Well the Saeco pot up and died last night. No fizle zap or shower of sparks, I plugged it in as usual, but it never got hot. I pulled off the cover, after unplugging it, and tried to clean the contacts in the thermostat but no luck. I should have checked the heating element for continuity but didn't think of that until after buttoning it up.

Any idea on if anyone works on these pots anymore? I'm pretty sure Saeco hasn't made them in years.

Paul, I don't think I'd even bother to ask Saeco/Redding about repairing it as the cost would be prohibitive. Have you considered purchasing a heavy duty rheostat (dimmer switch) & heat sink and wiring the pot directly to it? I think the cost will be substantially less than $50. On the other hand, you can search Google, et al for "thermostats" and may come up with something more compatible.

Paul

I hadn't considered a replacement thermostat. Come to think of it, I actually have an industrial heater element thermostat I got for a project awhile back, but I'll be darned if I can remember where I put it

If it's only the thermostat that goes bad on them, then I'm not so bummed.

I'd give SAECO a call.

Paul, I hope you have better luck with SAECO than I did with the Redding half of the company...
I bought a set of Redding .308 Norma dies off eBay a year or so back, and they came in with a bent decapping stem. I called Redding and requested a replacement.
When the order came in, the stem ass'y was $18 plus shipping, and it was for the 358 Norma instead... I called them back, had to ship it back to them at my cost, and then got the right one.
In short, RCBS would have replaced the decapping ass'y no questions asked (and they have repaired my Pro-Melt pot gratis, by the way), AND it would have been right the first time!.
Rotsa ruck with SAECO, but if you have to buy another pot, I would recommend you go with RCBS. They have taken care of me for nearly 25 years now, and their warranty means what it says.

Paul H. I had the same problem with my Lyman Pot. Here is what I would do : Get yourself a Volt meter Cost $ 5.00 - $ 10.00 ( made in China) Set the meter To 200 ohms or less.Put one probe on one male contact and the other one on the other. Most LEADPOTS (OLD) RELY ON A PLUG-IN (SEPARATE CORD) yOU SHOULD GET A READING OF ABOUT 15-20 ohns. iF YOU DO, CHANCES ARE GOOD THAT YOUR HEATING COIL IS ok. I HAD TO REPLACE MY THERMOSTAT. Not to worry. Get the cover off and look at the rating. Then email BISBEE CONTROLS in Cairo, NY. The cost is under$ 15.00. Any Questions-email me. Marlin

Paul H. I just found the adress of a dealer, if Bilbee does not sell to Private parties. My pot takes a S 200 Thermostat. The adress is: SELCO Products 7580 Stage Road Buena Park, Ca. 90621
Phone 310-921-0681. Hope that helps. Marlin.
Bilbee might have someone closer to you.

Thanks for the replies, I have a nice fluke multimeter, just need to check the coil and confirm it's good. Then I can look into thermostat options.

Well, I found the problem this weekend. Checked resistance on the heating element and through the thermostat and everything checked out. I even took the power and jumpered it through the thermostat and still nothing.

So I decided to run a continuity check through the power cord, and low and behold, one of the wires had broken where it endered the heat shield. It seems like the insulation they wrap the wires with had caused a stress riser and over the years the wire upped and broke. I didn't have time to fix it, but it looks like I'll be back to making bullets with no loot out to fix the pot.

Thanks all for the feedback!