Lee Load Master - Quick first impressions

[phaedra1106]

Brought a Lee Load Master back from the US this week, took me most of today to get it (sort of) working properly. I already have Lee Breech Lock and Turret presses but thought this would be better suited for my fairly heavy .44 use.

Good Points, It works (sort of) and is quicker than my Turret Press.

Bad Points, almost everything either stuck or had to be continually adjusted then re-adjusted to get any kind of consistency, worst offender is the case loader, still doesn't fully push the odd case forward. Primer, no way to empty feed or get at stuck mis-fed primers easily, ended up not using it at all.

Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure, useless, checked powder weight and then ran 50 rounds through, test weighed and found only 1 had any powder in it, I double checked the hopper setting and watched it action OK but most times no powder, removed it and replaced with my older Auto Disk & charge bar, now 100%.

Bullet Feeder, extremely sticky and not feeding bullet all the way forward, striped cleaned and lubed and worked much better apart from not being able to keep hold of 200gn bullets, kept dropping them every time it went forwards, fitted an elastic band around fingers and now works ok.

So, after almost a full day of continual problems (it even stopped indexing at one point and had to be re-adjusted) I would say that compared to my Classic Turret press this is a real let down. I think it will have to find a new home and I'll pick up a Hornady Lock n load AP next trip.

[saddler]

Brought a Lee Load Master back from the US this week, took me most of today to get it (sort of) working properly. I already have Lee Breech Lock and Turret presses but thought this would be better suited for my fairly heavy .44 use.

Good Points, It works (sort of) and is quicker than my Turret Press.

Bad Points, almost everything either stuck or had to be continually adjusted then re-adjusted to get any kind of consistency, worst offender is the case loader, still doesn't fully push the odd case forward. Primer, no way to empty feed or get at stuck mis-fed primers easily, ended up not using it at all.

Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure, useless, checked powder weight and then ran 50 rounds through, test weighed and found only 1 had any powder in it, I double checked the hopper setting and watched it action OK but most times no powder, removed it and replaced with my older Auto Disk & charge bar, now 100%.

Bullet Feeder, extremely sticky and not feeding bullet all the way forward, striped cleaned and lubed and worked much better apart from not being able to keep hold of 200gn bullets, kept dropping them every time it went forwards, fitted an elastic band around fingers and now works ok.

So, after almost a full day of continual problems (it even stopped indexing at one point and had to be re-adjusted) I would say that compared to my Classic Turret press this is a real let down. I think it will have to find a new home and I'll pick up a Hornady Lock n load AP next trip.

...or better yet, just get a used DIllon 550 :shakeshout:

[dromia]

There does seem to be a lot of knacks to nailing their quirks to getting them running.

There are how to videos and sites on the netty that are helpful. Here is one of them: http://loadmastervideos.com/

Personally I could never be faffed with them and run an old RCBS Ammomaster and an Hornady LnL progressives myself with nary a problem, but then they cost more than the Lee. Lee make stuff to come in at a price, if you regard there products as a kit that will need fettling before it works as advertised then you will have the right mindset for getting the best out of Lee products.

[dromia]

The Hornady is more comparable to the dillon 650 and works at least as well if not better for less money. I really rate mine.

[the running man]

I've got one and I've had alsorts of frustrations with it, until I watched a guy on you-tube called shadowdog500 he's done a load of tutitional videos on the loadmaster step by step,and if you can't get it to work after watching those videos,then ide get a dillon........ :shakeshout:

[phaedra1106]

I looked at the Youtube videos and that's how I got most of it to work

I still don't like the priming system but as I de-prime before case cleaning I'll use my RCBS Universal Hand Primer which is an excellent bit of kit :shakeshout:

[Chapuis]

I bought probably the first Dillon 550 that came into this country, I had tried to order a 450 but it was at the time of the upgrade and they informed me that they were shipping a 550 instead. It's a brilliant bit of kit and over the 24 or so years that I have owned it there have only been a few minor hiccups. My mate was impressed with the Dillon but went and purchased a Lee instaed because it was such "a bargain" compared to the Dillon. He got totally miffed with the Lee after a few months and sold it on, instead he went back to a single stage press or asked me to reload for him.
Now I have quite a bit of Lee kit and for the money some of it is pretty good, in fact some of it is better than the more expensive alternatives. They haven't however managed to better the Dillon though.

[Sim G]

...or better yet, just get a used DIllon 550 :shakeshout:

You got that far, far too cheaply.....!!!!

[Sim G]

I'm a great fan of Lee. My recent thread showed exactly what could be done with the minimal of Lee kit, in producing top quality ammo.

That said, there are two pieces of Lee kit that aren't worth a cup of warm tinkers p1ss..... The auto disk and their Load Master!

My Dillon 550 is some 22 years old. It' loaded thousands of rounds. I actually used to have two, but saddler got's got the other. I don't think I'll e er have to buy another progressive press..... And, it's still guaranteed!!!!

[phaedra1106]

Spent the morning going over it all again and sorted most of it out.

Priming System - Still not used as it's a PITA

Bullet Feeder - Almost working, feeds perfectly with the elastic band on it but bullets keep falling out of it while it's feeding due to vibration of the press operation, next mod is a small disk of rubber to the bullet seat area of the feeder, I don't think it likes the heavy .44 polished plated bullets very much, works OK with cast & lubed lead.

Having looked more into it I think I still like the idea of a progressive press and will replace it with a Hornady LNL AP next trip to the US.

Also, just realised the TSA took out my 4 bottles of RCBS Case Slick spray :( again it's something I've brought back before without a problem.