550 or 650 Press

[dhaas66]

I have used the Dillion 550 press before. My father and uncle currently are using it.

I am looking to purchase a new press. Should I stick to the 550 or upgrade to the 650?

I am currently only looking to reload 9mm.

Thanks for any advise.

[Hi-Power Jack]

If you can afford it, and need to reload a LOT of 9mm ammo -

you're better off with the fully loaded 650.

How many rounds do you load/year?

[Poppa Bear]

It is a lot about volume. I started on a LCT and still have several heads with dies and measures installed. If I only shoot 100 to 400 rounds a year why set up my 550 for them. My big one is 40 where I will shoot 500 to 1,000 a month. For that volume a 550 is a minimum and a 650 doable. Above that I would be looking 650 min and 1050 desirable.

[Lee Cabana]

I faced the same decision last year - I figured in for a penny, in for a pound. Spent a few more dollars and got the 650. After a year of use, I've long forgotten what the price difference was and am very pleased with my choice.

[Sarge]

I started with a 550. It was a great press and I could load 400 9mm an hour with ease. But it was all manual type operations such as placing a case and bullet by hand. I sold it to get a 650 and it is easily ten times the press since adding a case feeder and bullet feeder.

So, for productivity, the 650 is the way to go. Both are quality presses. One is not Cheaper made than the other. They are just different.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Sarge

[gmantwo]

If you're going to stay with 1 caliber, go the 650. I fought with one for a year however because every time I switched between 9&.40 I would have MAJOR priming trouble. Even after sending the whole thing in to Dillon. And I easily load 500/hr on my 550's without a casefeeder

[andersonj55126]

I got a 550 last year and now feel like I should have went with the 650.

[Fate0n3]

After doing quite a bit of research when I purchased my 650 a few weeks ago, most people I had read about who bought the 550 who load a lot regretted not going ahead and picking up the 650 instead.

[The Law]

I don't think anyone regrets getting "too much press." It's similar to buying a computer; nobody regrets getting a processor that's "too fast" or having "too much memory." You can always grow into it (or sell it if it really is unnecessary).

If you can afford a 650, I say go for it. I've got one and I'm more than pleased with it.

[polizei1]

650 for sure! It's a beast of a machine.

[tunaman]

Sounds like a 650 would be a good choice for your circumstances. I'm quite happy with my 550, but I change calibers often, load 7 different cals, and also do quite a bit of single stage loading for match ammo so it fits my needs perfectly.

[sandrooney]

I went from a SDB to a 650 to a 1050. I then got out of the shooting sports and sold everything and of course several years later decided to get back into shooting. I decided to try the 550b and so far I like it better than any of the other presses I have had to include the 1050. It is simple and very user friendly easy to change calibers doesn't jam up and I can easily load up a couple hundred rds in a half hour and go shoot. Maybe I am just not in as big a hurry as I used to be.

The 550b is a great machine not saying the others aren't.

[Reinz]

Interesing view and experience Sandrooney.

I actually understand.

[JYC405]

All the presses are good, but you have someone with a 550 already and if you want to share top ends you can so 9mm now but what is next

40s/w or 45acp. If the price is split between 3 of you leaves more money for supplies.

[match308]

The 650. Ive had both. Kept the 650.

[M-Bear]

I will be the dissenter here. I had a 550 sold it and got the 650. Now the 650 is a heck of a press and it will almost load ammo as fast as you can blink. But I discovered the reloading with the 550 was relaxing. With the 650 you reload for 20 minutes and you are dine. Not enough time to wind down and relax. The 550 will load 1250 rounds a week if you spend just half an hour a day 5 days a week with it. Very few people need more output than that. I wish I had kept the 550.

[jmorris]

I have all of the Dillons, I only use the 550 for rounds I used to load on a turret press. Always switching and never loading much volume.

Post #9 sums it up.

[retarmyaviator]

I have both. I used the 550 for years then had the opportunity to rescue a 650 that had been sitting in a barn for seven years. Dillon rebuilt the 650 and returned it in like new condition. That was April 2012, since then the cover has not been off the 550. Nothing wrong with the 550 both are excellent machines but I prefer the 650.

[BroKV]

I want to buy another 650 and have one for large primers and one for small.

[Spray_N_Prey]

My setup is 2 Single stage presses (Rock Chucker and a Lyman Crusher II), 2 Dillon 650's and a 550. The SS presses hardly EVER get used and I usually keep the 550 for rifle calibers. The 650's are used exclusively for pistol match ammo.

The 550 has done some 45acp also. I have a friend that wouldn't trade his 550 for anything. If I could only choose one, it would be the 650 loaded.

[Tacticalk9]

which is easier to change calibers?

I reload 9 and .223 and ease of conversion is more important to me than output.

[jmorris]

which is easier to change calibers?

I reload 9 and .223 and ease of conversion is more important to me than output.

A turret press will give you the fastest and easiest caliber changes.

However you are only looking at one side of the issue. This 650 for example http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmorrismetal/media/reloading/bullet%20feeder/VID_20130305_152550_802_zps7819706b.mp4.html will load 100 rounds in 5 min while your filming yourself loading with it, with your left hand.

Although a turret is much faster to change over to another caliber, in the same time it took you to load 100 rounds, I could load 100 AND switch calibers (likely grab something to eat too), so I didn't loose any time to the quick change turret. Make that 1000 rounds or more and you are loosing far more time loading than it would ever take to do a caliber conversion.

Edited May 13, 2013 by jmorris