some people got all the luck. all 3 of them will get the job done. I guess you need to heat em up see if drip try each of them out and decide which you like best.
I been casting bullets for a bunch of years and have not yet come across a used Lyman or rcbs bottom pour pot.
I picked up a very old well used lyman pot myself about two years ago. It's got a little drip probably from a worn seat but I really enjoy using it. But not as much as sitting under a shady tree with the Coleman stove, pot, and ladle.
As beeser said give them all a try to decide which one you like. Or do what I would probably do if I had three working pots. Fill and fire them all up and go to town.
Well, the 110 ones will serve most folks the best as you can plug them up anywhere. The 220 one, maybe it could be rewired to 110 if you don't have a shop with 220. Personally, I'd use each for different alloys and can the lee if I was wanting to free up space or funds.
For what its worth, a ten pound Lee like you show is the only bottom pour pot I have ever had a runaway flow problem with. The valve rod is easy to dislodge from the wire bail, then oops. I now keep mine in one of the cheap aluminum turkey roasting pans, just in case it happens again.
Never used a Lyman pot, so no advice here.
The Promelt needs some parts, but I really like using mine for four to six cavity molds. 240 VAC isn't much harder to run than a 120 VAC circuit, I'd try it before getting rid of it.
Like Bazoo says, multiple pots make keeping different alloys ready to cast easy.
Robert
Way cool.
They all will work, and do a good job, so I'd keep all 3.
If one burns out, and you've gotten rid of the others-- the prices on the new ones is way up there now days.
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I'd start with the Lyman because of the spout thickness and handle/valve profile
I would keep all 3. I use 2 whenever I cast. Saves a lot of waiting around time when getting to the end of the alloy supply in 1 pot.
I would keep the lyman and RCBS. become a speed caster and use one for melting one for casting, the only down time will be draining and refilling the pre melt pot.
On a little more serious note, I would try all three to see if they all work then c couple sessions with each to see which you like. Is the Pro melt a US 249 ir European 240. Finding the European plug here in the states. may be tricky.
See what works for you and use it
I don't know whether it's a US or European version but if you look closely at the nameplate it shows 240AC 800W. It didn't come with a plug. I put one (240V) on and it quickly melted a few small bars of lead. Actually I tried all three furnaces and they all work. I have a few more essentials to get and I'll be ready to cast my first bullets. I'm reading Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook in preparation for it.
I'm using a Lyman just like that one now. Fought with one of those Lee 10 pounders for way too long. More trouble than they're worth in my opinion. When I started using that Lyman, I couldn't believe how much easier it was to make good bullets.
Funny, I have all 3 of those, plus a Magma 40 lber. I like my RCBS, but I gotta say, that cast iron pot on the Lyman keeps a more constant temp due to it's mass. It does take more time to heat up, though.
Guess I have been lucky. Have picked up 3 used Pro-melts over the years, 2 in the last year. First one about 12 years ago. Replaced my 50 year old Saeco. Keep different alloys in each pot. Oldest one, IIRC is 36 years old, newest is 14 years old. All work great. Had to get a few parts for one, but RCBS shipped them out right away.
Go for the pro-melt, holds a lot more lead.
I have Pro Melt, it leaks worse than my 20lb Lee but I like the pot. I tried to sand the plunger at an angle but it didn't stop.
One of my future projects is to mount a 20lb bottom pour pot above another 20lb pour pot. So the top pot can fill the bottom. Then reload the top and cast away while the top melts.
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You're lucky, the Lyman has the mold guide. They have gotten all but impossible to find. Depending on the molds you use it may need a bit of modification for molds that are wider than Lyman. For some of my molds had to take a piece of flashing and make a cover that sits on top of the guide so it wasn't necessary to balance on the arm.
I need to find me one of those older cast iron lined pots too for my zinc casting curiosities.
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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 |