Lyman press kit crusher 2????

[haff202]

The lyman press kit with the crusher press.....is there any junk tools that come with this kit??
price is around $300 for kit. Is this worth the money??? 45-70 reloading

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, I have Midsouth's most recent monthly flyer showing Lyman's kits and the going price for the Crusher kit is $341.38. It does not include dies and shellholder; they have to be ordered separately. The accessories that they are including are ok and relevant. That is to say that most of it has been around for a while and does the job. I don't know about the "Pro 500 scale" so can't comment on that. I personally don't think it is worth all the money especially with some of Lyman's antics lately in the quality control department. I believe that you could do a lot better with a Lee Classic Cast single station that is currently on Sale at Midway for $77 and a set of dies that would bring you to around $100. with the shellholder thrown in. A good powder measure like the RCBS would run you another $60. Add another $40 for a decent RCBS scale and you're in so far for a total of $200. The qustion is do you need a trimmer with all the bells and whstles? If so then add another $40 or so. You're still ahead $100. the rest of the accessories that Lyman tosses in are nowhere near the difference. Go online and do ome shopping around with Midsouth and Midway for Lee, RCBS, Hornady, etc. and compare prices. There is lots to choose from so don't rush into any deal before being as informed as you can get.

[1hole]

Lyman is a major player in reloading and by far the oldest maker, they don't make junk tools.

That said, I would never recommend a "KIT" for anyone. No kit is complete, they all require additional items and no maker has the best tool choices across the board. Much better to pick and choose each item by its features, not its color.

Lee's Classic Cast single stage is the better press currently availalbe in its class, at any price. The only things outside its class is the Forster CoAx and Redding's UltraMag, both of which are horribly higher priced for little actual benefit to the vast majority of users.

If you are a total noob, the first thing you need to get is a reloading manual, even before you start buying tools. The Lee and Hornady books seem to have the best basic instructions for reloaders currently available. (Lyman used to be the best but their current #49 has left out a LOT of info stuff their previous editions had and has limited loading data as well; it's truly sad!)

[bearcove]

RCBS rockchucker page 4 mid south flyer. If you ever wear it out, probably not, they have great CS. I'm gonna order one to sit next to my 60 year old lachmiller.

[.357]

I have a pro 500 scale came with my acculine kit. Great scale i like it and it works well. plastic base so be careful but mine is going on 7 years it's still going strong. And if you're looking for a reloading setup i bet the guys here can scrounge up stuff from their stuff and sell it to you pretty cheap. They did that for my casting stuff and my buddies reloading supplies. Shoot i know i have extra stuff. shoot me a PM and i'll look around if you are wanting stuff and i'll send you a price list.

[Lloyd Smale]

the crusher is a good press. I used one for years as my only press. If it were me though id go rcbs. Quality is just as good and the warantee is hands down better.

[jeff423]

I'd stick with the Crusher, at least it's not made with Chinese castings. I've had mine for several years. When I bought it Lyman was selling "blemished" units for $80.
I would have to agree about "kits". I bought a Lee kit once and 2 hrs later I was back buying the rest of the parts I needed, and to replace the lousy Lee powder measure. I also got several small parts that I've still not used. The problem is until you start you don't know what you will need.
In general I agree with Lone Wolf - get a good RCBS scale and powder measure.

Jeff

[Wayne Smith]

If you are willing to buy used equipment a little judicious shopping on eBay is a good idea. One of the best scales in the business is the RCBS 1010 and you can typically pick up a used one for less than $70. Powder measures are equally available and inexpensive. Presses likewise, but I haven't shopped for one lately and don't know average prices. You do need to know historic equipment and quality of construction, but ask questions here. Most of what you find there someone here uses.

A couple of years ago I picked up both a Redding powder measure with micrometer and a Bair pistol measure together in one price. I was somewhat familier with the Redding but knew nothing about the Bair. I started with an RCBS and still have it, I kept the Bair and passed the Redding on to a kid I'm teaching to reload. Obviously, I learned a lot about the Bair!