Load Master is better than Dillon

[r1kk1]

Here we go agin.

r1kk1

[BoolitSchuuter]

WOW!! Talk about raising the dead!!! This thread died in 2008.

[jmorris]

I don't know what to say, I'm sitting here shaking my head like I do when I see a kid with metal stuck all over their face or covered in tatoos.

[UNIQUEDOT]

Seriously? ? The loadmaster better than a dillon?? Are you SERIOUS?

Jerry was serious back in 08 and he still feels the same way today. I know because i recently asked him, but of course the Dillons he had were the 450, 550, and SDB's.

[sparky45]

I've owned both Loadmaster(2 of them) and Dillon (one 650xl), there is a comparison between the two, but it isn't favorable to the Loadmaster. Now, if you want to hand prime every case prior to running them through the Loadmaster, it will load good if not excellent ammo. But for workmanship, utility, and worry free reloading, Dillon is a much better choice.

[44Vaquero]

Ok, I was not going to say anything this time but I am going to any way. I do not understand how people have problems with the Load Master priming system. I have been running mine for over 20 years and I can count on one hand the number of primer related issues experienced. Keep it clean, de-burr the plastic, keep it full and pay attention and you are home free.

I will say this though: The Dillion vs Lee thing is like comparing Chevy's to BMW's. They both do the same thing only one is more comfortable.

[UNIQUEDOT]

Ok, I was not going to say anything this time but I am going to any way. I do not understand how people have problems with the Load Master priming system. I have been running mine for over 20 years and I can count on one hand the number of primer related issues experienced. Keep it clean, de-burr the plastic, keep it full and pay attention and you are home free.

I will say this though: The Dillion vs Lee thing is like comparing Chevy's to BMW's. They both do the same thing only one is more comfortable.

I've not had many problems with mine either. My problems occurred only with .380, but they went away before i figured out the cause. I think most people that can't run the press have problems in that they can't comprehend everything the contraption is doing at once and due to the fact they never get everything properly adjusted. I actually find it quite simple, but the best description i have for the press is contraption. Functions like something from the acme co.... the wyle e. coyote acme. I've really grown to like mine alot and i actually like the priming system on the press.

[rasto]

DO not compare incomparable. At least the price.
I am the Loadmaster owner and during 3 years I was swearing a lot.
The biggest problem is well known priming, the other one is indexing and depriming (pulled rod out of the die, broken pin ...).
The main problem cause field collected brass especially S&B nontox cases with narrow primer pocket !
Oh well, you need to be handy to upgrade all issues otherwise you are damned.

[Moonie]

I keep mine spotless and have tried all of the newer replacement priming pieces, I've had several primer explosions, I will NOT prime on this press any longer. Don't get me wrong, I love the press, I use it for just about everything. I had a Pro1000 for years and had no issues keeping it running properly. I'm happy to hand prime everything to keep me from having more explosions.

[UNIQUEDOT]

I've had several primer explosions

Several? really? there has to be a reason for this. If it were me i would want to know why. I've never had that happen on any press. It happened once with a lee loader and it scared the bejeebers outta me...that was enough to insure it never happened again.

[rasto]

When you are pressing a primer into a primer pocket and it doesn't fit and start to compress it askew.
I have had few as well therefore I intalled camera to have it under control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a46yP...1&feature=plcp

[Cowboy T]

Oh...puh-leeze, people! What's with this fanboi-ism I keep seeing? All this man Jerry did was state his experience. He didn't shoot your dog. He didn't have sex with your wife. He simply sold one of his presses four years ago.

Speaking of which...

[Plate plinker]

1050. Get'em done!

[Crawdaddy]

Yikes! I have a load master that has been setting in an old tool box for years. I hated it! Primer feed issues, indexing issues, broken parts, powder charge issues. I will never use it again. Lee customer service was great, any time I had a broken part it was replaced free of charge, but it was too much of a hassle.

Conversely, I have a LoadAll for shotgun sells that I love. I also have a Lee single stage press and many lee dies that are great too.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Crash_Corrigan]

I ran a Loadmaster for two years. In '94 I got tired of paying for factory ammo and I got into reloading and casting. My first press was the Loadmaster. It took me a week of cussing and fiddling but with all the bells and whistles it started out cranking some decent ammo pretty fast.

I had issues with the primer feeding etc and I gave up early on. In the first week I just went to hand priming my cases and then running them through the loadmaster.

With the case feeder tubes loades and the bullet feeder tubes loaded I ran thru the cast boolits I had on hand pretty fast.

It was a great maching but I never could get the priming thing going right. I replaced everything, tried everthing and got tired of having to stop everything because I had no primers in cases after the powder and boolits had been put into place.

I am an expert on cleaning out the spilled powder on, in and around a Loadmaster.

Finally a friend of mine with too much money and not much ambition gave me all his Dillon reloading stuff and dies etc and just asked me to make some 454 Casull rounds for him from time to time.

I ended up with a 550B and a pair of Square Deal presses. There a learning curve on both of these but I mastered them and I have long ago tossed the Loadmaster.

I shoot mostly 9 MM and .45 ACP on steel reactive targets and lot of BPCR. I recently got into shooting .41 Mag and .44 Specials and I have set up the 550B for those. Each Square Deal Press is devoted to one calibre......9 mm and .45 ACP.

I did buy a Lee Cast Iron Turret Press which is nice for my other calibres as I do not shoot them so much.

My hat is off to the guy who sold his Dillons and kept his Loadmaster. He must be a mechanical genius....

[Kevin Rohrer]

Some people prefer the budget Cobalt to a high-end Cadillac. Each to his own, just don't try to convince me a Cobalt is better than an Cadillac. I'll keep my "Cadillac", thank you.

[Lloyd Smale]

yes i get a bit stirred up but its because i just dont like to throw away money and with the loadmaster and pro 1000 i bought i feel its just what i did. Yes there cheaper then a dillon and shouldnt be as good because of it and arent. thing is i wouldnt give you 50 bucks right now for a brand new lee loadmaster. Its just not worth the frustration of keep in going. Ive got dillons and lnl hornadys yes they too arent perfect by a long shot and take some tinkering but at least there up loading more then down being tinkered with. If i can save one guy the agravation that i went through then ill rant till i die about it.

[zomby woof]

I've been running a LM since the late 80's. I now run two, I got one from a guy using it as a door stop. The machine was out of time. It's no wonder he couldn't make ammo with it. The generation III primer feeders are the answer to the LM primer problems. They work much better and there is no way to jam the slider anymore. I've never run a Dillon. They look like the are a better made machine. However, the cost was always too much. Especially when my LM runs so well. The five stations are a plus. I'm amazed how fast 45 acp can be pumped out of this machine.

[sparky45]

Ok, I was not going to say anything this time but I am going to any way. I do not understand how people have problems with the Load Master priming system. I have been running mine for over 20 years and I can count on one hand the number of primer related issues experienced. Keep it clean, de-burr the plastic, keep it full and pay attention and you are home free.

I will say this though: The Dillion vs Lee thing is like comparing Chevy's to BMW's. They both do the same thing only one is more comfortable.

Go to Loadmastervideo; there forum is FILLED with Loadmaster primer problems.

[44Vaquero]

Sparky, people like to complain; How about Hornday's MIM injected shell plates breaking, RCBS rough castings, Dillion's lack of upgrades that thread was just started the other day, etc. The list goes on and on and really does not prove anything.
I actually have visited that site often and have recommended it to others experiencing teething problems with Load Masters. 20 years ago there were no resources such as this available, we were on our own.
I am not saying LM's do not have quirks and require adjustments to run correctly. But they can be made to run and produce quality ammo very quickly.