Load Master vs. Pro 1000

[RustyFN]

I don't have experience with either press. That being said I have a close friend that has a P1000 and loves it. He thought he would upgrade to a LM and hates the LM. I do have a classic turret press and love it. If 175-200 rounds per hour will be enough then I would go with the classic turret. Make sure it's the classic turret and not the deluxe. If 175-200 rph isn't enough then save up for a Dillon. I also have a Dillon 550 and I use it and the classic turret about equal amounts of time.

 

[General Lee]

I have a pro 1000. I took the primer system off and I do it by hand. Powder charges are very accurate as long as you keep the machine clean and keep a steady pace. Ammo production is very fast once you get the hang of it. I have mine set up Stage 1: Powder Stage 2: Bullet seat Stage 3: Crimp.

 

[bdejong11129]

I have both and use both. In fact the money I saved on press cost alone paid for several of my firearms. I mainly use the load master now, I have complete turrets setup for each caliber I load. The load master is a great press, I load 5 pistol and 1 rifle caliber on it and they all work great. I can crank out as many as I want at each loading session.

I don't really pay much attention to the haters of anything, presses, cars, football teams etc. It really doesn't matter to me. I read all kinds of threads about having one and hating them but I never find that many for sale. I have a standing offer to anyone to buy theirs.:sly:

There are a few things that I like about the load master over the 1000.

Primers fall into the ram which has a cool door on the bottom for draining them. It holds a ton of them...

Shell plate changes are as simple as a thumb screw.

The turret is simple to change just like the 1000

The primer feed is easier to change.

Easier access to place bullet on shell and easy access to view powder charge.

Built like a tank.

Cost, cost, cost. I can buy a new one, complete with dies for 230.00


Brian

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk HD

 

[Lost Sheep]

I don't have experience with either press. That being said I have a close friend that has a P1000 and loves it. He thought he would upgrade to a LM and hates the LM. I do have a classic turret press and love it. If 175-200 rounds per hour will be enough then I would go with the classic turret. Make sure it's the classic turret and not the deluxe. If 175-200 rph isn't enough then save up for a Dillon. I also have a Dillon 550 and I use it and the classic turret about equal amounts of time.

I am intererested in learning the specifics of your friend's comparisons where the Loadmaster was inferior to the Pro-1000 (and vice-versa). I am sure the forum would be, too as a judgement (pro or con) is worth more with specifics than without.

I owned a couple of Pro-1000s but have never used a Loadmaster. I am completely satisfied with my Classic Turret at the moment. However, I am always curious about that which I know nothing, so the Loadmaster intrigues me.

Thanks.

Lost Sheep

 

[RustyFN]

I am intererested in learning the specifics of your friend's comparisons where the Loadmaster was inferior to the Pro-1000 (and vice-versa). I am sure the forum would be, too as a judgement (pro or con) is worth more with specifics than without.

I will try to call him, I need to talk to about components anyway. If he already left for a gun show I will call him early next week. From what I remember it was priming problems on the LM that he didn't have on the P1000. I will try to get as much detail as possible.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Please do Rusty.
Thank you.

 

[kingmt]

Pros of Pro1000 over the Load Master: Only 3 stations, more simplistic, quicker setup, & way cheaper to convert.

Pros of the Load Master over the Pro1000: More leverage, more room to reach into the press to place yes bullet or make adjustments, easier to are in case, & looks cooler.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Pros of Pro1000 over the Load Master: Only 3 stations, more simplistic, quicker setup, & way cheaper to convert.

I actually think that 3 stations is a con. I load a lot of auto pistol rounds where I taper crimp, and when loading .45 Colt, I like to seat and crimp in 2 separate steps. Only having 3 stations is out of the question. Having to deprime or crimp after loading the round on a progressive, totally defeats the purpose of having one to me.

I was unaware that the Pro 1000 was only 3 stations. It is out of consideration now. Thanks for bringing that up.

 

[LiveLife]

Due to bulging of cases from generous chambers that prevent full-length resizing, some Pro 1000 users resize/deprime all the cases first (fairly fast using the case feeder) and then QC the resized cases so they all pass the case gage or the tightest chamber barrel they have and toss/recycle all the cases that did not pass.

Then do either of the following for "pseudo" 4 station reloading - this way, you KNOW that all the finished rounds will fully chamber and allow the slide to return to full battery (if you don't, you may start a thread like "At the range, when I released the slide, it did not fully chamber and now it is stuck and I can't pull it back - What happened?" ):

Station 1 - Flare case mouth/powder charge
Station 2 - Seat bullet
Station 3 - Taper crimp

Station 1 - Flare case mouth/powder charge
Station 2 - Seat bullet/Taper crimp
Station 3 - Factory Crimp Die


Some resizing dies have larger radius die opening (like Dillon 40S&W etc.) and won't allow full-length resizing all the way down to the case base of Glocked/bulged cases and will either push-through resize or use undersized dies (like FCD/U-dies) all the cases first then reload as usual - http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=142712&#entry1604364

If you are shooting generous chamber barrels (Glock, etc.) then you may be OK as bulged cases not fully resized may fully chamber in the barrel but if you are shooting tight chamber barrels (Sig 1911, Lone Wolf, etc.) then the bulged cases not fully resized will not fully chamber in the barrel. If this happens on a match stage, there goes your stage time/score ... Call me OCD, but I also drop check every round ... and I don't have any issue at the range with failure to fully chamber even when shooting larger diameter lead loads in very tight chambered Sig/Lone Wolf barrels.

I tried the U-Die, it is like a bandaid on a leaking Dam. Sure it saved a few rejects but I still had lots. The cure is one of the following: Redding GRX (recommended), Lee Push Thru [FCD/Bulge Buster], or CasePro 100.

I load only about 20k rounds a year. I use a CasePro 100 and on 40 the GRX. I drop check every round every time. I find maybe one or 2 in a 1000 that has some minor defect, that could be the jam that spoils the match. One of the things I find are cases that split when the bullet is seated

.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Let me undo that for you.

I actually think that 3 stations is a con. I load a lot of auto pistol rounds where I taper crimp, and when loading .45 Colt, I like to seat and crimp in 2 separate steps. Only having 3 stations is out of the question. Having to deprime or crimp after loading the round on a progressive, totally defeats the purpose of having one to me.

I was unaware that the Pro 1000 was only 3 stations. It is out of consideration now. Thanks for bringing that up.

Since you have answered the original question, let me undo that for you.

If you don't need more than 100-200 rounds per hour output, have you considered the Lee Classic Turret? (I observe that it has not been mentioned since your original post.)

4 die stations. Near-instant caliber swaps. Excellent primer handling (both spent primers and new) and dead simple operation. Not to mention less expensive and smaller.

Good luck.

Lost Sheep

 

[savanahsdad]

LOADMASTER 5 stage,
stage #1 Decap only
stage #2 Seat primer/ FL size(remove decap pin)
stage #3 Flare/ powder charge
stage #4 Seat bullet/ start crimp
stage #5 Full taper crimp

I only check the first few rounds , then punch a few hunderd ,and I have never had a feed failer

 

[Hondo 60]

I get this sneaky feeling that Lee presses are like Rock Island 1911s. The people who talk crap about them, don't own one, but everyone who does is pleased.

As a former Pro1000 & "Deluxe" turret press owner, I can tell you that's not the truth.
Atleast not with me.

I sold both of them because I was spending more time "fiddling" with 'em than reloading.
I sincerely hope you have really good luck with what ever press you buy.

I would very seriously consider a Lee CLASSIC turret press too.
They have all the features that the so called Deluxe does NOT have, that makes the deluxe - well - not so deluxe.

Did you realize you can get a Dillon really basic BL550 for about $260, plus shipping?
http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/25792/catid/1/BL_550_Basic_Loader

I'm not bashing whatever you decide to do, just relating my experience.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm definitely considering the classic turret at this point.
The BL550 looks good, but there are no priming or powder charging features from what I can tell.

 

[kingmt]

Even on the Load Master I set & crimp at the same die. Sation 4 is where I put my light.

 

[ObsidianOne]

The Lee LoadMaster is JUNK! Just like John Wall said. Being broke I find it is MUCH better to buy quality then trash that has to be replaced sooner (normally) or later. You buy junk and it costs you once. Then it won't do what you want it to do, so it costs you twice in pain and aggravation. Then you replace it with the Dillon you SHOULD have bought in the first place, and it cost you THREE TIMES! Look to see what a new 550B sells for, what a USED 550B sells for, what a new LM sells for and what a used LM sells for. THAT right ther should tell you to buy Dillon! Lifetime warranty vs no warranty to speak of.

While I don't have any experience with the Loadmaster, I can assure you that this "no warranty to speak of" is horsefeathers. Lee has an amazing warranty and stands by all of their products. Had you owned any of their products or used them, you'd surely know this. Slow down on the Blue Kool-Aid.

Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk

 

[RustyFN]

Ok I said I would ask my friend and report back. I just talked to him and he said he has a P1000 set up for 9mm and another P1000 set up for 45 auto. He said the P1000's are very easy to keep running smooth. He bought a Loadmaster and doesn't like it. He has fooled with the priming system and can't get it to run reliable. He said the auto indexing keeps going out of adjustment and he can't keep that working either. He gave up on the LM and just uses the 2 P1000's. Now the real bad news is he is sold out of powder and Tannerite. Well I guess that's just my bad news.

 

[bdejong11129]

Tell your friend I will either buy his load master from him or he can contact me and I will help him with it. I load thousands upon thousands of rounds on mine and only have the occasional priming issue. I have not had an indexing issue yet. I would think we can get him straight.

I read a few pages back that the pro 1000 and the load master share priming components. This is not true, they are completely different and share no common parts at all. That is, other than the primers.

I use both of these presses but like the load master a lot more. The op can contact me here via pm to setup a phone call and I can talk to you about it for as long as you would like. We are here to help, not get bitchy about the color of the press.

Brian

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[RustyFN]

I was actually thinking about trying to get it from him just to see what the press is like myself. He hasn't reloaded much in the last year because he is trying to make a living selling at gun shows.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

The op can contact me here via pm to setup a phone call and I can talk to you about it for as long as you would like.

I appreciate that amigo. If we go with the Load Master, I will likely take you up on that.

 

[bdejong11129]

<...Response to OT removed...>

I loaded thousands upon thousands with my load master and I am very happy with it. Here is the current inventory, everything but the Garand rounds were loaded on my load master. There is 9, 38, 40, 45, 45LC, and .223 in there. All loaded with no trouble on my load master.

Disclaimer-this is my opinion and yours may vary.

 

[Art Eatman]

I hope the editing and deletions provide a learning experience.