Can an arbor press be used with a Lee Loader?

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pathdoc

New member
I like the Lee Loader in that it frees my reloading from my fixed setup in the shed when winter comes. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't like the banging - especially when it's delivered on her counter-top.

Watching Youtube vids for Sinclair and similar arbor presses, I wondered if they might not be used to substitute for the hammer. Has anyone tried this?

Best thing is of course to use the proper straight-line dies, but as far as I can tell, they don't make those in .303 British and 9mm Parabellum/Luger.
 
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HiBC

New member
In most cases,a hammer is a mediocre to poor substitute for a press.

Yes,an arbor press is a superior tool for a Lee Loader Unless you prefer a mallet.

I understand there are nice custom grade straight line bench rest die sets,but I would consider a Lee Loader to be a straight line set,

Its just made with a different market in mind.
 
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HiBC

New member
I'm thinking a Lee Loader might be used with a Dake or a Harbor Freight Chinese copy of a Dake Arbor Press.

At least those are what I already have in the garage/shop.
 
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Geezerbiker

New member
A Lee hand press is small, doesn't clutter a bench and takes standard dies. I'll take one over a Lee Loader any day. I bought mine back when I had no place to set up my Rockchucker around 30 years ago. I still use it for depriming or if I feel like sizing cases while watching TV.

Tony
 
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hounddawg

New member
have you considered clamping a Lee Classic or RCBS Rebel to something like a workmate? Some of the workmate knock offs can be had for about $30
 
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Geezerbiker

New member
At one time I had my RL550B mounted to a sheet of plywood and I'd clamp it to the kitchen table when I wanted to use it. I had my Rockchucker bolted to a chunk of 2x12 and it could also be clamped to the kitchen table. In the years before that when I was moving around a lot and living in really small spaces is when I used my Lee Hand press the most.

Now I'm blessed to have a dedicated reloading room. Unfortunately I don't have as many places to shoot as I did when I was younger.

Tony
 
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darkgael

New member
Lee hand press is small, doesn't clutter a bench and takes standard dies. I'll take one over a Lee Loader any day. I bought mine back when I had no place to set up my Rockchucker around 30 years ago. I still use it for depriming or if I feel like sizing cases while watching TV.
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That is exactly what I did...also. Started with Lee Loaders....got tired of the banging and picked up the little hand press. I have had a couple of them ever since (in addition to the larger presses that followed)
 
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Geezerbiker

New member
I remember setting off a primer with a Lee Loader when I was loading 7.7x58 ammo. It started the crap out of me...

About the time I got the hand press, I was starting to load '06 ammo and I used the priming tools for that to prime the 7.7 cases. This was the late 80's and I recall RCBS 7.7 dies were more than twice the cost of dies for common calibers.

Tony
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
The Lee Hand Press is a viable, portable solution that avoids whacking stuff with a hammer or mallet -- but the OP already has the Lee Loader(s) in the caliber(s) he wants to load. To buy the hand press would then require purchasing die sets. I think simply using the Lee Loader with an arbor press would be a reasonable compromise. Harbor Freight Tools has two arbor presses (a half-ton and a one-ton) that should be up to the task.
 
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pathdoc

New member
Aguila, I do have the die sets so that isn't the problem. The issue is whether an existing inexpensive, light-and-compact press like the Sinclair - which does not involve bolting-down - could be adapted in place of the hammer so that benchtop surfaces don't suffer.

Every option I've seen for a general-use arbor press online is actually more expensive than any of the reloading-specific tabletop arbor presses.
 
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HiBC

New member
Given you have standard 7/8-14 dies ,last time I checked Midway had the Lee hand press in stock. IIRC,the outfit,with priming tools was $86.Just the press may have been $60 ???

A genuine Dake or equiv USA arbor press is expensive. So is the shipping.

The iron is better and they might heat treat the rack and pinion.

If you can walk in and buy a Chinese arbor press,you avoid shipping.I think it would hold up to loading a lot of ammo.

IMO,given what you describe as your conditions,I suggest the Lee hand press.
 
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Paul B.

New member
Years back I was given a "thing" that converted a hand drill to a sort of mini drill press. Never did find out who made the thing nor whose drill fit that very heavy chunk of iron. I got to thinking one day and after oil and fine sandpaper cleaning up the shaft tried using it as an arbor press for a set of Lee "whackem with a hammer" dies and it worked like a charm. :cool:

Based on that, I'd have to answer the OP's question in the positive. Yeah, I think it would work just fine. No more primers firing off and give near heart attacks. :rolleyes:
Paul B.
 
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Old 454

New member
I used the Lee loader for 303 I just hand primed first, I made many a 303 round with the Lee loader and it worked just fine
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
pathdoc said:
Aguila, I do have the die sets so that isn't the problem. The issue is whether an existing inexpensive, light-and-compact press like the Sinclair - which does not involve bolting-down - could be adapted in place of the hammer so that benchtop surfaces don't suffer.

Every option I've seen for a general-use arbor press online is actually more expensive than any of the reloading-specific tabletop arbor presses.
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I have never seen an arbor press that didn't need to be bolted down to the work surface.

Since you already have dies, I checked some prices. If you can find it, the Lee Hand Press can be bought for just about the same money as Harbor Freight Tools' cheaper, half-ton arbor press.

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=small arbor press

https://www.natchezss.com/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-kit.html

The hand press definitely doesn't need to be bolted down.
 
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HiBC

New member
And the Harbor Freight 1/2 ton arbor press won't fit in a desk drawer or Plano tackle box. The Lee hand press will.

I already have an arbor press mounted in my garage. I'd use it if I had a Lee Loader.
It would work fine.

But its not how I would plan a reloading setup from scratch
 
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