Initial cost vs. ease of use, setup, longevity, fit and finish, not just I have this kind and think it's great....
I reload for numerous pistol and rifle cartiridges for a long time now (40+yrs), It's time to step up.

9mm - .38/.357mag - .40 S&W - 30 carbine
22-250 - 22-250AI - .243win - .270win - .270AI - .308win - 30.06 - 300 weatherby - 7mm mag
I go thru about 2000rnds of pistol stuff a year/ I think it would be more if I had a progressive.

I spend the rest of the year shooting mostly 2-250AI, 243 and lately .308win --- maybe another 3000 rnds of these. I'm 57 now and it's getting kind of hard to do these one at a time. However I don't want to give up the accuracy that I've been able to achive with some of the hand loads esp in 22-250AI and the 270 and .308win especially....

had a lee, dillion 450 dillion 550 and now a 650 - my advice is to save yourself a few steps and just go get the 650

In my humble opinion there areonly two classes of progressive loaders (1) DILLON nad the other (2) class. Over the last 35 years I've owned the following Dillon presses RL450, (3) RL550 at one time or another and now I moved up to a RL1050. Although I load for centerfire I've never loaded enough at one time to convert any of these presses to load rifle cases. I load mostly 38/357, 40s&w, 38super. Most being used for my son's competion handguns.
I feel like you'll be money ahead to buy the Dillon if for nothing else but little book they send you every month.

Larry

I have been loading with a Dillon 550 for 10 years. I currently load for 38spl, 40 S&W, .45 ACP, 500 S&W Mag, 30-06, 300 Sav, 7mm-08, 30 Carbine, and 8X60mm.

Setup is quick and simple. The press is strong and reliable and the settings do not change over time. I still check to very everything is right but I have not had to reset any adjustments. Changing to different calibers is also quick and simple. I get new tool heads for each cartridge I load for and leave the dies perminently attached as well as the powder dispensor. Remove two pins and change out the tool head. The shell plate is swapped out by loosening a set screw and removing the center bolt. Change the shell plate and scre everything back in. Takes less than 10 minutes to swap to another cartridge. A couple more minutes if you need to change from the large primer setup to small primers. That requires the removal of two more bolts to swap out primer setups.

I have not used the RCBS progressive press so I can not really comment on that one.

I have two dillion 550's. Changing the primer size is a pain, so I keep one set up for large and one for small. I shoot about 20,000 rounds a year of .40, .44 and .38 special. I also use the dillion to reload .458 for practice shoots (cast lead bullets)

I load all hunting ammo on an RCBS single stage.

At the Shooting club we have a Dillon 450 that has been used by all sorts of ham fisted baboons over the last 15 - 20 years and it still works. At least 5 different guys a week loading up to 3000 rounds a week.

Dillion back up has been superb.

OK, OK, OK, I guess I knew the answer before I asked. It's just that I'm not certain that I need a great machine that's capable of 12 million rounds an hour.... Oh well if I load em' I'll shoot em'....

AI, in response to your question of Dillon vs RCBS buy the Dillon. I still use RCBS single stage presses but a RCBS progressive was the single most expensive reloading mistake I ever made. Hundreds of dollars and lots of time still never got the RCBS progressive to work correctly.
I bought a Dillon 650 and loaded all the brass and bullets I had on hand the same day.
For single stage RCBS's are very good, for Progressive's don't buy anything but a Dillon!............DJ

I'd look at the Hornady LNL AP before paying more for a Dillon and getting less.

I own two RCBS single stage presses, one Dillon 450B, two Dillon 550's and two Dillon 1050's and use to own a Star, and a Camdex. The 550 and 650 Dillon are the best of the best for general home progressive loading. I use bullet feeders and coolators on my 1050's. Both will load over 3,000 rounds per hour. I will most likely add two more 1050's in the next year. I load several 100,000 rounds per year. It is less expensive to employ a person to load on a 1050 than to try keeping a Camdex or Ammo Load going. In my humble opinion RCBS, Hornaday, and Lee are lagging way back in the progressive market. The folks at Dillon are a little cocky, they do what they say they will do. So I guess if they can walk the walk then they should be able to talk the talk.
Longshot

Dillon is progressive -anything else will be a waste of time and money. If you want to save a few sheckles, buy a used Dillon. Why?? Their warranty still stands even if you aren't the original buyer -and yes, they are that good.
I have broken a few shellplates in the last 25 years, but parts were only a call away. A long story for sure, but I mixed lubed and unlubed cases -'nuf said.
I now have a 550B alongside my original 450, so I hope that gives some idea of my faith in Mike Dillon's equipment. My other press is a Bonanza Co-Ax, and between the three my reloading bases have been covered for better than two decades.