So one of the toggle links on my less-than-2-year old Challenger Press has let go after working about a thousand cases - max.

Surprise, surprise I hear you all exclaim!

I've emailed Lee from England to see what they'll do for me under warranty and given that the press was bought for me at Midway USA and shipped to me in England I wonder how easily and how quickly I'll get up and running again. No decapping/sizing, no bullet seating. Shit man, I'm completely stuffed up and gutted by the whole thing

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tikka 3 barrels

I don't know if you get the same TV commercials over there as we have in the States, but the V-8 juice company has a few that announce, "I should have bought a V-8!"

I think that cna be slightly revised to, "I should have bought an RCBS!"

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http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

I too should have bought an RCBS, Forester, Redding, or anything but Lee.
That being said, my linkage let go a while ago. I sent the broken pieces back and they replaced them at no charge. Their customer service is great but Lee Precsion is an oxymoron.

Chris

Lee is the handloading equivalent of the 710 Remington. Designed to be cheap to manufacture with no concern about quality.

Get an RCBS press.

And yes, I speak from experience with Lee.

[This message has been edited by JMac (edited 04-09-2002).]

I echo JMac's sentiments. I've been using the Rockchucker for probably 25 years. That pot-metal Lee press makes a decent doorstop.

On the other hand, that Redding "Boss" looks pretty neat, and it's about $25.00 less than the Rockchucker. Redding is pretty good, too.

R-WEST

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"the spotlight of truth will cause the cockroaches of deceit to run for cover every time"
Rush Limbaugh

[This message has been edited by R-WEST (edited 04-09-2002).]

Mine did that too,flip over the other side and you are back in business.They sent me a replacement.I use the Lee factory crimp dies,that's when I abuse mine.The RCBS press damm well better last, they cost 50% more than the whole kit.

I can see that the metal used isn't aircraft quality and so...

but when Lee's own product literature tells you that in using the collet sizing die to use at least 25 pounds force and there's no upper limit given???????

anyone got a s/h Rock chucker?

After sending my Challenger back for the third time, and recieving my press back with comments on my improper use of a press, I bought a Lyman. The difference is night and day a real metal press vs alumimum powder press. Still like Lee collet dies, but not with their press.

There was another thread on this subject just recently where I posted the "fix" for the Challenger problem. What breaks the toggle is that the bolt holding it loosens with use. Obtain a bolt a half inch longer and with it buy a Nyloc or similiar self locking nut. Tighten it up good. It won't come loose and the toggles won't break.

I bought one of the first Lee's as a portable press many years ago and promptly broke a toggle. With the above fix that press is still operating some 20 plus years later without ever breaking another toggle nor coming loose.

Bob,

I saw your tip and followed it up. I guess the damage must have been done whilst the bolt was loose?

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tikka 3 barrels

Pete~
Correct!!!

Bob is right. My experience exactly. Since I replaced the original toggles I just make sure the bolt is tight and it's worked like a champ. And that $80 I saved went towards areally nice concentricity gauge (which has contributed much more to my reloading enjoyment than any press would).

I wouldn't recommend it for case forming, but if all you are doing is standard resizing, it works just fine.

Martindog

Hee's your cure:

Buy the toggles for the Turret Press, and buy a new handle that fits the Turret Press (old one won't). The whole thing will cost you under $10, it fits, and it is much stronger.

When my toggles broke, I did turn them over to get a little more mileage... also thought that I would just beef up the cross section of the "aluminumn" with zinc rod. That's when I found out that the toggles are not aluminum, they are zinc ("pot metal").

Here's the verdict guys,

Midway don't stock spare parts so go suck an egg.

Lee have shipped me a set of replacements.

I've locally bought a spare set to keep me going whilst Lee's package crosses the Atlantic.

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tikka 3 barrels

I learned along time ago that you get what you pay for w/ most things in life. The only thing I still use from Lee is their hand priming tool. All of my dies & presses are either RCBS, Redding or Dillon. All three have great customer service, if & when I break something.
I ditto the RCBS Ammo MAster. A great big press for the long mags & Sharps rounds. I fianlly retired my RCBS Jr. press for one of these.

Bob338
You came to the same conclusion I did. Nylock and a longer bolt solved my problem.
The question is why LEE "Precision" didn't do it right the first time. This press has been out for some time. Richard Lee are you listening??

John~
I took the time to write Lee at the time. Very early in the life cycle of the press. No response and no action??????????