Anyone Upgrade From A 550 To 650?

[Cuba 71]

After being very happy and having fun reloading on my 550B for .45 ACP, 9 mm, .38 spl/.357 mag, for an unknown reason decided to upgrade to an xl650.

Well, the fun is gone and now it's a constant struggle to get some rounds reloaded.

There're so many thing that could (and will) go wrong that my xl650 is slower than the 550B.

Probably the most anoying and concerning problem is the spilling of powder as the press automatically indexes. How can one make accurrate loads when there's powder all over the press and floor?

The money I invested (>$1000) could've been better invested in another gun.

I just finished reloading a grand total of 200 9 mm rounds in two hours (yes, 2 hours).

If there was a money back warranty from either Dillon or BE, this baby would be on it's way back.

[straightshooter1]

Cuba 71-I am sorry to hear of your problems with the 650. But I will bet if you call Dillon they will walk you through the problems and get them solved. One of the reasons I like them so much is that, in the beginning, when the 550 was relatively new, I called them lots of times and they always were very helpful, never talked down to me (I handled that myself) and always solved the problem.

I never upgraded to the 650, mostly since I load 19 different calibers and the painful reality is that it would simply cost too much to duplicate this with the 650. Loading mostly rifle, I find the 550 to be plenty quick.

Starting to load some handgun again, and, to tell the truth, am thinking (only thinking) about dumping one of my 550s and getting a 650 for small pistol (9, 40 & 38). I mean, really, that wouldn't be all that expensive, would it? Probably won't though, since I have lived with the 550 so long I don't seem to ever have a problem with it that I can't handle (here's the point where I shot my mouth off and probably will have some impossible problem with one of them next time I try to load).

Seriously, very seriously, CALL DILLON!

Bob

[benos]

Cuba,

To smooth out the auto-indexing and reduce powder spilling, try clipping 1/2 to 1 coil (max) off the spring under the indexing ball, and also use some grease to lube the Shellplate when you re-assemble it. (Slide-Glide #1 works pretty good there.) Also, experiment with the how tight you tighten down the Shellplate. Between the spring, the grease, and the Shellplate adjustment, you should be able to eliminate most of the powder spillage problems.

be

[Cuz]

I've been loading on a 550 for the past 10 years and have considered upgrading to the 650 a few times. In the end I always come to the conclusion that the 650 is just not enough of an upgrade (to me) to justify. I'm happy with the 550, it's been flawless, but I only load 3 pistol calibers (.38, .40, and .45) so it's a very simple press that just keeps working. I plan to upgrade to a 1050 but have been putting that off becauase there's always a new gun I'd rather have. Someday tho I will get it.

-Cuz.

[NoTenX]

Well a two month update I added the 650 to my bench 4 months ago with the 550, the forester coax press and I have a good mix. The 650 is set up for my main match pistol(38), the 550 does rifle and pistol, and the forester does my precision 6.5x55,308, and 223. I relealize now that I had some acquire habits on 550 that the 550 was so tolerante and simple that made it more reliable. I have quickly discovered those reloading faults like hesitation on down or up stoke that messes up primer indexing and the reloading bench needed to be more solid so powder and primers will not shake around. primers, shells and powder. let me emphasize again your loading bench needs to be heavier or brackets or 2x4 screwed to wall to avoid problems in the 650 that you got by in the 550. I had a 450/550 since 82 and I will keep one. I have added two more 650 conversion kits(45,40) but have rethought it to still do main match 3000/month on 650 and do 300-700 on others on 550. I have added uniquetek's micrometer to a small and large powder bar . I shear extrudded powders on a redding br3 measure with and without a rcbs case activated linkage using dillon powder funnels and dillon powder dies. nEW ACUIRED muscle memory has replaced some older 550 and the 650 runs smoth now and I anticipate what is going wrong before the 650 stops. I appreciate both machines the 550 for all the calibers and simplicity and the 650 for its automation but it really boils down to the reloader behind the handle and their perseverance to learn the machine be patient if you do upgrate or adopt another dillon

Edited April 12, 2006 by NoTenX

[straightshooter1]

NoTenX-I really appreciate your post-answers some questions/issues for me. I have really considered the 650, but with all the calibers and loading for mostly rifles it doesn't make sense right now.

I have toyed with the idea of just putting both 550s and all the stuff except dies and some powder measures up for sale here or on Ebay and then getting the 650 or even a 1050. But apparently caliber changes, especially for the 1050 are kind of a big deal and I really use, of the 19 calibers I load, at least 10 fairly regularly.

I am somewhere between 10 and 17 months from retirement and, assuming the Lord leaves me here, plan to get back into more pistol shooting. As I read the various posts and "which Dillon" it seems to me that the 650 and 1050 are best for the pistol calibers and maybe 223, but the 550 shines for rifles and fast caliber changes.

I think I see a sale of one 550 in the future with a bunch of handgun stuff and the purchase of one of the bigger ones (not sure which).

Bob

[NoTenX]

straightshooter1, I talked to lee at dillon when I ordered the 650 and he said that alot hold on to the 550 if they are loading qa lot of different calibers and glad i did too. I have about a dozen orphans i load maybe a hundred cartridges and thats good for months or half a year and since i own most of the shell plates and funnels it would not make sense to 650 those. I find that if i hand prime and using the micometer modified powder bars using different powders and doing load development the 550 is a very handy press and I can still produce a 1000 rounds in two hours if i want to. If you have the room for both 550/650 on your bench you should keep it, any money you get from the 550 sale would be spent on 650 conversions my 2 cents. I find with the micrometer bars i am not using the extra powder measures and have sold two down to tree total one with large bar one with small and one i keep on 650. by the waqy i had two 550 at one time and found i did not need two. Its easy to get in a dillon fever and have conversions for every caliber, I like the expression of respect the man that owns one gun because he knows how to use it. It applies to reloading presses also

Edited April 13, 2006 by NoTenX

[straightshooter1]

Happily-or sadly as the case may be-I have been in a "Dillon fever" ever since I saw the 550 in the 80s (actually first saw it when I unboxed it buying it sight unseen). I have a caliber conversion for every single caliber I load, a powder measure. toolhead stand, little label for each, etc. I recently went back to two presses. I find it is just so convenient to load small primers on one and large on the other.

As I was sitting here, I was pondering-when I retire, whether I could keep both 550s and add the 650/1050. Might be able to make a slight change and have the room to do it.

Really envy those guys who live where they have basements.

Bob

[NoTenX]

I can only speak for the 650 but even without doing a cartrige conversion the preventive maintance tasks of removing shell plate primer assembly and punch, case feeder and cleaning debris of cleaning media, spilled powder, spend and live primers off of ski ramp far exceed changing small and large primers. I had a small and large primer 550 as said before the enjoyment of the automation production speed of the 650 and the simplicity of the 550 both are both appreciated.

You won't miss the second 550 have you thought of adding case feeder to one 550 and keeping the other for rifle and pistol. there is a video on the forum of it loading.

[A38337]

I spent almost 5 yrs loading on a 550 before upgrading to a 650.

When I started using the 650, the learning curve threw me off and I felt like smashing it with a big hammer.

After talking to some people and taking my time to get to know how the press worked, and all the little things that can go wrong and how to fix them, things were much better!

Bought a Super 1050 from Brian this past xmas and had to go through another learning curve with it, with some moments of frustration.

Things are much better now.

Just sold my 550 after having not touched it since 2000.

[gobabygo]

Another 550 to 650 person here. I'm a git 'er done as fast as possible person, and I don't load rifle, and the 650 is perfect for me.

I reloaded on a 550 for a few years but have been using a 650 for a couple years now. On the 650 I load 9mm (major and minor), 38 super and 40. I have separate complete toolheads for each of these and since they all use the same shell plate and small primers, caliber changes take me maybe 1 minute on the 650, though it wasn't cheap.

I moved about a year ago and a week ago I finally set it up again to load .45 again. Wow, what a difference. There's a learning curve going down to a 550 also. The lack of autoindex takes some getting used to again. I'm having to be very careful not to double charge and more than a couple times now I put the bullet in the case and not turned the shellplate causing the powder measure to dump a powder charge everywhere.

Anyway, overall I believe the 650 is a better machine. Yes there are some quirks, but once you read all the tips here in the website, and clean the primer system every now and then it works great even if you need to change calibers often (like me). The only benefit I see to the 550 is in load development and cost (but with the case feeder, it's not much of a savings).

A 1050 is next, but I'm a little worried about the caliber changes on that machine.

Edited April 19, 2006 by gobabygo

[jbagg0705]

I currently have 2- rl550b's and 2-xl650's,but i mainly use the 550's because i can set up easier,and they dont advance automatically when your trying to make adjustments,however when you are set up on the 650,it will produce alot of ammo.