What's so great about the RCBS furnace? [Archive]

StarMetal

12-30-2009, 01:40 PM

The Lee's are only more popular because of their lower price. Price all the furnaces the same and then see what is more popular. I've had my RCBS furnace since 1980's and it's still running fine with zero problems along the way.

Joe

OutHuntn84

12-30-2009, 01:43 PM

Okay, but what makes it supperior to Lee? Besides it hasn't broke down. I've had a Lee for going on 8 years and besides a little dribble now and then no problems.

machinisttx

12-30-2009, 01:43 PM

I'd bet if someone did a poll the most popular melters would be Lee.

It's logical that the lee would be owned by more people since it's about a fifth of the price of the lyman, and a sixth or less the price of the RCBS. Even so, that isn't the question I asked. ;)

StarMetal

12-30-2009, 01:48 PM

It's logical that the lee would be owned by more people since it's about a fifth of the price of the lyman, and a sixth or less the price of the RCBS. Even so, that isn't the question I asked. ;)

Well let's see, it's very well made, keep the temperature very steady, the setting are fairly accurate, everything works on it as intended, and it's very durable. I mean look, many people have bought enough lee's since 1980 (if they bought the first one then) and that probably equals or surpasses the price of the RCBS. I'd never buy anything but if mine gave up the ghost and then RCBS would fix it.

Joe

BruceB

12-30-2009, 03:05 PM

My personal casting career began with a skillet on the kitchen stove. I progressed to a Lyman/Saeco furnace rather quickly, and that pot expired in the mid-'80s after almost 20 years' service. At that point my wife gave me an RCBS furnace, and it still functions perfectly to this day.

I have used other folks' Lee furnaces on rare occasions, and found them lacking in my eyes...after decades with the RCBS, of course!)

I believe in buying quality in anything I can afford, and the RCBS furnace (and their other tooling) has that in spades. If my RCBS furnace expired totally in my next session, I would buy another one immediately. "User satisfaction" is the bottom line, and I am one satisfied user.

machinisttx

12-30-2009, 04:01 PM

in comparison to the Lyman?

I'm currently using an ancient ten pound Saeco. I've considered replacing the thermostat and/or doing a temp control conversion, but I'd still have a ten pound pot when I'm done.

mike in co

12-30-2009, 04:10 PM

well maybe because it works.....is not prone to dripping and ohh yeah it works.

i have two lee's( i paid for one), two lyman, and one rcbs.

one lyman and the rcbs are used in parrallel for most casting. one lyman i sused for linotype alloys, and the last lee is for casting bbl slugging slugs from pure lead...only...no production use at all......cause it drips!

mike in co

MtGun44

12-30-2009, 09:14 PM

Lee pots are OK, tend to drip more, smaller capacity, no mold support.

Not bad, but like most Lee stuff pretty darned good for a whole bunch less money.

Some Lee stuff is just absolutely the most innovative design on the market, but
often they go just a tad too far in the 'cheap' department. I have a lot of Lee stuff,
most is just fine. I tend to use my RCBS pot the most nowdays - capacity and
reliability and the mold support are the big reasons. The little adjuster for the
rate of fill is pretty useful, too. Recently cast a bunch of 95 gr .380 boolits - was
spraying lead all over the place until I dialed down the fill rate. Had been casting
405 gr boolits - which needed more fill rate.

Bill

deltaenterprizes

12-30-2009, 09:50 PM

The stainless steel pot is a big plus and the 22 pound capacity. I have one I got in 1983 that went through Hurricane Katrina, I changed the theromostat and it is still kicking, a little ugly though!

Guesser

12-30-2009, 10:05 PM

My first Lee 10# bottom pour purchased new in 1980 gave out the other day, *** can't even make it 30 years. Had to go to my Saeco from Carpenteria Ca. to continue. Its probably 45 years old and still works. Ordered me a new Lee, I like them. I've used the RCBS back in the 80's, good unit but too rich for my blood.

Uncle R.

12-30-2009, 10:13 PM

RCBS pots have thermostats - not just rheostats. They cycle the heating element off and on to hold the melt at an even temperature.

Lloyd Smale

12-31-2009, 08:51 AM

rcbs bs lee the first time you cast with a rcbs youll wonder why you even fooled with a lee. Lyman vs rcbs. I used 2 lyman 20s for many many years and they are good pots. Probably as good as a rcbs. I have two rcbs pots now and the main reason i bought them is that rcbs will fix them for my lifetime for free. twice i had to have my lymans rebuilt and it cost about a 100 bucks a crack to have them done once you figure in shipping. So i figure the first time one of my rcbs pots takes a **** ill be even up for the differnce in money and and future repairs will put me ahead. Now before you get down on lyman for breaking ill say this. Everything mechanical eventually wears out. The theromstats and heating coils will eventually go on any pot. These lyman pots were run just about daily for well over 15 years. Personaly if I didnt cast as much as i did i would have probably bought new lymans and saved a 100 bucks a pot as the lymans would last most casters the rest of there lives.

plumber

12-31-2009, 10:17 AM

I'm using a Lyman mag 20 I got this spring. It's an upgrage from the lee, but the spout freeze is really annoying. Ive got a micro torch next to it now.

Lloyd Smale

12-31-2009, 11:05 AM

thats one thing ive noticed about the rcbs its not as prone to freezing up.
I'm using a Lyman mag 20 I got this spring. It's an upgrage from the lee, but the spout freeze is really annoying. Ive got a micro torch next to it now.

dragonrider

12-31-2009, 11:26 AM

$$$ is the reason why I have Lee pots. RCBS while certainly a great pot is just too expensive. I have bought three Lee pots, currently have a 4-20 and two tens. The first ten I bought suffered a melt down after 20 or so years. The second ten I now use as a premelt for the 20. Its all I need in a lead pot.

rockrat

12-31-2009, 12:15 PM

My RCBS pots freeze up when I add a bunch of metal (over 4 lbs), but I also have a torch nearby. I still use my Saeco I bought back in '75 or so, but added an RCBS pot, then got another at a garage sale for half what the new one was. Have a Lee also. Keep different alloys in each one.
Like the 22lb capacity, wish it was 40lbs, when I am casting for the 50bmg.

BruceB

12-31-2009, 12:37 PM

If you pre-heat the metal which is to be added to the pot, no freezing will occur.

My ingots are cast in angle-iron moulds which create ingots 10.5" long and weigh about three pounds. If these are placed on the top flat of the furnace, directly over the melt, they'll reach several hundred degrees in short order. The RCBS pot will accept four of these ingots on its flat top for warming, and I just move the row forward as they're melted in turn. Cold ingots are added to the back of the row to begin their warm-up.

A pre-heated ingot, added to a pot which has a melt level barely low-enough to accept the new metal, should not reduce the temperature enough to necessitate a halt in casting. Just keep on motoring!

This routine works especially well with the RCBS furnace due to its large, flat top surface. However, there's no reason why it won't work with other pots. I prefer to keep the pot as full as possible at all times, which (I think) aids in consistency. I KNOW that keeping it nearly full speeds-up the melting of added metal.

9.3X62AL

12-31-2009, 01:04 PM

Another VERY happy user of the RCBS Production Pot furnace here. I rank it as my best casting tool ever purchased or used, and I wouldn't bat an eye at spending the money for a second one if the need arose. Worth every dime spent, in my estimation. You will not regret the outlay.

I have no experience with Lyman or SAECO pots. They seem from owner impressions to be very good products, too. I've run two Lee pots, and while they have their issues (drip-o-matic stalagmite makers) they are serviceable and affordable, like a lot of Lee tooling. They just require a little 'finishing' or buyer-upgrading, that's all.

Once in a while, I dipper-cast from a 10# Lyman pot atop the Coleman white-gas camp stove. I've found this the best method to make consistent BIG boolits, like the Lyman #462560 Mastodon Stoppers for the Ruger #1 in 45-70.

rtracy2001

12-31-2009, 03:03 PM

RCBS pots have thermostats - not just rheostats. They cycle the heating element off and on to hold the melt at an even temperature.

So is it the Lyman pots that just use the Rheostat? My fleabay special Lee has a lovely bimetallic thermostat.

I use the Lee because I could afford it (well get the $30 past the SWMBO anyway).

I have an idea...

Buy me an RCBS pot so I can convert. :kidding:

Jon K

12-31-2009, 03:31 PM

Another +1 here for RCBS. I use mine for bottom pour of 7mm-38 cal.
BP 38-45 cal I ladle pour with a Waage K-4757 pot.

Jon

deltaenterprizes

12-31-2009, 03:48 PM

I think you better check the warranty on the RCBS, Ithink it is only 2 years.

machinisttx

12-31-2009, 09:29 PM

Guess when the wife gets back to work and I have some free money, the rcbs will be at the top of my "to buy" list.

AbitNutz

12-31-2009, 11:42 PM

I think you better check the warranty on the RCBS, Ithink it is only 2 years.

It's not anything like 2 years. It's pretty much forever. At least mine was. I have an RCBS Promelt I believe it's dated 1989 when I bought it. I quit casting or reloading for 10 years and just last year started back again.

When I tried to use it the spout clogged from dirt. In trying to clear it things went totally sideways and the spout was literally beaten out of the bottom of the pot. I sent it to RCBS...paid the shipping. 2 weeks later it came back and everything had been replaced but the paint. No charge, shipped back at their expense. Warranty? I don't know how long it is but it's a lot longer than 2 years.

I've had Lee's and they worked but nothing I've had or used works as well as the RCBS Promelt.

cbrick

01-01-2010, 12:12 AM

I spent 25 years trying to wear out my RCBS pot, couldn't do it. Wore out the Lyman during the same time period, it still works but it's on it's last leg and takes constant tweaking & fixing to keep it going, loaned it to a friend about five years ago to get him started casting. He is now a pretty fair caster and an expert at keeping the Lyman pot going. The Lyman is about the same age as the RCBS but it has not had nearly the use the RCBS has, the RCBS works as good today as the day I took it out of the box and the Lyman is a basket case. If I ever get it back I'll send it to Lyman and have it refurbished and use it for 50/50 alloy (light duty).

The only reason the RCBS is not my main pot today is because I got the Magma pot for it's 40 pound capacity. I still use the RCBS, it has the 6 BHN alloy in it but this is far less of my casting.

To rate these pots for quality my experience would put them as: Magma, RCBS, Lyman, Lee.

Rick

Bullshop Junior

01-01-2010, 12:39 AM

RCBS's warranty is Lifetime or forever, what ever comes first.

Lloyd Smale

01-01-2010, 08:44 AM

I think youll find that adding 4lbs of lead to any 20lb pot will cause the temp to dip low enough to freeze it up. Your certenly not going to get consistant bullets if your adding that much cold lead and are trying to continue casting. Ill add one lb at a time to a pot while casting but no more. A bigger pot like a magma might let you get away with it but i dont care what brand of 20lb pot you have thats to much cold lead to add.
My RCBS pots freeze up when I add a bunch of metal (over 4 lbs), but I also have a torch nearby. I still use my Saeco I bought back in '75 or so, but added an RCBS pot, then got another at a garage sale for half what the new one was. Have a Lee also. Keep different alloys in each one.
Like the 22lb capacity, wish it was 40lbs, when I am casting for the 50bmg.

rtracy2001

01-01-2010, 05:12 PM

RCBS's warranty is Lifetime or forever, what ever comes first.

Not according to their website,

http://www.rcbs.com/general/warranty.aspx

Dies and presses are lifetime, electronic scales and chronograph, one year, and the lead pot etc. is only two years.

I imagine if you bought one back when the warranty was lifetime, they will still honor it, but the rest of us are up the proverbial creek. All good things come to an end I suppose.

Stove_Pipe

01-01-2010, 05:21 PM

I like mine, but I am a bit biased. I got mine for free, it was made in 1983 and runs great.

Good to see another Arfcommer here:drinks:

Russel Nash

01-01-2010, 05:44 PM

I will be back in a minute. I took my RCBS Pro Metl apart and took pictures of it.

I wasn't all that impressed with it, and I figured that if a guy was really handy, you could make one just as good, if not better, at a far less expensive price.

Russel Nash

01-01-2010, 05:50 PM

Here is the thread that I had posted about the innards of the RCBS Pro Melt:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=41055&highlight=rcbs

Somewhere on this forum there might be a thread started by jmorris about his very own automated bullet casting machine that he made.

He used some heating element for some Sears appliance...a stove... err... oven I guess. It was easily bendable around the pot that he fabricated...err...welded together.

If you go back to my RCBS Pro Melt innards thread, in one of the pics, the thermocouple is actually in direct contact with the spout. And it really isn't that great of a picture because in the background, you can just barely make out that the heating element runs right in a straight line across the very bottom of the bottom. Essentially the thermocouple lead and the element parallel each other across the bottom of the pot.

leadman

01-01-2010, 06:47 PM

I used a 10 pound Lee for many years, then bought a 20 pound Lee. Worked pretty well.

I then bought a bunch of stuff from a guy that had quit casting 10 years ago. There was an RCBS pot in the stuff so I cleaned it up an tried it. I will never go back to a Lee!
I weigh all my boolits and since began using the RCBS the weight of the boolits I cast is much more consistent.
As an example I just cast about 500, 160 grain 38 caliber SWC from a Saeco mold. 100 of these weighed 159 to 159.9 grains. Two boolits were in the 158 grain range, the rest weighed 160 to 160.9 grains.
When I was using the Lee #10 pot the weight spread was about 4 to 5 grains.

The weight spread with the RCBS pot would probably be smaller if I could cast these without stopping. Have to take breaks due to severe arthritis so every #10 or so I take a 10 minute break and the mold cools down.

beagle

01-01-2010, 11:25 PM

Works all the time and seldom drips. I have two and both have developed minor problems over the years and RCBS has repaired both of the at no charge and they paid the shipping one way.

They're a bit pricey initially but you can't beat 'em./beagle

1bluehorse

01-02-2010, 12:41 AM

cbrick

01-02-2010, 01:43 AM

I guess I'm kinda new at casting, 10 or so years, but why would the brand of melter have anything to do with the consistansy of the bullet weights??

Temp effects boolit weight, inconsistent temps and you have inconsistent weights.

If a particular brand of pot cannot hold a consistent alloy temp (wide swings in temp from power on to power off) the mould temp also varies widely and thus the boolit weights vary, sometimes a lot.

Rick

cajun shooter

01-02-2010, 12:16 PM

If you will purchase a RCBS and a Lee and use them side by side you will never have to ask that question. Yes the Lee is about 5 times cheaper. You have people who only cast 4 or 500 bullets a year and the Lee will do that although you will have the rheostat that goes from hot to cold to hot and the constant drip at the nozzle. You set the thermostat on your RCBS and don't look back. The only thing that you do with it is add more lead. The end of my frustration was well worth the price of the RCBS.

1bluehorse

01-02-2010, 01:03 PM

Temp effects boolit weight, inconsistent temps and you have inconsistent weights.

If a particular brand of pot cannot hold a consistent alloy temp (wide swings in temp from power on to power off) the mould temp also varies widely and thus the boolit weights vary, sometimes a lot.

Rick

I'll certainly agree with you there. I bought a used Lyman pot and used it for several years. Good melter, finally died. Saw a Lee Pro 20 for like 50 bucks so I figured I'd try it. Is it as good as the old Lyman, heavens no..and I'm absolutley sure it won't compare to the RCBS either but at 7 to 8 times the cost, why would anyone expect it to..I use a Lyman thermometer with the Lee and the temps stay within my parameters. I like to keep my melt around 675 degrees, (ww) and it does pretty well. Do it Leak???? you bet...but I have done a little fine tuning and it don't drip very much. It melts lead, keeps it that way, far as I know thats pretty much what they're supposed to do. And the warrantys are the same, two years. However I would be more apt to think the Lee would need that far more than the RCBS pot..

hammerhead357

01-02-2010, 11:12 PM

The first Lee I bought burned out the very first time I used it. Now I didn't call Lee or send it in for replacement. I just purchased a new RCBS and went on at one time I used 2 old SAECO pots also but after rebuilding the controls in them several times I got rid of them. I then bought a total of six RCBS pots. One was stolen and I still have 5 left the only one that I have problems with is one I S###w#D up my self.
At one point I was selling 40,000 cast bullets per week and all were poured using RCBS pots and Hensley & Gibbs moulds....Wes

Russel Nash

01-03-2010, 01:32 PM

^^^ that is a lot of boolits to be pouring by hand.

:shock:

340six

01-03-2010, 04:16 PM

I have been looking at the Lyman 20 pounder and RCBS 22 pounder the rcbs is 70 bucks more.
Although I do not have the cash for one at this time just window shopping and thinking that RCBS is worth the extra 70 since I have allways gotten good customer service one the last 30 years from rcbs.
Working on cars for many years has made me want to spend extra cash out front and get what realy works best!
Why? Since good tools are worth it since ya holding them all day and depending on them.
This may not be the case with these lead pots though.

TAWILDCATT

01-06-2010, 01:26 PM

fine if you have the money to spend on an RCBS.but if you dont the Lee is a very good pot.I dont have trouble with drip.and may be because I have had more experiance.my first pot was a gilbert toy caster,and modified spout.the next was a lyman in 1945?. I have a Saeco and a Lee now.I have modified the power to both.I also have a Potter 3lb pot.from the 1930s.and still have the Gilbert.
I now use the harbor freight speed control.it controls voltage so the eliment stays on all the time.
I wonder who makes these pots.lyman pot went out same time Saeco closed.
and lymans 20 lb was a disaster.now lyman and RCBS are simular.RCBS with better electric control.