I loved my LnL right up until I bought the case feeder. I despise the case feeder. There is a relatively innocuous screw in the pivot bar that makes everything work or not work. If you screw in the screw too tightly, the pivot bar will not pivot, cases will not feed, and you will find yourself becoming frustrated. If it's not screwed in enough, it will eventually work itself loose, which will cause cases to not feed properly and possibly have a spring fly out (always wear your safety goggles!).
I've never actually hated an inanimate piece of metal, but I hate this screw
SO MUCH . I have comforting dreams about mangling it and usually wake up feeling refreshed.
Other issues with the case feeder include cases bouncing off the press, usually into the completed round container, and the case feeder plate getting a shell behind it which fouls up the whole feeder and will sometimes cause horrible grinding noises. Fun times.
The LnL bushings are pretty much a wash when compared to the Dillon, although I think the LnL would give one a bit more rigidity because the entire press is one contiguous piece whereas the Dillon has the tool head that needs to be screwed in. I've never worked with a Dillon although I've been contemplating purchasing the XL650 just because I hate the LnL case feeder so much.
I like the LnL powder measure, especially when equipped with the micrometers. I have two powder measures -- one for rifle and one for pistol. The pistol also has the excellent PowderFunnel.com PTX that handles case belling. Hitting a charge repeatedly is never an issue, even after changing to a wildly different load. If you have an LnL, get the micrometer.
The primer feed, as mentioned by the presumably aptly named Captain Awesome (I miss living in Gold Canyon), can be troublesome if a few grains of powder leak out… which they will, given the shell plate's sometimes violent indexing. Powder will pop out and get into nooks and crannies -- H335 is 'better' at this than W231 -- which will get into the detents underneath the shell plate and make things ever so slightly misaligned. After reloading some 2500 rounds, I too experienced The Hornady Dimple on my press. A quarter under the primer plunger fixed it. I didn't feel right using a penny, what with Lincoln's less-than-stellar history with firearms near his head.
Speaking of using coins to fix the press, my case feeder's feeding rod… it's difficult to properly name these pieces; I'm referring to the piece that causes the pivot piece to, well, pivot -- it touches the case feeder slide on the lower arm of the press. Anyway, that rod didn't quite have the reach to feed 9mm cases, so I had to tape two nickels to the press. A little ghetto but it works. I suspect the Dillon case feeder Just Works(TM) without issue. Please tell me if it doesn't, preferably before I plunk down $800 to get an XL650.
All in all I'd recommend the LnL, but without the case feeder. If you think you'll want a case feeder, I'd go with the Dillon XL650.
I've never actually hated an inanimate piece of metal, but I hate this screw
SO MUCH . I have comforting dreams about mangling it and usually wake up feeling refreshed.Other issues with the case feeder include cases bouncing off the press, usually into the completed round container, and the case feeder plate getting a shell behind it which fouls up the whole feeder and will sometimes cause horrible grinding noises. Fun times.
The LnL bushings are pretty much a wash when compared to the Dillon, although I think the LnL would give one a bit more rigidity because the entire press is one contiguous piece whereas the Dillon has the tool head that needs to be screwed in. I've never worked with a Dillon although I've been contemplating purchasing the XL650 just because I hate the LnL case feeder so much.
I like the LnL powder measure, especially when equipped with the micrometers. I have two powder measures -- one for rifle and one for pistol. The pistol also has the excellent PowderFunnel.com PTX that handles case belling. Hitting a charge repeatedly is never an issue, even after changing to a wildly different load. If you have an LnL, get the micrometer.
The primer feed, as mentioned by the presumably aptly named Captain Awesome (I miss living in Gold Canyon), can be troublesome if a few grains of powder leak out… which they will, given the shell plate's sometimes violent indexing. Powder will pop out and get into nooks and crannies -- H335 is 'better' at this than W231 -- which will get into the detents underneath the shell plate and make things ever so slightly misaligned. After reloading some 2500 rounds, I too experienced The Hornady Dimple on my press. A quarter under the primer plunger fixed it. I didn't feel right using a penny, what with Lincoln's less-than-stellar history with firearms near his head.
Speaking of using coins to fix the press, my case feeder's feeding rod… it's difficult to properly name these pieces; I'm referring to the piece that causes the pivot piece to, well, pivot -- it touches the case feeder slide on the lower arm of the press. Anyway, that rod didn't quite have the reach to feed 9mm cases, so I had to tape two nickels to the press. A little ghetto but it works. I suspect the Dillon case feeder Just Works(TM) without issue. Please tell me if it doesn't, preferably before I plunk down $800 to get an XL650.
All in all I'd recommend the LnL, but without the case feeder. If you think you'll want a case feeder, I'd go with the Dillon XL650.
