Dillon Stuff

roy reali · September 9, 2010, 10:43 PM

We all know about Dillon Presses. I see that Dillon also sells other reloading equipment like polishers and scales. Has anyone tried any of these Dillon products? What did you think?

dawico · September 9, 2010, 10:46 PM

I love my Dillon Tumbler, the CV-2001, and my Super Swage 600. From what I have seen, they make some good stuff all around.

lizziedog1 · September 9, 2010, 10:58 PM

I like the stuff Dillon has on the cover of thier catalog.

I wonder if those women really shoot the guns they model or are they just there for eye candy.

MDS · September 10, 2010, 12:16 AM

I have the Eliminator scale and super swage. Both are top notch quality.

medalguy · September 10, 2010, 01:40 AM

I have the Super Swage and love it. Fast and easy. Also 1200 trimmer, also very fast and easy. Just got one of their electronic scales to double check my beam balance scale. Not to mention the 4 presses....

Sevens · September 10, 2010, 07:25 AM

I also have the Eliminator scale -- bought it used from a guy on my local forum.

It's terrific and I love it and I don't plan to go back to digital (though I still use the digital to weigh bullets and brass).

Thing about the Dillon Eliminator is that it's just an Ohaus scale, branded with the Dillon name. It sure is a pretty blue, though!

Darn good scale.

Ninth and Plum · September 10, 2010, 09:15 AM

I love my 650 and the super swager but I am not so convinced about there case gauges. I check all my 223 rounds after case preping them and they all pass the dillon gauge. However when I check the same rounds with a lyman gauge they don't pass. I have also had a couple of them pass my dillon that I have shot and had them get stuck in my ar. I don't know what the difference is between the two but I trust my lyman one more. Has anyone else had any issues like this before?

Ike666 · September 10, 2010, 09:32 AM

I started out with Dillon on the recommendation of a trusted friend. Over the years I've accumulated quite a collection of Dillon reloading tools, some great, some totally unnecessary.

I realize that many take issue with the fact that Dillon commands top dollar for their products. However, every single problem I've had with my press (a 550), which I have owned for 23 years now, they've either fixed it or sent me the replacement parts to fix it myself. The only thing they've asked was, "Do you need anything else?"

About two years ago ago my lovely bride decided she wanted a collection of that most valuable of all sea glass, red glass. She asked me if she could use my CV-2000 (the old model also 23 years in service). She wanted to use fine sand as a media and tumble some broken red bottle glass and short-cut Mother Nature. In went the the high quality, purest sandbox sand Lowes had to offer and on went the vibrator. This was about 10 PM and the sound was irritating as the devil so I left the shop for the night. We estimated it would take a day or more to get that lovely frosted look she wanted and I stayed away from the shop. Big Mistake.

When I went back about two days later the whole shop was covered with a fine silica dust and there was a cloud in the air. I put on a respirator and went in and shut off the tumbler. The sand inside the bowl had seized up solid as a brick. My wife grabbed a container of water and before I could stop her poured it in to "loosen up" the sand. What a mess.

Cleaned everything up (but I still find that silica in nooks and crannies), threw out the sand and glass (it didn't look any different than when it went in), and got my shop back and operational.

To my surprise that tumbler went right back to work - damn things are near bullet proof. After about a month of running brass through it, the motor shaft bearing gave out - the motor still ran but the shaft wouldn't turn. The fine abrasive had finally beat the 2000.

I emailed Dillon hoping I could just replace the motor assembly. They wrote back and said they had a different supplier now and besides that motor was no longer manufactured. But they asked what the problem was. I mea culpa'ed and told them the whole story (including the water dump). They said send us the old one and $75 and we'll ship a new one to you right away! Five days later I was back in business with a new CV-2001.

I bought a cheapie electronic scale from Cabelas, and while its okay, I find that I much prefer my Dillon balance beam for checking and weighing charges.

I've been using the SuperSwager for a while now as well - easiest way I've found of consistently taking care of primer pocket issues.

I have expanded out to other reloading tools from other companies, but I will always look to Dillon as a first option. They make fine tools, that are expensive, and they stand behind them.

zippy13 · September 10, 2010, 10:12 AM

Dillon isn't always top dollar. The other day I needed some more plastic shell boxes, and the Dillons were priced competitively.

Edward429451 · September 10, 2010, 11:26 AM

I have the CV-2001 tumbler and it works good. It was given to me by a friend who got divorced. He had burnt it up once for leaving it run while it was sitting on carpet, Dillon even replaced that.

I had some Dillon SS calipers for about three days. I'm guessing that Dillon does not make thier own calipers because these were just all over the place so I returned them.

oneounceload · September 10, 2010, 07:02 PM

Just remember that Dillon, like the others do not make most of those accessories - they are made in their color with their name, but that's it. Scales are a perfect example as are tumblers.

September 9, 2010, 10:43 PM	#1
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 3,248	Dillon Stuff We all know about Dillon Presses. I see that Dillon also sells other reloading equipment like polishers and scales. Has anyone tried any of these Dillon products? What did you think?

September 10, 2010, 07:25 AM	#6
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I also have the Eliminator scale -- bought it used from a guy on my local forum. It's terrific and I love it and I don't plan to go back to digital (though I still use the digital to weigh bullets and brass). Thing about the Dillon Eliminator is that it's just an Ohaus scale, branded with the Dillon name. It sure is a pretty blue, though! Darn good scale. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

September 9, 2010, 10:46 PM	#2
dawico Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2009 Location: Lampasas, TX Posts: 326	I love my Dillon Tumbler, the CV-2001, and my Super Swage 600. From what I have seen, they make some good stuff all around.

September 9, 2010, 10:58 PM	#3
lizziedog1 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2005 Posts: 289	I like the stuff Dillon has on the cover of thier catalog. I wonder if those women really shoot the guns they model or are they just there for eye candy.

September 10, 2010, 12:16 AM	#4
MDS Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 492	I have the Eliminator scale and super swage. Both are top notch quality.

September 10, 2010, 01:40 AM	#5
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	I have the Super Swage and love it. Fast and easy. Also 1200 trimmer, also very fast and easy. Just got one of their electronic scales to double check my beam balance scale. Not to mention the 4 presses....

September 10, 2010, 09:15 AM	#7
Ninth and Plum Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Posts: 25	I love my 650 and the super swager but I am not so convinced about there case gauges. I check all my 223 rounds after case preping them and they all pass the dillon gauge. However when I check the same rounds with a lyman gauge they don't pass. I have also had a couple of them pass my dillon that I have shot and had them get stuck in my ar. I don't know what the difference is between the two but I trust my lyman one more. Has anyone else had any issues like this before?

September 10, 2010, 09:32 AM	#8
Ike666 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2009 Location: SW VA Posts: 491	I started out with Dillon on the recommendation of a trusted friend. Over the years I've accumulated quite a collection of Dillon reloading tools, some great, some totally unnecessary. I realize that many take issue with the fact that Dillon commands top dollar for their products. However, every single problem I've had with my press (a 550), which I have owned for 23 years now, they've either fixed it or sent me the replacement parts to fix it myself. The only thing they've asked was, "Do you need anything else?" About two years ago ago my lovely bride decided she wanted a collection of that most valuable of all sea glass, red glass. She asked me if she could use my CV-2000 (the old model also 23 years in service). She wanted to use fine sand as a media and tumble some broken red bottle glass and short-cut Mother Nature. In went the the high quality, purest sandbox sand Lowes had to offer and on went the vibrator. This was about 10 PM and the sound was irritating as the devil so I left the shop for the night. We estimated it would take a day or more to get that lovely frosted look she wanted and I stayed away from the shop. Big Mistake. When I went back about two days later the whole shop was covered with a fine silica dust and there was a cloud in the air. I put on a respirator and went in and shut off the tumbler. The sand inside the bowl had seized up solid as a brick. My wife grabbed a container of water and before I could stop her poured it in to "loosen up" the sand. What a mess. Cleaned everything up (but I still find that silica in nooks and crannies), threw out the sand and glass (it didn't look any different than when it went in), and got my shop back and operational. To my surprise that tumbler went right back to work - damn things are near bullet proof. After about a month of running brass through it, the motor shaft bearing gave out - the motor still ran but the shaft wouldn't turn. The fine abrasive had finally beat the 2000. I emailed Dillon hoping I could just replace the motor assembly. They wrote back and said they had a different supplier now and besides that motor was no longer manufactured. But they asked what the problem was. I mea culpa'ed and told them the whole story (including the water dump). They said send us the old one and $75 and we'll ship a new one to you right away! Five days later I was back in business with a new CV-2001. I bought a cheapie electronic scale from Cabelas, and while its okay, I find that I much prefer my Dillon balance beam for checking and weighing charges. I've been using the SuperSwager for a while now as well - easiest way I've found of consistently taking care of primer pocket issues. I have expanded out to other reloading tools from other companies, but I will always look to Dillon as a first option. They make fine tools, that are expensive, and they stand behind them.

September 10, 2010, 10:12 AM	#9
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Dillon isn't always top dollar. The other day I needed some more plastic shell boxes, and the Dillons were priced competitively.

September 10, 2010, 11:26 AM	#10
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I have the CV-2001 tumbler and it works good. It was given to me by a friend who got divorced. He had burnt it up once for leaving it run while it was sitting on carpet, Dillon even replaced that. I had some Dillon SS calipers for about three days. I'm guessing that Dillon does not make thier own calipers because these were just all over the place so I returned them.

September 10, 2010, 07:02 PM	#11
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Just remember that Dillon, like the others do not make most of those accessories - they are made in their color with their name, but that's it. Scales are a perfect example as are tumblers.