Lee 4 hole turret vs Pro 1000 vs Load Master

What press makes sense for this situation

  • The 4 hole Turret Press with Auto Indexing powder measure for $167.99

    Votes: 22 51.2%

  • The 3 hole Pro 1000 for $239.99 (Requires additional purchases to reload more than one calibre)

    Votes: 5 11.6%

  • The load master for $349.99 (Only reloads one calibre unless more is purchased)

    Votes: 9 20.9%

  • Cherry strudels

    Votes: 7 16.3%
  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
chise

chise

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I'm having a really hard time deciding what to get. I reload for .38 special, .40 S&W, 9mm luger.

The turret press is looking good because you can simply switch the shell plate and swap turrets to load another calibre, the downside is that you have to load the brass and bullets by hand. You get one cartridge for every 4 pulls of the handle, which is a lot faster than my current breech lock challenger single stage. The thing I really like is how it has a 4th hole lets you crimp, this leads to my next question, wtf?

Wtf is with the pro 1000, it really looks like it only comes with 3 holes. What good is a progressive press when you have to crimp all the cartridges after? You'd be just as fast with the turret! Can someone here confirm that the Pro 1000 comes only in a 3 hole model? It doesn't look like the Load Master would be any faster than a Pro 1000, so this is my next question, why pay so much for a Load Master?

The Load Master looks like the kingpin of reloading but the thing that I dislike about it is how you need to purchase so much stuff if you want to reload more than one calibre. It looks like $349.00 + $35.00 for bullet feeder + extra money for each different calibre = serious cash. It's almost like I'm only considering this load master because I want a Pro 1000 with 4 holes, and I'm paying a premium for it.

I tried looking on Lee's website, youtube, and wholesalesports.com's webpage for anything indicating that the pro 1000 can come in the 4 hole variety and I can't find anything that says it does or doesn't. Has anyone else here wondered what use a 3 hole progressive press is?
 
chise said:
Wtf is with the pro 1000, it really looks like it only comes with 3 holes. What good is a progressive press when you have to crimp all the cartridges after?
[...]
It doesn't look like the Load Master would be any faster than a Pro 1000, so this is my next question, why pay so much for a Load Master?
[...]
It looks like $349.00 + $35.00 for bullet feeder + extra money for each different calibre = serious cash.
[...]
Click to expand...
Most die sets come with a seat/crimp die. So your last operation seats and crimps at the same time, so the Pro 1000 produces finished ammo with each movement of the ram - you don't crimp after.

The Loadmaster gets you one extra hole (effectively - one of the stations is just for priming). Why would you pay for that? You might want to crimp separately. Or you could seat/crimp in one operation, and use the extra hole for a powder-check/lockout die. Or you might like the much-easier-and-faster calibre changes on the Loadmaster. Or the slightly-more-reliable priming system.

As for cost, it's all relative to your budget and needs. Have a look at a Dillon Super 1050 with a bulletfeeder and them complain about a Loadmaster.

On that note, you mentioned the Lee bulletfeeder. It's a waste of money because it does not have a collator (you end up manually orienting and loading each bullet into the feeder). It's also marginally reliable with 45's. The main use is to avoid finger pinch... but not worth it in my opinion.

You can get the manuals online - I suggest you do so, read and understand the operation to better know what you're getting into.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/TR2441.pdf, and http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/LM3231.pdf
 
ok, i've got all three- the 1000 is fine for automatics, but if you want to shoot a rimmed revolver cartridge, you've only got 2 choices, both involve a 4th hole for that FACTORY CRIMP DIE- that die makes a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE in a revolver - you have 6 chambers and not every round will fit in every chamber UNLESS you have them sized to factory specs- this was especially evident when loading for my redhawk, to the point that i BOUGHT THE FACTORY CRIMP DIE SEPERATELY- other than that, i was anyone's guess as to which rounds would fit in which chambers and NOT STICK-so i put the die in an old single stage and the problem went away- well, after a while i said this is b/s and got the loadmaster-which, last time i checked, CAME WITH the case feeder and one shellplate- ie complete for ONE CALIBER- YOU CAN ALWAYS CONFIRM WITH INFO@LEEPRECISION.COM- THE TECH THAT USUALLY ANSWERS IS BILL
as for the extra stuff,you ADJUST your case feed to match the length of your case, and the primer feed is all the same ( small) in all three cases- the 9mm adn the 40 are both the same shelplate, ( no 19 or 9) and that means you only need the one for 357/38- an extra 35 bucks plus tax- you don't count the dies and extra head as you have to buy those regardless- and unless you order it in 9mm, there's a special case feeder needed for that calibre- all the rest use a common one- so
first off, you have to ask yourself
1 what gun do i prefer or use the most - you'll have a favorite somewhere- i've got 4 different calibers and the 44 wins every time
the others are 9mm , 45, 7.62( wich doesn't reload very well on a progressive)
i have no 40 as i see no need for it
how fast do i want to go- that's what determines the difference between a turret and the progressive
now if you get the 1000 or loadmaster, and don't want to buy the feeder, you can get by on the large case slider and knocking the collar out of the 9 shell and plate- that's the difference
 
t-star said:
but if you want to shoot a rimmed revolver cartridge, you've only got 2 choices, both involve a 4th hole for that FACTORY CRIMP DIE- that die makes a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE in a revolver - you have 6 chambers and not every round will fit in every chamber UNLESS you have them sized to factory specs- that's the difference
Click to expand...


Sorry but I beg to differ with you. I load .32ACP, .380Auto, 9mm, .38S&W, .38Spl, .357Mag & .40S&W all on a 3 hole Lee Turret Press with auto index and the Lee Auto-Disk Powder measure. I prime separately with the Lee Auto Prime. WRT loading for revolver, the self centering bullet seating die (3rd Die) have a built in roll crimp. The forth, (factory crimp) die offer little or no advantage when used wth 1986 or newer Lee Dies as the crimp angle is already modified taper crimp. Jacketed bullets must have a crimp groove. I've damaged RCBS and Lyman dies but never a Lee die.
 
Tex Critter said:
(factory crimp) die offer little or no advantage when used wth 1986 or newer Lee Dies as the crimp angle is already modified taper crimp
Click to expand...

This is only the case if you start with new brass and only reload for your own revolver.

If you start with range brass - or any brass from an auto - there is a good chance that you'll need the Factory Crimp die to size the entire body well enough for a revolver's (tight compare to an auto) chambers.
 
acrashb said:
This is only the case if you start with new brass and only reload for your own revolver.

If you start with range brass - or any brass from an auto - there is a good chance that you'll need the Factory Crimp die to size the entire body well enough for a revolver's (tight compare to an auto) chambers.
Click to expand...

Yes we're talking revolvers. I don't have any chambering problems with my revolvers. Over 95% of my brass was picked up off the range. How do you think we survived without the 4th die anyway? :)
 
I have the 4-hole turret press and the Loadmaster. The load master uses the same shellplate for 9mm and .40cal. It is a bit finicky, but you can pump out about 300rds an hour. I find 9mm a bit "sticky" thanks to the tapered case. The turret press I use for .45, .455, 357Sig and soon for .308 and .303. The turret press is a great press to learn on and easy to convert from one calibre to another. It's difficult to double charge on either. The primer feed system on the loadmaster is somewhat annoying and currently I have a 1-2% failure rate on primers.

For the loadmaster, buy the explosion shield, extra primer system parts. For the turret press buy extra square ratchets for the indexing rod.

Also become a memeber of the Loadmaster forums, they have video's which make it much easier to set up.
 
I own a Pro 1000 through which I have loaded 10s of thousands of 9mm major IPSC rounds. I had noticeably fewer ammo related problems that the guys using much more expensive presses. The huge difference was loading speed when doing large volume shooting. The short stroke of the Pro 1000 made it one fast little unit. Would have been nice to have a Dillon style primer system where you could have 7 or 8 tubes precharged. Just kept it cleaned and lubed and it worked great.

I have since retired this unit as it is simply worn out - too much wiggling and jiggling of parts to make one loaded round. Best $200 I have spent on reloading equipment. I have since gone to a 5 station press to incorporate a powder checker and factory crimp.

I have a great deal of respect for Lee dies. I have not had a single problem with them, while I have damaged RCBS, Lyman and Hornady. I have several sets of Dillon dies that I now use on a progressive press. I would put the Dillon dies above the Lee, but mainly for the huge mouth of the die and the ability to disassemble the dies for cleaning without removing them from the press (very fast and no need to reset). I have actually given up on RCBS entirely - Forester are a much better product in every respect and they cost less than RCBS.
 
I have a Loadmaster and it works very well once you get it set up. A little finicky at first but now runs really well. As for the primer system, get a few of the plastic parts to start. The MAIN thing to watch with the priming system is to keep it CLEAN of all grease/oil in addition to powder etc. Blowing it out with air isn't enough, take a Q-tip with alcohol or solvent and get all oil/grease out of the primer path.

You can also get a Loadmaster from the US for a bit over $200 US (including dies), which makes it a smoking deal compared to ANY other progressive press.
 
I've owned a Pro 1000. I'm in the "this thing is a steaming pile of ####" camp with regards to it's preformance, and user friendlyness. Hated it, sold it with a warning to the buyer that it was a POS. Don't miss it. Will never buy another one for a lot more than one reason. You should be able to set up a press to a point where you're happy with it, and then just use it. You shouldn't have to be CONSTANTLY dinking around with it trying to get it to feed primers, trying to keep it in time, manually pushing shells into the holder after a while, and always being in doubt that the autodisk powder measure is dumping a full charge. This thing is the Chevy Vega of the reloading world. It's all nice and shinny in the showroom, but get a few miles on it, and it starts to fall apart.


I currently own a 4 hole turret press and love it. Don't force it to full length resize 300 win mag cases, no matter what Lee says. It'll split the die holder.....been there, done that. I currently use it to load 44 mag only, and I love the thing.
 
Ive got a couple 1000s, one is strictly for 9mm, the other Ill set up for .38, .45 or whatever. Ive loaded probly close to a 100,000 rounds on each of them, and they were both used when I got them. Keep them clean and lightly lubed and you`ll get your money back many times over.
 
Tex Critter said:
Yes we're talking revolvers. I don't have any chambering problems with my revolvers. Over 95% of my brass was picked up off the range. How do you think we survived without the 4th die anyway? :)
Click to expand...
With hammer and tongs? One out of three pieces of brass from my .45acp 1911 will not chamber in my Smith 625 without going through a factory crimp die. Brass from my (now gone) .357 Desert Eagle did not want to chamber in my Smith TRR8.

Many people have the same experience. The safe route is to use the factory crimp.

Perhaps the brass you pickup comes from a revolver, so it works OK in a revolver. It's when you go from pistol to revolver that problems come up.
 
Depends on what you are reloading. From your list, the two pistol rounds go great in the Loadmaster. It's cheap to change calibers. MUCH cheaper than the Pro1000. All you need is a shell plate and extra turret (and of course dies but that is a given). If you go from large to small primers, you need the extra kit and also the case feeder for larger cases like 45. 9 to 40 all you need is an extra turret. The case feeder, shell plate and primer system are the same.

Don't bother with the bullet feeder. You spend more time filling the thing than just manually placing bullets. And that is after the extra time fiddling with it to get it set up just right. Waste of time for something easy enough to do without.

For revolvers, I like my Turret more since I can feel just how much pressure when doing the roll crimp. You don't get that with a progressive press.

I use both for various rifle rounds, too.

Pro1000 is a good enough press but only has 3 holes. :( So forget about using a factory crimp die to crimp or post size roll-crimped rounds. :( Plus, like the Loadmaster, you probably won't be able to feel the roll crimp for revolver rounds since you are also doing two other cases at the same time.
 
I'm getting the 4 hole auto-index measure turret press. Here's why:

Cost

Sensitivity

I want the 4th hole for FCD'ing and I think Lee only makes the Pro1000 in 3 holes so they can charge $100.00 more for the Load Master

It's fast enough for what I want to do. 200-300 rounds at a time

I thought feeding bullets manually would be a pain, but I just got schooled in how stupid it is to use the Lee auto bullet feeder

If I want to switch calibres, I can simply screw new dies in and not have to worry about the bottom plate. Extra turret plates are only $12.00

I can buy the Anniversary kit cheap from Reloaders.ca and sell the duplicate items that I already got from my single stage anniversary kit (The Lee scale that always gets stuck and costs $25.00, etc)

I keep hearing about how well it's built and how long people have used them for

Thanks for the input guys, in a couple weeks if this thread is still about I'll post some pictures of my reloads. Maybe some cherry strudels as well nom nom nom
 
Factory Crimp Die info.... does not require a crimp groove on jacketed/plated bullets. It only lightly crimps the case to better hold the bullet. If you adjust it too far, it will leave an indentation on the bullet but that is way too much crimp.

It is the Taper Crimp die that is not needed for post-1986 dies because a taper crimp is different than a Factory Crimp.

The FCD is used to post-size rolled crimp rounds because sometimes the case will bulge slightly from the operation and it is nice to make sure you remove this, if any.

Taper vs. FCD for me... I use an adjustable taper crimp on my all of my practice .45 ACP rounds to give my cases slightly more taper to feed LSWC's in my XD45 because the feed angle of the gun is too steep to feed LSWC's with no crimp or a Factory Crimp. I use these in all my 45's (RN, LSWC, TC), even the for guns that don't need a taper crimp but just because one gun does need it with one bullet. These I do on a Loadmaster. My IPSC rounds get done on the Turret with the FCD because it's a little extra insurance the bullets do not move at all and my 1911 doesn't need a taper crimp for RN bullets. I've seen people get jams from even factory ammo that was uncrimped and the bullets moved, especially from one manufacturer.

Chise... good choice. And it will serve many years as a backup when you do go progressive. And you'll still use it once in a while for testing and other small projects as well.
 
chise said:
I'm getting the 4 hole auto-index measure turret press. Here's why:

Cost

Sensitivity

I want the 4th hole for FCD'ing and I think Lee only makes the Pro1000 in 3 holes so they can charge $100.00 more for the Load Master

It's fast enough for what I want to do. 200-300 rounds at a time

I thought feeding bullets manually would be a pain, but I just got schooled in how stupid it is to use the Lee auto bullet feeder

If I want to switch calibres, I can simply screw new dies in and not have to worry about the bottom plate. Extra turret plates are only $12.00

I can buy the Anniversary kit cheap from Reloaders.ca and sell the duplicate items that I already got from my single stage anniversary kit (The Lee scale that always gets stuck and costs $25.00, etc)

I keep hearing about how well it's built and how long people have used them for

Thanks for the input guys, in a couple weeks if this thread is still about I'll post some pictures of my reloads. Maybe some cherry strudels as well nom nom nom
Click to expand...

Did you look at the Lee Classis Cast Iron 4 hole Turret? This press is very solid and is much better quality compared to the other presses from Lee.
 
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