http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...leeloader.html Lee Loader, waste of time and money. Not a good choice.
Um, that's like saying a lumberjack shouldn't waste money on an axe. Not every person who's going to chop down a tree needs a huge logging machine or a truck full of chainsaws. I'd be willing to bet a lot of professional loggers keep an axe in their truck.
Lee Loaders are EXCELLENT tools for when you are fiddling with a load, and maybe need to flare a few cases, decap a few cases without sizing, or perform some sort of experiment under controlled conditions on a few cases. They're also perfectly fine for loading small to moderate amounts of rifle ammo. For large volume pistol ammo, not so much, but it can be done.
I try and get a Lee Loader for every caliber that I shoot, even if I have dies for it. They're great for fixing mistakes. Shaving lead off of your bullets as they enter a 9mm case? Want to load a .357 lead bullet instead of .356? Then use the flaring tool that comes with the .38 special Lee Loader, then crimp in the 9mm Lee Loader tool. (Had Pat @ Lee Precision tell me this technique last night, and it saved me from having to buy a sizing die...and let me load un-jacketed rounds to fit a slightly over-sized 9mm barrel). They are also small enough to take with you to the range, and inexpensive enough to leave in a hunting shack or bug-out destination if you are of such a mind (I'm not).
There are all kinds of good uses for them, but the best reason is that it lets people get into reloading for LESS THAN $100 TOTAL. You still have $ left over for a cheap scale, a couple trays of primers, a box of bullets, and a pound of powder. If you buy one of those kits, the kit is $100, a set of dies is about $30, plus at least $70 worth of components. Big difference between $100 & $200 when someone is deciding to get into the hobby.
A lot of people whine and complain about single stage presses or the Lee & Lyman hand tools, saying they aren't fast enough, or ask "how much is your time worth?". These are legitimate concerns, but there ARE folks out there who have lots more time than money. I know of several retired and/or disabled shooters on a fixed income who can't afford to drop the cash for factory ammo or an expensive reloading setup. I also know of several folks (I'm one of them), who LIKE to reload slowly.
If you have lots of $ and very little time, then the Lee Loader is probably not for you, at least as your primary reloading tool (though I would never consider it a waste of money).
It's just a matter of choosing the right tool for the right job. As a beginning reloader, the Lee Loader is a good choice, as would a single stage or turret press. Your budget, reloading purpose, and shooting volume will determine which is best for you.