Thinking about LBT or CabinTree. What one should I buy? My SAECO seems to test everything on the hard side. Not sure if its my alloys or the tester or both.
Thinking about LBT or CabinTree. What one should I buy? My SAECO seems to test everything on the hard side. Not sure if its my alloys or the tester or both.
I think my SAECO tests hard as well. It shows my water dropped WW/2% tin as equal to linotype. Also, my range scrap (mostly jackete bullet cores) with 10% foundry type (20%tin/20%antimony) tests equal to linotype. These alloys are hard, but I doubt they are that hard.
I have some pure lino here that I got from a printer friend. I guess I could cast up some bullets with that and see how it tests. I suspect using the lino data point, you could mirror the one given on the SAECO instructions and have a good feel for what the numbers really are.
32Special
Test some pure lead, and some certified alloy of a known mix. Also do a side by side comparison, to be sure you are getting false readings.
Just remember WW and Range Scraps are an UNKNOWN.
Jon
Col 2:13-17
Go with the CabinTree, you won't be sorry.
Calamity Jake
NRA Life Member
SASS 15704
Shoot straight, keepem in the ten ring.
I have an LBT hardness tester that I have had for several years. I have been happy with it. However, if I were buying a new one, it would be the Cabin Tree tester as it is more versatile.
I DO like having a hardness tester. It doesn't get used often but when I want to know hardness information, out it comes.
Dale53
Contact Saeco & ask them to check the calibration of your tester. It's not a throw-away.
I have the same problems.Everything tests the same hardness. Store purchased PURE tests the same as a 2? # Ingot of new lino. My Lee shows the correct readings but the 3X more expensive tester can not tell the diff.
I have an early BHN tester from Redding...all steel, not the gold anodized body version. When I got it, I called them and requested their hardness chart and it was faxed to me at work in less than 15 minutes. Works perfectly...no issues here.
The Cabine Tree is certainly easy to work with, and seems to be giving fairly consistent readings for me.
Richard
Cat, the other white meat!!
I contacted SAECO and sent my tester back to be calibrated. I'll let you know how I make out.
I like my LBT. When we had that big comparison test with everybodys tester last year my LBT was very close to the lab tester results.
Well I received my tester after calibration. Checked a batch of #2 I mixed. It tested at 20 before and now it tests 15! Looks like I'll stick with this for now and see how it goes.
The Lee tester will give close to Lab results. The problem with them is holding the 20x scope steady to have the same reading every time. A post on this site showed one mounted in a child's microscope and I did the same thing. WORKS GREAT. The Lee can be purchased for $43 and thats alot less than the others.
Shooter of the "HOLY BLACK" SASS 81802 AKA FAIRSHAKE; NRA ; BOLD; WARTHOG;Deadwood Marshal;Bayou Bounty Hunter; So That his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat; 44 WCF filled to the top, 210 gr. bullet
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |