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Thread: Is it just me or is Lee underappreciated?

  1. #11
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    South Louisiana
    I love my Lee U sizing die for 9x19. OTOH, I'm not a fan of the FCD. Their standard taper crimp dies work fine for me.

  2. #12
    Love their carbide pistol dies and their taper crimp (only) die. One also can't beat their value in tools such as their handheld case trimmers (chuck base in power drill and hold the pilot/trimmer) and universal decapping die. In addition, their bullet molds are great values as well.

    This is from a 30 year reloader that uses his share of Redding, Hornady, etc. products. I just appreciate Lee products' value.

  3. #13
    The U-die and FCD are a god send particularly for .40.

    A buddy gave me his old Pro 1000. Pretty sure he hates me. After 3 months I think I figured out most of the quirks with the primer feed system, I now less often find a live primer getting stuck in the carrier and locking up the whole thing. I can't use the first station to resize because when I lower the ram the case sticks in the die and the ram separates from the carrier. I tried a number of cases, dies, and lubes with the same result.

    The most efficient setup I have found is to use the 1000 for primeing, expansion, powder, and seating. I still have to resize and crimp on my rock chucker....then some days it's faster to load on the single stage then to deal with the 1000.

    "just as good!"

  4. #14
    Member Greg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Utah
    I think their products are a mixed bag.

    I like the decapping dies and the FCD for rifle cartridges. Can’t stand the FCD for pistol rounds.

    My Lee lead pot and bullet moulds have been solid. I’ll pass on the presses.
    Last edited by LittleLebowski; 02-10-2021 at 09:16 AM.
    Don’t blame me. I didn’t vote for that dumb bastard.

  5. #15
    The FCD is a godsend for ridding myself of the "Glock bulge". I'm shooting sub .5 MOA groups using the breech lock bushings on a Breechlock Classic Cast press. I'm on the hunt for a Lee Hand Press, but the prices are insane on those right now.
    #RESIST

  6. #16
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Wichita
    I've used Lee for thirty years. They make some handy gadgets that no one else does. I've use a Lee turret press without complaint. After twenty five years I wore out my original press and briefly considered buying a Dillon. Then, i thought of all the additional expense on ancillary add ons, as well as the cost of the press and spent $150 on another turret press instead.

    Where Lee falls down is when things get more complicated. Their single stage and turret presses are great, their progressives are complete junk. Typically, the add ons like automatic primer and case feeders aren't worth the cost of the plastic they're made from. Keep it relatively simple and Lee's great. Move up in complexity and you're better off with another brand.
    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  7. #17
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Orygun
    There is a phenonium I call "Tool Snobbery". I worked in a Heavy Equipment repair facility for a very large west coast city water and power dept. I saw first hand some mechanics that had full blown cases of Tool Snobbery that would only buy the most expensive tools they could, the tools their favorite TV motorcycle builder, or NASCAR pit crew used. The "If it ain't Snap-On (or MAC, MATCO, Williams ,etc.) it is junk". I have seen some buy tool boxes that would house a family of illegal immigrants and keep them covered 90% of the time. I see the same with a lot of reloaders on some forums; "If it ain't RCBS (or Redding, Dillon, etc.) it's junk". Fortunately I grew up poor and very early on learned that it ain't the name on the side of the tool, or the color, or who else might use it, that decides how well they work and how long they last.

    I have some Lee tools from 1970s that have worked quite well for thousands of rounds and some RCBs, Redding, Hornady, Herters and several ??? tools that also work quite well. I have a C-H press, a Pacific, a Lee, and a Forster Co-Ax. (and one I'm nor sure of mfg.) all produce good handloads when I do my part. Lee gets a bad rap mainly from tool snobs, those that won't/can't read instructions and those that think "if it don cost a lot, it can't be any good". And of course there are those that just parrot things they read posted by high post number members of a forum...
    Last edited by mikld; 02-12-2021 at 04:00 PM.

  8. #18
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Eastern NC, 500 feet and below
    Quick version; stay away from the Loadmaster unless you have the desire and ability to troubleshoot/fabricate/ modify as necessary to get the priming system to work. It’s really the horror story you read about. The Pro 1000 is better but you still have a learning curve. Don’t get me wrong; I have 4 Lee presses and my Pro 1K hums along well enough now to where I can’t justify spending the money on a different (blue) press. But I’ve had my history with it and we had to get where we understand each other. As said above, the simple Lee products are amazing. And Lee is very innovative; especially for the money. But everybody shouldn’t buy a Lee progressive press. Some should spend the money for a product ready to go out of the box with little upkeep. Lee dies are all I use.

  9. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by TOTS View Post
    Quick version; stay away from the Loadmaster unless you have the desire and ability to troubleshoot/fabricate/ modify as necessary to get the priming system to work. It’s really the horror story you read about. The Pro 1000 is better but you still have a learning curve. Don’t get me wrong; I have 4 Lee presses and my Pro 1K hums along well enough now to where I can’t justify spending the money on a different (blue) press.
    I tried and gave up on both the Pro 1000 (first version*) and the Loadmaster, multiple times. I got the Breech Lock Pro (aka "Pro 4000") not long after it first came out. I'm reasonably happy with it. I have not had the indexing adjustment problems with this that I had with the older two presses.

    *Lee redesigned the Pro 1000 not long ago. It uses the same base as the Breech Lock Pro and "Value Turret". I have no idea how well this version works.

  10. #20
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    Colorado Springs
    I purchased a used Pro 1000 over 35 years ago. As long as it's kept clean it has worked for me with 6 different calibers and over 60,000 rounds. By the time I could justify an upgrade press, it was a matter of teaching an old dog new tricks. I always seemed to find another gun I wanted more than a new press (along with all the accessories that go with it).

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