mapwd said:
After reading all the bad stories of Lee's customer service and the way Lee could care less if they have me as a customer or not, I would not buy another Lee product. I just bought an RCBS turret press ($169.00 at Gander Mountain) and I could not be happier! Built like a tank (cast Iron) and their customer service is only second to Dillon (which is incredible!). I dropped my turret press of my bench last night while setting up a new reloading bench. I broke the primer assembly off the press. I called RCBS and explained that it was my fault and they are sending me a new primer assembly system for free.
Cant beat that, and Lee would not do that for anybody.
Purely for the sake of philosophic rigor...
[Fact]
I can't comment on Lee's customer service, because I have never needed it. I've never had a part break, and I've never had a question that wasn't already answered on their web page, which has a thorough Frequently Asked Questions section.
Sure, RCBS may be willing to send you a free primer assembly. But according to current pricing at Midway, I could've bought 3 Lee Turret presses, kept 2 of them just for spare parts, and still have spent less than you did. ($50 for the Lee, $168 for the RCBS.)
Lee's Deluxe Turret Kit is currently $94 ($95 if you want the 4 hole instead of the 3 hole kit), RCBS's Deluxe kit is $320.
For every extra caliber, you'll need another turret head. Lee's will run you $9, RCBS's are $36. To keep this thread somewhat on topic, that means that noresttill's 5 extra turret heads will cost $45 from Lee, vs $180 from RCBS.
[/Fact]
[Opinion]
Economically, RCBS seems to consistantly cost you three or more times more money than Lee. I personally do not feel that the "customer service" is anywhere near worth that price premium.
Besides, TANSTAAFL. RCBS and Dillon and all the other manufacturers can't just produce replacement parts out of thin air. SOMEBODY has to pay for them, and that somebody is the customer -- it's built into the inital price. In addition to a press, you're buying a "replacement part cost buffer". If your parts break, then you start to earn back the value from that buffer....but if everything works right and nothing breaks, you lose! Do you want to get what you pay for? Or do you want everyone else to get what you pay for?
I would rather have the money I spend on a press go towards just the stuff I buy, and buy my own replacement parts (that will still be less than RCBS's). It's that sort of economic philosophy that leads me to support Lee as a company, and it's two quality, hassle free presses that lead me to support their products.
[/Opinion]