Buckeyeguy525
Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2012
- Messages
- 97
I started loading last year with the Lee aluminum turret press, and quickly upgraded to the classic model. I enjoyed the classic model so much that I also picked up a Lee Cast single stage press. As a college graduation present to myself, I purchased a Redding T7. Its a press I've always had my eye on, and I really wanted to compare the quality of my Lee presses to that of a premier company. I have not been loading on the T7 long, but here are my impressions so far of each:
Linkage:Redding
The linkage on my Lee turret has a noticable hitch halfway through the downstroke that always annoyed me. I would say the Redding has the smoother stroke, however it also has more side-to-side play than the Lee, and the clips do not allow for that to be tightened. The Redding has a much higher quality handle; the handle on my Lee was bent during shipping.
Indexing:Lee
As most know, the Lee is an auto-indexing press while the Redding is not. The T7 indexes smoothly and sets into place with a noticeable "click", but it takes a decent amount of force to index it; it will put you on your heels/toes every few turns to make it go. The Lee press is very easy to manually index, and the auto-indexing is a great feature that is easily removed. The only downside is the small plastic ratchet that must be replaced every so often. Well, at least thats what I'm told, I've loaded several thousands on the Lee without having to replace anything. Just do not short-stroke it and it will last a long time. Replacement parts are .50 and replace with only a screwdriver.
Spent-primer system:Lee
Both presses utilize a hollow ram to catch spent primers in a tube. The Lee press works 100% of the time as long as the priming arm is left in place. The Redding will miss the primers if you deprime too quickly, but catches most of them if you take your time. The tube of the redding is smaller in diameter than the Lee also.
On-press priming:Tie
I have always used the Lee Safety Prime system on my Lee turret and it works well. It is very flimsy, and I don't know how it hasn't broken yet. The last few primers don't usually feed into the cup, and every 20th or so it will spit a primer on the floor. The Lee priming arm just slips right into the Ram and is easily changed, however I have had the arm slip out of the ram and break on the floor during operation (this was on the aluminum Lee press however). I like the Redding priming arm much better, but it is not nearly as fast to change primer sizes as the Lee. I have not used the Redding slide bar priming system because it seems like it would take too much time loading them all in the tube; it also looks like it blocks the shell from view.
Speed: Lee
The Lee is obviously the much faster press, no way around it. If speed is your main priority, this is the press for you if you don't want a progressive. With the Redding, I am able to get 125+ rounds an hour loading primers into the tray by hand and using the Lee Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure. On the Lee, I was getting around 165 rounds an hour but 200 is a very realistic possibility.
Durability: Redding
The T7 is a 25lb block of iron. It's incredibly solid and overbuilt
Overall Quality:Tie
I expected to be overwhelmed by the quality of the Redding, but I'm really not. There are quite a few blemishes on the finish, the turret handle is a pain in the butt to get into the holes sometimes, other times it will pop out. Also, Redding should have made more holes for the handle. I'm also not pleased with the wiggle in the linkage and the inability to adjust it due to the clips used. Unlike some say, there is flex present in the turret head. You can actually move the head slightly with just finger pressure. If you watch the youtube video of Gavin reloading .223, from the underside angle you can see the flex. The Lee Turret also has flex in the head. My Lee Classic Cast Single stage has a much more solid linkage. This is not to say the Redding is not top quality, but it's of no more quality than my lee presses.
Price: Lee
I paid $115 for my Lee turret, and $250 for the T7. Additional turrets for the Lee are $12, Reddings are 5x that much. I personally do not swap turrets on the T7. I use Hornady lock rings on my dies and never need to adjust them again.
Conslusions:
Both are excellent presses and will serve you well. The choice of which press to buy really comes down to your reloading style and preferences. If speed if your top priority, then its the Lee no questions asked. If you prefer to load on a very heavy duty, industrial strength press, the T7 will not disappoint. I would say if you load more rifle calibers, go with the T7, pistol go with the Lee. In my opinion, the Lee is the better dollar for dollar value. Those on the forums that bash the quality of the Lee presses have obviously not used the classic series and are basing their opinions off of experiences people had with Lee in the 80's. I can assure everyone reading this, the Lee turret is right on par with the Redding as far as quality.
Linkage:Redding
The linkage on my Lee turret has a noticable hitch halfway through the downstroke that always annoyed me. I would say the Redding has the smoother stroke, however it also has more side-to-side play than the Lee, and the clips do not allow for that to be tightened. The Redding has a much higher quality handle; the handle on my Lee was bent during shipping.
Indexing:Lee
As most know, the Lee is an auto-indexing press while the Redding is not. The T7 indexes smoothly and sets into place with a noticeable "click", but it takes a decent amount of force to index it; it will put you on your heels/toes every few turns to make it go. The Lee press is very easy to manually index, and the auto-indexing is a great feature that is easily removed. The only downside is the small plastic ratchet that must be replaced every so often. Well, at least thats what I'm told, I've loaded several thousands on the Lee without having to replace anything. Just do not short-stroke it and it will last a long time. Replacement parts are .50 and replace with only a screwdriver.
Spent-primer system:Lee
Both presses utilize a hollow ram to catch spent primers in a tube. The Lee press works 100% of the time as long as the priming arm is left in place. The Redding will miss the primers if you deprime too quickly, but catches most of them if you take your time. The tube of the redding is smaller in diameter than the Lee also.
On-press priming:Tie
I have always used the Lee Safety Prime system on my Lee turret and it works well. It is very flimsy, and I don't know how it hasn't broken yet. The last few primers don't usually feed into the cup, and every 20th or so it will spit a primer on the floor. The Lee priming arm just slips right into the Ram and is easily changed, however I have had the arm slip out of the ram and break on the floor during operation (this was on the aluminum Lee press however). I like the Redding priming arm much better, but it is not nearly as fast to change primer sizes as the Lee. I have not used the Redding slide bar priming system because it seems like it would take too much time loading them all in the tube; it also looks like it blocks the shell from view.
Speed: Lee
The Lee is obviously the much faster press, no way around it. If speed is your main priority, this is the press for you if you don't want a progressive. With the Redding, I am able to get 125+ rounds an hour loading primers into the tray by hand and using the Lee Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure. On the Lee, I was getting around 165 rounds an hour but 200 is a very realistic possibility.
Durability: Redding
The T7 is a 25lb block of iron. It's incredibly solid and overbuilt
Overall Quality:Tie
I expected to be overwhelmed by the quality of the Redding, but I'm really not. There are quite a few blemishes on the finish, the turret handle is a pain in the butt to get into the holes sometimes, other times it will pop out. Also, Redding should have made more holes for the handle. I'm also not pleased with the wiggle in the linkage and the inability to adjust it due to the clips used. Unlike some say, there is flex present in the turret head. You can actually move the head slightly with just finger pressure. If you watch the youtube video of Gavin reloading .223, from the underside angle you can see the flex. The Lee Turret also has flex in the head. My Lee Classic Cast Single stage has a much more solid linkage. This is not to say the Redding is not top quality, but it's of no more quality than my lee presses.
Price: Lee
I paid $115 for my Lee turret, and $250 for the T7. Additional turrets for the Lee are $12, Reddings are 5x that much. I personally do not swap turrets on the T7. I use Hornady lock rings on my dies and never need to adjust them again.
Conslusions:
Both are excellent presses and will serve you well. The choice of which press to buy really comes down to your reloading style and preferences. If speed if your top priority, then its the Lee no questions asked. If you prefer to load on a very heavy duty, industrial strength press, the T7 will not disappoint. I would say if you load more rifle calibers, go with the T7, pistol go with the Lee. In my opinion, the Lee is the better dollar for dollar value. Those on the forums that bash the quality of the Lee presses have obviously not used the classic series and are basing their opinions off of experiences people had with Lee in the 80's. I can assure everyone reading this, the Lee turret is right on par with the Redding as far as quality.
