Hornady LNL AP or Dillons 650\550

[blitz121]

Hey everyone,
I have been eyeing a progressive press to go on my bench for a while now. The new price on a LNL AP is 449 (On jet.com its 399 w free shipping.) The cheapest I have found a 650 for is $546, and a 550 for 425.

I think I really want to go with auto-indexing so the 550 is out.

From what I have heard Dillon's is the way to go due to warranty\Customer Service. I can't think of any pro's for the hornady minus the price difference.

I mainly have lee die sets if that makes any difference but I think they are all universal.

Anyone got any pointers?

 

[blitz121]

Also I am looking to do a one time purchase of a press, I am going to be using whatever I purchase for probably the next 10-20 years.

 

[jmorris]

I have owned all three, they will all load ammo that runs. In 20 years the Dillon's will be worth around twice what they cost today and Hornady will have discontinued the LNL AP, now excuse me, I have to go put away my crystal ball.

 

[thomas15]

I have the LnL-AP and really love it. The main reason I went Hornady and not Dillon is because I have purchased in the last 2 years or so two other presses, a rockchucker and an rcbs turret press. I have a few Lee SS presses also. I'm trying to keep this hobby in some sort of financial perspective. IF you do not intend to use a case feeder but you do intend to load numerous calibers the LnL is less expensive when everything is all said and done. If you are getting a case feeder then get the Dillon. But still, the way I have my LnL set up it costs way more than the $369.00 I paid for the big box of fun.

It is not true that Dillons never break or that Hornady's are cranky. Both work and are similar in satisfaction. If you doubt this check out the reloading section of brian enos forums, he has dillon and non-dillon subforums. My next press will another LnL so take that for for what it is worth.

Regardless of which press you get, you will have to do some adjusting to get it working or to keep it working. That is the simple truth. Also, both presses have other costs in addition to the basic press. Most users of progressive presses want a roller or ergo handle, a strong mount or ultra mount, case feeders and/or bullet feeders, LED dome lights and on and on. All this is extra money you might spend. It's like jumping into a lake at midnight, you don't know what you are in until you are in.

Handloading is like a religion. Those that belong to church A are always going to tell you church A is better than church B. There are no known exceptions to this doctrine. Regardless of which church you join, A or B, they all cost money.

 

[thomas15]

By the way I forgot to add, the comparison is between the Dillon XL650 and the Hornady LNL-AP. Those are both 5 station auto indexing presses.

The Dilllon 550 is a 4 station manual indexing press that is not well suited for use of a case feeder.

 

[John3921]

I have a LNL. It's taken some tweeking to get running right. Overall though it's fine. I don't have a casefeeder. I'm told they are finiky, though the newer design is supposed to be better. If you are going case feeder, then look hard at a 650. If you don't see the need for a case feeder, the LNL is fine. i do like the 5-hole design, almost wish it had 6. (resize, powder w/ ptx, powder cop, bullet feeder, seating die, crimp die) I quit using the powder cop. The hornady measure works fine - don't do stupid things (like back up a station) with a progressive and you won't get a double charge.

I use bullet feeder dies in mine with 24" lengths of 1/2" aluminum tubing. they hold about 40 bullets (9mm) and it greatly increases productivity. Hornady's rifle bullet feeder is not compatible with the pistol bullet feeder and you can't buy the dies for the rifle feeder. Ponsness Warren makes a rifle feeder die that looks interesting.

Caliber conversions on the LNL are right about $105 plus dies, and just take a few minutes to convert over. Thats pretty much everything but a new powder measure. I do prefer the dillon dies though (except i hate their rings, so I replaced them with hornady rings)

ETA: I've called Hornady 2 x on the LNL in 3 years. The first time they decided I had a misfabricated part in the primer system and sent out a new part that day, they were correct and it fixed the problem. The second call I had a more technical problem the guy on the phone could not diagnose. He recommended I send the press in for them to work on. I was having problems with timing the auto index. As it turns out the primer was coming up too soon and dragging on the bottom of the cases and retarding the shell plate. I fixed it myself with a silicone carbide wheel and a dremel tool. I ground out a small pocket (0.020) where the primer punch hits the housing to retard the primer seating. Pretty sure my press was just a victim of tolerance stack up.)

 

[joem1945]

I have the 650. Don't forget you will need accessories to make full use of the auto index feature. My vote goes to Dillon 650!

 

[Kingcreek]

Color me blue. As stated, they not only hold their value but increase. CS and general reliability are great.

IMO the auto indexing is a non-issue since loading on a 550 and manually thumbing the star becomes an easy and automatic motion. The reasons for going 650 are the additional station (if needed) and case feeding/bullet feeding upgrades (if desired).

 

[rsrocket1]

The support for my LnL AP has been great, but the only thing I've needed so far have been replacement retention springs which were sent to me for free. The press has been working worry free for the past six years. I don't have or have a need for bullet or case feeders so mine has been stock and I've been averaging about 10k rounds per year through it.

Cost and time for caliber changes is another plus for the LnL AP. A new caliber is typically about $100 for the dies, shellplate and bushings. Changing calibers takes about a minute for the dies, another minute for the powder drop height and about 5 minutes if you have to switch between small and large primers. If you go from pistol/rifle add another 5-10 minutes to change out the powder measure rotor and height spacers.

Because I do change calibers often and have a lot of different calibers to load for, the changeover cost and convenience is a big plus for me.

 

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

I am rather new to the Dillon 650 after many years of using an RCBS Rock Cusher. The only negative thing about the 650 is the cost of parts to do caliber changes. There are several upgrade parts on Ebay that will make it run smoother. There is a learning curve to the use of the 650. Look up videos and understand each station function/setup. The best part of the 650 is watching a loaded round drop out after each pull of the handle. Even after it is set up and dropping loaded rounds check powder,primers,case length,etc after every few rounds. I still use the RCBS single stage press to load and do other functions. The 650 is awesome but again can be expensive when loading for several calibers. Remember to get a in case powder alarm for peace of mind.

 

[Kaldor]

If you want to run a case feeder and do runs of 1000 rounds, then the Dillon for sure. Dillons cases handling is light years above Hornady.

If you want to be able to do load development easily, small runs on lots of calibers, with or without a case feeder, buy the LnL.

I own the LnL. If I was going to run 2-3 different loads, and alot of them, on a consistent basis, Id buy the 650. I like to putz around, do load development, do short runs, so I like the LnL. I do have a case feeder, and yes it can be a PITA.

Remember this. Comparing the 650 vs the LnL in their stock form is pointless. They both make good ammo. When you add the case feeder to the 650, thats when it excels. If Hornady could get a 100% working case feeder, then it would compete with the 650. Without a case feeder, the LnL is probably better.

 

[Blue68f100]

I don't know how you came up the $105 for conversion on the LNL but your way off.. That is more of what Dillon Charges. Hornady cost is just the bushing where you can 10 for $45.

I've owned a LNL-AP coming up on 9 yrs now, still going strong. They both have their twerks. With Dillon you have to be extremely careful of plastic parts wearing out which can cause primer detonation. This is a know design flaw for at least 4 decades and they still have not come out with a fix. Hornady is constantly improving their equipment. As know flaws show up, they address the problem and correct it. Dillon just keeps sending the same parts that keep failing. Now with that said. Dillon has a better setup when it comes to the case feeder. The 650 was designed around it so you should go that way. The LNL-AP is design to use or not your choice. I have one on mine and it can be touchy to get right. What I have found is the way Hornady says to adj it I have more issues. I've learned what it like and have very little problem. Like any thing mechanical if every thing is set right they work smooth. If you have NO Mechanical Ability I would shy away from any AP press.

They both have a good warranty, lifetime.

 

[RealGun]

I mainly have lee die sets if that makes any difference but I think they are all universal.

That could be a deal breaker for the Hornady. The Lees can be made to work, but it's a hack. Don't know about you, but I don't use Lee dies for lead bullet diameters. They work very well on jacketed/plated diameters. I don't know or recall mention of whether Lee dies present an issue on the Dillon 650 die holder thingies.

 

[blitz121]

I don't mind converting to Hornady\Dillon's dies but didn't know if it would be much of a problem. That is good to know as well.

 

[mantawolf]

I have no issues with Lee dies on my LnL, I am also using the case feeder and have no issues using it personally.

 

[Walkalong]

I have had to innovate for a couple of Lee dies with less threads than would be optimum, but it wasn't hard.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=7817375&postcount=15

 

[Morrey]

All I can contribute is that I bought a Dillon 450 back in the days of Noah's ark. According to the low 4 digit serial number, Dillon says it was made in the early '80's. It slings out bullets like the day I bought it. If Dillon makes it, they stand behind it...period!

 

[25-5]

I've been using the Dillon 450 for forty years. It's the 550 now. Close to 200K in reloads. Using Dillon, RCBS, Forster, & Hornady dies with no problem. I have done some upgrades toward the 550 over the years. It is easy to maintain, and the customer service and warranty are excellent.
I use it single stage along with a Chargemaster for my rifle loads.
If you are not heavy into competition the 550 should suit your needs.
I don't know personally, but understand that all the 650 components are more costly too.

 

[Paladin7]

I went through the same decision a few months back and chose the Hornady LnL AP hands down.

Very glad I did, since the Hornady is a GREAT Press. Very simple design and very cheap to change calibers unlike the Dillon.

I got a similar deal on the Hornady and they threw in 500 free bullets, which was a $177 value.

I use Lee Dies primarily and have already loaded 1,000+ rounds with no issue using the Lee dies on the Hornady press.

Dillon makes a great press, but the Hornady is also a great press and much cheaper and has a much simpler, streamlined mechanism.

You won't go wrong with either but my money is on the Hornady.

 

[John3921]

I don't know how you came up the $105 for conversion on the LNL but your way off.. That is more of what Dillon Charges. Hornady cost is just the bushing where you can 10 for $45.

I've owned a LNL-AP coming up on 9 yrs now, still going strong. They both have their twerks. With Dillon you have to be extremely careful of plastic parts wearing out which can cause primer detonation. This is a know design flaw for at least 4 decades and they still have not come out with a fix. Hornady is constantly improving their equipment. As know flaws show up, they address the problem and correct it. Dillon just keeps sending the same parts that keep failing. Now with that said. Dillon has a better setup when it comes to the case feeder. The 650 was designed around it so you should go that way. The LNL-AP is design to use or not your choice. I have one on mine and it can be touchy to get right. What I have found is the way Hornady says to adj it I have more issues. I've learned what it like and have very little problem. Like any thing mechanical if every thing is set right they work smooth. If you have NO Mechanical Ability I would shy away from any AP press.

They both have a good warranty, lifetime.

It depends on how you do your conversions -as cheap as possible or as quick as possible - Right?

I have mine set up so that each caliber is self contained so to speak (other than the Powder measure itself, which I have just one of)

For a conversion I use:

1.) Quick change powder die $29 (this along with the PTX insert establishes the flare in the case, so I have one for each conversion already set to the correct depth for the cartridge)
2.) PTX insert $11 - powder through expander insert for PM. Caliber specific.
3.) Bushings $22 - need at least 4 depending on how you do things ($4-$6 ea. depending on how many you buy at a time).
4.) Powder Measure Stop linkage $8 - insures repeatability on the case flair
5.) Powder Measure insert $11. I keep one of these set for each caliber so I don't have to go through the whole dial in a drop thing. A micrometer insert would be better if you're going to use the same insert (@ 3 x the cost.)
6.) Shell plate $34.

$115 (prices from Midway, rounded off.)


If you want to go even faster add a bullet feeder die to the above.

When I set up to run a different caliber , I take everything off and install the whole works all set up and ready to go, no adjustments needed. A couple drops to verify powder charge, and go. Takes under 5 minutes.

To go as cheap as possible you can do away with a lot of this stuff- but then you have to set everything up for every caliber every time.

 

[rdtompki]

I've put over 40K rounds through my Hornady in the last year (all 9mm) - no issues, no adjustments. I have a case feeder and recently added a Mr. Bullet Feeder. 20/20 hindsight would have had me buy the bullet feeder immediately and see how things went without the case feeder.

Even small 9mm cases are easier to handle than 115gr bullets and setting the cases down requires no precision. Now loading is a bit faster with the case feeder than without, but Hornady should have incorporated the well-known DIY mods to their case feeder; would have cost them almost nothing. I'm sure I'd be very happy with a 650, but no reason to switch at this point.

 

[Robert101]

I used a RCBS Rock chucker for over 2 decades. Just recently bought a Dillon 550B and wish I had bought it sooner like 20 years ago. I have not tried their warranty yet but I'm sure I'll need it in the future. Progressives are sweet.

 

[Valkman]

It's been 13 yrs now with my Dillon stuff, spent the money and bought everything I needed from Enos and have always been glad I did. I bought a 550 as I like the manual indexing, and a few years later added another. I'm sure Hornaday makes a good loader but they weren't around I don't think in '03 so I'll stick with Dillon.

 

[Rule3]

Buy the RCBS ProChucker 7 Someone had to throw that in.


http://www.rcbs.com/Products/Presse...ro-Chucker-7-Progressive-Reloading-Press.aspx

 

[Paddy]

LOL this poor guy isn't getting any closer with these opinions!

Id like to throw out a request, can we please stop recommending Dillon over Hornady because "they have no questions warranty". This implies that Hornady doesn't. Hornady has the same warranty as Dillon and nobody can say they don't stand behind their products! They do!

I have a LnL and I'm going to pitch my reasoning for it.

Case feeder: if this is your goal go with Dillon, apparently theirs is better. however I chose bullet feeder instead for a couple reasons. One is because they work, which sounds like the biggest complaint about the Hornady case feeder. But the biggest reason is that I rather let bullet be fed without my inspection because they are theoretically all the same age, and similar to each other so that i don't need to inspect them. Now, I'm reloading ammo and I use my LnL exclusively for 45acp, so I'm using my left hand to manually feed cases and I'm able to inspect the case for defects, or small primers, or tumbling media etc, as I put each one in the press. So, for me, a case feeder wouldn't speed anything up because I'd have to do that step before feedin the feeder. If you're using new brass then YMMV.

Post #21 by rdtompki echoes these same sentiments and then some and with 40k cases in just a year I certainly wouldn't discard that experience.

IMO the Hornady powder measure is superior to the Dillon style measure.

The Dillon 550 is a completely different animal that can't be compared to these other two.