Value of Dillon 650??

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dejr2000

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Guys I need some input here. I am looking to get into reloading for rifle and pistol and have come across a deal on a used Dillon 650 with case feeder, powder sensor, auto powder measure system etc. Looks like the works, powder scale, calipers, manuals, case tumbler, media seperator, loading bench and all. I know this is overkill for a newbie, just looking for input as to how hard it will be to learn on this setup and what its worth on the used market? Upside and downside to going with this setup? Help please!
Thanks, Bill
 
Dillon Video....

When I got mine it came with a VHS video. It showed everything!!! I would tell people to set up a tv by your bench and start it up. Great feature!!!

Got to the dillon web site and start pricing out the items.... Dillon holds the value very well.

You can't complain at all about there customer service.... There Great:)
 
If it's got all the parts and is in good shape then it's probably worth about 10% less than new on Ebay. (sad but true). Do some search on ebay for completed listings and you'll get an idea. I don't think it's too hard to learn but if you've never reloaded before I'd start with a single stage press. (the video is only $5.95 and is worth it . . . BUT I don't think I'd want this to be my first press)

Regards,
Dave
 
If the deal is a good one (I'd just do as "dmftoy1" suggests to determine a fair market value), and you have a pretty fair amount of mechanical aptitude, you can probably learn to use a 650, given enough time, a THOROUGH study of the manual and PLENTY of patience.

However, my advice would be the same as others in this thread have given. Start on another, simpler press, and work your way up. You can buy a Lee Classic Turret for $80 at Midway, a fraction of the price of even a used 650, and have a press that 1) will easily produce 200 rounds an hour, 2) that is far, far easier to use and 3) will provide a platform for learning this pastime, and then, if you need the increased production, you can step up to using the 650.

I sold my Lee Pro1000s and got an XL650 in order to get increased production, and to be able to reload bottleneck rifle calibers progressively. The 650 is a great press, and does everything I expected. But- with the press and all the caliber change equipment I've invested in, I have over $1000 in the thing, and the 650, to me, is suitable only for long runs before changing calibers, because the caliber change procedure is quite complex. I've read of some guys stating they can do a caliber change on a 650 in 15 minutes. I'd love to see a video of that....
 
I think Rico is giving you good advice. The 650 is a good press. It's fast, real fast. But the caliber conversions are expensive and it's slow to change calibers in. You can easily load 650 an hour, but this doesn't do you any good if you can't afford reloading components or shoot enough to load that many rounds an hour.

If you have a lot of calibers and want to reload all of them affordably, like I do, you'll want something like the Lee Classic Cast turret press setup Rico mentions. I reload for 30 plus calibers and my Hornady LnL, which is much cheaper than the Dillon 650 to do caliber changes on, got too expensive to justify buying a caliber change. So I bought the Lee Classic Cast turret press for everything I don't load a lot on, but want to reload for accuracy purposes on. For example: .303 Brit, 7.62 X 39, 7.5 Swiss, etc. With the Lee, I can be reloading for these calibers for $35.00 per caliber. If I want to go fancy and add an extra riser and powder measure, that's only $36.00 more per caliber. With a die set installed in a turret, I can put the turret in, add the riser and powder measure to the turret and I'm reloading in 5 minutes, if that.

The total price for the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press, with lg/sm primer safety prime, a Pro Auto Disk measure, one turret and a scale (granted, not a great one, but an accurate one) is only $150.00 at cabella's.

IF you're positive you're going to get need the 650 production, go for it. It's a good press. But if you aren't positive you'll use the full capacity, you're better off with something like the Lee. I wish the Lee had been available when I bought my Hornady. If it had, I'm not sure I would have bought the Hornady. A lot of bang for the buck there.
 
Buy a couple reloading manuals FIRST. Read them. Load on a single stage press. Read your manuals again.
If the "DEAL" is really good go ahead and splurge and buy it. BUT buy a single stage press also and learn on that FIRST.
Lots of things are going on with one pull of the handle on a 650.
 
Thank you for the input guys. I think its a fair price, he's asking $600 for everything, I'm just weighing what I would spend for more of an entry level setup and upgrading later versus taking the plunge now. So for $600 is the general consensus, deal or no deal and go with a more conservative approach? Thanks for the help guys.
Bill
 
I think that is a pretty good price. You certainly could sell it off for that amount if you found you needed to or wanted to. So, it is a safe way financially to get a Dillon as you really ahve nothing to lose.
 
BUY THE PRESS. NOW. BEFORE IT GETS AWAY...

Now that you have what I believe is the finest progressive press on the planet--AND that you got it at a bargain, set it aside. Don't even set it up yet.

Go out now, and get a good single stage press. There are quite a few to choose from: the Rockchucker, a good Hornady press, a Lyman Orange Crusher, even the Lee Classic Iron press. This is a good purchase for a number of reasons: it will teach you the basics, and will be a great press for assembling loads that don't go through the 650.

Now, get a reloading manual. More than one. Preferably three or four--I recommend the Speer manual, Nosler's reloading manual, both Hornady books and the Sierra manuals.

Read them thoroughly, over and over. I also suggest that you enlist the help of an experienced reloader when you assemble your first rounds.

BUT GET THAT DILLON!!!
 
Without knowing every single thing you bought, that sounds like a reasonable price. I'd get it and go through it, then make a decision to buy. how many caliber conversions do you get with it at that price? If more than one, it's a very good deal. Fo reference, the base price of the press is around $450.00, so you may need to take a visit to dillonprecision.com or brianenos.com and get new prices for comparison. But like anything else you buy used, make sure you know what you're buying and compare to new prices BEFORE you buy. You need to get a total list. But with bench included, etc. that sounds good.

I agree with the guys though on the single stage, except instead of the single stage, I'd go with the Lee Classic Cast turret press, which is a unique design and ideally suited for learning reloading on. You do one thing at a time and then do something else on the same cartridge. Allows you about the same control as a single stage.

You can easily sell either press for about what you paid for it on ebay, so there's not a lot of risk either way.

Dave
 
Thanks Dave, Rico, Sub and others that have responded. Haven't bought it yet, still thinking. I do think it is a very fair price for whats included. It is currently setup for .45acp which I don't currently shoot, mainly .40 for pistol shooting, so that currently won't help me. Would have to look at setup for my calibers at the time I get ready to use it. I now know I am not at the point to utilize this equipment at the level and volume it is designed for so I don't know if it makes sense for me now or not. Damn, nothing about my hobbies is ever cheap! And I know I am preaching to the choir here!
Thanks Guys,
Bill
 
At that price even if you don't intend to reload I'd buy it . . . .you could sell it off on ebay and make enough $ to finance a new gun purchase. What was your friends name/number again? :)
 
Powderman has expressed my thoughts better than I could. The caliber conversion is a bit spendy, maybe $70 or so, but it's not too big a chore to change. Just plan to reload all your brass in that caliber, once you get it set up. Get it. You'll never regret it.
 
If you don't choose to buy this dejr2000 please PM his name and number and I will take it off his hands!! That is a smoking deal I would say that is worth well over a thousand dollars in Ebay. Dillong equipment is often times worth very close to the original retail price.
 
I agree with dmftoy1. Buy the press, clean it up, take good pictures and sell it on ebay. This will finance every single thing you could want or need related to reloading and a Lee Classic Cast press and leave you money to buy a new gun. Now that is a great idea.

If you don't buy it, forward the information to someone else who wants it. As you can see, it'll easily sell for good money. Nothing wrong with horsetrading you know.

Regards,

Dave
 
I know I'm gonna tick a lot of people off here but I gotta do it. 1) buy the press - you can't get better than Dillon. 2) forget what they tell you about starting out with a single stage press. You have to be an idiot to not understand the mechanics of reloading - on any press. If you wanted a single stage then use the 650 as a single stage. I'd like to see someone try and use a single stage as a progressive! People make out reolading as though we need a PhD in the business. If you're careful, pay attention to detail, follow the manuals and don't try to improvise you'll load excellent ammunition that will shoot much better than the shooter every time. Reloading is an enjoyable hobby, which if taken lightly can cripple or kill one, but if you're careful it's no different than anything else.
Buy the press. Use it and enjoy it. It'll last you a lifetime and you'll never need anything else - it'll do it all.
Whew - I'm done!:D
 
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