Dillon Square Deal vs. Square Deal "B"

[Louca]

I have a Dillon Square Deal (not B) in .45 ACP purchased circa 1987. Over the years, it has processed a few thousand rounds, mostly 200 gn LSWC. My first question is what is the difference between the SD and the SDB?

The reason I ask is my press is starting to cause me a lot of grief: flipped primers, off-registration primer seating, bullet cant on station 3, inconsistent seating depth on station 3, occasional sticking on station 4, and others. The primer problems are infrequent, maybe 1 or 2 in 50, but anticipation of it happening is nerve wracking. I think I will go back to my manual single station press until I figure out what to do.

If I told everyone how much I paid for the SD, you would probably say just get a new press. Were there known problems with the original SD that made them go to the SDB? Any suggestions? Thanks.

Lou

 

[CLP]

Contact Dillon. I think they'll refurb it for you- I don't know if there's a fee involved beyond shipping but I've heard not.

 

[cfullgraf]

Yes, contact Dillon. They should repair or upgrade your SD for a lot less than buying a new SDB.

Unless of course you are hankering for a new press.

 

[mahansm]

Square deal vs Square Deal B

Sounds like the autoadvance is getting flaky. This is probably caused by the nut securing the autoadvance pawl at the pivot point loosening slightly. It continues to get worse as the nut continues to loosen.

Remove the slide (there's a bolt you must remove that's on the side of the press opposite the handle). With the slide out, the problem is obvious and easily taken care of.

This is also an opportunity to do a good cleaning and lubrication. In any event, Dillon will take care of you as needed. The spare parts/lubrication kit helps greatly in keeping their presses running and replenishment parts for the kit are, of course, under warranty.

 

[ferges99]

The question was "what is the difference between square deal and the square deal b". I would like to know also.

 

[jmorris]

Back when I Picked up the two I have, they cost $130 ready to go in the caliber of your choice.

The casting is a bit different on the "B", they did not have a low primer alarm or a fail safe rod. The primer bucket is different than the new ones and they use bronze bushings vs the Delrin they used in the original.

I have sent mine back to Dillon a few times over the last 30 years for the free rebuilds/updates. I made my own steel primer bucket holders long ago so that and the casting are the only differences to the "B" that mine have now.

Gotta love a lifetime no BS warranty.

 

[lauderdale]

With your DILLION B. being an older model I do not see much talk about it on THR? But call them up and they will prob. walk you through it as mahamsom said,they did for me w/no prob..

 

[kerreckt]

Talk to Dillon. They have always made good on their products in my experience. Please keep us posted of the outcome....thanks and best wishes.

 

[Louca]

You folks are giving me some real encouraging comments. I love companies that back their products. Maybe that's why I bought a Dillon in the first place, I don't know.

Back when I Picked up the two I have, they cost $130 ready to go in the caliber of your choice.

Oh, mine was way more than that ... $135. And that included shipping to my door!

I will give them a call tomorrow. I would be willing to upgrade to maybe a 550, but maybe if the SD was refurbished, or even upgraded to the equivalent of the SDB, I would be very happy. Thanks for the replies.

Lou

 

[jmorris]

They never charged me anything for the parts they installed or sent me all I ever paid was shipping to them, they covered the rest.

 

[kostner]

Sent mine to Dillon and they return a like new SDB with all the latest upgrades.Charged me for shipping. A good deal.

 

[Louca]

Just spoke with Dillon. Great phone call. I am going to try adjusting things as the guy told me to do. The guy sounded fairly confident it would fix my problems.

As a Plan B, especially if I mess something up, I can send the whole thing into them and for around $80 (which includes about $20 in shipping) I can get an entirely rebuilt one.

To answer some of my own questions above:

What is the difference between the SD and the SDB? The SDB has an added primers-low (or is it "last primer"?) alarm.

Were there known problems with the original SD that made them go to the SDB? NO

 

[RainDodger]

I have a SDB from the same era... I think I bought mine in '87. A couple of years back I sent it to Dillon and they totally refurbished it. It works as it did when it was brand new. Total price? Zero.

 

[Louca]

Total price? Zero.

Well, that might be a little different now. I spoke to the guy of different scenarios of getting it refurbished and none of them were free. That being said, the prices mentioned were quite reasonable.

Lou

 

[jmorris]

What is the difference between the SD and the SDB? The SDB has an added primers-low (or is it "last primer"?) alarm.

As I noted in #6 there are more differences than just that.

 

[lauderdale]

I believe they have more help to pay now as the waiting on orders was none for me last week? Yeh No,well as I was told.

 

[Jim Watson]

It has been several years, but they rebuilt my SDB twice at no cost except me shipping it to them. They fixed it and returned it for no charge.
The guy I sold it to has had it redone another couple of times and I doubt they charged him either.

I have bought a few dollars worth of spare parts to save the wait for freebies, but that is all.

I have an early Super 1050 made right after the change from "regular" to Super 1050. When I asked about an upgrade to the advance on a board frequented by a Dillon rep, he said to call it in. I did but the clerk I got wanted to charge me $71. I asked to speak to the guy I had corresponded with and he sent it out for nothing.

This is all great, but if you think about it, you will realize that such good treatment has to be figured into the purchase price of the equipment. You are not paying for the manufacturing cost of the press plus a reasonable profit, you are paying what the Army calls "life cycle costs" with all parts and repairs for the forseeable future figured in.

 

[Louca]

What is the difference between the SD and the SDB? The SDB has an added primers-low (or is it "last primer"?) alarm.

As I noted in #6 there are more differences than just that.

Well I guess I just got a misinformed customer service guy then. He sure was knowledgeable in other areas. When I called them I was ready to send it back; by the end of the call, I was anxious to take the thing apart, clean it, and make the adjustments he mentioned.

As far as it being no charge to get it rebuilt, all I can say is either the customer service guy lied to me, was misinformed, or was correct. And if he is correct is, "that was then, and this is now."

Lou

 

[jmorris]

This is all great, but if you think about it, you will realize that such good treatment has to be figured into the purchase price of the equipment.

I have often wondered how that business model works. No one else in any business does the same (looks like Lou's experience is different though).

In any case I don't feel they gouged me for the $130 but back then $130 would buy more than it does now.

 

[Louca]

Just to update my experience, I called them back today to get some information I forgot to write down. I spoke with a different guy this time than before and I re-explained all my issues to him. As I spoke to him, he was jotting down a list of parts he was going to send me. Free!

I forgot to ask him about what all the differences were between the SD and SDB, but I am quite sure jmorris is correct in his post (#6) above. And we didn't even discuss returning the unit since he also was confident my problems could be solved with some adjustments and a few replacement parts.

In defense of the first customer service guy, he might have said there were no other differences between the SD and SDB that would apply to fixing my problems.

BTW, the multiplication factor of dollars in 1987 to dollars today is 2.12. So my expense of $135 back in 1987 is the equivalent to $286.78 today. A new SDB press lists on the Dillon site for $379.95. But I know the price of the exact same press I got went to $150 very shortly after I got mine. And that would translate into $318 today. But before comparing dollars then to dollars now, remember I did not get the SDB back then with all the other stuff that was changed, modified, or improved from the SD. So I think the cost now is about the same as it was back then.

Lou