looking for honest reviews of loadmaster and pro 1000

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7thGenAustinite

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Im looking to get into reloading and have been stock pilling large primer 45acp brass for some time. I am having trouble deciding between the lee pro 1000 and the loadmaster. I have watched a lot of videos and the load master seems nice with the five stations but there are also a bunch of bad reviews on midway and cabelas sites for the loadmaster. Is this mostly an operator error thing or a real issue. Since I am new to reloading would the 1000 be a better press to start with? the loadmaster is at the top of my budget so please don't suggest some press that is big $$$$$.

my plan is to get my feet wet doing 45acp and once I'm comfortable and have done a few 1000 rounds i would like to then later start doing .38sp, .357, .30-30, and .308


thanks
 
if just starting out and want a progressive loader start with the pro 1000, its what i use for 45acp and i like it alot. i had a loadmaster and had NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS with the priming part of it even had the tech guy from lee talk me through it and watched numerous vids on you tube. i've had pro 1000's in the past for 357 and 9 mm thats why i'm back with one for 45acp.
 
7thGenAustinite said:
looking to get into reloading ... plan is to get my feet wet doing 45acp ... then later start doing .38sp, .357, .30-30, and .308
Click to expand...
Pro 1000 will only do short rifle cases like .223/7.62x39. It is primarily a high volume pistol progressive press with 3 stations.

I like reloading 9mm, 40S&W and 45ACP on Pro 1000 (I have 2 setups) and due to the case feeder, I can produce around 600-800 rounds/hour but prefer to load rifle cartridges on the Lee Classic Turret or the single stage press at much slower pace.

I have helped setup several new reloaders on Pro 1000 but also recommend single stage and Pro 1000 press setup on the same bench.

I mentor them through the reloading steps on the single stage and once they got the safe reloading steps down on the single stage, they move on to the progressive reloading on Pro 1000. If they want to reload rifle cartridges, I have them use the single stage press.

New/used single stage presses are cheap enough and convenient to have for various load development/reloading tasks.
 
I started reloading in 1975 with a single stage. I knew nothing about turret presses or progressives. My hands-on mentoring period consisted of 6 rounds (3 with me watching and him expaining and 3 with me doing and him observing, answering questions and supervising.)

I am happy to have started with that single stage, which I still have but it sees little use these days.

My next two presses were a pair of Lee Pro-1000s. They did alright, but I never got used to monitoring multiple simultaneous operations. Made me nervous. Caliber swaps were problematic (hence, two presses, one for large primer cases and one for small).

I never got very fast (partly because I did not have a case collator to keep the case feed tubes filled) and because I was always stopping to check powder drops and primer feeding.

Primers are gravity fed and if you have less than 4 or 5 primers in the feed trough may find problems. Dropping spent primers into the cavity where they are supposed to go was a hit-and-miss proposition.

I traded them off as soon as I could after I got an upgrade.

I upgraded to a Lee Classic Turret. I can load as fast on the Turret as I did on the Pro-1000s with a LOT more confidence.

In truth, the guy I traded my Pro-1000s to was extremely happy, as he like them, as many do. But I don't.

The primer feed on the Classic Turret is much more positive and the spent primers go where they are supposed to. Caliber swaps are a 10-second proposition and if you want to load in batch mode or continuous mode, all you do is remove or insert the auto-indexing rod. If you can be happy with 125 to 200 rounds per hour it is the way to go, in my opinion.

I have never used a loadmaster.

Using a turret like a single-stage in batch mode is an excellent way to learn and you can start using the auto-indexing to load in continuous mode if you want to raise your production rate. If you still want more rounds per hour, then you can consider getting a progressive. By that time, however, you will be in a much better position, with some experience behind you, to pick a progressive that will suit you.

Good Luck

Lost Sheep
 
If I knew then (1975) what I know now

I repopulated my loading bench n 2010 with the best gear money could buy (that fit my needs). Informed by that experience is this thread:

rugerforum.net/reloading/29385-budget-beginning-bench-you-will-never-outgrow-novice-handloader.html
http://rugerforum.net/reloading/293...you-will-never-outgrow-novice-handloader.html

I hope it helps. Thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep
 
I love my loadmaster , I only use it for handgun loads .380, 9mm, 9X18mak, 45acp, 44mag, 357mag, all my rifle loads are done on a single stage press. the few folks I know that have loaded high-power rifle loads on there progressive presses were not happy with the outcome , eather there groups opened up or OAL was off , lubing all the cases and makeing a mess , and the list gos on... 1 dillon owner 1 rcbs owner and 2 lee loadmaster owner , all said they went back to loading rifle loads on there old single stage presses, but still load handgun round on there progressives, I know one guy that only loads 9mm on his loadmaster and that is all he loads and has no other press , he got his in 1989 or 90 ? and has never tryed anything else , it just works ! you may want to check out this link

http://loadmastervideos.com/main.html
 
I have the pro 1000, it was my first press and only press. I taught myself on it and have never had a problem.

To learn on the pro go slow put 1 case in at a time and use it like a turret press. When you get the feel on how each and every step feels like then start to work up your speed. also if some thing does not feel right STOP look and find out what is wrong. the press will tell you if some thing is not lined up right and it is not hard to figure out what is going on.

I like the 3 stations as there is not that much you have to keep an eye on. To me the biggest thing you have to watch is right after you put powder in the case and it goes to stage 3 look inside to make sure you got powder in there and that it is not overflowing. With the disk set up it is pretty hard to over charge a case but I am sure it is doable some how. I have found that the disk is on the light side for W231 powder.

I have also shown others how to reload on the press and they too have found it a easy press to learn on.

I do not know any thing about the loadmaster.
 
@7thGenAustinite

I have to echo the sage advise of Lost Sheep on your situation. For the same or less money as a loadmaster, you can get a very nice kit that contains the Lee Classic Turret press that will easily handle all your calibers. Caliber changes are a 10 second or less process (remove turret, install turret) and the press can be operated in manual or self indexing mode depending on your desires.

You've read many reviews, and you've seen many videos related to the Pro 1000 and Loadmaster. You've probably came away with the impression that you better be prepared to 'tinker' with these to get them to run consistently. No tinkering with the classic turret, it's the Eveready Bunny or presses, just keep going and going...

I used one for over a year loading over 10,000 rounds of 9mm and 45ACP in that time period. If it wasn't for the large volume I shoot I would still be using it. It has been replaced with a Hornady LNL, but remains ready for use at a moments notice if needed.
 
I also started with 2 Lee Pro 1000 doing 9mm, 45 ACP and 45 Colt. I had no problems with either of the presses after watching a number of videos mostly by Cowboy T. Like Lost Sheep though it made me a bit uncomfortable as just too much going on at once. I sold mine and picked up the Lee Classic Turret and have since added 45-70 to the list of things I load.
 
After 25 yrs reloading I finally decided I deserved/could afford to go progressive. Bought the Loadmaster because the blue koolaid was just too pricey.
Got the press set up and fiddled with for 3 days trying to get it to work like it was supposed to. Watched videos etc on the net. 3 days and still hadn't loaded a round. :banghead:
Got :cuss:, boxed it up and and returned it to the place I bought it. Ate the shipping charges both ways. :(
Bought a Dillon 550b and enough stuff to load all my calibers minus the dies. Set it up and was loading like pro in 2 hrs, including unboxing and mounting on the bench.
I still use/love other Lee products, but I would never recommend the Loadmaster to anybody. I spent a lot more money, but I have had ZERO issues with the blue koolaid.
Just my experience. YMMV
 
I have the Pro1000. Doesn't get used much. To me, its a little finnicky. If you don't do things "just right" with setup and operation you can have problems. I load mostly rifle rounds right now, they get done on a single stage. Knowing what I know now, if I were to get into loading high volumes of pistol cartridges I would probably get the Lee turret.
 
I started out on a single stage, I latter went to a pro1000. I am now on a LNL-AP.

If I were to do it over I would go with the Lee Classic torrent press instead of the Pro1000.

Lost Sheep, if sounds like your post that's probably because we may have parrelled each other in a lot of respects.

The Lee Classic Torret press will load anything up to 4.250" long, pistol, and rifle.

It isn't near as finicky as a pro1000 and a whole lot more versitile. The LCT is probably just about as fast as the pro1000 press but not quite.

I really love my LNL-AP (I know that isn't one of your choices) and with it and the Pr01000 which I am still using, I am still considering buying the Lee Classic Torret press to replace the Pro1000. A lot less headaches.
 
I had a pro 1000 and i didn't have problems with it in the short time i owned it, but three stations were not enough for my (cast bullet) needs so i bought a loadmaster. I have never had any problems with the loadmaster (at least none that i didn't cause) except one time when i was loading .380 i was having serious priming problems, but rather than look for the problem i just stopped loading and after loading a few other calibers on it sometime later i decided to find the problem with the .380's, but it had went away.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another loadmaster, but you should know that everything has to be adjusted properly and some people can't seem to comprehend the contraptions that make the press run and therefore likely never adjust everything correctly and this is one reason i think it has so many bad reviews. The priming system has always worked properly for me except for those troubles with the .380's. On the old priming system you could easily damage a primer slider when changing calibers or just simply moving the priming lever by hand and then pulling the press handle without moving the priming lever back and i think this is the main cause for people having priming troubles with it.

I think someone just starting out reloading would do much better with a Lee classic turret press or a Dillon RL550B if he/she is looking for more speed than a SS offers. If you were to decide to get a loadmaster it can be operated like a 550 (except the loadmaster will auto index) simply by not attaching the case feeder to it. The only thing you would have to make sure is adjusted then is the index and priming system. The loadmaster is so smooth without the casefeeder attached that it feels like it doesn't even have a ram.
 
I have both & like both. I have no problems with ether. I think the Pro1000 would serve you best along side the Classic Cast SS.
 
My experiences with the Pro 1000 sent me back to single stage reloading. But, to be fair, the Pro 1000 did work well much of the time and, with a few simple restrictions on its use, probably would've been entirely satisfactory.

That said, here's what I'd do if I were to go Pro 1000 again:
1. No caliber changeovers. One Pro 1000 for each cartridge to be loaded. A lot less fiddling and opportunities for error.
2. No rifle reloading.
3. Keep everything tight. Check the dies every 50 rounds to make sure nothing's worked loose. Keep an eye on the powder measure as well.
4. Use it often. Letting it sit inactive for a few weeks will result in an evening or two of troubleshooting before it starts making ammo reliably. This is probably the most important point.
5. Keep it clean. Be a bug about cleaning up spilled powder, even in small amounts. It always manages to find its way onto the primer ram.
6. No loads that will nearly fill the case with powder. Auto indexing will shake powder out of the cases and spill it into the works causing endless problems. Ran into this with 44 mag cases nearly filled with H110.
7. Choose loads such that any double charges will be obvious. This means powder charges that occupy around half the case volume.

The four things I disliked the most about the machine:
1. Auto indexing - too abrupt. Hand indexing would've been better
2. Very difficult to pull a case out of the sequence to check the charge weight.
3. Very poor primer seating feel.
4. Hard to clean under the shell plate.
 
OrangePwrx9 said:
The four things I disliked the most about the machine:
1. Auto indexing - too abrupt. Hand indexing would've been better
2. Very difficult to pull a case out of the sequence to check the charge weight.
3. Very poor primer seating feel.
4. Hard to clean under the shell plate.
Click to expand...
Solutions: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=507454&page=4

1. I put a drop of oil on my finger tip and lightly oil the center hex rod surface then cycle the shell plate carrier several times until the auto index becomes buttery smooth. After several hundred cycles, I apply more oil as needed.

2. If you raise the shell plate about half way up, it will unlock the shell plate and you will be able to rotate the shell plate freely.

3. Really?

4. That's kinda true but what's getting under the shell plate? Only thing I can think of is small grain powder that leaked from unprimed cases. You can loosen the shell plate without removing the shellplate carrier from the ram by removing the turret and using a socket on the hex rod (place an allen wrench to lock the shellplate in station #1).
 
I use the priming rod to lock the shell plate while I turn the indexing rod. I also modified a turret to load rifle so I know 30-06 can be loaded on it. I would still rather do my rifle on a SS but if I could only buy one press I'd go with Pro1000 & modify the turret. I think it is the shell plate for 45 ACP that works with 30-06 family. You'd have to measure heads to see which plates might work for you.

Oh. The mod is to keep it from auto indexing.
 
If you want to run 308 and 30-30 you will need some other press than a Pro-1000. The Pro-1000 will do pistol and short rifle just fine. There isn't enough ram travel for the long rifle cases.

I wound up buying complete shellplate carrier assemblies and populated them with the proper case feeder parts so a caliber changeover is a ten second affair and no need to recalibrate the timing. I also use a Lee 3-hole turret press and the die plates are the same for the Pro.

If you are a person who does not mind tinkering and understands how things work the Pro will work. If you want to bolt it to the bench and start reloading then buy something else. If you are not the kind of person who can fix a lawnmower that won't start, you won't be happy with a Pro-1000.

I have loaded many thousands of rounds on my Pro but the learning curve was steep at the beginning and frustrating. Now that I have the tricks down including the rythm the press likes, it works like clockwork.
 
Repairing a lawnmower my be stretching it. You can load rifle on this press very easily. I've done it.
 
I use the priming rod to lock the shell plate while I turn the indexing rod. I also modified a turret to load rifle so I know 30-06 can be loaded on it. I would still rather do my rifle on a SS but if I could only buy one press I'd go with Pro1000 & modify the turret. I think it is the shell plate for 45 ACP that works with 30-06 family. You'd have to measure heads to see which plates might work for you.

Oh. The mod is to keep it from auto indexing.
Click to expand...

I believe you are correct on the 45 ACP also fitting the 30-06. Lee's Universal shell holders call for the same size #2 for both a 45 ACP and 30-06.
 
I use a loadmaster, and I've gone as far to completely eliminate the priming from the press. It refuses to prime correctly. I prime by hand now.

And yes, I've watched the videos, fiddled with it, researched and all that.
 
I got my Loadmaster in '95; no videos, no forums, just the instructions that it came with. No problems, it just runs. It's a complicated piece of equipment, you have to actually install and adjust the dies correctly. Get one messed up, too low, and it won't allow the ram to come to the top of the stroke and you get priming problems, bullet seating issues, just because you screwed up. Not the presses fault, you do your part, it'll do its.

I have hand priming tools, it was easier and faster to prime on the LM. Only priming issue I had was getting some range brass with crimped primers. Took me 10 minutes to figure out why the primers were not working and decided that ALL the range brass will be primer pocket reamed, 100%.

IF you're the typical 'murican, that won't read the instructions, find something else. Dillion has made a fortune making equipment for them, call up CS when it won't work because you won't read the manual. That's what the windex drinkers do....
 
I have owned a Lee Loadmaster and a Dillon RL 1050. I liked them both. The Dillon is of much higher quality, hands down, no doubts about it. That said, the Lee is sort of like a 1050 in design, but built of much lower quality parts. For an occasional hobbyist, I didn't find the Loadmaster difficult to set up or maintain. I HATED changing primers from large to small, and while it was a chore in the 1050, it wasn't near so bad.

I would get another Loadmaster if ever I felt the need for that sort of production. I loaded thousands of rounds for my Thompson on the Loadmaster.

As it is, I use the Lee Classic Cast Turret press and am content with it.
 
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