Need a new lead pot

[hornady]

It may be I am just getting older, but its just getting to be more trouble than the Lee is worth. So what do you guys think is the best pot for the money, and where would the best price be. I have been looking at both the RCBS and Lyman, leaning to the RCBS, is it worth the extra money.
It needs to be a bottom pour with a good mold guide; I use mainly Lyman 4 cavity molds. Thanks

[sourceofuncertainty]

What shortcomings of the Lee are causing you to want to change? That may make a difference in your choice.

For example, I use a Lee and was thinking about switching to RCBS because the Lee's dripping was annoying. But after cleaning it out and weighting the handle I don't have near as much of a problem. So now the Lee's limited capacity is annoying me, and the RCBS won't help much in that regard. Next stop for me would be a 40-lb model like the Magma.

[hornady]

This is my second Lee pot, both have been bottom pour, the first was a 10 pound, way too small, the second is the 20, the first like all Lee pots had the dripping problem, but the 20 pound is worse, and requires more maintenance, also the heat setting on this one seems to need a lot of attention to keep a stable temperature.
This pot is getting older and its time to replace it, and I want to see if there may be a better option than too go with the Lee and its quirks again. I know I could buy 6 Lees for the price of 1 RCBS, but if I am not fooling with the pot constantly it would be worth the money.

[cbrick]

Guess it depends on your pocket book. I have the Magma 40# and had a good dose of sticker shock and buyers remorse right up until the first time I put ingots in it and turned it on. Never looked back, some of the best money I ever put into my loading room.

The old RCBS pot is now used for small casting sessions & odd alloy's & such.

Rick

[Stork]

I've had the 10# Lee melter and the 20# Lee Pro 4-20. I had the chance to borrow a friends RCBS 20# and fell in lust, just had to have one. The lack of constant dribbling lead and more importantly its ability to quickly melt additional ingots sold me on the RCBS. I don't regret it for a second.

[mdi]

Well, for me no, not worth the cost. I just did a search through my vendor page and the RCBS Pro-Melt lists at over $350, and Lee lists their Pro 4-20 at less than $75.00. I have the Lee Pro 4-20 pot that I used for a few years with little trouble, just occationally it gets the drips. Don't know for sure which is better but Lee makes a Production Pot IV that uses a different handle/valve assembly. BTW, I don't have to fool with the pot constantly to get a hundred boolits at a sitting. Maybe there's other things that contribute to your dripping prob...

[cbrick]

Well, for me no, not worth the cost. I just did a search through my vendor page and the RCBS Pro-Melt lists at over $350, and Lee lists their Pro 4-20 at less than $75.00.

Hmmm . . . I guess you wouldn't be too interested in the Magma Master pot ($575.00) with the new electronic controller ($200.00, keeps temp at + or - 2 degrees) @ $775.00 then.

For some people casting bullets is completely and totally about saving money and NOTHING else matters, the cheaper it is the better it is. Nothing wrong with that if it's your thing but for others a high quality tool is far more important.

I'm hardly rich, MOST of the things in my loading room are things that I had to save up for. Many of these things came at the expense of getting something else, a new gun as an example. I get tremendous enjoyment from the tools in my loading room that I have accumulated over the past few decades. None of these tools do I expect to have to keep replacing over and over again because I bought as cheap as I could.

It's one of the great things about casting/loading/shooting. To each their own and no one is wrong if they are happy with the way they are doing it.

Rick

[Dale53]

There is NO doubt that the Lee 4-20 is the best buy out there. If money is tight, then it's a no brainer.

However, having said that, I have two RCBS's. The first was bought wholesale when there was only Lyman and RCBS. The second happened at an Estate sale (got the pot full of good bullet metal for a VERY nice price).

The RCBS' have been FINE pots. I did have to weight the operating arm to stop dripping (simply bought a small, cheap Chinese vise grip and clamped it on the operating arm - problem solved). RCBS has an excellent record servicing older pots. That trumps the other "pretenders" such as Lyman looking long term.

My casting habits may be different than yours. I typically cast year 'round and one or two pot fulls at a time - I just do it rather often.

FWIW
Dale53

[Doby45]

Prior to sinking money into a much more expensive pot, I would look at sinking about $75 into a nice PID to control your current pot. That is my next "investment" and I will simply use that on my perfectly fine Lee 4-20. You could actually build a PID and buy ANOTHER Lee 4-20 for nothing but feeding your PIDed pot with some premelted lead. $150 total investment, 40lbs worth of PID controlled alloy, I see no downside.

[cbrick]

There is NO doubt that the Lee 4-20 is the best buy out there. Dale53

Really? I would say there is a lot of doubt on that point.

If your ONLY criteria is that it's the cheapest you MAY be right. Cheapest is far from the only criteria, many other things to consider beyond how chinsey something can be made.

I would also say that you agree with me. If you didn't why are you buying Miha molds and not Lee molds exclusively? They are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. If cheapest is the only criteria to consider how many Lee molds could you buy for the price of one Miha mold? Price is of course one consideration but hardly the only one and for many people it's far from the most important one. That leaves enormous doubt that Lee is the "best buy".

There can be absolutely no doubt that a bicycle WILL GET YOU THERE, so why do you own an automobile?

Rick

[hornady]

Thanks guys, I think from what I am hearing, for my budget, I am unable to take the Magma hit, but I could do the RCBS, some very good points have been made, I am not new too casting, I have used lee pots for many years, and think this is the best time too up grade. I do not want anyone to think I am snubbing his or her choice, I just think its time for a better set up, and at this time that just happens to be the RCBS, but as said you do the best you can with what you can afford at the time.

[buck1]

The rcbs i have has served me well. I would call it the standard go to pot for most dedicated casters.Theres better out there but my calipers and scale dont think I need them.
I also have LEE, Lyman, and a old Saeco. All work well and make great boolits with a thermometer and a watchfull eye and operating the pot so to speek. RCBS has a GREAT warranty, and they honor it after its up as well.

[cbrick]

I am unable to take the Magma hit, but I could do the RCBS, I have used lee pots for many years, and think this is the best time too up grade. I do not want anyone to think I am snubbing his or her choice, I just think its time for a better set up, and at this time that just happens to be the RCBS

I don't feel at all snubbed. You made a wise choice for you, your budget and your needs. I seriously doubt you will regret it, i've used an RCBS pot for about 25 years and it's still running strong, still doesn't drip.

My only point is so many people post here that Lee is the only choice and price is the one and only criteria, in which case Lee would be the only product on the market. Quality well made tools wouldn't even be made, would be no need.

Rick

[Cowboy T]

That's really strange, because I also have a Lee Pro 4-20, and it drips a little, but not nearly enough to be bothersome. This is after tens of thousands of boolits cast from the thing, and so far, it's been a good performer. But that's my experience. You've got to be comfortable with your gear, and if RCBS or Magma or whatever does the trick, that's the direction you've got to go.

BTW, the reason I bought an (admittedly excellent) MiHec mould is because Lee doesn't make hollowpoint moulds, and Miha does. If Lee also did, especially in their 6-cavity models, I'd defintely buy one.

[casterofboolits]

I started out with Lee pots and moulds, graduated to a Lyman pot and moulds, the Lyman pot died after a couple years and I ended up with RCBS ten kilo pots and never looked back.

If anything happens to the pot, RCBS will refurbish it to the latest version for free. I now have three of the RCBS pots, but one was free.

This of course took almost four decades.

[94Doug]

Call RCBS. They do (sometimes) have seconds or slightly damaged units for sale at a reduced price, I've heard in the $200-250 range. Who knows, you might get lucky.

Doug

[mdi]

The Lee pot I own melts lead, keeps a relative stable temp., doesn't drip very much, and I've cast a few thousand bullets with it. I got all this for less than $75.00, and not being a tool snob, why would I spend $350.00 for something that will do no better? My only criteria is a tool that does the intended job, which my Lee pot does.

I was a heavy equipmechanic for a large west coast city and saw "tool snobbery" at it's finest. Some mechanics would only buy/use certain tools because of the name on them or their color, or what their favorite NASCAR pit crew used; "If it ain't Snap-on (or Mac or Matco or Williams, etc) it ain't no good". A $50.00 combo wrench doesn't have better ergonomics nor tightens bolts any easier than a $20.00 wrench. I didn't/don't buy tools for the name on them but how well they do the job...

[old turtle]

I agree with mdi. I have a Lee pot and I have also cast thousands of boolits with it. I cast using wheel weights, linotype, lead and my mixture of 2 to 1 ww and linotype. MDI, a friend of mine who is a diesel mechanic said the the more expensive tools (Proto) the less he knows

[Dan Cash]

I use a $35.00 propane double burner and a pair of $10 cast iron pots and a $15 RCBS dipper. They don't leak and hold about 40# of metal when full. I cast lots of big bullets. Had a Lee 20# drip-o-matic and plugged the hole with a sheet rock screw and bought the dipper. Sold the pot to a forum member for $20 delivered and made him happy.

It is not the name on the tool but the work it produces and for me, Lee is largely a waste of time and money..

[Doby45]

Much like the whole Dillon is more gooder than everything in the world debate. I think mdi was simply saying they both do the same thing and for his intended use there has been no need to spend $350 on a product when he can spend $75 and get a product that does the same thing. You on the other hand appear to be comparing the difference with the RCBS to be the difference between a Bobcat and a strip mining earth mover. I am one who believes in spending money properly; buy the best you can afford. I cannot see what a RCBS pot will do that a Lee pot does not do. Maybe I am missing something here, does it pour the boolits for me or does it simply melt lead? Because I use a Lee pot does that also make me a mindless follower?