aerod1
Member
Are Lee progressive reloaders any good? The price sure seems right. Will they hold up over the years? User friendly? Please give your thouhgts on the Lee Progressive.
Thanks,
Jim Hall
Thanks,
Jim Hall
Lee progressive
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t driver
Member
Which Lee progressive?
I load on a Pro 1000 and find it to be very worth the money. In fact I have 2. I consider them reliable. I have loaded many thousands of rounds on them and have not had any trouble with equipment failure that wasn't operator error. I find my machines to be in need of occasional tinkering and the primer feed tray requires some attention to make sure primers always drop.
One drawback to the Pro 1000 is it is a three station press which means my Factory Crimp Die is used in a single station press(also Lee) as a seperate operation. I feel the slight extra trouble is worth it considering the low investment.
A friend of mine has a Loadmaster and it requires much more tinkering than my 1000. It is heavier duty and once set up is much quicker to load with. It is a 5 station press which allows you to integrate the FCD in your rotation. (no extra step).
One other thing I want to mention is the Lee presses are set up to be forgiving of operator error. By that I don't mean they will fix a bad round, but if something goes wrong the equipment is set up to not break. A feature I have been thankful for a couple times.
If I can answer more questions for you email me.
I load on a Pro 1000 and find it to be very worth the money. In fact I have 2. I consider them reliable. I have loaded many thousands of rounds on them and have not had any trouble with equipment failure that wasn't operator error. I find my machines to be in need of occasional tinkering and the primer feed tray requires some attention to make sure primers always drop.
One drawback to the Pro 1000 is it is a three station press which means my Factory Crimp Die is used in a single station press(also Lee) as a seperate operation. I feel the slight extra trouble is worth it considering the low investment.
A friend of mine has a Loadmaster and it requires much more tinkering than my 1000. It is heavier duty and once set up is much quicker to load with. It is a 5 station press which allows you to integrate the FCD in your rotation. (no extra step).
One other thing I want to mention is the Lee presses are set up to be forgiving of operator error. By that I don't mean they will fix a bad round, but if something goes wrong the equipment is set up to not break. A feature I have been thankful for a couple times.
If I can answer more questions for you email me.
Lloyd Smale
Member
I spent yesterday eveing loading .32 mags on mine and everytime i use it i want to tear it off the bench and stomp it. It works ok but the primmer feed +++++! I keep it for .32s and .38s I have a dillon 550 for everything else and trust me if you can afford it buy the dillon if not keep saving until you can!
Mr. Chitlin
Member
I loaded for many years on a Pro 1000. It loaded many K's of rounds. Spent many hours tinkering with it to keep it running. Seems like the primer feed was always giving some problems. Every 100 rounds that I loaded, probably 5 were lost due to sideways or upside down primers. A couple of years aog I ordered a fully loaded Dillon 650. The lee is still sitting in the corner, every once in a while I wonder why I haven't piutched it in the trash can yet. Probably will one day. If you can afford it, the Dillon is the way to go.
I guess to answer your question, yes, they are GOOD. Not great, but they will get you by. Just be prepared to fiddle with it a little.
I guess to answer your question, yes, they are GOOD. Not great, but they will get you by. Just be prepared to fiddle with it a little.
I love my Pro-1000's. I had one Pro-1000 and one Dillon. I sold the Dillon and bought 3 more new Pro-1000s with the money. Now I have a press already set up for each pistol caliber I load. No die changing, no powder adjustments etc. I still use single stage presses for the rifle stuff.
A few tricks I've learned over the years will will help a lot.
1) Remove the entire Primer shut-off mechanism, let the primers ALWAYS slide right down. If you want to shut off the primer flow use a small piece of plastic or a dowl or something. Push it in the way of the primers as they slide down. - I use a small hex key that just fits in the plastic primer shoot. This one move fixes 95% of the problems with the Lee.
2) Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a stronger STEEL ball-chain for the powder return and look for a longer softer spring.
3) You know that open bolt hole on the top left - Put in a 1/4 bolt with a few wide washers and lock down the three hole turret to remove all play. Use a wing nut for fast removal. Your loaded rounds will now have their OAL deviation as small as any progressive made.
There you go, three simple quick changes that will make your Lee presses work better and just as well as anyone's. For the record - I reload about 20,000 rounds a year, I shoot a lot of longs range handgun events and can't tell any difference between Lee loaded rounds and Dillon loaded rounds. If I were only going to own ONE press and load ONE caliber for the rest of my life, I would probably stick with the Dillon. For multiple calibers I find the multiple smaller Lees a better solution. Both companies are OK to deal with and I've had less problems with the Lee presses.
be safe
Elliot
A few tricks I've learned over the years will will help a lot.
1) Remove the entire Primer shut-off mechanism, let the primers ALWAYS slide right down. If you want to shut off the primer flow use a small piece of plastic or a dowl or something. Push it in the way of the primers as they slide down. - I use a small hex key that just fits in the plastic primer shoot. This one move fixes 95% of the problems with the Lee.
2) Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a stronger STEEL ball-chain for the powder return and look for a longer softer spring.
3) You know that open bolt hole on the top left - Put in a 1/4 bolt with a few wide washers and lock down the three hole turret to remove all play. Use a wing nut for fast removal. Your loaded rounds will now have their OAL deviation as small as any progressive made.
There you go, three simple quick changes that will make your Lee presses work better and just as well as anyone's. For the record - I reload about 20,000 rounds a year, I shoot a lot of longs range handgun events and can't tell any difference between Lee loaded rounds and Dillon loaded rounds. If I were only going to own ONE press and load ONE caliber for the rest of my life, I would probably stick with the Dillon. For multiple calibers I find the multiple smaller Lees a better solution. Both companies are OK to deal with and I've had less problems with the Lee presses.
be safe
Elliot
caz223
Member
The 1000 is upgradeable to a 4 station.
***EDIT***
*** Sorry, I was wrong.***
At first glance, they seem to operate on the same mechanism.
But the turret press, and the 1000 rotate in different directions.
The turret with auto-index was the one I was thinking of.
***EDIT***
*** Sorry, I was wrong.***
At first glance, they seem to operate on the same mechanism.
But the turret press, and the 1000 rotate in different directions.
The turret with auto-index was the one I was thinking of.
Last edited:
Steve Smith
Moderator Emeritus
It is also upgradeable to a cat turd.
dan_s
Member
imho, nope. I tried a Lee but it was a very unsafe press. The attention you spend looking out for the press is attention that should be spent on the task at hand, loading safe, reliable ammo. Sent the pos back after a couple of weeks. Why buy junk when for a little more you can get a decent press ?
Selfdfenz
Member
I have Pro 1000 and load a fair amout of 45 acp on it. Seems to handle the job well enough. It was a Factory Second and very well priced. Nothing has ever broken.
Bought the parts to go back and forth between 9 and 45 but having done the job one time I found it a lot of work. I would consider buying another like E357 for 9mm if loaded commercial ammo wasn't so cheap.
All the suggestions E357 made are right on the mark. I would add one more.....make sure the slide path the primers follow from the tray to the primer ram is absolutely, positively free of grease and clean as a whistle.
Actually dirt or stray powder of any kind is not something the Lee handles too well. Cleaning the mechanical parts is a good thing to ensure smooth functioning especially all the stuff that moves the cases through the process, gears, shell plate all the groves etc.
Here is the the deal with comparing Lee to Dillion.
Lee is the Toyota Corrolla and the Dillion product is like an Acura.
You expect more from the Acura/Dillon and frankly the Dillion/Acura may be more user friendly quality products. That is what you are paying for.
Possibly you expect a little less from the Corolla/Lee. They may not offer all the easy use/human friendly options you will find on the Dillon/Acura but its cheaper and gets the job done.
The Acura will diliver you to work in better style and comfort than the Toyota but you will be at work either way. (Equal endpoint)
The Lee and Dillion will both fill your ammo box but the Dillon will be less busy doing so. Smoother operator. (final endpoint at the range is the same...good ammo.... cheap)
I enjoy reloading and Lee SS and progressive presses (and other Lee products) have saved me lots of $ upfront when I bought the product and even more on the ammo I have turned out. The ammo is accurate and funtions very well. Dies for the ss Lee fit the progressive etc. If you are an unsafe reloader no press will save your--- from an accident sooner of later)
Many just about dispise Lee products. Don't know why. If Lee made crappy products on the scale many would have you believe they would not be in business. They fact that are in business and with lots less advertising (IMO) than Dillon should tell you something.
For some that reload it's the journey that counts (Dillon users), for others it's the destination (Lee users).
Take care and load safe,
S-
Bought the parts to go back and forth between 9 and 45 but having done the job one time I found it a lot of work. I would consider buying another like E357 for 9mm if loaded commercial ammo wasn't so cheap.
All the suggestions E357 made are right on the mark. I would add one more.....make sure the slide path the primers follow from the tray to the primer ram is absolutely, positively free of grease and clean as a whistle.
Actually dirt or stray powder of any kind is not something the Lee handles too well. Cleaning the mechanical parts is a good thing to ensure smooth functioning especially all the stuff that moves the cases through the process, gears, shell plate all the groves etc.
Here is the the deal with comparing Lee to Dillion.
Lee is the Toyota Corrolla and the Dillion product is like an Acura.
You expect more from the Acura/Dillon and frankly the Dillion/Acura may be more user friendly quality products. That is what you are paying for.
Possibly you expect a little less from the Corolla/Lee. They may not offer all the easy use/human friendly options you will find on the Dillon/Acura but its cheaper and gets the job done.
The Acura will diliver you to work in better style and comfort than the Toyota but you will be at work either way. (Equal endpoint)
The Lee and Dillion will both fill your ammo box but the Dillon will be less busy doing so. Smoother operator. (final endpoint at the range is the same...good ammo.... cheap)
I enjoy reloading and Lee SS and progressive presses (and other Lee products) have saved me lots of $ upfront when I bought the product and even more on the ammo I have turned out. The ammo is accurate and funtions very well. Dies for the ss Lee fit the progressive etc. If you are an unsafe reloader no press will save your--- from an accident sooner of later)
Many just about dispise Lee products. Don't know why. If Lee made crappy products on the scale many would have you believe they would not be in business. They fact that are in business and with lots less advertising (IMO) than Dillon should tell you something.
For some that reload it's the journey that counts (Dillon users), for others it's the destination (Lee users).
Take care and load safe,
S-
bfox
Member
Mr. Chitlin I will take the Lee off your hands 
Lloyd Smale
Member
I have one in .38 and have the .32mag shell plate for it and would swap for a caliber conversion in .38 and .32 for my 550
Kamicosmos
Member
A friend has a Loadmaster. He has had pretty good success with it, you just have to keep an eye on it.
I have been loading on a single stage RCBS for several years now, and when I decided to go progressive, I too bought a Loadmaster. Almost went for the RCBS Pro2000, but considering I could buy 3 Loadmasters for the same price...
When I load, even on the progressive, the most I crank out is maybe 200 rounds. That's a nice slow pace, and I'll make those 200 rounds in about a half hour to an hour. If you want to make 600 rounds in an hour, you'll probably want a smoother running machine like the Dillions or RCBS...
I have been loading on a single stage RCBS for several years now, and when I decided to go progressive, I too bought a Loadmaster. Almost went for the RCBS Pro2000, but considering I could buy 3 Loadmasters for the same price...
When I load, even on the progressive, the most I crank out is maybe 200 rounds. That's a nice slow pace, and I'll make those 200 rounds in about a half hour to an hour. If you want to make 600 rounds in an hour, you'll probably want a smoother running machine like the Dillions or RCBS...
dan_s
Member
Lee is the Toyota Corrolla and the Dillion product is like an Acura.
Bad analogy.. In reloading it is all about the journey.. any press can throw some components together and make a round. But doing it safely, predictably and repeatedly is the journey.. Remember, the press will pay for itself in short order. Granted it may take a little longer with a quality press like Dillon, Hornady, or RCBS, just depends upon how much you shoot..
Bad analogy.. In reloading it is all about the journey.. any press can throw some components together and make a round. But doing it safely, predictably and repeatedly is the journey.. Remember, the press will pay for itself in short order. Granted it may take a little longer with a quality press like Dillon, Hornady, or RCBS, just depends upon how much you shoot..
I love my Pro 1000 (bought in 88 or 89)
Yes, it's finicky at times but it's quarks are easy enough to learn and deal with especially considering the cost savings over other progressives. The worst part of the system is the priming system. It must be kept clean and dry to function correctly.
Once you understand the way the system works it's easy to maintain and keep functioning at a fairly high output rate with minimal downtime.
Another nice thing about these presses is that the complete press with dies costs about what just the caliber conversion costs for other presses. Adding a new caliber? Just buy another press
I load 4-7k a year of 45ACP.
I have not tried the bullet feeder.
Yes, it's finicky at times but it's quarks are easy enough to learn and deal with especially considering the cost savings over other progressives. The worst part of the system is the priming system. It must be kept clean and dry to function correctly.
Once you understand the way the system works it's easy to maintain and keep functioning at a fairly high output rate with minimal downtime.
Another nice thing about these presses is that the complete press with dies costs about what just the caliber conversion costs for other presses. Adding a new caliber? Just buy another press
I load 4-7k a year of 45ACP.
I have not tried the bullet feeder.
After I bought my Pro 1000 in 45acp, I wanted to start loading 9mm. I just bought another reconditioned Pro 1000 in 9mm for about $15.00 more then I what it would have coast to change over to 9mm. Not bad for $84.00 shipped for a complete press. I ordered it from Lee on Tue and had it on Fri.
Bob Brown
Member
I'm a retired 'smith and dealer. I've sold a ton of 1000's, and a few Loadmasters over the past years and there's one fix I always do to the 1000's before they leave the shop...well, two, actually.
I get a "tack" (small nail?) that's .500 long by .040 diameter with a .092 diameter head which is .018 thick. These are standard tacks available at any hardware store.
I remove the primer trough and drill a hole in the top of the place where the primer punch rises to seat the primer. I press that tack all the way through that plastic (may have to shave just a tad off the tack's end) so just the head is visible. That head moves the primer trough down just enough so that a primer will not tip, flip, or do anything but slip right over that punch when called for. Oh, the way that tack moves the trough down is that it serves as a spacer between the trough and the shell plate. Very little pressure on it and I have yet to hear of one wearing out.
I've informed Lee of this fix and asked that they resolve the matter by modifying the mold that makes that trough so that it's about .018-.020 higher, but they aren't interested, apparently.
I've also informed them of a simple fix to stop a case from occasionally bouncing forward from the feeder and jamming...but they aren't interested in fixing that, either.
The other thing I do is wrap a piece of bailing wire around the post with the 3 notches on it that are supposed to provide some "shake" to the primer tray. I then file it down to where it provides more shake and the trough stays full all the time...thus preventing the old "empty primer trough" syndrome. As that wire wears, just rotate it and file a tad 'til it's right.
These few little mods make that 1000 operate flawlesly and it becomes a pleasure to use...instead of a PIB.
I get a "tack" (small nail?) that's .500 long by .040 diameter with a .092 diameter head which is .018 thick. These are standard tacks available at any hardware store.
I remove the primer trough and drill a hole in the top of the place where the primer punch rises to seat the primer. I press that tack all the way through that plastic (may have to shave just a tad off the tack's end) so just the head is visible. That head moves the primer trough down just enough so that a primer will not tip, flip, or do anything but slip right over that punch when called for. Oh, the way that tack moves the trough down is that it serves as a spacer between the trough and the shell plate. Very little pressure on it and I have yet to hear of one wearing out.
I've informed Lee of this fix and asked that they resolve the matter by modifying the mold that makes that trough so that it's about .018-.020 higher, but they aren't interested, apparently.
I've also informed them of a simple fix to stop a case from occasionally bouncing forward from the feeder and jamming...but they aren't interested in fixing that, either.
The other thing I do is wrap a piece of bailing wire around the post with the 3 notches on it that are supposed to provide some "shake" to the primer tray. I then file it down to where it provides more shake and the trough stays full all the time...thus preventing the old "empty primer trough" syndrome. As that wire wears, just rotate it and file a tad 'til it's right.
These few little mods make that 1000 operate flawlesly and it becomes a pleasure to use...instead of a PIB.
dickwholliday
Member
Hey Bob......i can't quite get a handle on the mod you're describing to the priming system....could you post a picture or email me one.......thanks....DICK
My first progressive was a Dillon RL550b. After using it for a few years. and tiring of its limitations and problems, I decided to try a LoadMaster.
I used the Red and the Blue side-by-side for over a year, and eventually sold one of them. No, it wasn't the Lee!
There are now 2 LoadMasters on my reloading bench, and I'm very happy with them. My only caveat is that they must be set up, adjusted, and operated EXACTLY as the manual says - no exceptions. If you can do that, they'll work wonderfully.
The one time I needed to talk to Lee's Customer Service department (to order a replacement for a part that I broke through stupidity), they were helpful and courteous. Oh, and they sent the part out at no charge and via Priority Mail...!
This is in stark contrast to Dillon's customer mis-service department, who will say outrageous things just to avoid dealing with problems. A couple of my favorites:
When asked why NONE of the *four* Dillon powder measures I owned would meter Universal Clays with any repeatability: "Hodgdon powders are crap - everyone in the industry knows it. You should be using Winchester, that's what everyone else uses."
When I asked if they were ever going to make a bullet feeder for any of their presses: "Dillon makes HANDloading equipment. If it puts the bullet in the case for you, you're no longer HANDloading, you're MACHINE loading. If you didn't want to get into HANDloading, why did you buy a HANDload press?"
I used the Red and the Blue side-by-side for over a year, and eventually sold one of them. No, it wasn't the Lee!
There are now 2 LoadMasters on my reloading bench, and I'm very happy with them. My only caveat is that they must be set up, adjusted, and operated EXACTLY as the manual says - no exceptions. If you can do that, they'll work wonderfully.
The one time I needed to talk to Lee's Customer Service department (to order a replacement for a part that I broke through stupidity), they were helpful and courteous. Oh, and they sent the part out at no charge and via Priority Mail...!
This is in stark contrast to Dillon's customer mis-service department, who will say outrageous things just to avoid dealing with problems. A couple of my favorites:
When asked why NONE of the *four* Dillon powder measures I owned would meter Universal Clays with any repeatability: "Hodgdon powders are crap - everyone in the industry knows it. You should be using Winchester, that's what everyone else uses."
When I asked if they were ever going to make a bullet feeder for any of their presses: "Dillon makes HANDloading equipment. If it puts the bullet in the case for you, you're no longer HANDloading, you're MACHINE loading. If you didn't want to get into HANDloading, why did you buy a HANDload press?"
oldfart
Member
I've looked at Dillon and at RCBS. I use Lee. I can't begin to count the number of posts I've read touting the "free, no questions asked" policy of both Dillon and RCBS. The same posters complain about Lee charging them for broken parts.
Well, perhaps Dillon and RCBS chaarge for those broken parts BEFORE they break. Does anyone else think that might better explain the higher sticker price on those brands?
I load good, reliable ammo. I haven't broken any parts except a primer pin on an RCBS die (which they replaced at no charge.) My only complaint with Lee presses regards the 4-hole turret press which has no way to move the front column to the left side. For that reason I stick with the 3-holer but I'd still rather use the 4-holer than spend the money for a Dillon.
Well, perhaps Dillon and RCBS chaarge for those broken parts BEFORE they break. Does anyone else think that might better explain the higher sticker price on those brands?
I load good, reliable ammo. I haven't broken any parts except a primer pin on an RCBS die (which they replaced at no charge.) My only complaint with Lee presses regards the 4-hole turret press which has no way to move the front column to the left side. For that reason I stick with the 3-holer but I'd still rather use the 4-holer than spend the money for a Dillon.
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