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Posted: 4/8/2010 5:34:27 AM EDT
| Can anybody who has used both comment on the usability of either of these? How is the priming system? For loading pistol ammo is there any advantage to the loadmaster? |
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I had a pro 1000 but not a loadmaster. I could not get mine to prime properly.
I would not recomend this press unless you have alot more time than money. The loadmaster has an extra spot for crimping pistol ammo and supposedly fixes most of the issues with the pro 1000. |
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I very nearly bought a loadmaster last week...CHEEP cause someone couldnt make it work. then i did some research. You will find 50 people who HATED both the pro 1000 and loadmaster for every one that managed to get it them work.
The kicker was when I mentioned to a friend of mine that also reloads that I was gonna get one... He laughed himself silly then told me that someone he knew had bought the Proo 1000 press and tried to use it for a while and gave up out of frustration and GAVE it to my friend...my friend (who has been relaoding for years) tried for 2 days to make it work and THREW IT IN THE TRASH. Where he said it belonged. Don't wast your money, I didn't and someday I'll save enought to get a dillon. |
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I've got a pro 1000. I leave it set up for 45 ACP, it is finicky at times but I've loaded 1000s of rounds on it just fine. The key is having it very solidly mounted on your bench, and to pay attention to the primer feeder while you are going. Other than that it'll work fine.
45 ACP is the only thing I mass produce, everything else I do on my single stage press. |
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I've been using a Loadmaster for over 15 years. It has some quirks. It is a very versatile press. If you have some mechanical skills you can make it sing, mine does. There are lots of places on the Net to help you. There are definitely some weak points. I have several spare primer shuttles. The five stations are great. It's inexpensive. I would buy another.
That is all, flame away. |
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I've been using a Loadmaster for over 15 years. It has some quirks. It is a very versatile press. If you have some mechanical skills you can make it sing, mine does. There are lots of places on the Net to help you. There are definitely some weak points. I have several spare primer shuttles. The five stations are great. It's inexpensive. I would buy another. That is all, flame away. yep I see enough posts of people that have them running to realize that there's more to the problem then just the press , not everybody has mechanical skills |
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I have a loadmaster....early on we hated each other...now I have learned to live with her quirks and have managed to come up with a fix for all of them....I have loaded 10's of thousands of rounds with mine. I am a cheap bastard and would rather spend my money on more components then on a press that does the same thing. In the end all the dillion users and I have one thing in common, we both have ammo that goes bang every time. If you do decide to invest in a loadmaster, here is a list of what I found works.
-Use a very small amount of VERY thick grease (Mil. waterpump grease or the stuff used for CATS) on the case feeder arm....this will add enough friction to keep if feeding cases reliably. -Operate the primer slider by hand, when the press auto indexes, set a bullet on the case ready to load the bullet and reach over and slide the primer slider over (Placing a primer under the case ready to be primed). This is no slower than the 550 which is not auto indexing. -Keep the screw on the bar that holds the case against the shell plate tight in the priming station. With these simple tips, I have a very reliable progressive press....Occasionally I will get a buggered up small primer (9mm and .223). But I can't remember the last time I have had a jacked up large primer, and I have loaded 5K+ .45acp. The small primers tend to be more finicky than the larger ones. If anyone still doesnt want their loadmasters (I have a hard time believing people are THROWING them away) I will pay postage and will happily dispose of them for you...I.E mount em and use em 
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LoadMaster hands down.
Initially there is a bit of a tinkering "learning" curve and patience needed to master the loadmaster. But when you got it tuned it puts the ammo out fast and furious I load all of my pistol calibers with it except one. I classic turret for my bulk .223 , 7.62X39, 9x18 makarov and I single stage (Rock Chucker) all of my rifle calibers As far as the Pro 1000 a couple of friends use them but in reality I can keep par with them with my classic auto index turret (4 strokes per cartridge) and faster calibre changes Or you can spend a greater amount for the blue koolaid.. |
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I don't know anything about the Pro 1000, but I've been using a Loadmaster for around 3-4 years now. It can be a tough press for a novice to get running properly and it will take some time for you to learn to become a skilled operator. Lee won't hold your hand and replace parts you break for free the way Dillon will. But there are some excellent videos on Lee's website to help. Once the press is setup properly it can crank out quality ammo at a disturbingly fast rate and once it's broken in it's a very smooth operating press. It needs cleaning, lubing and adjusting every 5k to 10k rounds, but other than dumping the spent primers out that's about all you'll need to do. If you buy one get a dozen or so primer feeders from Midway, they're about a buck a pop. You'll wreck a half dozen while you're learning how to adjust and run the press. Go slow at first, don't use the case feeder and only run one case from start to finish. Watch the process carefully and get the feel for adjusting and running it. Then start running a case in each position. When you're good with that put the case feeder on and start cranking out ammo. For the record, I also have a Dillon 550b. I use the Loadmaster for my handgun loads and the 550 for rifle. |
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I don't know anything about the Pro 1000, but I've been using a Loadmaster for around 3-4 years now. It can be a tough press for a novice to get running properly and it will take some time for you to learn to become a skilled operator. Lee won't hold your hand and replace parts you break for free the way Dillon will. But there are some excellent videos on Lee's website to help. Once the press is setup properly it can crank out quality ammo at a disturbingly fast rate and once it's broken in it's a very smooth operating press. It needs cleaning, lubing and adjusting every 5k to 10k rounds, but other than dumping the spent primers out that's about all you'll need to do. If you buy one get a dozen or so primer feeders from Midway, they're about a buck a pop. You'll wreck a half dozen while you're learning how to adjust and run the press. Go slow at first, don't use the case feeder and only run one case from start to finish. Watch the process carefully and get the feel for adjusting and running it. Then start running a case in each position. When you're good with that put the case feeder on and start cranking out ammo. For the record, I also have a Dillon 550b. I use the Loadmaster for my handgun loads and the 550 for rifle. This is some very sound advise. I have a pro 1000 that I load 45acp, and 9mm on. I have loaded over 2k 9mm, and 1k of 45acp. Watching the press operate for a little while will help you solve most of the problems you will encounter. After about 2 hours of setup-troubleshooting I was able to crank out over 300 rounds per hour. I have had a couple of hickups along the way, but they were all fixed by minor adjustments. The one thing I would caution you about is don't let you primer feed get near empty. Once it has only about 15 primers left it will not let the primers get centered on the priming arm. Keep you primer feeder loaded up and that will help alot. I have considered buying another pro1000 so I could use 1 for 45, and 1 for 9mm. It does take a little while to change calibers. |
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I have a Pro 1000. When I purchased it I already knew about the issues with the priming system. Therefore, I never used the priming system. I prime my brass before I load. I use a Lee Autoprime to do so. I also weigh a powder charge every 25 rounds and I can load 100 9mm rounds in 22 minutes using this method.
So, for the $150 I paid I am very happy with the press. jonblack |
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For the record I own, use and recommend the 550 Dillon........ hasn't missed a hitch in over twenty years!!!!...........that said, a friend was absolutely determined to get and use the Lee Loadmaster.............Granted, it IS faster (when it cylcles properly) than the Dillon..........BUT it's malfunction rate was more than just a little disturbing to me. The primary problem seems to revolve around the priming setup. It if is not PRECISELY timed, it malfunctions. My friend has replaced no less than four priming slides and I seriously doubt the problem issue is over. That thing simply destroys the plastic feed mechanism....jumps the activator pin and goodbye slide!!!!! Lee needs to seriously re-examine that primer feed issue and also modify the thing so it will feed a completly filled primer tray................the "it's gotta be full" line from the Lee tech is utter bullshit. My Dillon feeds each and every primer from the first to last without issue........that damned Lee will NOT.
Yeah, hand feed the primer..........good God man, you PAID for a progressive, I believe it ought to work like one. Don't get me wrong, I own and use Lee's products, but singularly the largest failure issue is the priming one. Hell, I own a classic O frame and IT won't feed primers with any real degree of reliability, and usually (mostly at the point that you've only a few rounds to go to finish) starts throwing them out of the priming arm onto the floor or bench. Lee's priming systems are bullshit! Their dies are fine, presses. depending on model OK, and some other stuff they market is truly innovative..............but, their priming systems are BULLSHIT! |
| Have set up 2 Loadmasters and both would load in full auto mode. Your primer seating depth will only be as consistant as your case height. Found it much easier to prime by hand. Then load powder drop, bullet seat, and fcd in full auto mode. Much better results. |
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Yeah, hand feed the primer..........good God man, you PAID for a progressive, I believe it ought to work like one. ..............but, their priming systems are BULLSHIT! I just justify having to manually hand feed the priming system as like on a 550, you have to manually index. Mine indexes automatically but my primer system is a manual index
It is bullshit that it doesnt work as it should....I agree. Would it prevent me from buying another....no. Since I learned to manually operate the priming arm...I have yet to replace the primer sliders...prior to learning this trick, I munched dozens of those little bastards....I was ordering a dozen at a time from Lee....thankfully they were cheap. |
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Have set up 2 Loadmasters and both would load in full auto mode. Your primer seating depth will only be as consistant as your case height. Found it much easier to prime by hand. Then load powder drop, bullet seat, and fcd in full auto mode. Much better results. I have been using both the Pro1000 and The LoadMaster with no problems for years. The press must be level. I also use the bullet feeder on LoadMaster and can run over 500 rounds an hour of match grade ammo. That's IMHO. Mike |
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I have had a Pro1000 for about 3 years now (9mm), it’s been a great press for me, difficult at first to set up, but do able.
I don’t see how you people are loading up too 500 rounds an hour. Max I can get is roughly 200 an hour and that’s with a bullet feeder... I like my pro1000 so much I’m about to buy another for 45acp, and the parts to do caliber changes to do .38’s and .223. |
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