dispenser or charge bar. Only thing i clean is the primer system occasionally. No doubt your storage episode caused some major corrosion of the cast parts and caused the galling. Just be thankful its not a lyman or youd be opening your wallet to get it right. Dillions no bs warantee is just that. I lost my square deals and my first 550 in a fire and i called dillion and told them all i had left was the steal ram of the 550. They sent me a brand new 550 with 3 tool heads a caliber coversion and a strong mount for free. Thats like accidently burning your pickup and expecting ford to give you a free replacement!!

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I had a Dillion Square Deal for 45acp and .357 and .44. Was easy to stay ahead of 45acp match needs with it. Did not like switching over to a new caliber with it though. When I got back into shooting after about 15 years off I started with a Rock Chucker again. That combined with a Lee AAP press had me at a production level that could keep up with my shooting. Decided to start loading 9mm and that is when I started thinking of a progressive again. But I got a Lee Classic Turret instead. Extra turrets are cheap and I like how fast you can switch calibers with it. Having the dies all adjusted in their seperate turrets is great. Watched the videos of the fully automated machines and they look fantastic. But I don't need that many rounds so the investment is not worth it for me. The Rock Chucker will do rifle duty. I have the inline fabrication quick change set up with case ejectors and bin holders and they increase productivity nicely.

[cat-mechanic]

Define breaks.
My small charge bars are worn out and not working properly nor safely. They hang up and get stuck at times, even after a good cleaning.
As stated above, the actuator slot is worn, mangled, no longer square, along with the whole bar is worn.
One is serviceable, barely, the other is not.

They do not perform the function for which they were designed, they are broken.

Not Dillons fault, I take the blame for lack of maintenance, but indeed they no longer work properly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had one like that and last week walked into Dillon and they looked at it and handed me a new one.

I also had the carbide insert pulled out of a Dillon die. handed that to them and they handed me a new die.

I have always had top notch service walking in to the Dillon showroom.

As it is right now, I have a 450 set up for 300 Win Mag (it stays that way). Then 2 550's, 1 in large primer and 1 in small primer.

Then I have an RL1100 and a Super 1050 on a Mark 7 auto drive. I did just add a couple more conversions to the 1050/1100, so I will probably sell off one of the 550's.

The part I like most about Dillon, is in 20 minutes I can be at the store and usually they have everything I need.

[Lead pot]

theres one at the bottom of my pond out back if someone wants to go swimming;)

LOL, Lloyd it's a good thing you didn't have your fishing boat tied to it. It wouldn't hold it anyway. LOL.

I was real heavy into the bulls eye pistol and combat and when you get used to use a Star progressive for loading pistol ammo and for trap the Ponsness/Warren 800 you get spoiled with their smoothness and how well they work. I sold the star in the late 70's when I quit shooting the pistol matches because the lack of matches being held here close. I didn't have time to travel because of my Plumbing trade when the work schedules are heavy in the warm months working 60 hrs a week keeping up.
I still have the 800 P/W press and the only problem I ever had with it is sweeping up the shot off the bench and floor when I bumped the shot dump lever with my elbow :)

For the rifles I just use the Rock Chucker or the RCBS Big max. Never had much interest using a progressive for rifle.

But we all have our own ways and satisfaction with what tools we use.

[mjwcaster]

So I outsmarted myself, yet again.
The new powder measure kit arrived yesterday and I opened it up to marvel in it's glory.
Then I realized that they changed the failsafe rod with the powder measure redesign and my old one wont work with the new measure. I couldn't do anything but laugh. I still have one working measure so I can keep loading for now.

I just filed an online warranty claim with Dillon for parts, new failsafe rod assembly and included pics of the worn bars and asked about just sending the old measures in for replacement/rebuilding.
We will see what happens, too bad I really didn't want to bother them when they are so busy right now.

And Lloyd I explained what happened with the bars, missing plastic bushing 13871, no hammering or that type of beating, just unintended, repeated metal on metal contact. The bellcrank is made out of much harder material, there is no wear on it at all, it just slowly ate into the powder bars.
I have no idea when the bushings went missing, if I just lost them when changing bars, they cracked and fell off or if they were never there when I bought the press used.

[Greg S]

I have a Dillon 550. It had just came out in 86 or 87 when I purchased it, the only game in town. Looked at a 650 and a 1000 the last 3-5 years after I got out of skeet and sporting clays. Got a hydro Scolari in all gauges for that. If I was to do it again with the products out there, I would go for a 550, 650 or 750 and be done with it. On the road as much as I am now, I rock an RCBS Rock Chucked for the limited pistol and rifle calibers I load for when I need to zone out.

[gnappi]

Define breaks.
My small charge bars are worn out and not working properly nor safely. They hang up and get stuck at times, even after a good cleaning.
As stated above, the actuator slot is worn, mangled, no longer square, along with the whole bar is worn.
One is serviceable, barely, the other is not.

They do not perform the function for which they were designed, they are broken.

Not Dillons fault, I take the blame for lack of maintenance, but indeed they no longer work properly.



For future reference, after replacing them using motor mica regularly on and under the powder bar frees them up nicely and prevents wear.