Dillon sucks and is also great.......

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clayking

New member
Got your attention.

I broke my second index ring last week, had an extra on hand, but what a pain to replace. Seems to be there has to be a better way than plastic. Dillon promptly sent me a new one, and even a little device to set the alignment correctly. God, I hate all the little parts on the dillon but love the machine. Love hate relationship.

On the other hand, it caught a double charge charge today with the powder check. How I did it, is another matter, that still escapes me.

I bought and installed the dillion allen key set and attached it to the back of my strong mount. However, with it attached my ammo bin won't mount on the machine.

I swear, I would pay 3x the price for a really really really good machine with less small parts and all metal parts.

Is the 1050 a much much much better machine with less problems fewer small parts, etc. etc...................ck
 
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Wrangler5

New member
I read on another forum recently, and I believe it was from a Dillon rep who monitors these things online, that the 1050 IS a better machine if you regularly reload military brass (built in primer pocket swage, you know,) don't need to change calibers very often and do need to produce the highest number of rounds per hour with a manually operated machine. The 1050 has a more complicated (and much more expensive) caliber change procedure. Plus, it only carries a 1 or 2 year warranty, presumably because Dillon figures it's more likely to be used in fairly continuous high production environments by people who don't own the equipment themselves.

If you don't do a lot of military brass or want to change calibers more often, and can do with slightly lower production volumes, he recommended the 650. Lower cost and lifetime warranty.

As for the plastic parts: I've read over the years that plastic is frequently chosen so that a small and cheap part will break and thereby avoid damage to a larger, more expensive part. I've operated Dillon machines in a local store for years but don't have one, so don't know exactly where your broken part fits in the operating cycle. But if it's breaking on a regular basis, and your Dillon model is not famous for needing to replace this part constantly, there MAY just be something a bit off somewhere else in the machine causing the problem.
 
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clayking

New member
When I spoke to the Dillon guy on the phone about it being plastic his answer was, its cheaper and if it breaks it might prevent something else from going wrong, what, I can't imagine however. It makes the platform go round and round attached to a little spring. I think the first one broke after 15,000 rounds had been loaded, the second, far fewer. In fact, my dealer replaced the first one for me as I didn't have a spare part but he did. Today was my first reloading session after replacement and it was smooth as butter.

I did not know that the 1050 did not have the lifetime warranty, but can understand why. Since I reload 5 different calibers, the change over process doesn't sound like my cup of tea, as I reload 3-5,000 of each before switching over to lessen the time spent changing.

I have four Mec shotgun loaders that never seem to fail.................ck
 
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Don H

New member
Seems like all the current progressive machines of various brands are made with a generous sprinkling of plastic parts. I have an older progressive that has one (1) plastic part - the ball on the end of the handle. I see no need to replace it and will probably get another so I'll have one for each primer size.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
that thing you break

Lube it before install (TetraGun Grease).

Then adjust the shell plate slightly looser (but not rattly).

I get about 500,000 between changing them.......
 
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Alleykat

Moderator
Lube it before install (TetraGun Grease).

Then adjust the shell plate slightly looser (but not rattly).

I get about 500,000 between changing them.......
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Click to expand...

Yep, I concur. I believe something preventable is going on. If there were some kind of design problem, you'd hear a lot more about those parts' breaking.
 
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clayking

New member
Yea, I grease it. and yes I loosen the shell plate just past where it works ok.

I'm curious. Does anyones platform rotate just a bit after it is tighten down? Not the shell plate, but the actual platform.....................ck
 
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clayking

New member
I haven't noticed the rotation that you mention. Have you tightened up the two screws under the shellplate?
Click to expand...

Yep, as tight as they can be. Did you actually go check yours?................ck
 
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WSM MAGNUM

New member
Clayking, that rotation of the platform might be caused by the left and right link arms not being lubed sufficiently. They may be binding against the frame. My Dillon started to do that and it got a little harder to operate the handle. It stopped rotating and got extremely easier to operate after I cleaned and lubed the press.
 
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clayking

New member
Clayking, that rotation of the platform might be caused by the left and right link arms not being lubed sufficiently. They may be binding against the frame. My Dillon started to do that and it got a little harder to operate the handle. It stopped rotating and got extremely easier to operate after I cleaned and lubed the press.
Click to expand...

I clean & lube mine after about 3000 rounds or when I change over to a different calibier. The link arms are greased and the platform actually rotates that tad when I move it by hand with no other movement of the press. The overall operation is working to operate to perfection, easy and smooth, at present anyway.

The platform only rotates that bit when in the down postion. When the platform goes up it will not rotat and is quite stable. That might be normal as I've never checked it before...............ck
 
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