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Posted: 8/20/2022 1:10:18 PM EDT
They've discontinued the Load master. While a bit finicky with set up, mine will run smoothly as long as I don't try to rush. When I speed up, things go wrong, usually with the priming system. I also don't like sacrificing one of five stations for the sizer die to properly center the cartridge over the priming plunger.
Lee has now designed a six station auto breech lock that has a totally new linear primer feeding system. It uses a slider to individually feed primers into a cup. (spring loaded cup, I assume). No moving 'turret' up top should give more consistent rounds. If the priming system is reliable, this could be a game changer for Lee. The extra station would be great for a bullet feed die, or powder check Street price of $360 for a complete set up of caliber, with case feeder, Auto Drum, dies.  Should be out by late this month. Waiting on videos to hit |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 2:25:44 PM EDT
[#1]
This is a Lee thread, please keep discussion about these presses and not any other brand.
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Posted: 8/20/2022 2:45:12 PM EDT
[#2]
Thanks, I knew the Blue Crew would probably dog pile on
 I'm no loyalist, and have green, orange, and other red presses too |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 3:03:15 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Thanks, I knew the Blue Crew would probably dog pile on I'm no loyalist, and have green, orange, and other red presses too Works the same way with a Dillon or Hornady thread, other brands stay away. Totally different if some asks what's the best brand, then any brand is welcome. Not the case here. |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 3:08:27 PM EDT
[#4]
I had two Lee Pro 1000. One used, one new. The used one initially was ok then shortly turned to crap. The new one was always crap. I gave them both away.
Load one round, spend one hour trying to get it to work again. Load one more round. Spend another hour, give up and try again later. OTOH the powder measure was fine and many of the various misc. accessories are ok. |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 3:59:30 PM EDT
[#5]
I had an old 3 station Lee that my father gave me. That got me into reloading.
It was finicky and took a lot to get it tuned, but it worked. Learned a lot working with that old Lee. Used it for a while until changing out for the 2 I have now. Should be interesting to see vids and read how the new design works. |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 5:28:53 PM EDT
[#6]
It looks cool.I’m unsure about the priming setup though.The “Safety Prime” on some of their other presses is a pretty simple but very effective design.
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Posted: 8/20/2022 5:59:35 PM EDT
[#7]
If this press works well and reliably, at that price, it could be a game changer for LEE. They need it. Their reputation needs it.
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Posted: 8/20/2022 6:00:56 PM EDT
[#8]
Priming was (may still be) the weakest point of Lee progressives. I like their ACP dedicated priming press. I was thinking of getting one so I wouldn't have to tinker with the Load master. But if this pans out to be reliable, I'll sell the LM and pick one of these up
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Posted: 8/20/2022 6:05:57 PM EDT
[#9]
<snip> Seems like you didn't see the second post where I said this was a Lee only thread. dryflash3
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Posted: 8/20/2022 6:10:34 PM EDT
[#10]
Thanks OP! Definitely interested... How the same company can make the Classic Cast Turret and the Pro 1000 is beyond me. As above, the latter is often like self-flagellation.
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Posted: 8/20/2022 6:14:18 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It looks cool.I’m unsure about the priming setup though.The “Safety Prime” on some of their other presses is a pretty simple but very effective design. The safety prime is great (for me) on their classic turret. But I don't use the turret for high volume range fodder |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 6:41:20 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: <removed> as this is a Lee thread. dryflash3 <snip> Please don't encourage him. See second post in this thread. Start another thread is other than Lee presses are going to be discussed. dryflash3 |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 6:55:01 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: <Removed> as per second post in this thread. dryflash3 The case feeder is the same set up as on their breech lock 4 position press, the pro 4000. It's a good system. Better than the LM (which runs fine when it's set up properly) The 4000 press is decent, but it uses the safety prime system (like their turret presses) and it slows you down. You also have to take out the auto indexing rod to load intermediate cartridges like the .308, 6,5 Creed, etc. This new one will handle the largest magnums |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 9:43:20 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted: Street price of $ That's the price with no dies. With dies, $500 |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 9:46:56 PM EDT
[#15]
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Posted: 8/20/2022 9:55:05 PM EDT
[#16]
I have 2 Lee Pro 1000's.
Once I learned their quirks I have loaded over 30,000 rounds on them. 16,000 .223's alone. 8,000 9mm's. Probably 5,000 38 Specials and 1,500 .357 Mags. Some 45 ACP but not a lot. You have to listen to the press and see what it's trying to tell you and they work great! |
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Posted: 8/20/2022 10:32:59 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That's the price with no dies. With dies, $500 MSRP is $500. Titan reloading is $360 https://www.titanreloading.com/product-category/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-presses/lee-six-pack-pro/lee-pro-6000/ |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 12:02:17 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: MSRP is $500. Titan reloading is $360 https://www.titanreloading.com/product-category/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-presses/lee-six-pack-pro/lee-pro-6000/ Pretty amazing price for dies, shell plate, powder drop, case feeder, etc. I think I'm going to buy one. Hard not to at that price. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 8:39:01 AM EDT
[#19]
I’ve got a Lee Classic Turret which is a pretty capable press.I’ve been looking hard at the Pro 4000 but I think I may wait a few weeks and see what this new deal is about.Lee doesn’t do a very good job at all with social media marketing or really anything internet related.Their website looks like it was designed in the 90’s.I’ve been looking high and low for video reviews and info on the Pro 4000 for months but there is just not many good videos of it in action.
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Posted: 8/21/2022 9:01:28 AM EDT
[#20]
Looks interesting. A couple of observations:
I do hope this runs well. If it allows one to easily load 3-350 rounds per hour (legit- including reloading primers, powder and cases. Not just "how many can I crank in 60 seconds and multiply that by 60), has good line of sight into the cases and open areas for those of us with clumbsy or fat fingers, it will serve a lot of people well. I could have never afforded to get into reloading when I started out were it not for Lee. Which means we wouldn't have been able to shoot as much. Which means we would have missed out on a lot of fun. I'm sure others have been down the same path with them. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 10:33:51 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’ve got a Lee Classic Turret which is a pretty capable press.I’ve been looking hard at the Pro 4000 but I think I may wait a few weeks and see what this new deal is about.Lee doesn’t do a very good job at all with social media marketing or really anything internet related.Their website looks like it was designed in the 90’s.I’ve been looking high and low for video reviews and info on the Pro 4000 for months but there is just not many good videos of it in action. Plenty of vids on the 4000 on YouTube FortuneCookie45lc is pretty honest with his reviews |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 11:06:38 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Looks interesting. A couple of observations:
I do hope this runs well. If it allows one to easily load 3-350 rounds per hour (legit- including reloading primers, powder and cases. Not just "how many can I crank in 60 seconds and multiply that by 60), has good line of sight into the cases and open areas for those of us with clumbsy or fat fingers, it will serve a lot of people well. I could have never afforded to get into reloading when I started out were it not for Lee. Which means we wouldn't have been able to shoot as much. Which means we would have missed out on a lot of fun. I'm sure others have been down the same path with them. The original Auto drum bottle had a lid. I think this was, as you had speculated to repurpose what else the were using. I think the portion that this new bottle screws into will accommodate a standard 1lb powder jug. Either way, when you twist the bottle assembly it has a damper to shut off the powder flow and remove the bottle, no need to remove the die or Auto drum measure. No baffle unless you have the older bottle like I do. The case feeder comes with 4 tubes, not sure how many that will hold, maybe 50? The indexing is the same principle as the 4000 with a positive alignment pin. Case retainers look similar as well  |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 12:05:37 PM EDT
[#23]
Looks like a start in the right direction.
Waiting on removable heads version. I think Lee has been great for new reloaders to get in on the progressive press on the cheap. They can be finicky, but very functional for relativity low cost for the people not willing to buy once cry once Top Tier cost. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 12:48:54 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Plenty of vids on the 4000 on YouTube FortuneCookie45lc is pretty honest with his reviews I’ve watched every vid on YouTube about the Pro 4000 I could find.I watched Fortune’s vids on it.Aside from his and Ultimate Reloaders vids it seems to me most of the ones I’ve seen are made by people that seem pretty new to reloading.No big deal.Every complaint I’ve really found about the press centers around the priming on it.I like the “Safety Prime” for what it is so I’m willing to gamble on it. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 2:15:20 PM EDT
[#25]
I've got a Loadmaster and do pretty good with it but you do need to pay attention and be on top of adjustments. Interesting that they got rid of the turret and switched to directly threaded holes for the dies. One of the problems with the turret was the sloppy machining on the threads. Hopefully they've done better on this one. Curious about the priming system and how it works.
As for the case feeder, mine holds 25 9mm cases per tube so I'm guessing 10 or 11 .223 cases per tube. Don't think I'll be replacing my Loadmaster, but for someone starting out, the new six-pack sounds much more used friendly. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 2:23:00 PM EDT
[#26]
I'll wait for the reviews.
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Posted: 8/21/2022 4:40:56 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Interesting that they got rid of the turret and switched to directly threaded holes for the dies. One of the problems with the turret was the sloppy machining on the threads.. Isn't it some sort of Breech Lock (twist lock) system? It doesn't look threaded. I looked it up, dies don't thread in - "All dies securely fastened in the upper die carrier with the LEE Breech lock quick die change system. " |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 7:34:59 PM EDT
[#28]
Correct. Dies thread into these, and stay with the die when removed for caliber change
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Posted: 8/21/2022 7:39:57 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Isn't it some sort of Breech Lock (twist lock) system? It doesn't look threaded. I looked it up, dies don't thread in - "All dies securely fastened in the upper die carrier with the LEE Breech lock quick die change system. " I didn't understand what that was at first. Looks like it'll be easier to pull dies and not worry about settings when you're not performing all functions. I like the concept. Not wild about the position of the bullet seating die. Doesn't look like you can see into the case to check powder level before placing the bullet. When loading 9mm, I often use Titegroup. so a visual check is important to me. Might be a non-issue for others though. I like the looks of the plastic flippers on the shell late. Wonder if they've got a detent to hold them in place. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 8:04:33 PM EDT
[#30]
I've had a couple Pro 1000's and both were garbage. The auto-indexing never worked right and wouldn't consistently align to the dies.
I currently have a Classic turret that I use for loading .45-70 and .30-30. It was my Alaska press and I loaded everything from .32 through .460 WM on it... but it's weak link, like the Pro 1000, is the auto-indexing (I don't use the feature on the turret press). If this new press uses something other than the cheesy plastic hex bushing and twisted rod for indexing or the abortion used on the Pro 1000, it might just be a hit for Lee. |
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Posted: 8/21/2022 11:29:57 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: MSRP is $500. Titan reloading is $360 https://www.titanreloading.com/product-category/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-presses/lee-six-pack-pro/lee-pro-6000/ Better yet. As others have said I'll wait for the reviews. |
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Posted: 8/22/2022 12:02:56 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Pretty amazing price for dies, shell plate, powder drop, case feeder, etc. I think I'm going to buy one. Hard not to at that price. Agreed. Why not |
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Posted: 8/22/2022 12:06:27 PM EDT
[#33]
The auto disc powder hopper does work with the auto drum powder measure but you need to use the shut off valve and wiper from the auto disc assembly. I use it that way and still use a baffle, but don't think it's necessary with the auto drum since you do have quite a bit of powder sitting on top of the drum in the area above the drum.
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Posted: 8/23/2022 2:13:19 AM EDT
[#34]
This is going to have major alignment issues just like the ABLP/4000 press. The only thing that holds alignment of the carrier is the dies themselves when a case is in the die. The handle can be twisted side to side and the whole carrier turns with it. To stop this I added a alignment pin like is on the bottom to the underside of the top plate. It goes into the same hole that is at the bottom. This fixed most of the issues but the carrier can still be twisted back and forth a little bit. And you can crush brass in the powder expander die.
They need some other way of keeping the dies aligned with the indexing carrier. That pin, even the one extra I added is not enough. If all you want to load is blasting ammo it should be fine. If you want anything that is better than that then look elsewhere. |
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Posted: 8/23/2022 5:21:30 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This is going to have major alignment issues just like the ABLP/4000 press. The only thing that holds alignment of the carrier is the dies themselves when a case is in the die. The handle can be twisted side to side and the whole carrier turns with it. To stop this I added a alignment pin like is on the bottom to the underside of the top plate. It goes into the same hole that is at the bottom. This fixed most of the issues but the carrier can still be twisted back and forth a little bit. And you can crush brass in the powder expander die. They need some other way of keeping the dies aligned with the indexing carrier. That pin, even the one extra I added is not enough. If all you want to load is blasting ammo it should be fine. If you want anything that is better than that then look elsewhere. This is the kind of info I’m looking for on the Pro 4000.Design flaws and quirks. Lol |
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Posted: 8/23/2022 6:57:33 AM EDT
[#36]
I’ll give it a try.
The Loadmaster has it quirks but it works well if you install a few of the hacks and take your time. |
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Posted: 8/23/2022 9:55:39 PM EDT
[#37]
This press would be phenomenal for case prep.
I switched from the LNL AP to the XL 650 and thought about selling the AP. Instead of selling it I keep it as a devoted sizing press. I don't care if it gets dirty and it has multiple stations if I want to deprime, body size and neck size in three steps. So if nothing else this would be a great, cheap press for case prep only. |
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Posted: 8/24/2022 9:22:54 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This press would be phenomenal for case prep. I switched from the LNL AP to the XL 650 and thought about selling the AP. Instead of selling it I keep it as a devoted sizing press. I don't care if it gets dirty and it has multiple stations if I want to deprime, body size and neck size in three steps. So if nothing else this would be a great, cheap press for case prep only. I have an old RCBS Ammomaster which I use for case prep. I tried setting that thing up for regular reloading, and it was more finicky than my Loadmaster |
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Posted: 9/23/2022 7:57:08 PM EDT
[#39]
First working vid so far that I've found
 Lee Pro 6000 Six Pack first look |
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Posted: 9/24/2022 10:58:51 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have an old RCBS Ammomaster which I use for case prep. I tried setting that thing up for regular reloading, and it was more finicky than my Loadmaster That's actually the only progressive I own. I call it the run out special. I have a peice of fishing line with a weight I use to pull the primer punch down since it trashes springs. This new Lee press reminds me of that press. I assume it uses cases to actuate the powder drop? Wonder how well the primer system works. I have two of those, I think 1000's but am waiting on somebody I hate, like my brother in law, to gift them to. I think the case feeder and case retainer features are a solid improvement over the ammo master and if it feeds primers it should be better as well. The case feeder is worth it alone as that's one less thing to handle. I have like 20 shell plates for my ammo master, not all of them are the best quality. But I am invested. Were I to add anything to either it would be a claw to hold the plate from flexing while priming and alignment pins for the top stroke. |
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Posted: 9/24/2022 12:02:29 PM EDT
[#41]
Interesting. I have a pro 1000. I use it progressively but as a single function to prep brass, then single function to prime and them for powder drop, seating and crimp in another step.
A process i know, but the priming system is so finicky with small primers it was a nightmare trying progressively load. Large pistol primers seemed to have functioned much better when I loaded .45acp on it. I now have it set as a dedicated 38 and 357 setup. I wonder if priming system is better on this press? |
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Posted: 9/24/2022 2:43:45 PM EDT
[#42]
The video shows one of the casings caught up on the mouth of the die.
Have the same problem often with a Pro1000, doesn't leave me with a lot of confidence that the 6000 is going to be "perfect". The load-master didn't last too long, one would think the requirement to design a new press would be to eliminate the problems from previous presses, and not introduce new ones. I don't have a lot of confidence Lee has done that. We will see as more people get their hands on them. People have zero issues recommending say, a Dillon press, but with Lee, even those who like them have to "Yeah it works, but..." when it comes to their operation. |
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Posted: 9/24/2022 3:00:12 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The video shows one of the casings caught up on the mouth of the die. Have the same problem often with a Pro1000, doesn't leave me with a lot of confidence that the 6000 is going to be "perfect". The load-master didn't last too long, one would think the requirement to design a new press would be to eliminate the problems from previous presses, and not introduce new ones. I don't have a lot of confidence Lee has done that. We will see as more people get their hands on them. People have zero issues recommending say, a Dillon press, but with Lee, even those who like them have to "Yeah it works, but..." when it comes to their operation. I think the hang up is the inadequate bevel on the sizing die. Looks like the priming function is 1000x better than the loadmaster Lots of people can recommend a Mercedes-Benz, Porsche or a BMW, but in reality most people can only afford a Toyota or a Hyundai |
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Posted: 9/24/2022 6:55:35 PM EDT
[#44]
Those appear to be lee dies, if there is a chamfer issue with the dies (no argument, a better chamfer should eliminate the issue) what manufacturer does it better?
I'm not where I can inspect my dies, but with my pro 1000 I'm fairly confident I've run into the same issue with RCBS and perhaps Hornady dies. But regardless, it seems like the shellplate and the die should line up exactly the same, everytime. Since it doesn't occur 100% of the time (but it's frequent, maybe half the time), there is obviously slop somewhere in the mechanism. The problem isnt an indexing issue...it seems that the shellplate and the die are at different angles. Lack of a better die chamfer just exacerbates the issue. Seeing the 6000 have the same issue (if once), yet having less components to create tolerance issues that at least understandably are possible in the 1000, is concerning to me. I can't make the car analogy work, my "cheap" cars never needed tinkering to make work lol. |
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Posted: 9/24/2022 7:23:54 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think the hang up is the inadequate bevel on the sizing die. Looks like the priming function is 1000x better than the loadmaster Lots of people can recommend a Mercedes-Benz, Porsche or a BMW, but in reality most people can only afford a Toyota or a Hyundai Or a Dodge and a Pontiac.
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Posted: 9/24/2022 7:30:04 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryConsidering he was doing his first YT video, and doing it single handed, I think he did okay. He will get better about frame and focus if he keeps going. At about 02:26 you can see he had to stop pulling the handle cause the case wasn't aligned to the die. He backed off and got it going. Then, at about 04:00, with the stations populated, he had to hesitate again. For a first run of a complex product, you have to expect some bugs escape the design team. Hard to know how many Lee found before these went out. It will take a little more testing before all the bugs are identified and fixed, but I must give Lee credit for being able to produce these for as little as they do. I would only suggest they should go ahead and formally adopt a Beta Test program where some handful of super-users get early production versions and run them hard to find the bugs before the rest get out. There is a balance between quality control, design. development, and customer relations. If you turn out stuff that isn't ready for the larger audience, you are risking the long term perception problem with your reputation. If you make the initial run a well organized BETA test, you get pressure from the top to open the flood gates due to the expense. It is a tough market to please. |
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Posted: 9/25/2022 3:54:04 AM EDT
[#47]
That case not being aligned is the fatal flaw in this design. It is the same as the 4000. You can twist the alignment of the carrier by any sideways force to the handle. I fixed mine by putting a pin in the top head so the carrier HAS to be centered with the dies.
If the primer feed turns out to be good I might end up with one of these but it is going to get the same pin in the head to make it align everything up. |
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Posted: 9/25/2022 6:32:57 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That case not being aligned is the fatal flaw in this design. It is the same as the 4000. You can twist the alignment of the carrier by any sideways force to the handle. I fixed mine by putting a pin in the top head so the carrier HAS to be centered with the dies. If the primer feed turns out to be good I might end up with one of these but it is going to get the same pin in the head to make it align everything up. Pin in the same position as the bottom alignment pin? I have also seen vids on the tool head alignment where you get a case into every die station, loosen the bolts holding the die head, run the cases fully up into the dies, then tighten the bolts. That seems to eliminate a lot of people's issues |
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Posted: 9/25/2022 1:52:41 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Pin in the same position as the bottom alignment pin? I have also seen vids on the tool head alignment where you get a case into every die station, loosen the bolts holding the die head, run the cases fully up into the dies, then tighten the bolts. That seems to eliminate a lot of people's issues On my ammo master, I usually isolate the beginning and end of a run. Segregating those rounds as warm up or chronograph rounds. This allows the repeatability of the process to turn out accurate enough rounds. For pistol and blasting ammo that's all that I have needed to do. I always use a single stage, of which I have two, to do match type loads. (Lee classic cast and Redding boss) |
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Posted: 9/26/2022 2:46:34 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Pin in the same position as the bottom alignment pin? I have also seen vids on the tool head alignment where you get a case into every die station, loosen the bolts holding the die head, run the cases fully up into the dies, then tighten the bolts. That seems to eliminate a lot of people's issues I use the same hole in the shell plate to align the ram at the top with a pin I added. It points down. Loosening the top and aligning the dies to the carrier is useless if the carrier twist in the frame. If you just want blasting ammo and dont care then go ahead and leave it as is. I am going to need to see one of these in person to get some measurements to see if this can be done to it. Whats funny is the pro 1000 has guides cast into the carrier to not let it twist. They ride on the bolts holding the top and bottom together. It would have been so easy to just add them to this and make the press more accurate. |
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