650 case feeder

[dark3d]

Is it just my ignorance on how to properly setup the case feeder or do I have a weak motor on mine?

If I have more than 20-30 cases in the hopper it will cause the plate to stick. I've adjusted the 'clutch' on the plate, but it will either just spin or stop-depending on how tight the screws are. I've gotten accustomed to spinning the plate around with my bullet feeder (left hand). If I set it to low..forget about it. It does good just to spin the empty plate.

Large pistol plate, feeding 45 brass.

[CraigS.]

I would call the dillon tech line and get the problem solved in minutes.

[Foxbat]

If you see the motor stop then we can rule out the clutch issues. Sometimes due to clutch wear it will stop engaging, and you would need to cut one part shorter so it would work again... but like I said, this is not your problem.

Second possibility - the motor lost its torque. Mine did some time ago, with similar symptoms. Replacement part cost $49, so I decided to try fixing it first.

As I opened up the gear box, the problem became clear. All the gears are metal, except the first one, which is plastic. That one was VERY hard to spin on its shaft. From time and lubricant the plastic had swollen a bit, and the hole became too tight.

Simply running the right size drill bit restored the operation 100%... and it's been running fine for some years now.

To open the gear box you need to drill out the rivets. When assembling it, simply tap the holes and use screws.

[dark3d]

Thank you for the tip Foxbat. I emailed Dillon and they are sending a new motor. I'll post here if that isn't the issue and I may explore your gear box scenario.

Craig, I would take you up on your offer if you weren't so far away.

Thanks.

[98sr20ve]

As I opened up the gear box, the problem became clear. All the gears are metal, except the first one, which is plastic. That one was VERY hard to spin on its shaft. From time and lubricant the plastic had swollen a bit, and the hole became too tight.

Simply running the right size drill bit restored the operation 100%... and it's been running fine for some years now.

I don't get it. What do you do with the drill bit?

[98sr20ve]

Thank you for the tip Foxbat. I emailed Dillon and they are sending a new motor. I'll post here if that isn't the issue and I may explore your gear box scenario.

Craig, I would take you up on your offer if you weren't so far away.

Thanks.

So was it free?

[ERIC]

I saw similar symptoms on a case feeder on a 1050 just before the motor died.

[dark3d]

98, yes. Motor was free. And it appears that there were two problems affecting the case feeder.

#1. The motor was a bit weak. The replacement was much stronger.

#2. The mounting screws that hold the motor to the bottom of the feeder were a little out of whack. They stuck up above the plastic and caused some drag on the plate. Not enough to mark up the plate, but enough to stop it. I opened up the countersink areas with a drill bit and that let the heads sit flush.

I asked Dillon if they want me to ship the old motor back. If they don't want it, I was planning on checking it out to see what the actual issue is with the motor. Might see if Foxbat's issue is the same as mine.

[Henny]

Dark3d,

About how many 45 cases can you put in your tumbler with the new motor? I can only put about a cup and a half of 45 or 223 cases in mine at a time. It usually struggles with the for the first 10 - 20.

[Too_Slow]

I dont know about 45 cases but I can put at least 500 40 S&W cases in mine without problems.

Brian

[dark3d]

Ok. Just tried with akro bins. 40s&w. I can put two full Dillon blue bins (bullet catcher) in there with no issues. I dumped a third bin in and it was too much.

Before I deal with the motor next time I'd pull the plate and check to make sure that the screw heads aren't rubbing on the plate. Mine were protruding quite a bit and caused problems. I removed the bottom two screws and just left them out. I couldn't get them to screw in to the motor housing and still clear the plate.

[Foxbat]

I don't get it. What do you do with the drill bit?

Sorry, didn't see it earlier. As I said, the hole inside the plastic (nylon?) first gear got much tighter with time, so tight the motor could hardly turn it. Plastics sometimes swell from oil, I believe this is what happened here. I simply made the hole larger by using the drill bit of the same diameter as the shaft.

It's been running fine since then. If you can get a free motor - that is of course great... in my case Dillon wanted to charge me, I think $49 plus shipping. But even if you get the free motor, don't throw away your old one, as it can be easily fixed and probably used by someone.

[latech15]

Mine seemed really wimpy on my Super 1050 as well. I assume it is the same casefeeder.

[Henny]

I called Dillon on 8/4 to make a small order. I related to the individual on the phone my possible problems with my case feeder. I found that between 100-110, 223 cases are about the max I can put in. The helpful guy at Dillon related the case feeder should be able to handle more than that and he said he'd send out a new motor. He also said every now and then they get a bad motor.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. With service like that, if I ever need anything reloading related and Dillon makes it, they have my business!

[Henny]

I had somewhat of an ordeal replacing the motor on my case feeder. The first motor Dillon sent did not work. It just hummed and the shaft did not turn. I even tried the old electricians trick of hitting it with a mallet. No luck. Dillon sent a second motor. Once I installed that, my case feeder worked like it should! No more 1 1/2 cups of casings at a time! I'll have to do some shooting today just so I can do some reloading to try it out!