Pete, I'm no expert and have very limited handloading experience, but I can't imagine there is a simpler, more accurate or better value trimmer than what Lee manufactures. It can't go out of adjustment which I find is probably it's best feature and takes around 20-30 seconds to secure, trim, chamfer & polish a case. All for the price of half a dozen beers. Tooooo easy. Cheers.
Posts: 90 | Location: Sydney Australia | Registered: 04 July 2003
Boofhead, I have a question about the Lee trimmer. I have never used them, but from looking at the ones I have seen in the stores it appears that the pilot and trimmer head cut to length based on pilot contact with the web of the case. Have you ever used calipers on cases of a specific caliber from different manufacturers and different lots to see how much difference variations in web thickness can affect overall case length? It seems to me that this variance could cause problems in a chamber cut to minimum dimensions. I have been thinking about getting one or two calibers just to try them out and wanted a little more information.
Posts: 321 | Location: Tulsa, Ok. | Registered: 27 June 2001
I prefer the RCBS Trim-Pro. I started out trimming cases on a Herter's (basically a Forster)and i just couldent get the length consistancy I wanted and changing cases out was very slow. The RCBS is very, very consistant and changing cases couldent be faster. A good value IMO.
I use the Lyman Electric one. I also, have a manual trimmer. We bought some of Lyman's "Acculine" trimmers but the would not give a consistantly accurate trim.
Posts: 355 | Location: Roanoke, Virginia | Registered: 29 May 2003
The Lee trimmer pilot actually has a hardened pin that goes trough the primer flash hole and indexes against the case holder which is pressing against the base of the case. It doesn't matter who the case manufacture is, all the cases get trimmed to the exact same length.
[ 07-18-2003, 01:25: Message edited by: Byron ]
Posts: 78 | Location: CA | Registered: 02 March 2002
I use the RCBS trimmer with the motor attachment. It trims brass fast as you can load it,..and they never have varied by more than .001",..which is rare. I really like this tool,....it is one of the more usefull things you can buy when handloading.
Posts: 1496 | Location: behind the crosshairs | Registered: 01 August 2002
I have the power trim pro,,love it!Add the 3 way cutter head and you'll really have an efficent "system".Used to have a forester,had problems keeping the mouths square,if it was'nt the case/collet allignment,it was the frame flexing.Note,you need to check the base of the cases for extractor damage before trimming ie. bent rims.Happy trimming! Clay.
Posts: 2119 | Location: woodbine,md,U.S.A | Registered: 14 January 2002
I'd have to vote for the Lee. I've used every trimmer out there except the newest one from Hornady (which looks to be a fine trimmer). I use the Lee because there's no setup or fiddling to get it set to the right length. You can chuck the shell holder in a hand drill and trim faster than any bench mounted trimmer. If you only have a handfull of cases to trim then they can easily be done by hand. Simple, effective and fast. Add cheap to that, for less than half what you'd spend on a bench mounted trimmer, you can buy all the case length and shell holders you're likly to ever need.
My vote is for the Lee. Because the case is spinning not the cutter a cock eyed case is virtually impossible. The treads on the pilot are a bit iffy so I glue the pilot in and buy a different set for each calibre. Very accurate and simple. I have used others but went back to the Lee.
Rob T.
Posts: 64 | Location: Merseyside,England | Registered: 28 May 2003
I use a Lyman the most, and prefer my Wilson as it does the best job. If I were buying a new one however, I'd get a Forster as it combines the best features, and has useful attachments.
packrat
Posts: 594 | Location: MT. | Registered: 05 June 2003
Thanks for clearing that up for me, I have a Lyman trimmer but was looking for something a little to set up if I just wanted to load a few rounds for testing.
Dennis
Posts: 321 | Location: Tulsa, Ok. | Registered: 27 June 2001
Set up a Wilson for use with a drill, and all others will soon collect dust. The Wilson is by far the most accurate, plus it does not have a mandrel to cut grooves in the inside of the neck. James Mock
Posts: 15 | Location: Winnsboro, LA | Registered: 13 July 2003
quote:Originally posted by Boofhead: I can't imagine there is a simpler, more accurate or better value trimmer than what Lee manufactures. It can't go out of adjustment which I find is probably it's best feature and takes around 20-30 seconds to secure, trim, chamfer & polish a case. All for the price of half a dozen beers.
I agree completely with this. I put the lock stud in the chuck of a 1/4 inch electric drill and use that to spin the case while trimming it. Then, while the case is still in the lock stud and spinning from the electric drill, I also chamfer the inside and outside of the case mouth using the RCBS tool. If I want to clean the case, I can then spin it inside a pad of fabric that has been saturated with Remington Brite Bore.
[ 07-19-2003, 06:52: Message edited by: LE270 ]
Posts: 5883 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 11 March 2001
quote:Originally posted by DennisF: I have a question about the Lee trimmer. I have never used them, but from looking at the ones I have seen in the stores it appears that the pilot and trimmer head cut to length based on pilot contact with the web of the case.
No. The case length is determined by the Case Length Gauge, which has a hardened pin that goes through the flash hole of the cartridge. The trimming operation continues until that pin comes to rest against the locking stud. So case length does not depend on the web of the case.
One disadvantage of this system may be that it is not adjustable -- the case length gauge controls the length, and this gauge is a one-piece fixed-length tool. But what does happen is that all the cases are trimmed to the same length, so you achieve a very high degree of consistency case-to-case, which is the goal, isn't it?
Posts: 5883 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 11 March 2001
