rage01 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Just looking to get started in the reloading I have no experience and have been watching videos and looking at manuals.I am looking at the Hornady LNL AP(lock and load) PRESS and the DILLON 550B PRESS.Any help would be great.I like things on both of them and have watched the set-up vedios on both and seem to be about the same.THANKS RAGE01. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pro2AInPA Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Just looking to get started in the reloading I have no experience and have been watching videos and looking at manuals.I am looking at the Hornady LNL AP(lock and load) PRESS and the DILLON 550B PRESS.Any help would be great.I like things on both of them and have watched the set-up vedios on both and seem to be about the same.THANKS RAGE01. The more honest apples to apples comparison is the Hornady vs the Dillon XL650. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 That question placed heer is like asking if you should hire your best friends brother, -that has a perfect reputation fro 20 + years of happy customer-, To remodle your Kitchen. Or hire the guy with TV add to build it at close to the same price. By the Way that Best friend has a bunch of friends Including the host of the party ....Brian Enos An old saying to a young good looking girl was "Dance with the one the Brung Ya" That said I have had four Dillion Presses & two Hornday I still have two of each, =I upgraded two of the Dillon presses to the 650 & the 1050 The Hornady press is a single stage and shotgun loader I like the Hornady powder drop much better than Dillions, I like Hornady's seater dies much more. so I have that part mixed in on my press. The Dillon powder drop works fine for handgun loads. If you do not Buy you press from our Host 'Brian Enos' be smart and don't flant it on his forum I don't think any-one that sells hornandy has a website forum (Post scrip) I have not gotten I Spell installed on my new computer yet = so my spell check does not work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I have the LNL and have been VERY pleased with it. The newer EZJect system eliminates the annoying eject wire and the need for using the Hornady crimp dies (or cutting the one you used). Like said, it is a progressive press so you need ot really compare it to the Dillon 650. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) I typically like Hornady stuff....they simply don't make junk. I'm sure that you could buy one and be very happy with it and turn out excellent ammo. With that said, unless things drastically change in the world, I'm not buying a progressive press that isn't blue and doesn't come from Dillon. Consider that my oldest press is a Dillon that I got in like 1991. So, we're closing in on 20 years, it's been back for a complete rebuild once ($39.99 including shipping) that it probably didn't even need, and it's still running strong. The level of customer service at Dillon is beyond question. Do something dumb and break a part? Call and they'll rush you a replacement for free, and maybe a spare if you ask nice. If you have a problem, or you just feel like it, you can go to the factory and ask to speak to Mike Dillon and if he's around, he WILL come speak to you. I'm not sure you can get him on the phone as easily, but I wouldn't be totally surprised if you could. As far as actual quality I can't find any areas to fault Dillon, and I'm pretty picky. Sure, something might break (normally it's our fault, not the press), or they might come up with an upgrade, but it'll be taken care of for free, and quickly. You'll note that the good folks from Dillon actually are members here and not only read, but post in the Dillon section....they're proactive. If we start breaking a part or having a problem with it, they'll know about it. In reality, the folks here are likely the highest volume reloaders in the world, so we're good testers. I'd also agree that the LNL compares to the 650 better than the 550, so the price difference is more significant. Still, spread that price difference out over 10, 20, 30 years and it's a non-factor. Go blue, buy the best one you can afford and you won't regret it. R, Edited January 1, 2010 by G-ManBart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Dillon's customer service really does put them in a class by themselves among reloading machine companies. When they say "No BS Lifetime Warranty," they mean it. I once knew a woman who bought a Dillon Square Deal secondhand. This was her first press. I don't know what the guy who owned it previously had done to it, because it takes some work to completely screw up a Dillon but he had managed it. I couldn't figure it out, neither could anyone else. She called up Dillon, was honest with them about the fact that she wasn't the original buyer, they told her, "Send it in, we'll take a look at it." She figured if she was lucky they could fix it. She had no problem paying for that. She didn't believe me when I said, "No BS Lifetime Warranty." She was like, "I'm not even the original buyer." I told her, "They can probably fix it. And if they can't, they'll give you a new machine." She didn't believe me. Obviously she did not know Dillon Precision. The folks at Dillon looked at the machine, said, "Yep, this is COMPLETELY screwed." Guess what they did? C'mon, take a wild guess. Sent her a brand-new Square Deal for free. Didn't even charge her shipping. Blew her mind. I was like, "Told you so." Show me another company that will completely replace an entire machine, for free, to someone who's not even the original purchaser of the product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimzim Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Dillon's customer service really does put them in a class by themselves among reloading machine companies. Their customer service is quite exceptional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_kahuna Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Just looking to get started in the reloading I have no experience and have been watching videos and looking at manuals.I am looking at the Hornady LNL AP(lock and load) PRESS and the DILLON 550B PRESS.Any help would be great.I like things on both of them and have watched the set-up vedios on both and seem to be about the same.THANKS RAGE01. I agree with previous posts that compare the LNL-AP to the 650. Both are good really good machines, and IMO you can't really go wrong with either one. Both presses have some weaknesses (e.g. primer handling) but with online knowledge resources and Dillon/Hornady customer support it's not a big problem. LNL-AP is a great value especiallly if you consider the Free Bullets program that they were running (I believe it expired 31 DEC 2009 but not sure). My friend Bronco4me has one and he is delighted with it. It took a little tinkering to get it dialed in but that applies to any press you get, including the Dillons. The ammo coming off his press is quality stuff. Hornady customer service is top notch also. The 650 costs a little more (and no free bullet program)... but the minor cost difference may be irrelevant when you consider Dillon's support infrastructure (both Dillon Corporate and the huge community of expert users). It's widely accepted that Dillon customer service is the benchmark for excellence. The knowledge base for Dillon is vast, considering that it has been the de-facto standard for consumer-level progressive reloading since the early 80's. Need help setting up your press or debugging a problem? Dillon "Power Users" seem to outnumber all others... they are all over the internet forums, at every USPSA venue, and in all likelihood there are some in your local shooting community right now. In my little desert hamlet (a community of about 25 thousand), I know of exactly one Hornady progressive user. I personally know at least a dozen Dillon loyalists here, running the gamut from SDBs to 650s and at least one Super 1050. Pretty much all the local Dillonites keep some spare parts, so if one of us needs something NOW it is probably a phone call and a few minutes drive away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+16 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 "GO BLUE" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I have no issues with "Blue" and some day I'd love to get a 1050. That being said I see Hornady offering similar customer service as well. Small parts have a problem... they'll send it out no questions asked. I think it's good for the shooting community that we have a growing list of great reloading equipment vendors. However just because most your friends have something... doesn't mean there aren't other great alternatives.... it just might be they haven't found them yet. And I agree with the cost thing not being a big issue. If you get into reloading seriously the delta in cost is almost insignificant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge DeBoulet Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I took the red pill, and I haven't regretted it. I've had my LnL AP for 3 weeks or so and have churned out roughly 1400 rounds of .40cal S&W. I generally burn through 200 rounds on a visit to the range, and the LnL gets me restocked in about 30 minutes. I've had a couple of occasions to call Hornady during my first week or so of using the press. Wait time for a representative was very short, less than 2 minutes, and the help I got was spot-on. One of my issues was with spent primers getting hung up on the decapping pin and then caught back in the primer pocket. The guy I spoke with not only gave me some tips (polish the pin and verify that it's not bent or loose), but polished up 2 extra pins and sent them to me. I also was able to take advantage of the 1000 free bullets offer; factoring in the cost of the bullets, the press set me back less than $300. Since I bought Hornady dies too, I got another 100 bullets. For the new year, though, the offer on the press has been reduced to 500 free bullets. I seriously considered the Dillon 650, but the cost of entry was quite a bit higher all things considered. As others have said, you won't go wrong with either choice. And as for G-ManBart's comment that amortizing the difference in cost between the two over 20-30 years makes it a no-brainer . . . I'd argue that investing that difference would surprise you as to just how big it might turn out to be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcalvert Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Simply Dillon can not be beat!! Traded up from 650's to 1050's They make better than factory ammo in a hurry. Customer service is by far the best there is. dcalvert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPIC24 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I took the red pill also no problems 10000 loaded.but this is like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Dillon is like Coke. There is no Pepsi. Some people like lemonade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Dillon is like Coke. There is no Pepsi. Some people like lemonade. Are you sure you're not drinking "Coolaid". Have you tried a LNL? Edited January 1, 2010 by lugnut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris iliff Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Well, as always, I'm late and Flex just said all there is to say on this subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calishootr Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 sorry, I am all for Dillon blue, got my first 550b back in??? 1990??? and its seen at least 250,000 rds made on it with nary a problem, and ifthere is/was a problem, a simple phone call to dillon and it would be worked out over the phone or parts would be sent.....in this day an age where customer service seems to be goingthe way orthe Dodo bird and passenger pidgeon Dillon is still there for its customers....simply amazing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I took the red pill, and I haven't regretted it.I've had my LnL AP for 3 weeks or so and have churned out roughly 1400 rounds of .40cal S&W. I generally burn through 200 rounds on a visit to the range, and the LnL gets me restocked in about 30 minutes. It really takes you 30 min to crank out 200 rounds? If so, you'll start to rethink the first line when you hear how long it takes folks with a 650. I can do 200 rounds on a Square Deal in 20min. And as for G-ManBart's comment that amortizing the difference in cost between the two over 20-30 years makes it a no-brainer . . . I'd argue that investing that difference would surprise you as to just how big it might turn out to be Yeah, that's like buy term, invest the difference....except, in the real world, nobody actually does invest the difference. Did you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Dillon is like Coke. There is no Pepsi. Some people like lemonade. Are you sure you're not drinking "Coolaid". Have you tried a LNL? No. Never have. I am sure it's great. I'm not knocking it. I like Lemonade just fine too, fwiw. But still... Dillon = Coke Well, as always, I'm late and Flex just said all there is to say on this subject. I think you reminded me of the _____ + coke thing. LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 It really takes you 30 min to crank out 200 rounds? If so, you'll start to rethink the first line when you hear how long it takes folks with a 650. I can do 200 rounds on a Square Deal in 20min. My I am curious and so I'll put it on the clock run with the 650 was 8 primer tubes (800 rounds) in 45 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 It really takes you 30 min to crank out 200 rounds? If so, you'll start to rethink the first line when you hear how long it takes folks with a 650. I can do 200 rounds on a Square Deal in 20min. My I am curious and so I'll put it on the clock run with the 650 was 8 primer tubes (800 rounds) in 45 minutes. That's slinging some ammo! I'm trying to decide if I want to go the extra step and get a bullet feeder for the 1050 (getting ready to call Brian on that). That would make for at least a 1500 round per hour machine. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge DeBoulet Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 (edited) I took the red pill, and I haven't regretted it.I've had my LnL AP for 3 weeks or so and have churned out roughly 1400 rounds of .40cal S&W. I generally burn through 200 rounds on a visit to the range, and the LnL gets me restocked in about 30 minutes. It really takes you 30 min to crank out 200 rounds? If so, you'll start to rethink the first line when you hear how long it takes folks with a 650. I can do 200 rounds on a Square Deal in 20min. Yes, about 30 minutes right now. Remember that I've only been at this about 3 weeks, and I'm prudently spot-checking COAL, gauging, verifying powder loads, etc. so that I don't get blowed up at the range. I'm sure you did this sort of thing too when you first started reloading. And I don't have a casefeeder (yet). Extra primer tubes might be my next purchase, since having a bunch of them ready to go would keep my nose to the grindstone . . . And as for G-ManBart's comment that amortizing the difference in cost between the two over 20-30 years makes it a no-brainer . . . I'd argue that investing that difference would surprise you as to just how big it might turn out to be Yeah, that's like buy term, invest the difference....except, in the real world, nobody actually does invest the difference. Did you? No, but I did buy 10,000 SP primers Edited January 2, 2010 by Dodge DeBoulet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rage01 Posted January 2, 2010 Author Share Posted January 2, 2010 Wow lots of info guys I thank you for all the input it sounds like yall said ,cant go wrong with either of them.I am going to the range tommoro and may ask around if anyone is reloading with either and if i could check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9x21 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Dillon is like Coke. There is no Pepsi. Some people like lemonade. That about sums it up!, I have Dillon 1050's because I don't have time (hate) to reload........ with 1050's & bulletfeeders , I'm about 2.5 to 3 minutes per 100 rounds... I'm sure Hornaday makes fine stuff, but I'll stick with my Dillons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicald_223 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Dillon forever!!! I've used 3 out of 4 of there presses and they all work great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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