Furnaces

[zzmoore]

I need to start casting. Was thinking of the Lyman or RCBS bottom pour furnaces. However I am also wonderong if maybe it is worth spending the extra money for one of the Magma or Ballisti machines? As far as cast bullets go, I shoot 45 Colt, 44-40, 38-55 and 32-20 over Goex 2F and 3F. Any advice from you guys would be great.
Thanks For Your Time

[454PB]

I hear the RCBS, Lyman, and Magma pots are great. I use Lee, have since they were offered, and never had one fail yet. I've cast several tons of boolits with three different Lee lead pots over the last 30 years or so.

Excuse me while I duck, I HEAR INCOMING!

[Dale53]

Lee 20 lb Pro pot is the bargain of the year. They do good work, also. If anything happens to either of my RCBS pots, they will be replaced with the Lee at 1/4th the price of the RCBS or Lyman.

Dale53

[Buckshot]

..............Lee Pro 20-4 for my money. I've seen botht he RCBS and Lyman but have never ever used one. I may be missing something I admit, but the extra $200 I did NOT have to spend was also nice.

..................Buckshot

[Marshal Kane]

...I've seen botht he RCBS and Lyman but have never ever used one. I may be missing something I admit, but the extra $200 I did NOT have to spend was also nice......Buckshot
RCBS Pro-Melt, new in the box $209, Lyman Mag20, used in excellent condition $138 both bottom pours purchased on ebay several years ago and still going strong. Would expect both furnaces to last a long time to justify their price. Shop around before deciding to buy. Am not putting down the Lee furnace, it sounds like a good unit.

[Marshal Kane]

If anything happens to either of my RCBS pots, they will be replaced with the Lee at 1/4th the price of the RCBS or Lyman. Dale53
By the time that happens you'll have other interests, like learning to play the harp.:)

[RANGER RICK]

ZZMOORE

Welcome to the world of casting .

You listed a few different calibers you will be casting .
You didn't mention however how many molds you are going to run at one time .
If it is one or two molds the lee will work great .
My first pot was a Lee 20 pound .It did great with a couple molds .
If you run more than two molds (my molds are large cavities ) the Lee will not keep up .
I migrated to the magma 90 pound pot . No more worries and my pot stays full all the time .
I still have my lee 20 pounder and use it for nothing but straight Linotype .


RR

[BruceB]

I must be getting close to the 20-year mark with my RCBS. No complaints at all, and since it was a gift from my wife, the price wasn't an issue either.

Incidentally, if anything "happens to" your RCBS pot, RCBS will fix or replace it without charge.

[Dale53]

I WILL say that my RCBS pots have been just DANDY!! I have had the first one for many years and thousands of bullets. The second one is a fairly recent addition I bought from an estate.

Marshall Kane - Just because I am 132 years old (more or less) doesn't mean that I won't outlive my lead pot:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:.

Dale53

[Shepherd2]

I bought a new Lyman and used it for about 35 years until it broke down. I bought a Lee Pro 20-4 and used it for about 3 years. It was pretty frustrating a lot of the time because of the dripping. I spent a lot of time fiddling with it. A few months ago I bought a used Lyman Mag 20 from one of the members here and I'm a happy caster again.

[Springfield]

I have 3 Lee pots. I now use an RCBS pot, and it is head and shoulders better than the LEE. I do mostly LEE 6 hole moulds, and the 20 lb LEE pot(which only holds 16 pounds) can't keep up with my casting. The RCBS pot(holds actual 22 pound of lead) is much better. It has a real thermostat that measures temp of the pot, not the temp of the air next to the pot, so I can set it and be assured of some degree of accuracy, unlike the LEE. My RCBS also doesn't drip, drip, drip like the LEE. I now use the LEE pots as a refill for the RCBS when I really get going with bigger moulds, even the RCBS can't keep up. If money is the main problem, then go with the LEE. If you just want a nice pot, get the RCBS. I would like one of the Magma pots but can't justify the 400.00 right now.

[WBH]

Lee might be OK for a dip pot, but their bottom pours have always leaked on the ones I have seen. For bottom pours I have a Saeco 10# and a Lyman 20#. No complaints there.

[Benny]

This probably doesn't amount to a hill of beans, but I'm using a Herters bottom pour furnace my Dad purchased back in 1969...I had to replace the power cord to it a while back, and it's still cookin.......

[georgeld]

Shucks, you guys are tryin so hard to make me feel bad.

I've used the same Lee 10# propot for over 25yrs and until I tried to drill
stoppage out of the nipple and wrecked it, seldom had a problem with it.

I only use Lee's 6 cavities too. 300gr .45's are the biggest, but, keep a couple ingots on the top lip preheating and drop one in when it get's down far enough.

Most times it'll keep up at 750 or more, when it drops less than 700 I wait til it catches up. Four hours I can fill a coffee can full with SWC 38's.

Sent that wrecked pot back to Lee for repairs and they rebuilt it to like new for $8. At the same time I bought a new one for back up and it's still NIB. Got the old one rebuilt and back in about ten days.

I have a hard time believing anyone can beat that.
I've used this for big 6oz sinkers too. Coffee can's full of them.
Am sure this one pot's run over 5 ton of lead in the time I've had it.

This was $35 or so when I got it new, but, they're around $55-60 now depending on the source.

George

[chunkum]

In regard to the Lee furnaces, I purchased one (a 110 V 20# bottom pour) from another shooter and it's served well though recently the pour-nipple has been freezing up (ie the alloy solidifying), this first occuring when melting a large volume of X-Ray shielding. It's an intermittant thing and, left to itself, it "melts" again and will again "pour" when triipped as it should. If in a hurry, a propane torch to the nipple facilitates the "recovery" but it is irritating. Any solutions? Other than patience?
Best Regards,
Chunkum

[9.3X62AL]

I scored a new-in-box RCBS furnace for $50 some years ago, and it is head-and-shoulders above the Lees it replaced. I still have one of the Lees laying around, where its dripping isn't a problem in its current career as RCBS Alloy Pre-Heater.

Before getting and using one, I'm not sure I would have sprung for an RCBS pot at full price. After using one, I'd drop the cash without a moment's hesitation.

[686]

do you bottom pour? does the magma pot fave 2 spouts? how does that work for 4-6 cav? thanks