3 Used Lead Furnaces

[beeser]

Just getting started in casting lead bullets and just picked up the 3 furnaces shown below. All are powered by 120VAC except the RCBS Pro Melt which is 240VAC. Which one will serve me the best?
275623
275624
275625

[farmbif]

some people got all the luck. all 3 of them will get the job done. I guess you need to heat em up see if drip try each of them out and decide which you like best.
I been casting bullets for a bunch of years and have not yet come across a used Lyman or rcbs bottom pour pot.

[Kylongrifle32]

I picked up a very old well used lyman pot myself about two years ago. It's got a little drip probably from a worn seat but I really enjoy using it. But not as much as sitting under a shady tree with the Coleman stove, pot, and ladle.

As beeser said give them all a try to decide which one you like. Or do what I would probably do if I had three working pots. Fill and fire them all up and go to town.

[Bazoo]

Well, the 110 ones will serve most folks the best as you can plug them up anywhere. The 220 one, maybe it could be rewired to 110 if you don't have a shop with 220. Personally, I'd use each for different alloys and can the lee if I was wanting to free up space or funds.

[Mk42gunner]

For what its worth, a ten pound Lee like you show is the only bottom pour pot I have ever had a runaway flow problem with. The valve rod is easy to dislodge from the wire bail, then oops. I now keep mine in one of the cheap aluminum turkey roasting pans, just in case it happens again.

Never used a Lyman pot, so no advice here.

The Promelt needs some parts, but I really like using mine for four to six cavity molds. 240 VAC isn't much harder to run than a 120 VAC circuit, I'd try it before getting rid of it.

Like Bazoo says, multiple pots make keeping different alloys ready to cast easy.

Robert

[Winger Ed.]

Way cool.
They all will work, and do a good job, so I'd keep all 3.

If one burns out, and you've gotten rid of the others-- the prices on the new ones is way up there now days.

[Conditor22]

I'd start with the Lyman because of the spout thickness and handle/valve profile

[afish4570]

I picked up a very old well used lyman pot myself about two years ago. It's got a little drip probably from a worn seat but I really enjoy using it. But not as much as sitting under a shady tree with the Coleman stove, pot, and ladle.

As beeser said give them all a try to decide which one you like. Or do what I would probably do if I had three working pots. Fill and fire them all up and go to town.

I use two pots, one to refill the one I am casting from. Keep the 110 volt pots . Maybe sell the 240 v and get another 20# Lee or convert the 240 v to 110v if feasible. Just a thought. afish4570

[Garyshome]

I would keep all 3. I use 2 whenever I cast. Saves a lot of waiting around time when getting to the end of the alloy supply in 1 pot.

[country gent]

I would keep the lyman and RCBS. become a speed caster and use one for melting one for casting, the only down time will be draining and refilling the pre melt pot.

On a little more serious note, I would try all three to see if they all work then c couple sessions with each to see which you like. Is the Pro melt a US 249 ir European 240. Finding the European plug here in the states. may be tricky.

See what works for you and use it

[beeser]

I would keep the lyman and RCBS. become a speed caster and use one for melting one for casting, the only down time will be draining and refilling the pre melt pot.

On a little more serious note, I would try all three to see if they all work then c couple sessions with each to see which you like. Is the Pro melt a US 249 ir European 240. Finding the European plug here in the states. may be tricky.

See what works for you and use it

I don't know whether it's a US or European version but if you look closely at the nameplate it shows 240AC 800W. It didn't come with a plug. I put one (240V) on and it quickly melted a few small bars of lead. Actually I tried all three furnaces and they all work. I have a few more essentials to get and I'll be ready to cast my first bullets. I'm reading Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook in preparation for it.

[richhodg66]

I'm using a Lyman just like that one now. Fought with one of those Lee 10 pounders for way too long. More trouble than they're worth in my opinion. When I started using that Lyman, I couldn't believe how much easier it was to make good bullets.

[Springfield]

Funny, I have all 3 of those, plus a Magma 40 lber. I like my RCBS, but I gotta say, that cast iron pot on the Lyman keeps a more constant temp due to it's mass. It does take more time to heat up, though.

[rockrat]

Guess I have been lucky. Have picked up 3 used Pro-melts over the years, 2 in the last year. First one about 12 years ago. Replaced my 50 year old Saeco. Keep different alloys in each pot. Oldest one, IIRC is 36 years old, newest is 14 years old. All work great. Had to get a few parts for one, but RCBS shipped them out right away.

Go for the pro-melt, holds a lot more lead.

[dimaprok]

I have Pro Melt, it leaks worse than my 20lb Lee :( but I like the pot. I tried to sand the plunger at an angle but it didn't stop.

[dimaprok]

Way cool.
They all will work, and do a good job, so I'd keep all 3.

If one burns out, and you've gotten rid of the others-- the prices on the new ones is way up there now days.

The whole pot shouldn't burn out, just a heating element and those are not that expensive to replace, well at least with Lee that I tried.

[Rcmaveric]

One of my future projects is to mount a 20lb bottom pour pot above another 20lb pour pot. So the top pot can fill the bottom. Then reload the top and cast away while the top melts.

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[dverna]

One of my future projects is to mount a 20lb bottom pour pot above another 20lb pour pot. So the top pot can fill the bottom. Then reload the top and cast away while the top melts.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

I bought a 20 lb Lee to do that with my Lyman furnace, and never got around to it. Then found a used Master Caster (40 lb pot) so I have a new Lee sitting on the shelf. Should put it on EvilBay and sell it. LOL

But your idea is a good one.

[Rich/WIS]

You're lucky, the Lyman has the mold guide. They have gotten all but impossible to find. Depending on the molds you use it may need a bit of modification for molds that are wider than Lyman. For some of my molds had to take a piece of flashing and make a cover that sits on top of the guide so it wasn't necessary to balance on the arm.

[Rcmaveric]

I need to find me one of those older cast iron lined pots too for my zinc casting curiosities.

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[Rcmaveric]

I bought a 20 lb Lee to do that with my Lyman furnace, and never got around to it. Then found a used Master Caster (40 lb pot) so I have a new Lee sitting on the shelf. Should put it on EvilBay and sell it. LOL

But your idea is a good one.I shamelessly stole the idea from a shot maker I saw. It was designed that way so you could keep the head pressure steady on the dripper.

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[Mk42gunner]

A couple more thoughts.

The 10 pound Lee will be able to keep up with a double cavity mold quite easily, but it may lack capacity to effectively use a six cavity mold. I generally use mine for pure lead round balls. It is easy to see the spout on though.

If you plan to piggyback two pots, you may want to run another separate electrical circuit to run the second pot from. I don't know what you have, but better to be safe than sorry.

Robert

[plainsman456]

I have all 3 and the last one i got was the Lyman 61.

I fixed the plug in and it has been used for 5 years or more.

The others are on the floor.

[kevin c]

One of my future projects is to mount a 20lb bottom pour pot above another 20lb pour pot. So the top pot can fill the bottom. Then reload the top and cast away while the top melts.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

I did that, putting my 4-20 over the ProMelt I refurbished. I used a hole saw to open the aluminum base to let the lead stream through. The ProMelt is wide enough to allow clamping the 4-20 on top, though I did get hardware from Lee to shorten the distance from spout to base.

I hate fiddling with the alloy stream as the head pressure decreases as the pot empties, especially as I have to fiddle it back once I refill the pot. With stacked pots I'll cast no more than a quarter pot, refill from the top, recharge the top with sprues and ingots, and then cast another quarter pot, etc., without having much change in head pressure and without ever having to mess with the adjustment screw.

[David2011]

Just another opinion, the Pro-Melt is the best score. Mine is at least 40 years old and still going strong.

[Sam Sackett]

I am using a Lee pot just like that. I like that it's fairly easy to see the spout. If I can't see the spout I usually make a mess trying to hit the sprue holes.

Maybe I'll grow up someday & do better.

Sam Sackett

[Sarge653]

I just pick up a Sacco model 24 pot for $50 at legs.

[Jtarm]

I don't know whether it's a US or European version but if you look closely at the nameplate it shows 240AC 800W. It didn't come with a plug. I put one (240V) on and it quickly melted a few small bars of lead.

That’s interesting.

When I tried to order the 240v Promelt 2 from RCBS (because they didn’t have the 110 and I have a 220 in my garage), they said it was for the European adapters only.

[KevH]

I have a Saeco that's the same post as your Lyman which I absolutely love. I also have a Pro Melt. Those old Lyman/Saecos are awesome.

[phidelt208]

I have the first two pictured and I really really like the Lyman, mine is beat to heck and it still heats fast and pours smooth.
I even ran zinc through it once.