Thinking about giving a Lee Progressive press another chance, wondering if anyone here owns one/has used it?
Anyone here use the new Lee Pro 6000 yet?
- Thread starter motoman247
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I've been following a Facebook group created just for Lee Pro 6000 users. It has been interesting reading about different "fixes" for it. For the most part, they have all been positive, but it seems that this press has similar problems as the other Lee presses - mostly related to primer handling.
I bought a Lee APP press as soon as they were available. I got the decapping and swaging options for it. I had reasonably good luck with it, I could decap a bunch of brass in a hurry with it. I had slight issues with swaging 223 brass. Sometime later, I noticed Lee had redesigned components of each kit to increase reliability - makes me wish I had waited. I'd love to try out the 6000, but I think I will give it a year or two to get all the bugs worked out.
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These seem to be decent presses but in the short time they have been out lee has already redesigned/upgraded a couple parts and seem to be working on more. The highroad forum has a couple extremely in depth threads about it, one of their members is actually in contact with lee and is Guinea pigging some parts/upgrades for them.
From what I’ve seen online a couple things stand out to me as potential downsides. The videos I’ve seen of it running look as if the rotation is very abrupt, perhaps causing issues with slinging powder and bullets falling over, could be user error though. The other is while six stations are nice, they are so crowded together some accessories won’t physically fit. One guy had to send his double alpha powder checker back because it just wouldn’t fit.
It may be a good press but I’m out of the lee press business. I’ve had a pro 1000 and at one time 5 loadmasters. Every one of them had their own individual quirks. I’ve switched to hornady and am much happier. I still use lee dies though.
From what I’ve seen online a couple things stand out to me as potential downsides. The videos I’ve seen of it running look as if the rotation is very abrupt, perhaps causing issues with slinging powder and bullets falling over, could be user error though. The other is while six stations are nice, they are so crowded together some accessories won’t physically fit. One guy had to send his double alpha powder checker back because it just wouldn’t fit.
It may be a good press but I’m out of the lee press business. I’ve had a pro 1000 and at one time 5 loadmasters. Every one of them had their own individual quirks. I’ve switched to hornady and am much happier. I still use lee dies though.
OP
Just sold my loadmaster, trying to decide if I should just save up for a 750
Love my lee turret though
Hard to ever go wrong with a Dillion if you load large enough quantities. If for some reason you don’t like it there’s gonna be a line of people ready to buy it from you for dang near what you paid. I was on the fence between the 650 and the LNL and went with the LNL for the powder measure and the bushing system.
Seems like if lee were to spend a little more on quality control and better materials, even if they had to raise there prices, they would dominate the market. The simplicity is amazing when it works but the cast and plastic pieces break and wear out and there is too much tolerance in the parts. At one time I had 5 loadmasters with multiple spare parts and knew the presses inside and out. But a couple just wouldn’t run right ever, one would work about half the time, and one would work like a switch watch as long as I used a certain tool head and push rod, switch either and it would act up.
Agreed. love the design but execution is lacking. I finally gave up on Lee and got a Dillon 650 and never looked back….
I don't think it's fair to compare Lee to the high- and middle-end presses. Their niche is exactly that- good designs with inexpensive parts. It's a gateway drug to higher end- or you can just keep smoking pot and never go to cocaine. I started with a 550- and still use it for volume, but I've added three Lee's to the collection (no, my bench isn't that big, but those Lee bench plates are great). So yeah, I'll still do the late night "it's blue, bitch!" , but most days I'm just hanging with the Lee gang.
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I was a Lee fan for 30 years but the quality has dropped markedly in the past 5 or so. I finally gave up and went blue.
I really can not recommend the brand anymore.
TriggerMan
Well-Known Member
Lee is pot metal junk. Invest in something that will last forever. Been loading on my Dillon 550b for 25 years. Anything that broke Dillon instantly sent a replacement no questions asked. In 25yrs and 100s of thousands of rounds reloaded, I've worn out two priming systems. That's it. Both instantly replaced free of charge through Dillon 's NO BS LIFETIME WATRANTY.
I bought Lee back in the day when I was starting reloading. It was junk. I'd suggest you avoid Lee at all costs.
I bought Lee back in the day when I was starting reloading. It was junk. I'd suggest you avoid Lee at all costs.
Well, I can say without a doubt that my Lee Classic Turret is NOT made of pot metal, the base is made of cast iron, the uprights are steel, turret mount is steel, and the turrets are aluminum. No pot metal anywhere. My Dillon 550 frame is made of aluminum.
I’m not sure what my small Lee C press is made of, but when I drilled and tapped it it acted like aluminum. It is a very minimally designed press that I would not want to use for any heavy reloading tasks (mine is dedicated to pulling bullets). But the Lee Classic Cast single stage press is at the other end of the spectrum - very heavily constructed, it can load 50bmg.
What I am getting at is that one simply can’t make a blanket statement about all Lee products being crap. This conversation is about the Pro 6000.
I’m not sure what my small Lee C press is made of, but when I drilled and tapped it it acted like aluminum. It is a very minimally designed press that I would not want to use for any heavy reloading tasks (mine is dedicated to pulling bullets). But the Lee Classic Cast single stage press is at the other end of the spectrum - very heavily constructed, it can load 50bmg.
What I am getting at is that one simply can’t make a blanket statement about all Lee products being crap. This conversation is about the Pro 6000.
There are people that have to drive a BMW because they think it is sooooo much better and there are people that just don't want to and may drive Ford/Chevy.
Yes, I could afford a different press other than Lee but Lee is what I started with several years ago. Yes, there is tinkering, I still bet every press out there has some tinkering.
Yes, I have had parts break. YES LEE sent free replacement parts.
For those that think Lee is such a bad press, I go against you. I have loaded several calibers and a tens of thousands on my Lee presses and can bout guarantee I am way ahead in the money game because I didn't have to spend thousands of dollars to get the job done. In the end, I have a created a piece of ammo that goes bang, just like I want it to, just like any other color press there is.
Lee is not a bad company. For those that don't have to drive the BMW, get the Ford/Chevy, in the end, you make it to the same place, at the range to go shooting.
(Edit, would never recommend the Lee shotshell press to anyone. It just wouldn't make a good crimp no matter what you did, stick with their presses for pistol/rifle)
Yes, I could afford a different press other than Lee but Lee is what I started with several years ago. Yes, there is tinkering, I still bet every press out there has some tinkering.
Yes, I have had parts break. YES LEE sent free replacement parts.
For those that think Lee is such a bad press, I go against you. I have loaded several calibers and a tens of thousands on my Lee presses and can bout guarantee I am way ahead in the money game because I didn't have to spend thousands of dollars to get the job done. In the end, I have a created a piece of ammo that goes bang, just like I want it to, just like any other color press there is.
Lee is not a bad company. For those that don't have to drive the BMW, get the Ford/Chevy, in the end, you make it to the same place, at the range to go shooting.
(Edit, would never recommend the Lee shotshell press to anyone. It just wouldn't make a good crimp no matter what you did, stick with their presses for pistol/rifle)
Ford is blue. That’s why I reload with blue.
I think Lee is good except for their cheaper presses when they went with cheap cast. Most of my dies are Lee. Might actually pick up a AP press for processing pistol brass
I only went with Dillon is because my uncle got me I to reloading and he used a Dillon for decades
I thought as you do until I started making mostly 9mm and wanted a dedicated press. I went with the Dillon 750 and I cranked out 1,000’s of trouble free rounds, Decided to crank out some 45 ACP and fired up the Lee ProMaster and I was so frustrated with stoppages and fiddling about I quit a few hundred rounds in opened up the laptop and ordered $800 worth of Dillon parts to load all my pistol calibers, BEST $800 I EVER SPENT! Sold that POS Lee and never looked back.
Tell yourself Lee is “just as good” when you are fiddling with the primer feeder, or case feeder or shell plates. For me I reload as a hobby and I don’t want to spend my down time swearing and fiddling and getting frustrated.
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I will admit the primer system on the Lee presses seems to be their weak point. I do prime on the press when using using the Lee turret press. The small primer setup worked ok, but I had to trim some of the plastic flashing on the large primer setup ( was dropping primers on the floor) but once I got it working it has worked well. I think they depend a little too much on plastic parts.
FWIW, I had a problem once with the primers on my Dillon 550, but took a file to one part and got it working again.
I’ve never had to call Lee for a replacement part, but I did call Dillon once and got a free replacement part (they sent the wrong seating stem for my 9mm die). I didn’t much care for the customer support guy’s attitude, though.
FWIW, I had a problem once with the primers on my Dillon 550, but took a file to one part and got it working again.
I’ve never had to call Lee for a replacement part, but I did call Dillon once and got a free replacement part (they sent the wrong seating stem for my 9mm die). I didn’t much care for the customer support guy’s attitude, though.
On my bench there's a Rockchucker, a Lee pro 1000, and an Apex 10.
Does the Lee run like the Mark 7? Of course not. But it does still get used more often than the much more expensive press, and it still turns out most of my plinking ammo.
The Apex is for competition ammo. Hunting loads come from the Rockchucker.
Does the Lee run like the Mark 7? Of course not. But it does still get used more often than the much more expensive press, and it still turns out most of my plinking ammo.
The Apex is for competition ammo. Hunting loads come from the Rockchucker.
Just to keep this thread alive . . The Lee Six Pack Pro 6000 is NOT junk! I have one and I repeat it is NOT junk!
No one that has one and uses it, calls it junk. None of the previous "junk" posters in this thread claim to have used one, much less own one.
Take the time to read the Lee 6000 posts on "The High Road" @ LiveLife and @GWStarr. Or posts on "Cast Bullets", concerning the Lee 6000.
This is the most dependable, trouble free, progressive press that Lee has ever offered. @motoman247, buy with confidence. Spend the money you save for the press on primers. You'll need it.
Larry
No one that has one and uses it, calls it junk. None of the previous "junk" posters in this thread claim to have used one, much less own one.
Take the time to read the Lee 6000 posts on "The High Road" @ LiveLife and @GWStarr. Or posts on "Cast Bullets", concerning the Lee 6000.
This is the most dependable, trouble free, progressive press that Lee has ever offered. @motoman247, buy with confidence. Spend the money you save for the press on primers. You'll need it.
Larry