LEE Load-Master Progressive Press

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terry_g

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Does anyone here have a Lee Load-Master Press. I have always reloaded for my rifles with a single stage press.
With my recent purchase of a 9mm pistol I can see that it is time for an upgrade.
Living in Canada we have a very limited selection. Would this press be a good investment or should I save up for something better?

Thanks
Terry
 
I had a LM, the price point is very appealing but the primer systems are VERY problematic! they have a habbit of breaking there small primer shuttles and flipping primers or other sorts of mischief... alot of folks who own LoadMasters just prime with the hand squeeze units...

Hornady LNL AP's are quite nice and there primer systems are quite a bit better then the LM's.

Dillon units are quite nice to run and i have had far fewer problems with my XL650 then i did with my LM... dillon makes several presses from the Square Deal to the Super 1050 and they start at just a bit more then you will pay for the LM.

Personally i recommend the Dillon 550, i love my XL650 for the extra die station but a 550 really is enough versatility for most folks... either model allows you to process your brass faster then a single stage and they are more then stout enough to run rifle cartridges thru!
 
Am using a LM now, as well as a Classic Turret and Classic Cast Single.

Hotwheels is correct in that the primer system of the LM is quirky and problematic...if not set up properly. Once I had it dialed in, as well as after having been given enough familiarization time with the LM, the priming system was Ok. Not as good as the Dillon 550Bs I had in the past. The learning curve required by the LM is much slower than say the 550B or any Dillon progressive. But a patient, mechanically inclined budget conscious shooter can make it work.

This week, I tried sizing, depriming and priming on my Classic Cast Single. It was an extra step, but it made the LM trouble free since it was just mouth belling, dropping powder, bullet seating and crimping. Works for me but my ammo consumption has gone down over the years, so YMMV.

If 150-200 rounds per hour is sufficient output for your 9mm needs, the Classic Cast Turret with Pro-AutoDisk and Safety Prime is a smooth, easy to use, machine.
 
easyrider604 said:
If 150-200 rounds per hour is sufficient output for your 9mm needs, the Classic Cast Turret with Pro-AutoDisk and Safety Prime is a smooth, easy to use, machine.
Click to expand...

I can load 223 faster than that on my lee turret. 9mm should be no problem pumping them out that fast :D
 
The Loadmaster can be a very finnicky press and recquires more care than the higher priced competition. One should be aware of this going into the purchase.

Lee has an updated priming tray/feeder for it now that I am going to try. Hopefully it irons out some of the common priming problems.

There are also a lot of YouTube videos and a Loadmaster forum with a lot of tips for those that want to tackle it.
 
I'm getting the new priming tray/feeder tomorrow. From what I read from several sites is that the new priming tray corrects the problem.
 
Save up and get a better press from Dillon, Hornady, or RCBS. I find that the Dillon 550 makes a nice combination rifle/pistol reloading press.
 
Thanks Guys.
I am using a Lee Classic Cast Press right now. I loaded 300 9mm rounds tonight. Weighed every charge, 5.2 grains of Unique.
It's a slow process.

I usually resize and prime my cases and another night I finish them. I use a Lee Auto Prime ll for priming, it works for me.

Terry
 
To the OP

Now that people here have started to comment you can see its a common problem, I am a firm believer in the ideal that if you buy a butter knife it best butter your bread, if you buy a belt it must hold up your pants and if you buy a $300 reloading press it should work flawlessly out of the box.

the LM is a poor representation of what an auto indexing progressive press should be, the concept is great, the materials suck and the price will reel you in... Then your stuck fixing it as a matter of pride just to say you have a functioning LM and it's not a waste of money... While for a few hundred more you can have a press that will still be on the bench for your grandchildren to use and when you want to crank out 500rnds for the club pistol shoot you only found out about the nite before all you do is start pulling the handle not running alcohol patches over tiny bits of nylon in hopes you can load a few before something screws up!


People tend to think us blue Koolaid folks (dillon fans) are rich and snobby, I am neither! I would prefer you bought a RCBS, Hornady, Lyman or whatever other press is out there but I can't in good faith reccomend buying the LM untill Lee fixes it's out of the box issues.

Sorry folks that's just my opinion... YMMV
 
A few things come to mind when people say that Dillon presses are expensive:

-Buying a Dillon is less expensive than buying a Lee, discovering you don't like it, and then buying the Dillon.
-The price difference is trivial when you consider that this is something you should only have to buy once and be able to use for decades.
-Intangibles: What is less aggravation worth to you? How about the satisfaction of using a good tool?
-Dillon presses are inexpensive compared to what was available before them. Have a look at the 1979 price list here for Star Reloaders and adjust for inflation:
http://www.starreloaders.com/
 
FWIW, I went the other way....sold my 20 year old 550B to buy the LM, Classic Turret, Classic Cast Single.

Nothing really wrong with the 550B. I just sold it so I could buy the presses I needed without spending additional cash. So far, I think I did the right thing. My needs changed, and Lee equipment met them quite nicely.
 
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There is nothing wrong with the LM. But it does take a bit of care setting it up. If you are at all mechanically inclined, you won't have any problems. As for the primer system, the key is to keep it free of oil/grease. That means wiping it down with alcohol. Do that and there are no problems.

As for the people bashing it, a comparable Dillon is at least 4 times the price....... You can get a LM shipped out of the US for about $250 with a set of dies.

Convenient calibre changes on a Dillon are almost the price of a LM per calibre.

I also have a full Hornady LnL setup.

Read the great assessment in the links in the sticky at the top of this forum.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127691

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf
 
Nothing really wrong with the LM, as mentioned get it set up and keep the rhythm and it will work for you. I replace the whole primer system every year and that solves most of the issues , costs about $15 to do so. While the other presses are great, expect to pay around $1,000 for a press with case feeder and dies. The LM comes in well under that. Also if you get it visit Loadmasters forums where you find lots of videos and helpful hints.
 
As for the primer system, the key is to keep it free of oil/grease. That means wiping it down with alcohol. Do that and there are no problems.
Click to expand...

On your press maybe, other folks may beg to differ... If a bit of rubbing alcohol is all that's needed why is Lee on rev.3 of the entire primer system?

As for price, the dillon SDB is available for $370, the 550 is $429 and the xl650 is around $550... The LM retails at wholesale sports around $325 setup for one caliber with dies and comes with a 4 drop tube case feeder and no collator, you also as a bonus get the single auto disc non adjustable powder measure!

All the dillons come with a case feed tube except the 1050 so weather or not you add a collator is up to you.


Please don't take this as a argument for dillon, I really don't care what anybody buys for a press... As long as its not a LM untill Lee gets there bugs worked out.
 
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