RCBS Trim Pro

[larryw]

After suffering through case trimming with a manual trimmer, I finally decided to buy a power trimmer. The RCBS product seemed to be the way to go.

When up and running, it works very well. Very fast and consistant. I did buy the 3-way trimmer that trims and deburrs in one operation--these are a gotta have.

However, it broke after trimming 70 223 cases. The product is little more than a manual trimmer with an electric motor attached to the shaft with a short length of rubber tubing "secured" by two crimp-on hose clamps. Well, the clamps were done poorly (bad design!), and they slipped off.

I'll head over to the auto parts store in the morning for a couple hose clamps to do a better job keeping this bad design functional, but it irritates me that a fine company like RCBS would use such a mickey-mouse means to build the product.

If you buy one, pick up two 1/2" hose clamps while you're at it.

 

[hardcorehunter5]

Hey larryw,

What about contacting rcbs?? MAybe they will compensate you somehow or at least repair it for you!!

 

[larryw]

I sent them an email expressing my displeasure, but frankly, I don't want them to repair it as the design is flawed.

 

[Desert Dog]

I had the same thing happen. I have never liked the crimp on clamps for ANY application. One thing that made a big difference though was to use the shimming washers that came with it and raise the trimmer itself up a little off the aluminum base making the operating angle of the rubber coupling (rubber hose) less. It made a big difference.

Oh yeah, we are using automotive screw clamps as replacements as well.

One good thing though, once it is setup it does not vary at all. 300 .308 cases were trimmed with no adjustments needed, and it goes very fast once you get the rhythm down...

Way better than manual trimming...

Mike

 

[larryw]

This one didn't come with any shimming washers. The vertical alignment is good, so washers won't be any help. Its the horizontal alignment that's off. I'm not going to even get into what I think there: nice cast/machined part connecting the two main components and the alignment is off.

Before I bought this gizmo, it would take me roughly one-minute per case to trim and deburr. Last night I did 50 in about 15 minutes. Fast, easy and, as DD says, more consistent than my old manual means.

Off to the auto parts store because I have big stacks of untrimmed brass that have been waiting for this to arrive.

 

[Fatelvis]

Larry, is that 3-way cutter working ok for you? I bought one for 308, figuring Id cut down on lotsa case-prep time, but it didnt work so hot.

 

[larryw]

Yes, its working great, but was a bit of a process getting right. The trick, which was poorly explained in the documentation, was figuring out how to adjust the inner chamfer. That's done with a screw inside the shaft; you have to release the set screw on the side of the shaft and screw in the inner knife 1/8 turn at a time until good. Once done, you have to fiddle with the inner chamfer tool to make sure its not hitting the outer chamfer knife. When set up its slick.