sellers remorse?

[M-Bear]

I am seriously thinking about upgrading my 550 to a 650 with a brass feeder. I am not sure if it makes more sense to keep the 550 for any caliber that I might want to load small amounts of or to sell it to help take the sting out of the upgrade cost. Right now I only load 9mm 40sw and 223. I have noticed that caliber conversions (plus tool head and powder funnel)for the 650 add up real quick.

So I was wondering if anyone else had sold the 550 only to regret it later or not? Am I even going to want to use the 550 after I get used to the 650?

[Bill Nesbitt]

I kept my 550 when I bought a 1050. I use the 550 to load small amounts of ammo or to work up new loads. I use the 1050 for high volume reloading. It's only money.

[98sr20ve]

I regretted selling my Lee Classic Turret. It was cheap to do caliber conversions on and it worked great. I wish I had just kept it and got the 650/casefeeder for 9mm. I would get the 650 for the caliber you want, keep the 550 for at least a year. You will get the urge to sell it but once that passes I bet you will be glad you kept it.

[Merlin Orr]

Never ever..........

[Treym7]

I'm shocked Merlin didn't just offer to buy it right here. I am sure he only needs to buy a few more presses! LOL.

[Merlin Orr]

I'm shocked Merlin didn't just offer to buy it right here. I am sure he only needs to buy a few more presses! LOL.

Hey!

[Alfie]

I did both. I had two 550's so I sold one and kept one. The 650 has never loaded anything but .40's and the 550 is set up for .45's. FWIW the 550 hasn't moved in three years and only collects dust. If I were to load 45's anytime soon I'd probably spend the money on a caliber conversion. The 550 is NO MATCH for the 650 at all.

[ParaGunner]

Keep it

[blue edge]

Keep it

[Pat Miles]

I had no problem selling the 550 I had. I used the $$$ to buy a second 650.

Pat

[Bigpops]

I just sold a 550 to get another 1050. Even though I now load 38 Super on one and 9mm on another...I miss the 550, especially now that mama may run Limited.

I think press's fall into the same rule as guns....NEVER SELL THEM!

[calishootr]

sell reloading equipment???? simply daft!!!!! keep it... you can have my 550b when you pry it from my cold dead....hehehe

[BE Fred]

I am seriously thinking about upgrading my 550 to a 650 with a brass feeder. I am not sure if it makes more sense to keep the 550 for any caliber that I might want to load small amounts of or to sell it to help take the sting out of the upgrade cost. Right now I only load 9mm 40sw and 223. I have noticed that caliber conversions (plus tool head and powder funnel)for the 650 add up real quick.

So I was wondering if anyone else had sold the 550 only to regret it later or not? Am I even going to want to use the 550 after I get used to the 650?

When I got my first 650, I kept the 550, too many caliber conversions was the deciding factor. Eventually I got another 650 and then sold my 550 to purchase the caliber conversions for the 650's. I have been very please running tow 650's.

I also use a Rockchucker for my hunting rifle reloading.

[Graham Smith]

I'm a cheap SOB and I don't reload anywhere near as much as the others who have answered you so far. But, here is my $2.63 ($0.02 adjusted for inflation) worth.

You say you only load three calibers. Which one are you loading enough of that you want a 650 with case feeder? I'm going to assume that it's not just the case feeder or you would just add one to the 550.

If you get rid of the 550, then you are going to have to get three caliber conversions for the 650 which will not be cheap. I don't have a case feeder, but I expect that the version for .223 will be particularly expensive.

Calculate the cost of the press with everything you need to load three calibers. Subtract from that the resale cost for the 550.

Now calculate the cost of the press with just your primary caliber.

The difference between the two is how much more or less it will cost you to upgrade everything vs keep the 550.

I'm willing to bet that cost wise, you will be better off keeping the 550.

On the other hand, I'm wiling to give you $200 sight unseen for the 550. Tempting offer isn't it?

Edited October 20, 2010 by Graham Smith

[CSEMARTIN]

Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never sell the 550.

Selling that 550 would be a huge mistake.

[benos]

I am seriously thinking about upgrading my 550 to a 650 with a brass feeder. I am not sure if it makes more sense to keep the 550 for any caliber that I might want to load small amounts of or to sell it to help take the sting out of the upgrade cost. Right now I only load 9mm 40sw and 223. I have noticed that caliber conversions (plus tool head and powder funnel)for the 650 add up real quick.

So I was wondering if anyone else had sold the 550 only to regret it later or not? Am I even going to want to use the 550 after I get used to the 650?

Over the years I've talked to many customers on the phone, that have 650's and/or 1050's, that have made statements like, "I'll never get rid of my 550, it's perfect for small batch runs of my less frequently shot calibers."

be

[pigman08]

I'm considering getting a 650 as well, but I will definitely keep the 550 for revolvers & use the 650 for automatics, since that's pretty much how I differentiate between high and low volume guns

[AWLAZS]

Keep it if they are great back ups if the big machine goes down.

[sigsauerfan]

if $ is not an issue,keeping both make sens.....the 550,one day you might end up using it as trade-in for a 2nd XL650

[M-Bear]

I'm a cheap SOB and I don't reload anywhere near as much as the others who have answered you so far. But, here is my $2.63 ($0.02 adjusted for inflation) worth.

You say you only load three calibers. Which one are you loading enough of that you want a 650 with case feeder? I'm going to assume that it's not just the case feeder or you would just add one to the 550.

If you get rid of the 550, then you are going to have to get three caliber conversions for the 650 which will not be cheap. I don't have a case feeder, but I expect that the version for .223 will be particularly expensive.

Calculate the cost of the press with everything you need to load three calibers. Subtract from that the resale cost for the 550.

Now calculate the cost of the press with just your primary caliber.

The difference between the two is how much more or less it will cost you to upgrade everything vs keep the 550.

I'm willing to bet that cost wise, you will be better off keeping the 550.

On the other hand, I'm wiling to give you $200 sight unseen for the 550. Tempting offer isn't it?

Thanks for the input everyone.

I want a rock solid casefeeder and auto indexing would be nice.

I only know one person that had a 550 casefeeder. He never got it working to his satisfaction with 9mm. He finally sold it. So I am Leary about buying one. Also you can't use it with the 223 so it would have to be detached for them. I am loading about 1k a month right now. Which the 550 can deal with in about 2 1/2 hours. But most of my reloading is done when everyone else is sleeping so faster is better. 90% of my reloading is 9mm and 40sw. Its more a matter of wanting a 650 than really needing it.

But right now I have some extra money that doesn't need accounted for. So it may well be upgrade now or wait a few years.

Edited October 21, 2010 by M-Bear

[Emerson]

I recently sold my 550 to add another 1050. No regrets yet.

[foilhat]

Keep it

[n2extrm]

I kept the 550 when I got the 650. Figured run 45 on the 650 the caliber I shoot the most, run the rest on the 550. I did not want to change primer systems and caliber conversions are pricey for the 650.

Well I am selling the 550 for a second 650. When I go back to the 550 it feels slow to me and I miss the 650. I never really had a great relationship with the 550 primer system and the 650 is much better.

I would plan on selling the 550 either now or to fund caliber conversions or a second 650.

[dcmdon]

Im a rank novice compared to almost everybody here. But I'm going to pipe in anyway.

I just finished my first caliber conversion on my 650. I've done it before on my friend's 550.

Generally speaking changing out the primer from large to small is a real pain in the butt. Everything else is quick and easy.

So I've been thinking that the ideal setup might be to have 2 - 650s. One set up for large primers and the other set up for small. Not cheap, I know.

But with those two, you can convert to just about anything is less than 10 minutes and you can really fly once you are set up.

Don

[rodell]

I have the 650 set up with small primers, and 90% of what I load is small. I have a SDB with large primers, and, that has enough capability to do what I need. I don't convert calibers much on it, but, I do convert length (special to magnum and back).

I also have the complete primer assembly for the 650. It saves a couple of minutes in the large/small conversion process and serves as a spare if I ever need it.