Has anyone bought a Lee Loadmaster press?

[KeithB78]

Just the bare press? What all comes with it?

I assume it has basic priming arms of some sort included?

Does the case catcher bin come with it?

Thanks

[MDman]

when I bought mine I also got the set of 308 dies that came with it so with I got might be a reflection of that

I got the perfect powder measure, and it was set up for large primers, and really that’s it other then the dies, yes the bin does comes with it. I am happy with mine, but it did take some extra fine tuning to get working well.

[KeithB78]

Thanks MDMan, I see the kits, but i reffer to the plain press

[Shoney]

You can aslo get a Loadmaster Kit that includes almost everything you need to stard loading,
http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products...oadmaster.html

[armabill]

I couldn't wait to get rid of mine.

Too many issues all at once.

[Alleykat]

Worst progressive press EVER marketed! Run....run far away!

[Greg Di]

I'll be the third one in.

I just packed up nearly EVERY piece of Lee reloading equipment I have (even the dies!) and am shipping it ALL back to MidwayUSA to buy a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP press. This is after about 6 months of hoping the next fix I found online would be the one to get the press going perfectly. It's not like I didn't give it a chance.

I started out with a Lee Turret and had no issues with it other than speed. I figure the Turret was fine, so just stick with Lee and get a Loadmaster.

I spent more time fiddling with the Loadmaster than loading rounds at times. I would load 100 rounds and have to pull 20-30 bullets because the primers tipped or didn't load at all.

The bullet feeder is a joke. I bought it, fiddled with it and put it back in the box. All it did was drop bullets instead of placing them on the cartridge. The case feeder DID work well, but God forbid a .40 or .22 got mixed into your 9mm cases. What a mess.

The priming system sucks. I tried everything. Sanding, smoothing, graphite. The system is just flawed. We don't live in a perfect world, but that priming system needs to have EVERYTHING perfect to work and has zero tolerance for even the smallest thing out of whack. I even bought a dedicated depriming die so I could put the sizer on station 2 to align the case during priming. Wouldn't you know it, the "unbreakable" decapping pin on the new die broke after about 20 rounds. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The priming system, in fact, ruins this press. It just doesn't work. I was loading 9, .40, and .45 ACP and had problems with each caliber during priming. In a progressive press, if the second station goes bad, the next three have no hope!

You can watch youtube videos of Loadmasters cranking out rounds all day. I did, and it convinced me to buy one. I can tell you it was a huge mistake.

Spend the money on something better. You'll thank us all...

[Shoney]

Alleykat. since you are a NEWBY loader, what qualifies you to make such outrageous statements without documentation or support??? Disgusting

armabill. Likewise, list some reasons. At least you owned one.

Although I do the majority of my loading on the Hornady LNL Progressive and some on my 550. I have helped a shooter at our range to set up his Loadmaster, It had lots of adjustment that were annoying, but once set, it did ok. Not my cup of tea but serviceable. Maybe I am more mechanically minded or have more experience tinkering.

[MDman]

I would like to defend Lee because while the press does need fine tuning to get it working good, it is definitely manageable. also the price difference between it and the other progressives make it a good choice.

if you are a very serious shooter who really needs thousands of rounds to be reloaded then something else is probably better, but if you shoot in the couple hundred range, every month or so, I think the Lee is a good choice.

[bfox]

Hi
It only comes with the turret .
You will have to buy the priming system , dies , catch bin and a powder measure .

I bought a stripped down like that at Midway for a second
Loadmaster because I had the other parts from a pro 1000 .
Except for the priming system But already had a spare .

Bill

[buffdriver]

I bought the loadmaster press only from Midway. You may find that it's a good way to go if you don't plan on priming on the press and if you already have dies. Don't expect to get the primer setup, case catcher, case feed tubes, case collator, or powder measure. It's really a bare bones setup.

That said, I eventually dumped my Loadmaster in favor of a RCBS Pro2000, and I've been much more satisfied. While some may feel differently, I believe that the Loadmaster is a press that requires constant tinkering in order to work smoothly. If you enjoy that kind of thing, go for it. I thought that I would, but in hindsight, I really like being able to get to business and produce great ammo without any hassles.

Best of Luck,

BuffDriver

[Alleykat]

Alleykat. since you are a NEWBY loader, what qualifies you to make such outrageous statements without documentation or support??? Disgusting

I've loaded 70-80,000 rounds on a Loadmaster and three times that many on my 650. I guess that does make me a "newby" with no right to an opinion! I guess I'm just an outrageous guy!

[rwilson452]

I have a LoadMaster. works for me. the Bullet feeder doesn't handle heavier bullets well. The press is difficult to set up if your not mechanicly inclined. once tuned it works well. I would not recommend buying the the bullet feeder if your going to load 45.

[Shoney]

Alleykat said
I've loaded 70-80,000 rounds on a Loadmaster and three times that many on my 650.

If this is true (s[color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color], chortal, guffaw, giggle)
1. How did you get so many rounds out of the "Worst progressive press EVER "
2. with the 650 that averages 6666.66 rounds shot per month every month for 3 years.

Chuckle, snortle, titter.

[Alleykat]

Real men, with real IQs, don't titter. I suffered a long time, before I got smart and ponied up the $$$ to buy the 650. Helped that I had a dealer account at Graf's. Loadmasters, based on my limited (previously enumerated) experience, are horrible progressive presses. I gave my Loadmaster away. Would have felt guilty asking even $5 for it.

Got any more brilliant "titters" left?

[CowTowner]

My Loadmaster works just fine for me. I took my time setting it up and watching all the Lee and www.youtube.com videos on it. Then started slow and easy. Yes, I had a couple primers go goofy and the case feeder ain't perfect. But, it works extremely well for what it costs, I bought the kit (38/357 Mag) and can't be happier.

[TexasSeaRay]

Originally Posted by alleykat

I've loaded 70-80,000 rounds on a Loadmaster and three times that many on my 650. I guess that does make me a "newby" with no right to an opinion! I guess I'm just an outrageous guy!

Holy moly! That's a lot of rounds loaded. Somewhere between 280,000 and 320,000.

Wow.

Jeff

[UGH]

I've had mine about a year now. It did require some tinkering to get it to run well, But it cranks out plenty of quality ammo at a reasonable cost. For the most part I think I did OK with the Loadmaster as I tried my buddy's Dillon 650 and yeah they make a good press but I couldn't justify the cost. As far as the powder system goes mine works just fine. If there is a weak point I would say it is the priming system as in flipped primers and once and awhile a crushed primer. And sometimes no primer. To correct these issues I keep the primer tray full to keep pressure on the those in the ramp, And that seems to work well. I also decap at station one and size at station two. That keeps everything in line and I rarely have a problem with any flipped primers anymore.
My friend said he has had all of these issues on his Dillon at one time or another in terms of flipped or missing primers, So Dillon is not without issues either. I think the bottom line is if you have a mechanical device you are going to have to make adjustments and it won't run right 100 % of the time. You will have to tinker with it. Its not fair to say "Don't buy a Lee cause you will constantly have to tinker with it". I think it would be more accurate to say stay away to say stick with a single stage or a turret type press if your not mechanically inclined because they are more complicated and if your new to reloading I can't imagine starting out with a progressive.

[Alleykat]

Holy moly! That's a lot of rounds loaded. Somewhere between 280,000 and 320,000.

Wow.

Jeff

Yep, but that's over a 15-yr period, some of which I was going to the range every day for weeks on end. I was spending over $4000 per year, just at Midway, and they didn't sell powder and primers for most of that period. Probably overestimated the number of rounds on the 650...rounds on the Loadmaster are about right.

[Shoney]

Originally Posted by alleykat
I've loaded 70-80,000 rounds on a Loadmaster and three times that many on my 650.

May I quote you from a previous post, "Every-now-and-then, a perfect application for the term, "absurd", comes along."

Originally Posted by alleykat
Real men, with real IQs, don't titter.

Your squalidly childish attempt to insult me by challenging my manhood was very humorous to me. I am sitting here tittering. Titter! Titter! Titter! Is that the best you can do to deflect attention from your own fooopaaa?

An overly high percentage of your posts on this section of TFL are condescending, arrogant, inane, and rude. When I see your posts in the future, I will look elsewhere for information from the proper end of the horse.

[ear-ingun]

Just to add a few more popcycles of woe into the sandbox of aleycat ( I'll just call him old catlitters, but cat-titters would be more appropriate), his math is also faulty:barf:. At the high end of his stated figures of 320,000 rounds in 15 years, thats 21,334 rounds a year.

Before all the price hikes, I was loading pistol rounds for $0.08 a round which is around $1700 a year costs for olcatlitter. Tops with premium powder, bullet, primer would be $0.12, and would be $2560 per year costs. A little shy of $4000

Now consider that old cattiters professes to have a commercial account that would give him components at even less?

[Alleykat]

An overly high percentage of your posts on this section of TFL are condescending, arrogant, inane, and rude. When I see your posts in the future, I will look elsewhere for information from the proper end of the horse.

Nothing that I've posted in this thread has been condescending. You made a statement that I was a newby(sic). By any reasonable standard, I'm not a newbie. I have loaded a lot of rounds on a Loadmaster and do think the Loadmaster is the worst progressive press made.

After your absurd declaration that I'm a newby(sic), you proceeded to attack me with your infantile "titter, titter, etc..." drivel. You besmirched my character by implying strongly that I'd lied about my having owned and used a Loadmaster. I can only assume that you picked your username from the finest restaurant that your obviously lower-middle-class, blue-collar parents took you.

I didn't come to the radical conclusion that you've been homeschooled, just because you have few social skills and post pubescently.

Please don't bother to read any more of my posts. How about reviewing your conduct in this thread, little feller?

[jsflagstad]

Although this thread was not to rate the Loadmaster, I'll weigh in saying I sure like mine. I also use my dad's Dillon 650 quite a bit and I really don't prefer one over the other. I can say that the Lee rarely or never messes up primers, but the Dillon will flip 1 in 100 over and install it either sideways or upside down. Not a big deal but the Loadmaster doesn't do it.

I thing just about everything from Lee is an excellent value...

JSF

[Bullie]

I like Shoney's. Great breakfast bar. Alot of parents did they best they could I guess. We couldn't afford collars.