Hey TB,
Over fifty years of reloading, I have had reloading equipment from a number of different companies including Lyman, RCBS, Herters, Hornady, Pacific and others. I have generally never liked most of the stuff Lee sells, however, I do use and prefer the Lee Auto Prime hand tool, and I do have two boxes of their powder dippers. Hornady, RCBS, and Redding (among others) offer lifetime warranties on their presses; Lee offers a two year warranty, and that ought to speak for itself. Lyman has never been all that good with their warranties, and I have had to replace a couple of parts on a Lyman Lubrisizer and have a Mag 20 furnace thermostat replaced - all at my expense.
With my Hornady and RCBS presses, however, the only thing I ever had to have replaced was a shell plate spring on my Hornady LNL, and it was free. Funny isn't it how those two companies offer a lifetime warranty, yet I have only ever had to have that one shell plate spring replaced. I think that says something about their quality.
You asked about what single stage presses I have owned, and they have been many, and they still are many. I currently have and use the same RCBS RockChucker I got nearly 50 years ago, I have two RCBS Juniors (one of which is older than the RockChucker and the other is nearly as old), I have a massive Well's "C" frame press that is pretty much for show only, and I also have a Lyman Acculine press that can be used as bench mount as well as a hand tool.
I am not sure what you want to know when you ask how the others stack up against the RockChucker, but I will make some comments that may answer your question. None of the single stage presses above have the mechanical advantage of the RockChucker's handle and linkage, and the Lyman Acculine is really intended for hand tool usage which can be done quite well but takes a good bit of effort. Other than the light weight Acculine, all of the presses I mentioned are very old and still function as they did when new. None of them had any parts break. I never had a Redding press, but I have known folks who spoke highly of them. While the RockChucker is still a big strong press that will do the work and not fall apart, we must recognize it is nearly 50 years old in design, and it has not had a design upgrade in all those years. I think RCBS missed the ball on this point. If the RCBS had a modern spent primer collection system as used today on many presses, and if it modernized its primer seating and feeding system, it would still be the king of the hill in single stage presses. You are absolutely right about the grip on the handle being like a bicycle grip, but it never bothered me a bit. It's what I am used to.
In long ago times, I never liked the Lyman presses. The older ones used the special Lyman dies, then they started a standard "C" frame that was too small and dainty for me, and then they started their turret press, and I just don't like turret presses. By the time Lyman came out with a truly robust press (I think it was the Orange Crusher), I already had several other presses, and already had problems with the Lyman warranty on other items. I had and still have lots of Lyman die sets, and mould blocks, but no press other than the Acculine which I consider a hand tool.
You mentioned progressive shotshell presses, and I have had a lot of years using the Pacific and the Hornady progressives. While I currently have three 366 (2 Hornady and 1 Pacific) progressive presses (12, 16, and 20 gauges), I also have three MEC single stage presses in the same gauges: 2 Sizemasters and one Junior. You mentioned about progressive presses requiring you to pay very careful attention as you operate them, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I can sing, eat, or practically read a book while loading on the single stage shotshell presses, but it is a completely different ballgame when it comes to the progressive presses. That is also true with my LNL metallic progressive press. I cannot have people talk to me while loading on a progressive because I have to pay extremely careful attention to what is going on at all the stations, and I really do have a "routine" as you have suggested. If you make a mistake, it can be a mess to clear up. However, if you stick with your routine and work it properly, they can make a lot of shotshells in short order.
Now, I know that I have made it pretty clear that I am not a fan of Lee products, but I recognize there are tens of thousands of reloaders out there making good ammo with Lee equipment, and I do sincerely wish them well. Other than the short two year warranty deal, my statements about Lee products are simply represent one old man's opinions which are also based on bias and prejudice. Here I am still using presses that are nearly 50 years old and picking up spent primers from the floor. What does that say about me and my opinions?
Hey Ranger,
I would agree with you that a lot of the folks reloading certainly seem to be limited in their mechanical abilities. Just look at the number of folks who cannot seem to make a progressive press work no matter what the brand. I think it is obvious though that a lot more folks make posts about Lee presses breaking than you will ever see about RCBS RockChuckers and RCBS Juniors. No amount of strength, however, can stand up forever to being stupid, or a dufus as you say.
I don't know what the Chinese RockChuckers are like, but some of the tools made in China are pretty good quality wise. Like I said earlier, I still using a RockChucker and two Juniors that are all nearly 50 years old, and I have never had to replace any part. Unless, of course, you conside the discs in my lower back from having to pick up spent primers.
Best wishes to you both,
Dave Wile