What is better than a XL650? Two of them!

[mmc45414]

Sold a rifle to a buddy, and of course once money has been spent on guns it is improper to utilize those proceeds on anything not gun related. And I decided what I wanted more than another gun right now is another press. I have been trying to get ahead on 9mm before switching over to do other tasks, but have been shooting enough 9mm the time never seems right.

Even though the change over is simple and easy, it is one chore I really just don't like. This way I can just leave the one I have setup for 9mm and have the second machine available for 223/300BO, 45ACP, and I went ahead and got the 38/357 conversion.

One thing that helped the decision is I decided if I mount them next to each other I can probably be happy with one case feeder. I will not be using them simultaneously, and there is just one screw to move the whole bowl. I went ahead and got these knobs so I can do it without tools:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LRRVUY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This also makes it easy to spin the bowl to the right to empty itself into a pitcher or something:
39402
But the press with conversion is $600, and the feeder is another $300, the more I thought of it the more I thought it would be simple enough to share one. This makes the second one much more in reach. Maybe someday I will get a second feeder, we will see.

Also, I will end up with an extra powder measure I would make a deal on. I have several extra powder funnels for various cartridges.

Anyway, I guess the only point of this post is just telling the only people that might care... :cool:

[LittleLebowski]

Jealous, I only have one :(

[mmc45414]

Jealous, I only have one :(
Well, for the next four to five business days so do I...
Not sure exactly how old you are, but probably in a couple more decades you might get a second one too :)

ETA: It is kinda funny that for years I would advocate on behalf of the 550 and now less than three years after deciding to try a 650 I am in for a second one.

[OlongJohnson]

Funny, when I saw the thread title, my first thought was, "An XR650, duh." Guess I've been working on bikes all day...

[Bucky]

A couple years back I almost added a second 650, but then decided on a 1050 for diversity.

[mmc45414]

Funny, when I saw the thread title, my first thought was, "An XR650, duh." Guess I've been working on bikes all day...And a(nother) DR650 is probably next...

[mmc45414]

A couple years back I almost added a second 650, but then decided on a 1050 for diversity.I may end up there someday, but this was an easy $600 chip shot.

[TCB]

39496

Welcome to the club!

[mmc45414]

Welcome to the club!
Just curious on other's strategy. I plan to leave one set for 9mm, always ready, and use the other one for whatever I am farting around with at the time. I know other friends that have a couple of 550s use one for large primers and one for small primers.

[Mirolynmonbro]

:)

ETA: It is kinda funny that for years I would advocate on behalf of the 550 and now less than three years after deciding to try a 650 I am in for a second one.

Why the change from 550 to 650? I'm still figuring out what press to get (using a Lee classic turret right now) and it looks like the 650 would be an obvious choice because it auto indexes. I'm wondering why a 550 would be picked over a 650

[TCB]

With mine one is set up for 45 and the other I use for 9/40...(one for large & one for small primers). I really liked my 550 and think it’s easier to use when you’re starting out but there is no comparison to a kitted out 650 for cranking out ammo. I loaded yesterday and after a couple hours I had 1k 45, a couple hundred 9, refilled 20 primer tubes, restocked my bench and cleaned up.

[mmc45414]

Why the change from 550 to 650? I'm still figuring out what press to get (using a Lee classic turret right now) and it looks like the 650 would be an obvious choice because it auto indexes. I'm wondering why a 550 would be picked over a 650

I really liked my 550 and think it’s easier to use when you’re starting out but there is no comparison to a kitted out 650 for cranking out ammo.

For a long time I was rationalizing to myself that the 650 would not be all that much faster, and I had two of them and I had setups for 380, 9mm, 38, separate 357 toolhead, 40, 44, and 223 and didn't want to start over duplicating setups, especially considering the 650 conversions cost more. Then I bought a SL900 for 20g and it sorta showed me the light, since it is built on the 650 and I started getting used to the idea of a case feeder and indexing. I also decided that I would mainly use the 650 for 9mm. Once I got it I liked it so much that I got the conversion for 45. And then for 223. And now I will have a conversion for 38/357. And I still have a 550, so I can use it for things like 357 and 44.

If somebody is just starting to reload the 550 would be almost as simple as a single stage. You could run one shell at a time because of how the primer feed works on the 550. They are also cheaper, and can be bought without a conversion so I initially added a second 550. But I also like the way the priming works on the 650.

If a fella has any experience I would jump into the 650.

[mmc45414]

If a fella has any experience I would jump into the 650.
I should add that if you can't decide it seems like 550s sell on eBay for damn near what they cost new.

[ralph]

I have two 650's myself..The second was bought after a phone call from a friend, who was going through a nasty divorce..He needed cash, I really did'nt plan on buying the press, just some of the componets..We worked out a deal, and for $1600 I got his press, complete with strong mount, casefeeder, bullet tray. Plus, 32lbs of powder, 20,800 primers, 1200 once fired L.C. 5.56 brass all of which he had already trimmed, sized, and the crimp removed, half of these were already primed, the press itself was about 9 months old, basically new, all in all I feel I did good.