550 vs 650

[Chills1994]

I think you have to look at this 550 vs. 650 question with respect to future possibilities and versatility.

In the future, do you plan to reload bottle necked rifle rounds?

Would you spend the extra 300 dollars or so to buy the Dillon toolhead mounted trimmer?

Would you take fired .223 cases and turn them into .300 Blackout cases?

I would say a 5 station case feeder equipped auto indexing 650 would be better for that versus a 550.

As far as what other doodads to buy, my recommendation would be case gauges in each caliber you load for.

[Mark C]

Which ever one you chose be sure and get the inlne fab. led light system for it money well spent.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Which ever one you chose be sure and get the inlne fab. led light system for it money well spent.

I have to disagree ... it's NOT money well spent,

IT"S ESSENTIAL !!!!!

Do not load any cartridges until you have enough light to be

able to see into the case to make sure you have powder in

it before you load a bullet.

[Chills1994]

On my 650, there isn't anything screwed into station #3, no dies, no powder cop. I have a mechanic's inspection mirror attached to the casefeeder support. Then I have a flashlight zip tied to the powder measure. It shines down into the #3 hole.

So as the ram comes up, I look at the reflection to see that there is powder in the case.

[Tom S.]

Did you look at this part of the forum?

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon.html#which

[rustybayonet]

Which ever one you chose be sure and get the inlne fab. led light system for it money well spent.

Harbor freight has a bendable light with a magnetic tip just unscrew the magnetic part and it fits in the center hole. Under $10 works great.

[phecksel]

Two years ago I was facing the same decision. Went to a PPC comp banquet and asked the question of the 8 other people at the table, and it was a unanimous 650, because you're going to eventually buy one anyway.

Brian set me up with the "as it should be" kit for the 650.

My only regret, not doing it much much sooner

Couple of things I've done, shell plate kit

http://hitfactorshooting.com/products/products.html

Took a automotive LED backup light and installed it in the center hole, wired to an old router plug.

Finally, bought an M die which was supposed to solve my dardas lead bullet issue... it didn't, but I left it in hole 3 after cutting the tip off. I found it helped keep the bullets straight.

[L3324temp]

Money is the only reason to choose the 550 over the 650. If money is not an issue get the 650. The extra time it takes to convert the 650 should not be considered.

[shooterDrew]

I started on an olllllld 450. Upgraded a few parts and never really found myself reloading a lot. It was kind of intimidating as there was so much going on at each pull... Work the primer system, powder system, insert case and bullet ect. I ended up only loading 1 round at a time to make sure I didn't screw anything up and end up with a double charge or squib. Bought a 650 last spring and LOVE IT. loaded about 15,000 rnds last year on it and just added a second. My first is now dedicated 9mm with a bullet feeder. 2nd is for .45 and anything other I might want to load. Go 650 if you can! It's a GREAT machine

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ChemistShooter]

I am new to this too.

Whichever machine you choose, I suggest you troll the forums and YouTube for the problems people have had with that machine and compile it all into a potential-problem list. I just saw a video where a user didn't put some little metal thingy in the right place on his 650 and chain-fired his primers

The highest chance of an accident is at the beginning. So you need to be as familiar with it as is possible. The more familiar---the less chance you BLOW YOURSELF UP. You must keep in in mind you are working with explosives.

So whichever machine you choose, get as familiar with it as you can---while it is operating properly. This means taking stuff apart and examining pieces closely,memorizing how all the parts/pieces work together, so when something goes wrong you'll know just what it is that's not working right. I've seen a lot of reported problems that were like this. The user was staring right at the problem but couldn't see it because he did not know what normal operation looked like. The first few hours of a machine are solid gold because everything is clean and new.

I am working my way up. First die---decapped one hundred rounds without priming, watching how the thing works, reading the forum about decapping/sizing works, problems with the decapping (decapping chute doesn't work well, spent primers can get squirted elsewhere I have seen this.) and also how to fix it.

Watch the primer bar do its thing, get as good a feel as you can for its operation because primers are dangerous. You want to catch a problem WELL before it becomes a problem. There are problems reported with the primer bar. Find, understand, and compile all you can.

Second die---bell and powder. Work the machine with no powder, get the belling set right. Add powder to powder funnel (still no live primers!), get weight set right, realize you have to be in a position to ALWAYS see down into the case to detect zero or double charge.

Next up: the seating die

My .02: Keep the damn thing clean as a whistle. Leave it looking like a new machine at the end of every session. Clean your primer tubes with alcohol wipes. Take the star and shell plate off and wipe everything down. Make a use/maintenance logbook and USE IT. A lot of the problems I see appear to be ultimately maintenance-related.

(And when you start working with live primers and powder, put your eye/ear protection on.)

[kneelingatlas]

I learned on a 550, bought a 650 and definitely suggest the 650 with a case feeder. When loading with the 650 one hand stays on the handle, the other places bullets (you could even put a bullet feeder on the 650 if you so choose); meanwhile on the 550 the left is turning the shell plates and placing bullets while the right is placing cases and pulling the handle.

[StraightSh00ter]

I started reloading a month or two ago on the 650. I'm thankful I went with the 650.

You don't necessarily have to buy the case feeder up front, but, running the machine without case feeder is like driving a Ferrari in downtown Manhattan. Still, if you wanted to run it like a 550 you could: leave off the case feed tube and manually drop a case with every handle stroke. I got the Lee case collator and it helped to speed things up a bit (it quickly loads and holds ~90 cases, and lets you refill the Dillon case feed tube in a fraction of a second). It was pretty annoying but it held me over for ~2000rds while I saved for the case feeder.

[farmland]

You can run the 650 a lot cheaper if money is an issue. I ran my 650 with no add ons for almost 20 years. The case tube helps when you don't have the case feeder. To be honest I never missed it even when I was doing runs of 1,000. For a long time I shared just one powder measure. I only invested in the tool head set up for the 6 different pistol calibers I was loading. I did finally get the case feeder, roller handle and more powder measures. I like the case feeder and the only regret was waiting so long to get it. The roller handle I old live without. The powder measures are just nice to have.

Money aside I do like the 650 over the 550. To me it is auto vs hand indexing. I like the auto and never could get use to my buddies 550. But this is more of a personal like or dislike. I do have two powder checks and again I could do without them. So at this point having a 5th station is not all that important. I never had the alarm ever sound on the powder check and just out of normal procedures I look at the powder every time when I index. Again this is a personal thing.

Fully setting up the 650 does cost more. The caliber kits is where the real cost hits. Though I have learned to mix and match parts to reduce this. For example.loading for the 223 takes some of the same parts as the 380.

But let's be honest if we are looking for Dillon then more often than not it isn't going to break most people. My real costs are not in the equipment but components.

Some say the 650 takes more tweaking than the 550.This may be true but after 20 years on the 650 I can say there isn't much that gives me problems. I have not had to set up a 550 for a caliber change. However changing the 650 is not time consuming or hard. Again after using one so long I probably could do if with my eyes closed. Changing the primer and primer punch takes the most time, about 5 mins.

The more you use any press the faster you learn how to get through problems. The 650 has really been free big of issues. I had problems with the 223 and the case feeder. The solution was a newer part. At one time you used the same plastic bushing as the 380. 9nce I changed this problem was solved. Many times it is just learning to make a small adjustment. At first it will wrack your brain then when you figure if out the fix is simple.

I just ordered my second 650. Why? Because I wanted it more than needed it. I will have one set up for small primers and one for large primers. Call me lazy because it really doesn't take that long to make the change. But what the heck shooting is my hobby. I figure it is like the golfer that has several drivers.

I don't think you can make a bad choice with either the 650 or 550. In fact the Hornady LNL does well too. I bought one but just after so many years on the 650 it didn't work for me.

So in conclusion the 650 is my reloaded of choice simple because I like it and it works for me. I would bet if I started with the 550 then that would be my reloaded of choice.

Oh did I order another case feeder? Lol no I am going to try and share the one I have. Maybe I will get lazy and then get another one.

Edited December 30, 2015 by farmland

[Dirtchevy841]

Have 2 650s. Love them. If you are going to load any kind of volume I would go with 650. It's much easier with the auto index. My first press was a square deal b but that didn't last long moved up to 650 only couple of months later. Never looked back and now I have 2. Actually just recently bought the 2nd just for rifle.